Midnight Under the Mistletoe (12 page)

“Damn, there are some canyons and some woods on Will’s land,”
he said. “She’s just so little.”

Climbing into a pickup, with Emma rushing into the passenger
seat, Zach headed toward the highway pushing the truck as fast as he dared.

Emma called her mother, relaying the situation. “My family can
at least say a few prayers,” she explained to Zach. “How long has Caroline been
gone?”

“Not long. The minute she regained consciousness, Rosalyn
called Will on her cell, so it was just a brief time. The bad thing was Rosalyn
had no idea which direction to go to look for Caroline.”

“Surely she hasn’t gone far from home. Maybe she’ll find her
way back soon.”

“She’ll be chasing that little dog,” he said, explaining about
how easily Caroline could find her way to the highway. “Little kids can go fast
sometimes and they like to run.”

“I think we’ll find her. She hasn’t had time to get far.”

“We’ve got a creek that has a few deep spots. She swims, but
it’s cold and I don’t know what she’d do if she panicked. We have rattlesnakes
in abundance,” he said, clamping his mouth closed. “At least it’s winter and the
snakes won’t be the same problem as in summer,” he said, aware he was thinking
out loud. Caroline was too little, her life too sheltered, to have any idea how
to take care of herself.

“Hope for the best, Zach,” she said, looking every which way
out the windows. “I know she can’t be this far out, but I can’t keep from
looking around.”

He gritted his teeth. He couldn’t understand Emma’s hopeful
tone as if finding Caroline had become a certainty. There had been only rare
moments in his adult life he had felt terrified, but he did now. He never had to
this extent.

The car left a cloud of dust in the graveled road as he sped
along, sliding on curves, sending plumes of dust into the air. They reached the
highway in record time and he was amazed his driving hadn’t scared Emma. Feeling
a grim foreboding, Zach pushed the truck to its limit, speeding on the flat
road. He gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles hurt.

“When we get close to Will’s land, especially in line with the
house, should you slow to watch for her?”

“I’m going to the house to find out where Rosalyn last saw her.
We have to find her before night falls. We have mountain lions, coyotes. She
can’t stay out alone tonight.”

“She can’t have gotten far,” Emma said with a strong, positive
tone. “We’ll find her before dark. We’ll split up to look,” Emma said. “No point
in staying together. Maybe Muffy will just go home.”

“I don’t think so,” Zach replied, his nerves on edge and not
helped by Emma’s cheerful optimism. “That little dog isn’t any more accustomed
to being out on her own than Caroline is. Muffy won’t know the way home. Damn,
I’ve never felt so helpless.”

“Have you ever been this panicked about yourself?”

He gave her a startled look. “That’s entirely different.”

“Have you ever been this concerned about another adult?”

“No. Adults are different. Caroline is vulnerable.”

“You’re going to help. There are lots of people to help in the
search. I’m sure we’ll find her.”

“Emma, I don’t know how you can be so certain we’ll find her,”
he said, trying to avoid snapping at her. “All the odds are the other way.” If
he and Emma were opposites, it had never been more so than at this moment. He
glanced at her and saw her watching the land spreading away from the county
road.

“There are a lot of people to look for her and she hasn’t been
gone long,” Emma replied.

She was right, but it was a huge ranch with too many hazards
for a child. Caroline would be completely unpredictable because she had never
been out alone before. He hurt for Will and Zach was terrified for Caroline,
trying to avoid thinking about how afraid she must be.

They lapsed into another silence until Zach waved a hand.
“We’re less than a mile from the turn into Will’s ranch.”

A barb wire fence bounded the property and the land near the
road was flat with mesquite scattered across it. “You can see a lot from here.”
Shortly, he spotted the gate ahead and beyond it a thick grove of trees. The
road curved out of sight and two tall cottonwoods bordered the county road. “Let
me out along here, Zach,” Emma said.

“I don’t think she’s had time to get this far. I hope not.”

“I’ll start walking back toward the house. Maybe I’ll meet
her.” She patted his arm. “Don’t worry until you have to.”

“How the hell can I not worry?” he snapped, knowing he was
being sharp, but he was filled with worry and fear for Caroline and he couldn’t
understand or appreciate Emma’s positive attitude.

“Let me out as soon as you turn off the highway please.”

“Emma, I don’t want to have to worry about you, too.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I have my phone. Stop the car and I’ll go
on foot.”

He slowed, turned and stopped.

“Be positive, Zach. We’ll find her.” She jumped out quickly and
he drove away.

At least she had a phone and knew how to use it. He suspected
Emma knew little more than Caroline about being out on her own on the ranch, but
she was an adult and would be okay. She was insulated in her positive feelings
while he had none. As he drove around a bend in the road, Emma disappeared from
sight in his rearview mirror.

* * *

Emma stood still, her gaze searching the dark woods. It
would be five soon and since it was winter, the daylight would fade quickly.
Saying another prayer, she began to walk inside Will’s fence, continuing on in
the direction they had been headed before Zach turned onto the ranch drive. She
had told him she would walk toward the house, but she wanted to look along the
highway a bit first. The highway worried Zach and she could see why. She studied
the darkness beneath the thick grove of trees as she went. Surely if a child and
a dog were nearby, they would make noise.

“Caroline,” Emma called, the cry sounding small, pointless in
all the emptiness around her.

Emma walked briskly for ten minutes, following the wide curve
of the road, listening for any sounds of a child and then she heard voices. The
road still curved and whoever was talking was lost to sight, but it sounded like
more than two people.

Emma jogged, following the road, and finally she saw a pickup
ahead. It had pulled off the side of the road. Relief and joy swamped her
because it was a couple standing and talking to Caroline. The child held a white
dog in her arms.

“Caroline!” Emma lengthened her stride and ran, breathing
deeply when she reached them.

“Caroline, everyone is looking for you,” she said as she hugged
the little girl lightly.

She looked expectantly at the couple standing watching. She
offered her hand. “I’m Emma Hillman,” she said.

“We’re Pete and Hazel Tanner,” a deeply tanned, white-haired
man said. His wide-brimmed hat was pushed back on his head. “We saw the dog and
stopped and in a few minutes the little girl came running into sight. She gave
us a number to call and they are coming to get her.”

“Thank you so much,” Emma said. “I’ll call her uncle and tell
him in case he hasn’t gone to the house.” She turned slightly, calling Zach to
tell him.

“I’m the one coming back to get her,” Zach said. “When I drove
up, they told me the Tanners had called. Thank goodness you’re with them. I
should be there in minutes.”

“She’s fine, Zach. And she has her dog with her. These nice
people stopped to see about Muffy and then Caroline came along.”

“Just wait and I’ll get all of you. I won’t be long.”

“I’m sure you won’t,” she said smiling and thinking how fast he
had driven. She called her mother to let her know Caroline was found safe.

Scratching Muffy’s head while Caroline held her, she talked to
the couple for a few minutes. She wanted a hand close to the dog in case Muffy
decided to run again.

“Caroline told us her name and how her little dog ran away and
she couldn’t catch her. She said her nanny was probably looking for her,” Mabel
Tanner said.

“A lot of people are searching for Caroline,” Emma stated,
smiling at the girl.

Emma heard the car before she saw Zach and then she watched him
pull onto the shoulder to park. He had a leash in his hand and hooked it on
Muffy’s collar after he had hugged Caroline. Picking up Caroline, he handed the
end of the leash to Emma while he talked to the Tanners.

“Thanks beyond words for helping,” he said, shaking hands with
the couple and talking briefly to them. In minutes they climbed into their
pickup while Zach held the door for Emma and Caroline. As Caroline buckled
herself into the back, Zach buckled the leash in beside her. Caroline pulled
Muffy onto her lap. Zach leaned in to brush a kiss on the top of Caroline’s
head. “You gave us a real scare,” he said softly.

“I’m sorry.” She smiled up at him, and he stepped back to close
the door.

He slid behind the wheel and glanced at Emma. “After I talked
to you and knew you were with Caroline, I called Will to tell him to go on to
the symphony because everything is okay here. He’s already landing. He said he
wants to come home to hug Caroline.”

“I can understand that,” Emma answered. She turned in her seat
to talk to Caroline.

“Caroline, did you have trouble finding Muffy?”

“No. I could see her, but she wouldn’t come back to me. I had
to run fast.”

“I’ll bet you did,” Emma replied. “You ran a long, long
way.”

Caroline nodded her head. “She sat to wait for me and then
she’d run. I think she wanted to play.”

Emma had to laugh. “I’m sure she had great fun.”

“Everyone was very worried about you and Muffy. I’m glad we
found you and Muffy didn’t cross the highway,” Zach said.

“Mr. and Mrs. Tanner told me that they saw Muffy and stopped
because they thought she was a lost dog. Then they saw me. When I told them I
was alone, they called Daddy Two. I told them his phone number.”

“That was the right thing to do,” Zach said. “He’ll be here
soon.”

Caroline’s eyes narrowed. “Am I in trouble?”

“I don’t think so,” Zach said. “We’ll just be glad to have you
and Muffy home again. Rosalyn is very worried. We all were worried about where
you were and if you were safe. You gave us all a big scare, Caroline,” he
said.

“I would have gone home, but I couldn’t catch Muffy.”

“Would you have known how to find home?” Zach asked her.

“I could have followed the fence. Except I got scared when I
saw Muffy running toward the highway.”

“I’ll bet you were scared. How did Muffy get loose?”

“The back gate wasn’t closed all the way. Someone had left it
open and Muffy squeezed out.”

“Well, we’ll put a little sign on that gate to keep it closed,”
Zach said and Caroline smiled.

Caroline hugged Muffy who had stretched out to sleep. “Thank
you for coming to get me, Uncle Zach.”

“You’re welcome,” he said.

Soon they were home and as they approached the house, Rosalyn
waited on the porch. Pulling her coat close around her, she came down the steps
to greet them. With a bandage on her forehead, she looked pale and she walked
slowly, carefully hanging to the rail.

“Rosalyn doesn’t look so great,” Zach said quietly.

They climbed out of the car, and Caroline ran to Rosalyn to hug
her while Zach got Muffy out and held her until they were inside the fenced
yard. He set the small dog on her feet to remove her leash.

Emma greeted Caroline’s nanny and stood quietly while Zach
talked to her about her fall. “You should get off your feet, Rosalyn.”

“I will. I just had to come hug Caroline. She didn’t know I
fell. She thought I was probably coming behind her. I can’t tell you how worried
I’ve been. About as much as Mr. Will. I caught my foot on a root and I couldn’t
keep from falling. I hit something, and then I was just out. When I came to,
Caroline was gone. I’ve never had such a scare,” she said, looking at Caroline
who was tossing a ball for Muffy.

“She’s back with her dog so you mend. Take it easy and get
well.”

“I intend to,” she said, smiling at him.

A car came up the drive and Will spilled out, hurrying around
to open the door for Ava. They both rushed through the gate. The instant
Caroline saw them, she threw out her arms and ran toward them.

Will picked her up to hug her and hold her out so she and Ava
could hug.

“We’ll go say hello and goodbye. Leave the family to
themselves,” Zach said.

Will turned to greet them, shaking Zack’s hand. “Thanks for
coming on the run and thanks, Emma, for finding her with the Tanners on the
highway. They live over in the next county and we know each other to say hello.
I couldn’t believe Caroline made it to the highway in that time.”

“We’re all happy now,” Zach said. “We’ll leave you to talk to
Caroline and Rosalyn. Night, sweetie,” he added, kissing Caroline’s cheek.
Slipping a small, thin arm around his neck, she hugged him and Zach smiled at
her.

He took Emma’s arm to go to his car and in minutes they were on
the road driving back to his ranch.

“I’m going home, kicking back and having a beer. Caroline looks
so little and frail. That scared me. I still feel as if my insides are
shivering.” He glanced at her. “How did you keep so calm?”

“You were calm.”

“I just had it all bottled up, but it’s coming out now.”

Emma was amazed, because Zach seemed so tough, and today, cool
when he had taken charge to call his men and then get to Will’s ranch quickly.
He had traveled and worked in dangerous jobs all over the world where he’d had
to keep his wits, yet now he was coming apart. She saw his hands had a tremor.
“I don’t know how you were calm,” he repeated.

“Positive thinking and prayers, Zach. Expecting a happy
outcome.”

“You’re the eternal optimist,” he stated, shaking his head.
“I’ve seen too much, Emma. Positive thinking and prayers can’t guarantee happy
endings.”