“Um…what’s your name?”the brunette asks.
“Lucy Alvarez,”I say, taking a sip of my drink.
“Holy fucking shit,you’re Whit’s stepsister?!”The blonde erupts into peals of laughter, but I don’t mind because the girl at the counter scribbles an address down, smiles, and hands it to me.
* * *
Unfortunately,Caleb’s not home. I’m sitting in the living room with Knox and Willa while their baby girl toddles around the room. Booker’s pacing, and a guy named Ian sits in a recliner with a serious look on his face.Stefan, Whit’s freaky looking cat, has taken a liking to me, so he’s curled up in my lap. It’s oddly comforting.
“Dammit,he’s still not picking up. The fuck?” Knox exclaims as his girlfriend rolls her eyes and scoops their daughter up.
“It’sRose’s dinner time, and coincidentally, time to wash her dad’s mouth out with soap. Can I get you anything to drink, Lucy?”
“No thanks,”I smile, shaking my half-empty coffee cup. “So you guys really haven’t heard from him since last night?” I ask, panic seeping into my voice. “He left my place early this morning. His flight left around seven, so he should’ve been back here at what, one, at the latest?”
“Yeah,”Booker sighs, running his hands through his hair.
Ian looks up.“I just checked and there haven’t been any major road accidents. And, as of five minutes ago, the local hospitals didn’t have anyone with that name or description. Can you think of anywhere he’d go? Maybe his mom’s?”
“No.I mean, maybe? But probably not now that Lucy’s dad lives there. Oh, crap. No offense.” Booker’s cheeks flush.
“None taken,”I muster a smile. “My dad is not on my list of favorites right now.”
“Hold up,”Booker says, like a light has gone on, as he races upstairs. Less than a minute later, he’s back, but if anything, he looks more distressed. “His key to Ollie’s is still here. And so are his meds.”
“Fuck,”Knox curses.“Did he take them when he was at your place, Lucy?”
“Um…yes.I think so? I’m not sure. I didn’t check. I—"
“It’s fine.He doesn’t have the key to Ollie’s, so—”
“It doesn’t matter,”Booker shakes his head. “He knows the garage code and where they keep the spare key. If he went there, he could get in.”
Knox hangs his head.“Yeah, he could be holed up in the goddamn woods for a week without his meds. Fuck.”
The room is filledwith tension and anxiety, and I can’t just sit here. “Ok, then. I’m going to head up to Ollie’s cabin. Does anyone have directions? Is it easy to find?”
“I’ll drive you,”Booker says, grabbing his coat from a hook on the wall.
“Like hell you will,”Ian says a little louder than he intended, based on the look in his eyes. We all stare at him a second, before he says, “I just mean it’s a terrible idea for the two of you to go off looking for him. It’ll be dark soon.”
Booker turns toward Ian.“You’re crazy if you think I’m staying here. I’d bet money that Whit’s at Ollie’s cabin without his meds, and I’m not just going to sit around and fret about it. I’m going to find him.”
I’m ready to shout “Amen!”
But then Ian smiles kindly.“I’d never suggest you should stay here. But the two people who love him the most are not getting behind the wheel and leading the charge. I’m driving. You two have five minutes to grab anything he might need. I’ll meet you outside.” He catches the keys Booker tosses his way, and I toss my coffee cup in the trash before heading up to his room. Booker’s right behind me.
“Just grabsome sweats and a hoodie. In fact, if there aren’t any clean ones, I’ll get one of mine. He has a habit of stealing my stuff, anyway.”
I nodand reach into the dresser for the pillbox. It’s one of those plastic ones with the days of the week on it. I take it and place it in the duffle Booker’s holding.
“He’s there,Lucy, I know it. And by the time we get there, he’ll barely have missed a dose.”
“He was supposedto leave last night,” I say. “That was the plan. He probably only packed enough medication to last through last night. But we were having such a good time. He switched his flight, and I didn’t think anything of it.”
Booker’s arms encircle me,and he drops a brotherly kiss on the top of my head. “He’ll be okay, Lucy. We’ll make sure of it.”
I need to believe him.
