The Matchmaking Pact. Carolyne Aarsen
called from the top of the church steps, the worry in her voice adding to Josie’s.
“No. I have no idea where to start looking.” Josie hugged herself, the wreckage of the town slowly impressing itself upon her weary brain. She was sure she would remember the roar, the fury and the howling rush of wind until she died.
“And I’m worried about my grandmother. I can’t get hold of her. I don’t know what to do first.”
Nicki joined her friend and gave her a one-armed hug. “Reverend Garrison’s niece Avery is still here. I can ask her to see what she can find out.”
“That would be great.”
“Reverend Garrison told me emergency crews are coming, too.”
Josie nodded, her eyes scanning the devastation hoping for a glimpse of either girl.
Across the street Tom Driessen stood in front of his pizza place, still wearing his white apron tied around his generous girth. Glass from the window of his business covered the street.
“Are you okay, Mr. Driessen?” Josie asked as she ran down the stairs.
“Yeah. But look at my place. What am I going to do? What are we all going to do?”
She wanted to help, but she had a more pressing mission. “Did you see two, little, eight-year-old girls? They both have red hair, green eyes. One was wearing a pink T-shirt and green shorts, the other a lemon-yellow sundress.” Josie had sewn the sundress herself and had just finished putting the buttons on it this morning, just before school.
“The twins?”
“Yeah.” Josie didn’t take time to correct him. The girls looked so much alike, this had been a common mistake from the day Lily was enrolled in school in High Plains.
“I was just cleaning up inside when I saw them go by.” Tom ran his hand over his face. He looked so tired.
“Which way did they go?” Josie tried to keep the panic out of her voice. She had to stay calm and rational.
“That way.” As soon as Tom pointed down Fourth Street, Josie knew exactly where Alyssa and Lily had gone.
“Thanks. Take care,” she said, her words an inadequate response. There was so much to do, she thought, the wreckage of the town overwhelming her. How would they get through this? Where would they start?
Focus, Josie. First you need to find Alyssa.
And Silas Marstow’s daughter.
The thought of facing that impassive face with the news that his daughter was missing was almost as frightening as the tornado itself.
Since losing his wife two years ago, Silas Marstow had virtually become a recluse on his farm. He extremely protective of his only child. He had reluctantly put Lily in Josie’s after-school-care program two weeks ago and only because he had some extra work to do on his ranch, according to Alyssa.
If he were to find out his daughter had disappeared from Josie’s after-school program right after a horrific storm had ripped through the town…
Josie hugged herself, still chilly from her reaction to the storm. She couldn’t remember ever being so afraid.
And the last time she had prayed this much was after hearing the news of her sister’s and brother-in-law’s deaths.
A deep voice called her name and Josie’s already overworked heart tripped into overdrive.
She turned to see Silas running down the street, his long legs eating up the distance between them.
He stopped in front of her, his eyebrows two slashes over deep-set eyes flashing his disapproval, his square jaw clenched in anger. “I just stopped at the church and they told me Lily wasn’t there.” His voice was an angry wave washing over her, but guilt and fear kept her tongue-tied.
Silas caught Josie by the shoulders. “Where’s Lily? Where’s my daughter?”
“She and Alyssa slipped out,” she managed to squeak out.
“What?” Silas’s grip on her shoulders increased, his pale brown eyes drilling into her. “You’re supposed to be taking care of her. I heard the reports, I saw the cloud, the storm. I came as soon as I could.”
“They only left a few minutes ago. Lily and my niece. I’m pretty sure I know where they are.”
“Pretty sure? That’s not good enough.” His eyes narrowed and he gave her a shake, as if trying to force the information out of her. “This town, this place…” His gruff voice drifted away as his gaze shot around, as if trying to take in the havoc around them.
A burst of wind, a remnant of the raging storm, tossed her long blond hair about her face. And as she pushed it back, her arm hit his. “If you’ll let go of me, I’ll go with you to find the girls.”
“Let’s go, then,” he growled, dropping his hands.
Josie turned blindly, her own fear and concern mixing with the shame she felt at letting the girls slip out of her sight at such a time.
Irresponsible. Reckless. The words her grandmother often tossed her way now slithered through her mind, resurrecting a wild past that still accused her.
She shouldn’t be in charge of these children. She couldn’t take care of them.
Please, Lord, let them be okay. She prayed through her fear and through the voices from her past that told her she was no good. Worthless and nothing but trouble.
But in spite of her prayers, fear clenched her stomach as she navigated her way over a downed tree. Beyond that an empty car lay on its side, glass strewn over a street still wet from the rain. It had been half an hour since the tornado touched down. While she and Nicki had cowered with the children in the basement of the church, sirens had wailed and horns honked, followed by the roar of the storm filling their ears and minds.
Another tree lay across their path, and as she tried to go over it, as well, her foot got caught in the branches. She would have fallen but for Silas’s strong hands catching her from behind.
“I’m okay. Let go of me,” she snapped. Fear, anger with Alyssa and concern about her grandmother fought with each other as she struggled to free herself from the branches and the grip of his rough hands.
“Just a minute.” Silas snapped a few branches away, vaulted over the tree, then reached up to help her down, but she scrambled down on her own.
“Where are we going?” he asked as she caught her balance.
“If my guess is right, the girls went to my house. Go down Fourth to Logan Street. I live two houses down from the corner.”
Without another word Silas strode away from her. “Watch out for the downed power lines,” he called over his shoulder as his long legs covered ground. As Josie jogged to keep up, her gaze flew around the town taking stock. The Willekers house okay, but the stately maples destroyed. Roof off Klaas Steenbergen’s house. Windows smashed in the next house. The following house, no damage.
Then they turned onto Logan Street, and Josie’s steps faltered.
The capricious tornado had blasted out the windows of the homes on either side of her and snatched branches off the maples that had once lined the street.
And tossed them right into the front of her house.
Her roof was a bundle of sticks and shingles burying the front porch and lawn. One side of the house was ripped right out, exposing her living room and part of the kitchen, which now held only a kitchen chair and her new television tipped on its side.
The sound of sirens approaching broke into the silence that had held the town in thrall up to now. Emergency vehicles on their way.
Panic clawed up Josie’s throat as the demolition of her home dawned on her. Did the girls go inside that mess?
She