Aaron rolled his eyes. ‘We’re not stupid, Dad. You’re all funny around each other. Like Uncle Reid and Nat.’
‘Huh.’ So much for thinking they’d kept it a secret. ‘So, you don’t mind?’
Carter shook his head, a bright smile on his face. ‘Mummy needs someone to love her.’
‘And so do you, Dad.’
Well, huh. ‘Okay then. That’s good. Thanks for letting me know.’
‘Our pleasure.’ Aaron stood.
‘You’re going?’
‘Uh-huh. Gran said after the excitement yesterday, we can stay home from school today. So, Carter’s going on a ride with Reid and Grumpy, and Mac asked me to help Ben bring the horses down from the upper paddock so he could take Doctor Prita in to meet the insurance person. Besides, Doctor Prita said you needed to eat and then rest and told me to make sure you do.’
‘Of course she did.’
Carter grabbed the tray and Aaron gave him a hug. As they walked out of the room, Carter whispered loudly, ‘See, I told you they’d want our approval.’
Flynn couldn’t help but chuckle as he lay back in bed and tried to rest as he’d been instructed.
He must have dozed off, because he woke up with a start sometime later, blinking at the empty room. The house was silent. What time was it?
He looked at the clock on his bedside table. He’d slept for a couple of hours. A bit surprised Prita wasn’t back yet, he got out of bed despite his promise and picked up his phone, wondering if she’d left a message.
Nothing.
He called her, but the phone rang out. He called Mac. No answer there either.
Maybe they were on their way back and were in one of the areas with no signal.
He tried again.
Her phone rang and rang and then went to message. He hung up. Tried Mac again. Nothing.
He waited a few minutes then tried again.
Still nothing.
Worry started to chew at him with larger bites.
Despite the fact he never did it, he decided to text. Maybe she couldn’t answer her phone if she was in the middle of a difficult conversation with Chandra, but she might see and answer his text. Although, that didn’t explain why Mac wasn’t picking up.
Where are you? Is everything OK?
He pulled his jeans on, having to sit on the bed to do it because his knee was aching like a bitch. His phone dinged before he had a chance to do up the zipper. He frowned as he read her answer.
Cant talk now. Busy.
Are you with Chandra?
There was a brief pause before she returned a one-word answer. Yes.
Everything okay?
A thumbs up appeared on the screen. He frowned at it. A thumbs up emoji didn’t seem like Prita. Was something upsetting her? What wasn’t she telling him? If she was trying to spare him from worrying, it wasn’t working.
He tried to call Mac again and got nothing but a message.
There was no reason Mac wouldn’t pick up. He always picked up. It was mandatory when you ran a business like CoalCliff to be in contact. Mac wouldn’t ignore a call from him.
Prita. Where’s Mac? Why isn’t he answering his phone?
Phone died.
Can you get him to call me on your phone? I need to speak to him.
Can’t. He left.
What? Mac wouldn’t do that. Please call me now so I know you’re okay.
Cant talk now.
Carter is asking for you. He knew it was a low thing to do, using her son to make her call, but he was worried. More than worried. He wanted to pace as he waited for her to return his text, but he’d promised her to rest his knee. Bloody idiot knee. He couldn’t even remember re-injuring it yesterday. He jangled the phone in his hands, staring at the screen, willing for her to answer. Answer. Bloody answer.
Tell him wait.
What the hell? That wasn’t Prita. Something was definitely wrong. She’d never ignore her son if he needed her. And Mac wouldn’t let his phone die let alone leave when she’d been threatened like she had.
Fuck. How could he have let her go off without him?
Because he was lying in bed, weak from what he’d done to himself yesterday in an effort to prove her wrong, too dazed with love and desire to think to question her.
He loved her. He loved her so much. And now, she was in danger.
This couldn’t be happening. The icy cold of fear was rising up, threatening to take over him, to choke him, to stop him. No. No. He wouldn’t let this happen. He had to save her as he’d been unable to save Anna. Screw his promise. Prita was in danger. He had to find her.
He grabbed a t-shirt, pulled his boots on, and limped out of his room, phone to his ear as he called the police. His call was answered on the third ring and he barked out what was going on before the constable had a chance to even say his greeting.
‘Where was she last supposed to be?’ Constable Bruce asked.
‘She was meeting the insurance agent at her house over two hours ago and should have been back by now.’
‘Her insurance agent? But that’s not possible. I just got off the phone with her insurance company and they’re not sending anyone up until mid-week.’
‘Fuck.’
‘I’m going to her house right now.’
‘I’ll meet you there.’ He limped into the lounge room, but there was no-one there. In fact, there was no sound of anyone in the house at all. Everyone was out taking care of their daily tasks.
He went to the door and opened it.
His ute wasn’t there. Shit. Fuck. Not that he could really drive it with his knee the way it was. He needed to find someone to drive him. He had to get to Prita.
He began to limp-run towards the stables. Someone would be there. Reid might be back or John would be there or Lisa or one of the other workers prepping the cafe for the ride tomorrow. Pain spiked in his knee with
