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       Chapter Two

      “Why do you want to help?” This was the last thing he thought Darcy Hill would offer. “I’m only ten minutes away from the Blue Bonnet Inn. You said you were tired and hungry.” Nick gripped the steering wheel and stared at Darcy in the dim light from his dashboard. He couldn’t believe he’d told her so much about Corey’s situation, but after his meeting with Fletcher today, frustration churned his gut.

      “Because a child is missing on a cold winter’s night. You’ll need everyone you can get to search for him. I couldn’t go to the inn without trying to help.”

      The worry in her expression lured Nick. She showed more feelings toward an unknown kid than Ned did toward his son. Her caring nature appealed to him and made it easy to talk to her. “Corey lives in Dry Gulch. It might take a long time if we can’t find him right away.”

      “I don’t care. A child is in trouble.”

      Her words touched a cold place in Nick’s heart, forged from years living with an alcoholic father like Corey’s, and calmed his earlier anger at Fletcher. “You can’t go looking for him in what you’re wearing.” He couldn’t believe he was arguing with her about helping Corey. She was right. In the dark, it would be doubly hard to find the child. Did he have a coat on? Did he run away or had something else happened?

      “I have some boots in one of my bags. It won’t take me long to change into them.” She gave him a smile. “I should have when I stopped in Houston and heard the weather report about the cold front moving through this part of Texas.”

      “Fine. I can’t guarantee how long this will take.” Nick made another U-turn and headed out of town. He handed her his cell phone. “Slim’s number is in my contact list. You can call him and have him tow your car to his garage, and then you can check with him tomorrow morning about what’s wrong with it.” He shot her another look before pressing on the accelerator. “That way your car will be moved off the shoulder of the highway.”

      “Thanks. Do you have the number for the Blue Bonnet Inn? I’d like to tell the owner I’ll be late.”

      “Under Carol Thornton. I’ve got to warn you, she’ll ask a ton of questions about why you’ll be late.”

      “I guess she’ll think it’s strange I’m helping out.”

      “No. She’s one who will jump in when someone is in trouble, whether she knows the person or not. If I had the time, I would recruit her and a few others. Most townspeople are like family.” He increased his speed outside of Haven, pushing the limit.

      “Except for Fletcher Phillips?”

      “You pick up fast. I won’t bother calling him to let him know Corey is missing.” Nick tossed a glance at Darcy as a car came toward his truck. Her blond hair hung in thick waves about her shoulders while her blue eyes held a frown. “I hope you have a hat to wear.”

      “A cowboy one like yours?”

      “Nope. A warm one like a beanie.”

      “Yes, I do, and gloves.” She studied the list of contacts on his phone and then connected with one of them.

      While she called Slim and Carol, Nick focused on the last twelve miles to Corey’s house. The unknown ate at Nick the whole way to Dry Gulch. Nick kept replaying his promise to Doug to keep his little brother safe. When he made a promise, he kept it. What if he couldn’t now?

      When Darcy finished talking to Carol, she gave him his phone back. “You’re right. She drilled me with questions, most of which I couldn’t answer. I have a feeling when I finally show up at the inn, I’ll have to tell her everything we did.”

      “I guarantee you will. Carol is like a mother hen.”

      “Does she have children of her own?”

      “No, but not from want of trying. It’s a shame. She would have been a great mother.”

      “I’m assuming Corey doesn’t have a mother around since you’ve only mentioned his dad. Do you know what happened to her?”

      “She died years ago.”

      “That’s sad.” Her voice caught on her words, and Nick chanced another look at Darcy. Her forehead knit into a thoughtful expression. “Did Mrs. Scott tell you the details of Corey’s disappearance?” she finally asked, her tone still emotion-filled.

      “Not a lot. Usually Corey will call me, and we’ll talk. Mrs. Scott lives next door to Corey and keeps an eye out for the child. All I really know is that Corey is gone and a deputy sheriff is at Ned’s house.” No doubt Ned had gone out to get some more liquor.

      “So he was staying home alone?”

      “Most likely.” His own feelings warred inside him—from anger at himself for not going earlier, to fear. Apprehension won out. Why didn’t Corey call him again instead of running away? What if he couldn’t find the boy? “I don’t know anything else. Mrs. Scott didn’t go into a lot of details. The neighbors are forming a search party to help the deputy. We can join them.” Hopefully he’d find out more when he arrived in Dry Gulch. Better yet, maybe Corey was already home and safe.

      Nearing the town, Nick slanted another glance toward Darcy, her hands clasped together as though she were praying. It wouldn’t help. He’d tried that. Nick had given up on the Lord answering his prayers. At least Ned so far hadn’t physically harmed Corey, but neglect of a child was a form of abuse. Corey hungered for love and acceptance.

      “We’re almost there. Ned and I have exchanged a few words concerning Corey, but nothing will keep me away. I promised Doug, Corey’s older brother, that I would watch out for him. I just wanted to let you know things could get tense.”

      “Does Ned know about what Doug asked you to do?”

      Nick turned down a street on the outskirts of Dry Gulch, a town about the size of Haven. “Yes, and he isn’t too happy about that.” He pulled behind a long line of cars crammed into every parking spot available. A few floodlights illuminated the area as though it were daytime. “It looks like a lot of people are here. Good. Corey could be in town somewhere, in the woods or on a ranch nearby. Lots of hiding places, and with the darkness he’ll be harder to find.”

      “So you think he’s hiding, not taken by someone?” Darcy asked as she opened the passenger door.

      “More likely hiding or running away.” He hoped. The alternative was even worse. When he hopped down and looked over the hood of his truck at Darcy, he was glad she’d come with him. Although he barely knew Darcy, her presence comforted him. Her immediate response to his news earlier had been to help. There was more to her than too many clothes and shoes. She might come from money, but she didn’t act like a spoiled socialite.

      He waited for her to join him and then he made his way toward the group of people on the front lawn of Corey’s home. Mrs. Scott stood near Ned, talking to him as more neighbors joined the throng. The furious expression on Ned’s face alerted Nick that the man probably hadn’t been the one who’d called the sheriff’s office.

      Mrs. Scott saw him and came toward Nick. “We’ve searched the neighborhood and there wasn’t any sign of Corey. We’re reorganizing to cover the areas away from here. The sheriff is arriving soon and some more deputies. They’re bringing in a couple of tracking dogs too. Five to six inches of snow are