“I don’t know. I followed the trail and ended up here.”
Shock rushed through me. This tiny little thing walked the ten-minute drive. I knew from experience as a child that it was about thirty minutes… and she did it in the dark.
“Eloise, you must’ve been so scared. Why didn’t you knock on the door and get my mom?”
“Daddy said I’m not allowed to knock on doors.”
“I think he’d have been okay with it, since it was an emergency.”
Her small chin trembled. “I’m s-sorry.”
“It’s okay, sweet girl. Let me call your dad so he’s not worried.”
Her thin arms stayed wrapped around my neck, her legs around my waist. She reminded me of a spider monkey. Realizing I left my phone in the truck, I carried her over to turn the truck off and gather my things.
Opening my parents’ door with my copy of the key, I called out to my mom. At that time of day, I knew she’d be in the kitchen, fixing up breakfast for everyone on the property.
“We have a guest.”
“Oh, my word.” My mother immediately dropped the whisk in her hand and rushed over to me and my cling-on.
As she stroked Eloise’s back, I explained the situation as I pulled up the B&B’s registration website. I never programmed Nate’s phone number into my phone, but I knew it was listed in the registry for his stay.
As the phone rang, Eloise giggled and switched from my hold to my mother’s. I immediately missed her warmth.
I triple-checked the number listed in Nate’s contact information before pressing Call. With crossed fingers, I waited for him to pick up. Unfortunately, I was met with his voicemail greeting. At least I knew I dialed the correct number.
“Hey, Nate. This is… um, Alex. You know, from the bed-and-breakfast. I wanted to let you know I have Eloise here with me. She wandered over to my parents’ farm early this morning. Please don’t worry.”
The phone clicked off before I could finish my message, but Nate would get the gist of the call. I really hoped he and Molly didn’t worry. Eloise was safe and unharmed.
After ending the call, I asked Mom if she could have Eloise help her with breakfast and change her into one of the extra outfits Nate kept on hand at the farm for when Mom watched them, while I loaded the crates for the market. She also pointed me in the direction of a new T-shirt, since mine now had a distinct snot stain on the shoulder.
Thirty minutes later, I had the back of my truck loaded to the brim with produce-carrying containers along with the market stand canopy. It was going to be a hot, sunny day, and I definitely wanted to stay as shaded as possible.
By the time I finished up, I entered my parents’ kitchen to find the table and an extension filled with farm hands. Apparently, we were a few men short for the day, and Mom had been trying to get a hold of Andrew to help. Aspen, my youngest sister, was already seated at the table, ready to pitch in. We all spent our youth doing what needed to be done around the farm. Mid-season wasn’t too bad, but the harvest time for corn in the fall could be brutal. This time of year, the hired crew were planting soybeans in the fields that were designated in the rotation. This allowed for better corn production in a couple of years in the same field.
“Dad, do you need me to stay? I can ask Tami to cover the stand for us.”
As she was setting another platter of hash browns out on the table, Mom chimed in, “Oh, is she back?”
“Yes, arrived yesterday. Jetlag has her wide awake.”
“Such a sweet girl.”
I nodded at my mother as she continued her hosting duties and then turned back to my dad. We hadn’t really spoken since my outburst over the land parcels going to Nate. This was sort of my way of apologizing to him again.
“Dad?” I prompted again.
“I think we have it covered. Plus, I believe you have a special helper today.” My dad looked a bit rough around the edges after spending years in the sun. His skin was tan and wrinkled, but when he smiled, there was a definitive twinkle that no one could miss.
The entire table lit up as Eloise shouted, “That’s me! I want to help!”
As happy as I was to have her join me, I wasn’t quite in the right frame of mind to entertain a four-year-old and sell our produce. But I knew my parents were in a pickle, and the farm was their money maker.
“All right. Seems I have a helper with me today.” I stroked the top of the girl’s hair. Checking my phone, I noticed I still hadn’t received a message or call from Nate. He was usually up long before me to take a run around the property. I hoped he was okay. It was the only reason I was hesitant to take her back to the bed-and-breakfast. If something was wrong, she would be safe with me.
The mix of worry over him, the waning adrenaline rush of finding his daughter on my parents’ steps, and the hangover was giving me the worst kind of stomachache.
