Chapter 42
The house was quiet. Too quiet. Hope folded the last pair of small jeans, and putting the clothes-basket on her hip, left the laundry room. She would put them away after supper.
God bless frozen pizza. She smiled to herself. Short of burning it, there was no way her meager culinary skills could ruin pizza. Hope allowed a flash of guilt, knowing pizza wasn’t what hard-working men needed at the end of the day. But Kade had assured her they’d fill up on Ida’s canned peaches. And, he’d told her with a heart stopping grin, there was always peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. They were fast becoming a mainstay at the Double K.
Stopping in the kitchen, she checked the oven, noting there was ten minutes left on the timer. The redolent smell of pizza filled the air, making her mouth water. They’d had it already once this week, but Caleb and Isaiah would be thrilled. They could eat pizza seven days a week.
She peeked in Ida’s room, and a smile of love flicked across her face. Ida had fallen asleep in the recliner, fighting against giving in and stretching out on the bed. Hope wouldn’t trade one drop of her feisty determination. She might be hard on the nurses, but that strength was what had held the Double K together. Ida had taken the boy, Kade, and molded him into the man he was today. Kade was the man they all looked to for answers, and the man she loved.
Tapping quietly on the boys’ bedroom door, she opened it a crack and said, “Time for dinner, Caleb, Isaiah. Wash up and come downstairs. Kade, Jesse, Declan, Maddy, and Mark will be storming in, hungry and expecting food on the table. We’re having pizza.”
She opened the door wider, expecting shouts of joy at the news. But there was no sound coming from the empty room.
“Now where could they be?” she mulled aloud. “It hasn’t been an hour since Caleb told me he and Isaiah were going to be in their room playing with that tub of plastic blocks Kade found in the attic.” Toys of the past.
Slowly, she went down the hall. While she was doing the laundry, they’d probably gone outside to meet Kade, Jesse, and Mark in the barn. Maddy and Declan had been absent most of the afternoon, overseeing the progress of their new house.
The timer buzzed, signaling the pizza was ready. Hope turned off the oven, and going to the cupboard, set out the paper plates. Paper plates, she grimaced. Gran was sorely missed.
If Ida’s ultimatum was to be believed, she’d be present in the kitchen starting tomorrow.
“I can oversee your efforts, Hope. The therapist agrees movement will be beneficial.”
Hope smiled, remembering the words. The poor therapist had agreed out of frustration. Still, the thought of Ida back at the helm was something to brighten up their days.
She was filling the glasses with ice, ready for the sun tea she’d set out earlier in the day, when boots clattered across the porch and the back door opened.
Hope turned, her breath catching, her eyes softening as Kade entered the room, followed by Jesse and Mark.
“Declan’s just pulling into the driveway.” He wrinkled his nose. “That pizza I smell?”
“Yahoo,” Jesse whooped.
“Oh, boy,” Mark muttered sardonically.
Kade nudged his ribs with his elbow.
“Ouch. Uh, oh boy,” he said with a grin. “Nothing better.”
“Stop it, Mark.” Hope laughed, seeing the elbow nudge. “You aren’t fooling me. Just tell yourself these lazy days of pizza and paper plates are about to come to an end.”
“You gonna be doing more cooking?” Mark may have asked the question, but Kade and Jesse’s faces filled with alarm at the dreaded possibility.
“No,” she chuckled. “Ida will be back as queen of the kitchen.”
“No.” Kade said emphatically.
“The therapist okayed it.”
“It’s too soon,” Kade argued.
“Maybe not, Kade,” Mark said hopefully. “She could do easy fixins like stew, or beans, or roast.”
“Man, I’d walk a mile for a bowl of Miss Ida’s stew.” Jesse couldn’t keep the worshipful sound out of his voice. Then he saw Hope’s face.
“Uh, I don’t mean we ain’t been enjoying your cooking, Hope. Your pizza is . . .” he paused, looking at the other two men for help. “Your pizza is . . .” then his eyes lit up, “done. It’s cooked just right. Yep. Done. Cheese nice and stringy. Done.” He gulped.
“Better pull that big foot outta your mouth, Jesse,” Kade said dryly.
The men shuffled the chairs and made much of sitting down, filling the awkward silence.
Declan popped his head in the kitchen, Maddy riding his hip.
“Pizza?”
But before he could utter another word, Kade pushed out a chair with the toe of his boot. “Just sit down and keep any remarks of wisdom to yourself.”
Declan looked from face to face as he placed Maddy in her highchair. “Wha’d I miss?”
“Jesse sticking his foot in his mouth, helped by Mark,” Kade muttered.
“Nothing,” Hope smiled. “I was just telling them Ida’s coming back to the kitchen tomorrow.”
Declan stood still, piously folded his hands, and looked prayerfully to the ceiling. “Thank you, Lord,” he whispered.
“That’s enough,” Kade bellowed.
Hope laid her fingers gently on his arm. “It’s okay, Kade.” Then a devilish look filled her eyes. “I assured Ida her help wasn’t needed. The kitchen is my domain. And tomorrow I’m making a special meal for all my favorite men, and,” she tickled Maddy under her chin, “girl. Meatloaf. Meatloaf,” she went on, ignoring the grimaces on each face, “and scalloped potatoes with lots of cheese, green beans, and chocolate cake for dessert. I told Ida I didn’t need any help or recipes. I can easily do this myself.”
She bustled about filling glasses with iced tea, reveling in the silence greeting her wickedly cheerful words, pretending not to notice the pathetic looks of dismay on each face.
“Meatloaf sound good, Kade?” Hope asked innocently.
“Huh? Oh, yeah. Sure. Sounds good.”
“I wouldn’t mind pizza again, Hope,” Jesse said quietly. “I know Caleb and Isaiah keep you busy. Probably too busy to cook,” he said hopefully.
“Yeah,” Mark interrupted. “You do too much as it is to be cooking a big meal like that. Speaking of Caleb and Isaiah,” he frowned, looking at the two empty chairs, “where are those two rug rats? Ain’t like them to be late for pizza. I swear Isaiah can eat his weight when it comes to pepperoni pizza.”
“Aren’t they with you?” Hope asked. “They aren’t in their rooms.”
“Nope,” Mark answered.
“Kade?” Hope’s voice was shaky.
“Haven’t seen them all afternoon. Caleb said they were going to be in their room playing with those plastic blocks and building a fort. You seen them, Jesse?” he asked.
“No. Not since this morning. I’m sure they’re around somewhere. I’ll just go outside and holler for them.”
No one said anything as the silence was broken by Jesse’s voice calling their names and adding, “supper’s ready.” After a short pause, he called again, this time adding the enticing word, “pizza.”
After a couple more calls, each one getting louder, Jesse returned, meeting the worried looks with one of his own.
“Nothing.” His eyes reflected the fear he was trying to keep at bay. He turned to Kade. “It’s not like them to wander off around meal times.” His smile was more of a grimace.
“No, it’s not.” Kade rose to his feet. “Come on, Jesse. Let’s go roust out those two. I imagine they’ve got some game going and lost track of the time. We’ll check the barn first. They were staging quite a bank robbery up in the hayloft the other day.”
“My apartment’s locked, so I know they’re not there,” Hope volunteered. “I’ll come, too.”
“Me, too.” Declan and Mark chimed in.
Kade paused. “Hope, why don’t you stay here with Maddy just in case they show up? We can cover more ground without her help.” He smiled a nod at the little girl.
“Sure. But I’d really like to join in the hunt. It’s my fault they’ve disappeared. I was concentrating on the laundry and wasn’t watching them as I should.” Hope was fighting hard to keep tears out of her voice.
“It’s no one’s fault,” Kade said quietly. “We’re all guilty of letting them run too free. That’s why pre-school will be so good for them. It’ll limit the time for getting into mischief. Now stop worrying. We’ll all be traipsing back here hungry for the pizza that Jesse claims you cook perfectly done.”
Then in a surprising move, oblivious of others watching, he put his arm around Hope’s shoulders. Pulling her into his embrace, enfolding her against his hard chest, he kissed the top of her head.
Hope allowed herself to rest against him, stealing the safety of his arms, letting his strength calm her mind and body.
Declan cleared his throat, breaking the spell.
“Come on, Romeo. The pizza’s gonna be cold if we don’t get started.” He grinned at Kade’s narrowing look, enjoying his brother’s discomfort.
~ ~ ~
Two hours later, the pizza was a pan of congealed cheese and as cold as Kade’s voice.
“I think it’s safe to say they’re nowhere close. We’ve checked every outbuilding twice. Gone through the house from top to bottom. We’d better assume they’ve wandered into the hills.”
The discouraged group had returned to the kitchen. Hope had given into Gran’s staunch demands to wait there with her.
“Whatever possessed them, Kade?” Gran demanded.
“Wish I knew.”
He took a gulp of the strong coffee Hope had forced on all of them. Then, giving a terse nod, he smacked the empty mug down on the table.
“Let’s saddle up and fan out. Jesse, you search the lower pasture. Mark, ride the creek bank. They love to wade, and they might have decided to do that and lost track of time. Declan, you, and I’ll ride into the hills. It’s getting dark, and I’d hate to think of those two lost in the brush and dense trees. Too many animals prowl at night. Take your guns and the first to sight them fire off a couple shots. Gran, you and Hope keep watch here. They might escape unnoticed through the loop we’re throwing around the ranch and come back on their own.”
“Do you really think so, Kade?” Hope asked, moving closer to his side.
“No.” He ran his fingers down her cheek and across her lips. His eyes speaking his love, his need for her.
“No, I don’t.” His response was short. Fear for the two boys and the encroaching night gnawed at him.