“You made my mother cry!” Scott screamed. “Now we have to leave!”
Sawyer easily deflected the impact of the small fists and wild punches. Scott kicked him for all he was worth, his shoe connecting with Sawyer’s shin a number of times.
In an effort to protect himself and Scott, Sawyer dropped the old bike and wrapped his arms around the boy’s shoulders. He knelt down on the grass in front of him. By now Scott was crying openly and his breath came in ragged gasps.
Sawyer held him tight, absorbing the boy’s pain and feeling as though his own heart was about to break. Losing Abbey was bad enough. It seemed unfair that he’d lose the children, too.
In the short time they’d lived in Hard Luck, Scott and Susan had captured his heart. A day didn’t seem right without Scott there to greet him and ask if he could get Eagle Catcher out of his pen. And Susan…With her wide grins and charming enthusiasm, she could always wrap him around her little finger.
“I’m sorry I made your mother cry,” Sawyer whispered over and over, although he was sure the boy didn’t hear him.
Sobbing, Scott buried his face in Sawyer’s shoulder. Soon his thin arms were wrapped around Sawyer’s neck and he clung to him as if he’d never let go. “Your bike isn’t really stupid,” he mumbled.
“I know.”
“We have to put everything back in our suitcases,” Scott said. “Mom told us at dinner that we’re leaving in the morning.”
“I know.” He didn’t bother to hide his regret.
Scott’s head jerked back and he stared at Sawyer through swollen eyes. “You do?”
Sawyer nodded.
“And you were just gonna let us leave, without even saying goodbye?”
“I was going to walk down to the field in the morning and see you off,” Sawyer explained. And then silently stand by and watch you fly away. He had no choice. What else could he do?
“Susan and I don’t want to leave.”
Sawyer’s heart lightened a little. Perhaps Abbey’s children could succeed where he’d failed. “Did you tell your mother that?”
Scott’s eyes glistened with his recently shed tears. “That made her cry even more. I thought you cared about Mom and Susan and me.”
“I do, Scott, more than you’ll ever know.”
Scott yanked himself free. “Then why does Mom want to move away so bad?”
“Because…” Sawyer struggled for words. “Sometimes it isn’t easy to understand, especially when you’re just nine and—”
“I wouldn’t understand it if I live to be as old as…as forty.”
Sawyer smiled, despite himself. “I wish I understood it myself so I could explain it to you.” He stroked the boy’s hair. “Do you want to talk about it some more?”
“No,” Scott said, and shook his head. Rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hand, he turned and ran in the opposite direction as fast as his legs would carry him.
Sawyer’s heart contracted at the boy’s distress. He wanted to follow Scott and swear that he’d do anything to convince Abbey to stay in Hard Luck. Anything. Instead, he remained on the front lawn, staring after her son. He hardly noticed that Mitch Harris was walking in his direction.
At Mitch’s greeting, he raised a hand and smiled wanly. Presumably the public safety officer wasn’t there on official business. In his calm, quiet way, Mitch was the most effective cop they’d ever had, but right now, Sawyer didn’t need a cop.
“You certainly look glum,” Mitch said, continuing toward him.
Sawyer kept his gaze on the house across the street. “Abbey’s leaving,” he said flatly.
“You’re kidding, I hope. Her daughter and my Chrissie hit it off like gangbusters.”
Sawyer nodded.
“It’s been great for Chrissie to have a friend her age,” Mitch said, his eyes narrowed in concern. “Those two have been inseparable for the past month. What happened?”
“I can’t figure it out.” Sawyer massaged his forehead.
“I thought—or rather, I’d heard—that you and Abbey had become…good friends.”
“I thought we were friends, too. I guess I was wrong. She wants out of Hard Luck.”
“Are you going to let her go?”
For pride’s sake, Sawyer shrugged as if her coming or going was of little consequence to him. “It seems that bringing women to town was nothing more than an expensive mistake.”
“I’m sorry to hear about Abbey and her kids leaving, though,” Mitch said. “Chrissie’s going to miss Susan, and I suspect Hard Luck’s going to miss having a librarian. Abbey would’ve done a good job if she’d decided to stay. It’s a shame.”
Sawyer couldn’t agree more.
“That’s not our only problem,” Sawyer said. He went back into the house and brought back a letter addressed to the school board. It was from Margaret Simpson, the high school teacher. “I received this in today’s mail,” he said and handed it to Mitch.
Mitch quickly scanned the letter. “Margaret’s decided not to teach next year, after all.”
“That’s what she says.” She’d addressed the letter to Sawyer as president of the school board. He drew a deep breath. “Looks like we’ll need another teacher before the end of the summer. I’ll be calling a board meeting later in the week.”
“Fine.” Mitch paused, then said, “It seems like a lot of bad news all at once, doesn’t it?”
Sawyer was staring at the house across the street. “That it does,” he murmured.
The two men shook hands, and Mitch left, walking across the street to Abbey’s house. Sawyer had never been the nosy type, but he was decidedly curious to learn what Mitch had to say.
Abbey answered the door. Although Sawyer couldn’t hear the conversation, he guessed that Mitch was bidding her farewell. But whatever Mitch’s business with Abbey, it didn’t last long. Hoping he wasn’t too obvious, Sawyer tried to sneak a look at her. It didn’t work; she was back inside the house faster than a turtle retreating into its shell.
Neither of the children had been particularly cooperative about going to bed. Since the sun still shone brightly at ten o’clock, it was difficult for them to get to sleep. As usual, Abbey propped a board against the curtains to darken the room a little.
She was grateful when the talking quieted down. Sitting at the kitchen table with her feet on the opposite chair, she sipped from a glass of iced tea and considered her options.
Her suitcases were packed. So were the children’s. They’d worked silently, not hiding their disappointment. It was such a contrast, Abbey thought, to their cheerful, excited chatter the night they’d packed to come here.
Before he went to bed, Scott had told her he’d returned Sawyer’s bike. Abbey had hugged her son and kissed the top of his head.
Fairbanks wouldn’t be so bad, she’d tried to convince herself and the children. It was Alaska’s second-largest city, and it would have all the comforts they’d left behind in Seattle.
No reaction.
She’d assured them they’d be settled in and ready long before school started. Even the reminder that Fairbanks was the world’s mushing capital didn’t seem to raise Scott’s spirits. He was going to miss Sawyer’s husky.
“Will I ever see Eagle Catcher again?” he’d asked.
“I…I don’t know,” Abbey told him sadly.
Although she knew she wouldn’t sleep, she trudged down the hall to her bedroom. Out of habit, she stopped to check on Scott and Susan. Knowing they hadn’t been asleep for long, she opened the door a crack and glanced inside.
Both had the covers pulled up over their heads. Quietly she closed the door and slipped down the hall.
She got as far as the second bedroom when she stopped. Something wasn’t right. She hesitated, unable to identify exactly what it was. Retracing her steps, she returned to the bedroom, opening the door a bit wider.
Standing where she was, her silhouette against the opposite wall, Abbey could see nothing wrong. Tiptoeing farther
into the room, she sat on the edge of Scott’s bed.
It was then that she realized it wasn’t her son in the bed at all, but a rolled-up blanket and a football helmet.
Abbey gasped, surged to her feet and yanked back the covers.
Scott was missing.
She rushed over to the second bed and discovered that Susan was gone, too.
Abbey turned on the light and saw an envelope leaning against the lamp on the nightstand. She reached for it, her fingers trembling, and tore it open.
Dear Mom,
We don’t want to leave Hard Luck. You can go without Susan and me.
Don’t worry about us.
Love,
Scott and Susan
Abbey read through it four times before the realization began to sink in. Her children had run away.
She raced to the phone and instinctively dialed Sawyer’s number. She felt so shaky she had to punch in the numbers twice.
“Hello.”
At least he wasn’t asleep. “It’s Abbey. Is Eagle Catcher there?”
“You want to talk to my dog?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I want you to check his pen and tell me if he’s inside. Please, Sawyer, this is important.”
“I can tell you right now that he is,” Sawyer grumbled. “I locked him in no more than an hour ago.”
“Please check.”
He sighed. “Okay.”
She heard the click as he set the phone down. Abbey closed her eyes and impatiently counted backward, starting at a hundred, while he left the house to check his backyard. She’d reached sixty-three by the time he got back.
“He’s gone,” Sawyer said breathlessly. “Abbey, what’s going on? Are you okay?”
“No, I’m not okay.” Her heart felt like it was about to explode inside her chest. “Scott and Susan are gone.”
Without a second’s hesitation, Sawyer said, “I’ll be right over.”
“Please hurry,” she whispered, but he’d already severed the connection.
Chapter 10
“Where would they go?” Abbey asked even before Sawyer had entered the house. She handed him Scott’s letter, which he read in a few seconds.
“I have no idea.”
Abbey sank onto the sofa. Her legs were incapable of supporting her any longer. “This is all my fault.”
“Blaming yourself isn’t going to help find those kids. Think, Abbey! You know Scott and Susan. Where would they hide?”
Abbey buried her face in her hands as she tried to reason, but her mind refused to function. Every time she closed her eyes, all she could see was her two children in the wilderness alone. Sawyer had repeatedly warned them about the dangers lurking out on the tundra. He’d told them about his aunt, who had disappeared without a trace at the age of five….
No one had ever explicitly described the danger brown bears presented, but it was very real. The day after her arrival she’d learned how to operate a can of pepper spray to ward them off. Now her children, the life and breath of her soul, were alone and defenseless, possibly wandering around in the wild. Eagle Catcher could only do so much to protect them.
“I’ll find them, Abbey,” Sawyer promised. He knelt in front of her and gripped her hands in both of his. “I swear to you I won’t stop searching until they’re home and safe.”
Abbey reached for him. Despite their differences, despite the fact that she was walking out of his life in a few hours, she trusted Sawyer as she did no one else. He’d find her children or die in the attempt. She knew that.
His arms went around her, and they clung to each other.
“Abbey, don’t forget—they’ve obviously got the dog with them. That’s a good thing. Stay here,” he instructed her. “I’ll alert Mitch and we’ll get a search team assembled.”
She nodded, well aware that she wouldn’t be of any help to them. But she didn’t want to be here alone with her fears. Sawyer seemed to realize that, too.
“I’ll ask Pearl Inman to come stay with you.”
Her heart in her throat, Abbey walked Sawyer to the front door. He raised his hand and gently touched her cheek. Then he was gone.
Abbey moved onto the porch and sat in the swing, nearly choking on her fears. Mosquitoes buzzed nearby, but she paid them no heed. Again and again, her mind went back to the conversation she’d had with the children earlier that evening.
They loved Hard Luck. And Eagle Catcher and Sawyer. Without a bit of trouble, they’d adjusted to their new lives in Alaska. Abbey had assumed it was too soon for any real attachments, but she’d been wrong.
Her son had bonded with Eagle Catcher. He’d become friends with Ronny Gold. Susan had struck up a friendship with Chrissie Harris. And she…well, she’d gone and done something really dangerous.
She’d fallen in love with Sawyer O’Halloran. She saw her actions with fresh clarity. Knowing she loved him frightened her so badly she’d decided to run. The fear of making another mistake had caused her to panic.
Pearl appeared on the top porch step. Caught up in her thoughts, Abbey hadn’t noticed her right away.
“Abbey?”
“Oh, Pearl,” she said in a broken whisper. “I’m so afraid.”
The older woman sat next to her and squeezed her shoulders. “Sawyer will find those kids, don’t you worry.”
“But they could be anywhere.”
“Mark my words, they’ll be found in short order. At least they were smart enough to take Eagle Catcher. He’s a good dog, and he isn’t going to let anything happen to them.”
Abbey tried to relax, but despite Pearl’s assurances, she simply couldn’t. The tension wouldn’t ease until she knew her children were safe.
“Come on,” Pearl said, “let’s make a pot of coffee and some sandwiches. The men are going to need them.”
Abbey agreed, although she knew Pearl was just trying to get her mind off the children. She moved into the kitchen and began the preparations by rote.
“Are you sure you want to use that much coffee?” Pearl asked, looking up from the bread she was efficiently buttering.
Abbey saw that she’d filled the basket to overflowing. “No,” she said, laughing nervously. “Perhaps you’d better make the coffee.”
“Sure thing. Just let me finish this.”
They sat at the kitchen table and listened to the hot water dripping through the filter. The pot’s gurgling seemed strangely loud in the unnatural quiet of the house.
An hour passed, the longest of her life. Mitch stopped by the house and asked Abbey some questions about the kids.
When he left, Pearl poured her a cup of coffee.
“The kids were upset about leaving,” Abbey confessed to her.
“You’re leaving?” Pearl sounded shocked. “Whatever for?”
“Because…oh, I don’t know, because nothing seems right anymore. I’m afraid, Pearl…I don’t want to be in love. It scares me. And Sawyer…I wouldn’t have thought it possible to insult a woman with a marriage proposal, but he managed it. He seems to believe that every woman wants to trap him!”
Pearl patted her hand gently. “If that’s the case, he must feel very strongly about you, otherwise he’d never have asked.”
Despite everything, Abbey smiled. “I think Sawyer’s as confused as I am.”
When the phone rang, it startled Abbey so much she didn’t know what to do. She sat paralyzed, unable to move or even breathe.
Pearl picked up the receiver. “Yes, yes…” she said, nodding.
Abbey studied the older woman’s face for any sign of news.
A moment later, Pearl held her hand over the mouthpiece. “It’s Sawyer. He called to let you know they have two four-man teams searching the area. The first one just reported back. They didn’t see any trace of the children. He wants to talk to you.”
Abbey snatched the receiver. “Sawyer, what’s happening?”
“Nothing yet.” How calm and confident he sounded. “Don’t worry, we’ll find them. Are you a
ll right?”
“No!” she cried. “I want my children!”
“We’ll find them, Abbey,” he said again. “Don’t worry.”
She took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. “Is there any sign of Eagle Catcher?” she asked. If they found the dog, then surely the children would be nearby.
“Not yet.”
“Call me soon, please. Even if you haven’t found them yet. I need to know what’s happening.”
“I will,” he promised.
Pearl poured Abbey another coffee and brought it to her. She stared into it, trying to think.
Another hour dragged slowly by, and Abbey started to pace. This time when the phone rang, she leapt for it.
“Did you find them?” she blurted into the mouthpiece.
“Mom?”
“Scott, is that you?” Abbey asked, then burst into tears. The release of tension washed over her like…like the clear, clean waters of Abbey Lake.
“Don’t cry, Mom. We’re okay. I bet we’re in a lot of trouble…. Here, you better talk to Sawyer.”
Abbey tried to control her emotions, but the relief was too great to do anything but give in to it. A moment later Sawyer was on the line.
“Abbey, it’s me.”
“Where were they?”
“We found them in the old lodge. They’d managed to make their way upstairs, where they were hiding. I found the three of them cuddled up together. Eagle Catcher was in the middle and they each had an arm around him.”
“You mean to say they were that close to town all this time?”
Sawyer chuckled. “Yup. Eagle Catcher heard me calling him, but he wouldn’t leave Scott and Susan.”
“Remind me to kiss that dog.” She laughed softly.
“I’d rather you kissed the dog’s owner.”
Abbey’s laughter faded, and the tension returned.
“Never mind,” Sawyer said, defeated. “It was only a suggestion. The important thing is, the kids are safe and sound. I’ll be bringing them home.”
“Thank you, Sawyer. Thank you!” She glanced over at Pearl as she replaced the receiver. “They’re fine,” she said, wiping the tears from her face. “Sawyer found them hiding in the lodge.”