Good. That’s good. Whatever it takes. Whatever it costs. I can cash out some investments and mortgage—”
“Don’t worry about that,” Jack interrupted. “It’s already been covered.”
Ali lifted her head and spoke softly. “How?”
Jack’s lips twisted in a secretive half smile. “I have my ways, Ali. Seriously, costs are one thing you don’t have to worry about.”
She nodded and softly said, “Thank you.”
Mac cleared his throat and said, “Sweetheart, we need to call Stephen and Caitlin.”
“Yes. Will you do it, Mac? I should put together some refreshments for—”
“No,” Sarah and Nic said simultaneously. Nic continued, “We know our way around your kitchen. We can do it. Besides, we’re all still stuffed from dinner.”
When she looked as though she’d protest, Mac said, “They’re right, Alison. Why don’t you go up and take a hot bath. You’ll feel better after a soak in the tub.”
Her eyes flooded with new tears. “I won’t feel better until we find him.”
“I know, baby.”
Celeste stepped up and wrapped an arm around Ali’s waist. “Here, dear, I’ll walk you up and wait with you until Mac is off the phone. Do you still have some of the bath salts I gave you for Christmas? The custom fragrance our Savannah created for the Angel’s Rest spa product line is so soothing. A little time with it will do you a world of good.”
Celeste continued to prattle all the way up the stairs. Once they’d disappeared from view, Mac turned to his friends. “You guys have kids you should get home to. You don’t need to stay.”
“Sure we do,” Sage said. “We want to be with you.”
He swallowed hard, then nodded once. “Okay. Thanks. You guys are the best.” He rubbed the back of his neck and added, “I guess I’d better make those calls.”
When Mac disappeared into his study, Nic turned to Sarah. “Let’s see what Ali has in her pantry. You know her. She won’t stop fussing if there’s not food on the table.”
“That’s not going to be a problem,” Sage’s husband, Colt, said from his position beside one of the front windows. “Word has gotten around town. People have been setting food on the front porch. At the rate they’re coming by, we’ll soon have enough to feed a small army.”
Sarah said, “God bless Eternity Springs.”
Following a short discussion about how Mac and Ali would prefer to handle the gathering crowd, the women directed their men to set up the folding banquet tables Ali kept stored in her garage on the large, covered front porch. Once that was done, they set out the food and invited those congregated in the yard to help themselves.
Mac’s phone calls to Chase’s siblings took half an hour. When he emerged from his study, Lori thought he looked as if he’d aged ten years. Gabe approached him and the two men spoke softly for a moment, then Mac walked over to the front window and gazed outside at the gathering crowd. His lips twisted in a sad half smile. “This will touch Alison’s heart.”
He turned to look at his closest friends. “And to think that once upon a time, I wished Ali had never heard of Eternity Springs.”
He went upstairs to check on his wife. A few minutes later, Celeste came downstairs. “How’s she doing?” Nic asked.
“Better. Never underestimate the power of a nice, hot soak. You know our girl. Courage is a muscle that’s strengthened by use, and she needed a little time to mentally prepare for the test that’s upon her. She knows she has faith, family, and friends at the ready to offer a boost when her bravery begins to flag. That’s a comfort to her. She’s putting on her makeup, and I expect she’ll be downstairs soon. She knows that Mac, Caitlin, and Stephen need her to be strong, and Ali will not fail them.”
“No, she won’t.”
Needing something to do to keep herself occupied, Lori offered to be in charge of brewing coffee. One skill she’d learned from working for her mother at the
“Don’t worry about that,” Jack interrupted. “It’s already been covered.”
Ali lifted her head and spoke softly. “How?”
Jack’s lips twisted in a secretive half smile. “I have my ways, Ali. Seriously, costs are one thing you don’t have to worry about.”
She nodded and softly said, “Thank you.”
Mac cleared his throat and said, “Sweetheart, we need to call Stephen and Caitlin.”
“Yes. Will you do it, Mac? I should put together some refreshments for—”
“No,” Sarah and Nic said simultaneously. Nic continued, “We know our way around your kitchen. We can do it. Besides, we’re all still stuffed from dinner.”
When she looked as though she’d protest, Mac said, “They’re right, Alison. Why don’t you go up and take a hot bath. You’ll feel better after a soak in the tub.”
Her eyes flooded with new tears. “I won’t feel better until we find him.”
“I know, baby.”
Celeste stepped up and wrapped an arm around Ali’s waist. “Here, dear, I’ll walk you up and wait with you until Mac is off the phone. Do you still have some of the bath salts I gave you for Christmas? The custom fragrance our Savannah created for the Angel’s Rest spa product line is so soothing. A little time with it will do you a world of good.”
Celeste continued to prattle all the way up the stairs. Once they’d disappeared from view, Mac turned to his friends. “You guys have kids you should get home to. You don’t need to stay.”
“Sure we do,” Sage said. “We want to be with you.”
He swallowed hard, then nodded once. “Okay. Thanks. You guys are the best.” He rubbed the back of his neck and added, “I guess I’d better make those calls.”
When Mac disappeared into his study, Nic turned to Sarah. “Let’s see what Ali has in her pantry. You know her. She won’t stop fussing if there’s not food on the table.”
“That’s not going to be a problem,” Sage’s husband, Colt, said from his position beside one of the front windows. “Word has gotten around town. People have been setting food on the front porch. At the rate they’re coming by, we’ll soon have enough to feed a small army.”
Sarah said, “God bless Eternity Springs.”
Following a short discussion about how Mac and Ali would prefer to handle the gathering crowd, the women directed their men to set up the folding banquet tables Ali kept stored in her garage on the large, covered front porch. Once that was done, they set out the food and invited those congregated in the yard to help themselves.
Mac’s phone calls to Chase’s siblings took half an hour. When he emerged from his study, Lori thought he looked as if he’d aged ten years. Gabe approached him and the two men spoke softly for a moment, then Mac walked over to the front window and gazed outside at the gathering crowd. His lips twisted in a sad half smile. “This will touch Alison’s heart.”
He turned to look at his closest friends. “And to think that once upon a time, I wished Ali had never heard of Eternity Springs.”
He went upstairs to check on his wife. A few minutes later, Celeste came downstairs. “How’s she doing?” Nic asked.
“Better. Never underestimate the power of a nice, hot soak. You know our girl. Courage is a muscle that’s strengthened by use, and she needed a little time to mentally prepare for the test that’s upon her. She knows she has faith, family, and friends at the ready to offer a boost when her bravery begins to flag. That’s a comfort to her. She’s putting on her makeup, and I expect she’ll be downstairs soon. She knows that Mac, Caitlin, and Stephen need her to be strong, and Ali will not fail them.”
“No, she won’t.”
Needing something to do to keep herself occupied, Lori offered to be in charge of brewing coffee. One skill she’d learned from working for her mother at the
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