When she arrived at Mountainview she found her grandmother sitting at the kitchen table reading the Sunday newspaper.
Grans pushed down her glasses onto the tip of her nose and looked over their rims at her.
“Well, well, look who decided to return.” She picked up her coffee mug.
Sophie put her bag on the table and pulled out a chair and sat. She poured herself a cup of coffee and took tiny sips hoping it would soon be cool enough to take a complete swallow because she needed a jolt of caffeine.
“You have something to tell me?” asked Grans.
“Yes, I do.”
“Well, then let’s hear your version of the story.”
“Wade and I spend the night together… that’s my version.”
“Sophie Richardson, in case you’ve forgotten, Glacier Valley is a small town, and gossip travels fast. I’ve already heard from three people that you and Wade were caught in a compromising position and by his girlfriend no less. I thought I’d raised you better than to steal other women’s men.”
Sophie raised her hand, hoping she could plead her case. “That might be the story Cathy is telling everyone, but Wade broke up with her before we, well you know…”
Sophie put the mug down, spilling some coffee on the table. She stood to get the dishcloth from the sink.
“And you don’t think your coming home and maybe confusing poor Wade had anything to do with that?”
Sophie turned around. “No, I don’t, so I’m not going to feel guilty about that.”
Grans took a deep breath. “And what happens to Wade when you go back to Seattle? I’m assuming you will.”
Sophie nodded. She had a business and home there, but she hadn’t thought of anything past today, tomorrow, the next day…finally having sex with the man you loved could do that to your brain.
“We’ll have to see how things work out. He can always move to Seattle.”
“Sophie, listen to me.” She slapped her hand on the table. “Do not break that boy’s heart again.”
“I have no intention of doing that. And by the way, he knows.” Sophie reached for the dishcloth and wiped up the spill.
“Knows what?”
“About the reason I got married, the baby, the miscarriage…everything.”
“I always believed you should have told him years ago.”
“I know, but I wanted it to be our secret.”
Sophie sat down, and her grandmother put her hand on her arm.
“You know you’ve got a hickey on your neck?”
Sophie put her hand on the exact spot. Wade had suggested they give each other one while they’d fooled around in the middle of the night. She’d forgotten all about it.
“And you’re taking precautions I hope,” said Grans.
Sophie smiled. “You mean condoms?”
“Laugh if you like, but I’m not too old to talk about those things with my granddaughter.”
“Yes, Grans, that’s all taken care of.”
*****
Wade thought about calling Cathy first before he arrived unannounced on her door step but then decided maybe it was best to surprise her. After all, he wouldn’t be too shocked or hurt for that matter if she didn’t want to ever see him again.
He walked up to the front door and knocked on the glass panel running down its center. When no one answered he leaned forward and peered inside. Didn’t seem that she or Max were home. He pulled out his wallet to write a quick note on one of his business cards but then decided he’d call back later instead.
As he walked down the driveway to his car, one of her neighbors was outside watering some pink flowers in a wooden planter near the road. She waved to Wade. He waved back.
“You haven’t see Ms. Moran or her son this morning have you?” Wade called across the street.
“Yes, they drove off with a man while I was cutting the grass.
Oh, I’d say about an hour ago now.”
He wondered if that’s who Cathy had taken Max to be with yesterday afternoon before they’d headed out to the dance. Wade waved to the neighbor as he got back in his car and headed over to his office.
On Sundays he could park on the street. He pulled up, turned off the ignition and grabbed the folder with all the information he’d gathered from Emily’s records.
Wade made his way into the office building and walked up to the second floor where he pulled out his key and stepped inside. He took off his hat and placed it on the table and then went to his desk and fired up the computer. Opening up the folder, he logged in and then clicked on the icon for his database. He glanced at the first name and typed it into the search area.
He sat back and watched the screen as it flashed three addresses. He did the same for the next, but nothing in particular jumped out at him. However, on the sixth and eighth entry there seemed to be some connection between the two guests. Both had come from Denver, Colorado on the same day but hadn’t checked in together.
Yeah, that might not be much of a coincidence. Lots of people from the same cities visited, but it was worth further investigation.
Wade clicked on another icon, bringing up another one of his databases. He glanced sideways at his files making sure he had the correct spelling for both names.
He sat back on his chair, hearing it creak a little. He tapped his fingers on his lips while he waited for the search to finish.
There it was, flashing in front of him. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk so he could take a good look at what the search had fund.
What he saw was beyond Las Vegas odds. Ambrose and another guest had both worked for the same company five years ago in Denver.
*****
Sophie didn’t let on to her grandmother, but she was secretly making sketches of the reception area. She would give it a makeover, even if it was such a subtle one that Grans would hardly notice the change. Those old drapes and the artificial flowers in the bowl had to go.
“Caught you.”
She jumped when she felt someone squeezing her shoulders.
Sophie turned to see Wade standing there. He kneeled behind her and glanced over at the sketch book.
“When did you get to be such an artist?” he asked.
“In design school.”
“And would this be Emily’s reception area by any chance?”
“Ssh, I don’t want her to know what I have planned.”
He tried to take the book from her. “I’m betting a sketch of my place is in here, too. What will buy my silence so your grandmother doesn’t know about your fiendish plot?”
“You wouldn’t tell her,” said Sophie pulling on Wade’s arm hoping she’d give her the book back.
“I just might if I don’t get what I want.”
“Which is?”
“First of all a kiss because I’ve missed you the last four hours.”
Wade moved around and kneeled in front of the chair. Sophie leaned toward him and put her lips on his and then put her arms around his neck.
There was an obvious coughing noise. They both looked over to see her grandmother standing there.
“Emily. Just the lady I want to see. I’ve been working on your case,” Wade said, quickly standing.
“On a Sunday?”
“PIs work 24/7. I ran the names through the databases, and Michael Ambrose and another guest both checked in on the same day, both were from Denver, and both worked for the same company five years ago.”
“What company was that?” asked Sophie.
“Westgate, and it’s a real estate and property development holding. You ever remember seeing Ambrose with another guest or talking to anyone in particular?
“Not that I can remember, but I didn’t pay much attention to him until he asked to see me,” said her grandmother.
“You think this other man framed Grans?” Sophie asked. “Anything’s a possibility. Plus, it would seem more fitting than it being someone from Glacier Valley.”
“So you need to find him,” Sophie said.
“That’s my next move.”
“Do be careful, Wade,” Emily said. “If people resort to murder, well, I’m concerned about what you’ll stumble upon and they could hurt you.”
“Me, too,” Sophie said.
“You girls worry too much. And I’d like to give this and any other information I find out to your attorney,” Wade said.
“Fine with me. Maybe we can get to the bottom of this before I have to go for a pretrial hearing. And I can take this stupid thing off my ankle. It’s starting to chafe, and it doesn’t match any of my outfits.”
Sophie glanced at Wade. She knew he was on the brink of laughter, and she tried her best not to encourage him.
“Now, Wade, I hope you’ll be staying for supper,” said her grandmother.
*****
Wade hated taking Sophie away from her grandmother for a second night, but after they’d eaten, he drove her over to his place. They’d planned to watch a movie and eat popcorn but one look at one another and as soon as they’d gotten inside the door they’d barely made it to the bedroom where they’d taken off each other’s clothes in record time.
“I want to do something to you I’ve never done to another woman,” Wade whispered in her ear.
“Now you have me intrigued.” Sophie nibbled on his ear as they fell onto the bed together.
“I don’t know if this will be a first for you, but I don’t want to know, okay?”
Sophie nodded. He didn’t even know if he’d be any good at it, but he hoped so.
He slid off the bed onto the floor and got hold of Sophie’s ankles and pulled her toward him until her butt was resting on the edge.
“Wade, what are you doing?”
“You’ll see. Now lie back and close those pretty blue eyes.” He spread her legs and rested them over his shoulders, opening her up as much as he could.
He spread her pussy lips wide apart with his finger and thumb. A bead of moisture clung to the inside of one of her folds, and it was beautiful. He wiped it with his finger, watching as another bead seeped out. He put his tongue on it and licked. Sophie’s body quivered.
“Wade,” she whispered.
“Ssh, Soph, no talking now. Just relax.”
He put his hands on her thighs and tapped her clit with his tongue. Her thighs twitched, and he hoped that meant she liked it. He flicked as fast as his muscles would allow, hearing Sophie grasp and moan louder on each one.
He momentarily glanced up to see her sucking her finger as she rolled her head from side to side.
She pushed her hips up allowing the top of his tongue to brush her swollen nub. He felt it harden and swell under his tongue and then heard her cry out.
“Wade, oh my god, Wade, what are you doing to me?”
“Taking you to paradise.”
Wade’s cock twitched as he saw a steady stream of cream run from her slit. He so wanted to be inside enjoying the slickness and heat, but he wanted to give her more pleasure with his tongue first. He slid it inside her and licked and sucked and flicked again.
“No, Wade, I don’t think I can take it.”
“You can, Soph. Let me take you where you want to go.”
He pushed his tongue back inside and pushed upward, feeling her inner pussy wall grip it. He flicked, feeling like his tongue was about to snap.
Sophie called out, and he was sure the whole of Glacier Valley must have heard her.
She took deep breaths as he stood, pulled her legs toward his chest, rested her feet flat on it, and was inside her.
Wade held her legs, pumped at her as hard as he could with Sophie raising her little ass off the bed to meet with each of thrust.
Her cry filled the room again, and this time he exploded inside her. He clung on to her legs, dug his fingertips into her soft skin, feeling her drain and milk him. He slid out and set his body down on the bed beside her.
They faced one another.
“I love you,” she said stroking his face. He took her hand and kissed its palm.
“And I love you. So how about marrying me?
Sophie hadn’t seen it coming.
He’d asked her three minutes and thirty seconds ago, and here she was still looking at him with her mouth open.
“Soph.”
“Yes.”
“Is that yes, you’ll marry me. Or a yes, I heard you?”
She put her arms around him. “It’s yes, I’ll marry you.”
“You’ve made me the happiest guy on the earth.”
“Not just in the state of Montana?”
“Nope.”
“Wade, we haven’t even thought that I live in Seattle and you live here.”
“Soph, I take it you’ll come back to Glacier Valley.”
She didn’t answer.
“Is that going to be a problem?” Wade asked.
She shook her head. “Not as long as you let me give the town a makeover.”
He smacked her on the bottom. “You know you can’t do that, but I think you could run a design studio from here. So when do you think we should tie the knot?”
“Let’s wait until Grans gets all the legal stuff sorted out.”
“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea. I’d hate to have that hanging over our special day.”
“I still have the curtain ring you gave me when we got married in the barn.”
Yep, she’d said it, and he was probably about to laugh his head off at her, but she wanted him to know she’d kept it all these years.
“I have mine, too.”
So it’s not just me who’s a sentimental romantic.
“You didn’t throw it away when…”
He put his finger up to her mouth. “In my heart I always thought we were supposed to be together and that in some strange way we’d find a way back to each other.”
*****
Sophie looked across the table at her grandmother. She’d spend the night with Wade again and had returned at 10 a.m. that morning when Wade had headed for the airport to go to Denver to check on his leads.
“I know you’re bursting to tell me something,” said her grandmother not looking up from the book she was writing in.
“Wade and I are getting married.” There it was out.
“Well, you two didn’t waste any time.”
“We’ve wasted too much of that already.”
“I agree. Now will I have time to get my hair done before the wedding?”
“Grans, of course. We’ve decided that we’ll wait until all this mess with you is sorted out.”
“Yes, I’d hate to go to my only grandchild’s nuptials with a monitor on my ankle or worse still, armed police escorting me there. I saw that happen on an episode of the Sopranos.”
Sophie smiled. She couldn’t imagine Grans watching a show like that.
“Don’t worry. Wade’s gone to Denver, and he’ll do some digging around.”
“I know he’ll do his very best for me. And Sophie?”
“Yes.”
“I’m very happy for the both of you.”
Sophie stood and planted a kiss on Grans’s cheek.
“Now ankle monitor or not I’m going into town to get my hair washed and set. You think I should chance using Cathy’s salon, or is that pushing my luck that she’ll take revenge and dye my hair fire engine red?”
*****
Wade got into the car he’d rented at the airport and readjusted the seat and mirror. He’d still been trying to reach Cathy all morning. He’d give it one more try. This time at the beauty salon. He pressed in the number, hoping she was there because he didn’t want her to hear about his and Soph’s engagement through a third party, which was often the case in Glacier Valley.
He tapped the steering wheel as the number rang. “Moran’s Beauty Salon. Nadine speaking.”
“Hi, Nadine, it’s Wade Linley. Cathy wouldn’t happen to be there by any chance, would she?”
“Sure, she just got back from her doctor’s appointment.”
“Great, could I speak with her?”
Wade checked out the buttons on the car’s dashboard as he waited.
“You have a lot of nerve calling me,” Cathy said.
He took a deep breath. “I know, and I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”
“I thought we had something special going here. I mean I don’t go away on weekends and do that sort of stuff with just any guy.”
Wade felt himself coloring up. “I know you don’t, and I never thought that poorly of you, really I didn’t. It’s just that Sophie and I have a long history.”
“Didn’t she dump you for some city slicker? You don’t think she’ll do it again?”
“No, no I don’t. And I wanted to tell you this before you heard it elsewhere that…”
“You’re getting married.”
News did travel fast around Glacier Valley. “Yes.”
“I think you and I need to have a chat before you do that.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Can you meet me at my place tonight?”
“I’m in Denver for the day, and…”
“Denver, you’re joking, right? What the hell are you doing there?”
“Some business connected with Emily Richardson’s case.”
“How did you get involved with that…don’t tell me, Sophie.
“Nope, Emily’s like my surrogate grandma. Someone hurts her, and they hurt me.”
“Wade, did you ever stop to think that she really did kill than poor man?”
“I don’t believe that for a minute.”
“If you say so, but don’t be upset if it turns out of be true.
Now can you be at my house around 7 p.m.?”
“I should be back by then, but if not I’ll stop by tomorrow.
You sure you can’t tell me about it over the phone?”
“Nope, has to be in person.”
She disconnected the call, and Wade looked at his phone as if that would give him the answer as to why she needed to see him in the flesh.
He’d worry about that later, but for now he had some snooping around to do.
*****
His ex-wife was pacing the floor. She always did that when she was nervous. She used to smoke, but since becoming a mother, she’d paced. This time he wondered if she’d wear out the floral pattern on the carpet in his motel room.
“I can’t trust you to do anything right,” she said.
“You wanted to take care of Ambrose?”
“No, but…”
“But what?”
She slumped down on the bed. The very bed where they’d lost their senses six weeks ago and resorted to having sex. Sex with your ex was as good as people said and even better.
“How the hell did Ambrose find me here?”
“I don’t know, but you don’t have to worry about him anymore.”
“No, but I’ve got Wade Linley to worry about in his place.”
“What that he dumped you?”
“Yeah, that hurts, too, but now he’s gone stooping around in Denver. He’s smart, and he’ll put two and two together and come up with…”
“Nothing.”
She shook her head. “He’s going to see the connection. The fact that we were married while we worked with Ambrose and know we killed him…or should I say you killed him.”
He sat down beside her and took hold of her hand. He really was stupid to let her go because they were good together both in business and in bed.
“Then we’ll have to convince him to leave things alone and let the old lady take the heat.”
“And how do you think you’ll do that?”
“His dream girl Sophie.”
“You can’t hurt her. I mean I hate the bitch, but just leave her out of this.”
“I’m not going to hurt her but convince him I will if he doesn’t get his nose out of my business.”
She flipped onto her back and looked up at the ceiling. “There’s something else I should tell you. Something I found out this morning”.
He was listening.
****
Sophie estimated she had just over an hour for her grandmother to drive into town and get her hair set before she returned to Mountainview. She’d been into town on a quick errand to buy new drapes, and she’d hidden them in the car and quickly brought them inside and stowed them in her room until her grandmother left. While she’d been in town she’d had the eerie feeling she was being watched, followed even, but had put it down to her being stupid.
Unless of course the person framing Grans…
Sophie shook her head. If you weren’t safe in Glacier Valley there was no place left on earth to be secure.
She walked out to the garage, found a step ladder and carried it into the reception area.
“So do you think you and Wade will run this place one day?” asked Julie.
“I don’t know. I suppose we will because it’s a family tradition. However, I’m know Grans will be running this place for at least another twenty years.”
Sophie reached up and unhooked the old drapes and threw them on the ground sending a puff of dust billowing into the air around her. She coughed. When was the last time Grans had cleaned those things, and she was so fussy about everything. Sophie knew the answer. They were old because they’d been hanging at the windows since her grandpa was alive, and she knew Grans was probably scared if she washed or dry cleaned them, they’d fall apart or worse yet crumble. She knew she was sentimental, but for her own good, they had to go. She looked behind her and saw Julie still standing there.
“You’ve always got a job here if you’re worried about that,” Sophie told her.
“No, I’m not worried. Well, yes, I guess I am because I’ve been here since I left school, and Emily’s like family to me.”
“I know, and you’ll always have your job as long as I have my say. Now could you hand me those new drapes over on the couch there?”
Julie walked over to her, lifted them up, and passed them up to Sophie.
“Aren’t you worried that Emily’s going to be madder than hell when she knows you’ve taken down those drapes?”
“Sure, I’ll be in hot water, but she’ll see it gives the place a different perspective.”
“I think she likes the one we already have.”
Sophie grinned.
“Sophie Richardson, what are you doing?”
Sophie almost fell off the step ladder when she heard her grandmother’s voice ringing out from behind her.
“Giving you a gentle makeover,” said Sophie. “And I like your hair.”
“Don’t sweet-talk me.”
“I wasn’t. You really do look pretty.”
“And those old drapes looked pretty nice, too.”
“These are much better.”
“Sophie.”
“Don’t worry. I’m making over Wade’s place next.”
“Which reminds me I think I need to talk to you about something.”
Sophie got down the steps and looked at Grans. She suddenly looked serious.
“What is it? Something about Wade?” Her grandmother was suddenly silent.
“On second thought as he’s your now husband-to-be maybe he should be the one to tell you what's going on between him and Cathy Moran. It’s all over the beauty salon.”
*****
Wade looked at his watch. He was running late because the flight back from Denver had been delayed due to bad weather in Las Vegas. It was close to eight, and he wanted to drive to Mountainview to tell Emily what he’d discovered but knew he had to get the business with Cathy out of the way first.
He pulled up her driveway, got out of the SUV. He decided to pick up Max’s blue toy truck that was sitting in the middle of the lawn. He placed it on the door step and tapped the glass paneling.
Through it he could see Cathy heading toward him. When she opened it she no longer had a smile on her face. Not that he could blame her.
“You’d better come in.”
Wade followed her through to the living room where Max was on his belly on the floor scribbling in a book in front of the TV.
“Hi, Max,” said Wade.
“Hi, Oncle Vade.”
Wade smiled.
“Max would you take that into your bedroom because Wade and I have to talk grown up stuff okay?”
“I’m watching TV.”
“Now, Max, now.” She stamped her foot at him and pointed to his room.
He reluctantly got up off the floor. “Oncle Vade, are you sleeping over?”
Wade shook his head. “Sorry, Max, I can’t do that anymore.”
“Then maybe a story, Vade.”
“That I might be able to do.”
He’d be late, but he really liked the little guy; and it wouldn’t hurt spending ten or fifteen minutes with him.
“You want to sit down,” said Cathy.
“I can’t stay long,” Wade said. “So what’s this about?”
Cathy walked over to the bookcase and took something down and strolled back to him. She held it out to him. At first he thought it was a thermometer, but then he saw it was a pregnancy test stick. He swallowed when he saw the word positive in its window.
“Is this yours?” he asked.
“Well it’s not Max’s.”
Wade did need to sit down because he had a feeling what was coming next.
“It’s mine?” he asked.
Cathy nodded. The room spun, bile rose in his throat, and he just wanted to run far away. He hoped Cathy didn’t expect him to marry her. And how the hell had this happened? He’d worn a condom every single time he’d had sex with her.
“I’m confused. I mean we used protection,” said Wade, the words barely coming out.
“Nothing’s 100 percent safe.”
Wade ran his hands through his hair. “I’m sure you already know I won’t marry you, but I will do the right thing and financially support the baby.”
Cathy nodded. “I’d also like you to be there at the birth because I had a tough time with delivering Max.”
The room was turning around and around. He could hardly breathe. How was Soph going to react to this? Now of all times for this had to happen.
“Sure, you just tell me when and if you need any money for medical bills. You feeling okay?”
“Lots of morning sickness, but besides that I’m fine.”
Wade stood. “I need to get home, but I’ll see you tomorrow.
Call me anytime you need anything.”
Wade put his hat back on and left Cathy’s house. He hung his head low as he made his way back to the SUV. He got in and pounded the steering wheel with his fists, sensing if he didn’t stop he’d break every bone in his hands.
Fuck, if he’d known Sophie was coming back into his life he would never have slept with Cathy. Now he’d gotten her pregnant. He took a deep breath. He was going to be a father. Something he’d always wanted to be but not like this. Sophie was the only mother for his offspring.
Soph, poor Soph, how was he going to tell her about this latest turn of events?
*****
After hearing her grandmother’s comment after she’d returned from the beauty salon, Sophie guessed something was wrong with Wade the moment he’d stepped through the door at Mountainview.
Despite the great news that he’d found that Ambrose was blackmailing a couple of people, and therefore a target for a murderer, he’d seemed miles away.
Sophie even had to twist Wade’s arm to get him to take her to his place.
She tugged his shirt out of his jeans.
“Soph, not tonight, okay. I’m really tired after traveling to Denver and back in one day.”
“You want me to go home?”
“No, of course not.”
“Something’s wrong isn’t it?”
“Oh Soph, is it ever going to work out for you and me?”
“What are you talking about? Of course it is.”
“I’ve got something to tell you, and I’m really sorry.”
“It’s what Grans was talking about, isn’t it?”
“Emily knows?”
Wade blushed. She’d only seen him do that a couple of times in his life.
He sat Sophie on the bed, knelt down, and got hold of both her hands.
“I went to see Cathy before I drove to Mountainview.”
He was hesitating. She could see that by his head turning to look at everything but her. He finally turned back and looked her straight in the eye.
“She’s….
“She’s what?”
“She’s pregnant.”
Sophie sat frozen, stunned, and scared. Maybe it wasn’t Wade’s baby, but she had to know.
“You’re the father?” She asked hoping she’d hear no, silly, of course not.
“Yes. Honestly, Soph, I used condoms every single time I slept with her.”
Soph didn’t know what to say, what to do. If she should flee and hide, throw up, or what.
“Are you going to marry her?”
“Oh Soph, that’s the last thing I want to do. I’m going to marry you. I’ll just support the baby, and he or she will need to be part of our lives.”
“Wade, I don’t think I can do deal with this right now.” “
Oh honey, I’m so sorry that this had to happen.”
“I think it’s an omen that we were never meant to be together. First me and Travis and now you and Cathy, an unwanted pregnancy always gets in our way.”
Sophie couldn’t sit there a moment longer. The room closed in on her, and she could hardly breathe.
She stood. “Wade, I think I’d like to get some fresh air to clear my head.”
“You want me to come with you?”
Sophie shook her head. “Nope, just need some time by myself, and then I’ll be right back.”
He kissed her lips before she turned toward the door. When she got outside she took a deep breath. It was already dark, so she’d just go to the end of the road and back. She hoped by that time this would have all sunk in and she could go back to Wade, offer him some support, and they could deal with this new development as a couple. But right now she just needed five or ten minutes to process it.
*****
Wade paced up and down in his living room. Had Sophie changed her mind about coming back to his house? She didn’t have a car to go any place because he’d driven her here. She’d told him she was only going out for a short walk, but that was over thirty minutes ago. Maybe she’d used that as an excuse to simply walk out of him. Perhaps she’d gone all the way back to her grandmother’s house.
Wade pulled his cell phone down from one of the shelves on the bookcase and dialed Emily’s number.
“Hello, Emily Richardson.”
“Emily, it’s Wade. Is Sophie there?”
“No, she’s with you isn’t she?”
“I had some bad news to tell her, and she went out for a walk and hasn’t come back.”
“Do you think I should come over or go look for her?”
“No, no, I’m sure there’s a simple explanation for why she’s been gone so long. I’ll just get in my car and drive around a bit and leave a note on the door for her.”
“Wade, you’ll let me know either way.”
“Of course.”
He pressed the end call button and nibbled on his bottom lip. Fuck, if anything had happened to her, he’d kill himself.
He dug into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out the keys to his SUV. He wrote a quick note telling Sophie that he was out looking for her and should she return to the house, to stay put and wait for him.
He pinned it on the door and then got into his SUV. He turned the ignition, silenced the radio and backed out of his driveway. As he headed down the road he turned up his headlights to full beam and scanned every nook and cranny hoping to see her someplace. He drove by the park, checked all the benches to see if maybe she’d gone there to think. Nope, as he expected this time of the night, not one single soul out and about.
By the time he’d made two full trips around Glacier Valley, he got the awful feeling something wasn’t right. Something had happened to
Sophie. Even when they were kids he knew when she wasn’t feeling good or had fallen and skinned her knees. Wade shivered. He’d never felt quite like this before.
He sat in the SUV and pulled out his cell phone again. He didn’t want to call Emily again because she had enough to worry about. Finding Sophie was his and only his concern now. He’d call the hospital, and heaven forbid, Sophie might have been in some accident and taken there.
“Hello, Glacier Valley Community Hospital.”
“Hi, I’m wondering if I could check if anyone’s been brought into the ER in the last couple of hours. A woman, with blond hair.”
“I’ll just go and inquire for you sir.”
“That would be great.”
Wade leaned his head back and looked up at the ceiling.
Damn, why did Cathy have to get pregnant? Everything was going along so perfectly for him and Soph.
“Hello, sir?”
“Yes, yes, I’m still here,” Wade said. He wouldn’t mind hearing she was there. Not that he wanted her to be hurt or anything, but at least he’d know where she was.
“The only person who’s come through the ER since noon was a man in his eighties.”
“Okay, well, thank you for your time.”
“You’re welcome.”
Wade pressed the end call button again and put his head down on the steering wheel.
He couldn’t deal with all this by himself because he was on the brink of tears. If he ever lost Sophie his heart would break into a million pieces.
His hand shook as he called his dad’s number. “Bob Linley speaking.”
“Pops, you doing anything right now?”
“Nothing besides watching another rerun of my favorite cop show.”
“You want to meet me over at Emily Richardson’s place?”
“Sure, is this a social get together celebrating you and Sophie’s engagement? If so, I’ve been keeping a bottle of champagne hidden just for the very occasion.”
Wade, despite feeling shitty right now, had to smile. Pops had never given up on the idea of Sophie being his daughter-in-law.
“No, we have to figure out how to find Sophie.”
His bottom lip quivered now. Damn, he was going to cry.
“Son, you okay? And what about Sophie?”
“She’s gone missing.
“Gone missing, what the hell…”
“Cathy Moran is pregnant, pregnant with my baby, and I had to break the news to Soph.”
“Shit, Wade, that’s the worst timing for something like this to happen.”
“Don’t I know it.”
Wade’s nose was running, and he wiped it and a tear away. “If anything’s happened to her.”
He broke down completely.
“Hey, you are not driving anywhere in this state of mind. You stay put. I’ll come and get you, and I’ll drive you to Emily’s okay?”
“Sure. Thanks, Pop.”