I return to my brothers at the kitchen table. “The cattle aren’t the priority right now,” I say for the first time in my life. Because the ranch has always been the most important thing.
Beau and Jace give each other a wary look, and Jace scrubs his stubbled face. “I don’t know how much you drank last night,bro, but the state inspector shut us down indefinitely. Until we can get his damn stamp of approval.”
“I’ll deal with that later. Where’s my phone?”
Just then, it buzzes on the counter by the coffee pot. It’s Baylee.
I don’t get a chance to even say her name before she shouts, “Where’s Paige?”
“I’m not sure. I just realized she wasn’t here.”
“She texted me after midnight that she was coming over, but I was asleep and didn’t see it until just now. I tried calling, but no one answered.”
Fear like I’ve never known spreads like ice through my veins.
All the worries I’ve been carrying around with me for months melt away as it becomes imperative that I find Paige.
Because she’s what matters here. Not this land. Not the wood and brick of this house. Not my family’s stupid legacy.
My wife.
“I’ll find her.” I put her on speakerphone. “Do you think she could’ve driven back to Charming?”
“She would’ve told me she was doing that.” Baylee whimpers. “I’m worried, Rhett.”
That ball goes thudding across the kitchen, and my boys trail after it, laughing like they don’t know my whole world is coming apart at the seams.
I glance at my brothers. “We’ll go look for her.” They immediately nod, concern etched on their faces. “Any idea where she might’ve gone?”
That’s when the ball goes sailing across the room and clatters around in the bathroom. Gabriel streaks in there. “Uh-oh.”
Beau rolls his eyes and pushes out of his chair to wrangle my kids.
Baylee and I agree to check in within an hour. I hang up and shove the phone in my back pocket. “We need to split up anddrive around town. Maybe she got a flat tire.” It’s easy enough to do on our country roads.
Beau ushers Gabriel out of the powder room, but he has a box in his hand. “Um. Rhett.”
“Where are my keys?” Jesus, I’m a mess.
“Brother.” The seriousness in his voice makes me freeze.
He holds up a box. I squint until the words come into focus.
It’s a pregnancy test.
There’s only one woman in this house.
“Where’d you find that?”
Beau motions behind him. “The boys knocked over the trash, and it fell out.”
I practically trip over myself to grab that box and shake it. “Where’s the actual test?” I rush into the bathroom and turn over the trash can. Balled-up tissue falls out.
And then the small plastic wand clatters to the ground.
With my heart in my throat, I grab the damn thing.
It’s positive.
