happen again,” my father said before slipping out of my room and leaving me alone. I froze for a moment as I turned my attention to Dakota’s extra-large dog bed on the floor next to the wall. It normally bore an impression from his hundred-pound frame, but right now, it was soft and fluffy from not being used. It had been over a week since Dakota had slept on it. I suddenly felt more alone than I had in five years. The silence and emptiness was overwhelming.
I jumped up from the bed, rushed out of my room, down the stairs, and out the back door to the patio. The sun had dropped below the mountains, darkening the sky to a hazy purple. A gentle breeze whispered through the leafy trees. The crickets were hiding from the cool temperatures again, and it was quite possible that we had heard the last of them now that the cool fall nights were right around the corner.
I scanned the shadows buried within the woods, looking for any movement, hoping to find Dakota. “Dakota!” I called. “Here, boy!” But there was no sign of him. I stood on the edge of the patio, not ready to give up. “Please come here, Dakota. I just need to know that you’re out there.”
A movement deep within the trees caught my eye. As I glimpsed a smoky black shadow and amber eyes, relief washed over me. He was still out there, watching over me. But as quickly as I saw him, he took off, disappearing into the woods without a single sound.
“I thought I would find you out here,” a familiar voice said from the edge of the yard.
I gasped as I turned to see Noah walking through the grass from around the side of the house. His sudden appearance explained why Dakota had taken off like he had.
I sighed, managing a weak smile. Forgetting about Dakota, I raised a hand to tuck my loose hair behind my ear, at once feeling self-conscious in my pajama pants. Noah still wore the jeans and light blue shirt he’d had on earlier, but he looked tired from the day’s events, so maybe he wouldn’t care. “Hi.”
“I rang the doorbell, but no one answered. I thought I’d see if anyone was out back. Were you talking to someone?”
I felt a blush creep along my cheeks, but it was getting dark, so hopefully he couldn’t see it. “Stray dog.”
“Was he here? Did I scare him away?”
“I thought I saw him in the woods, and yes, he bolted just before you walked around the house.”
“Sorry about that.”
“That’s okay. He’ll be back.”
“Well, I won’t stay long.” Noah walked up the patio steps and stopped beside me as he held out a large letter-sized envelope. “I was just bringing your dad a report from the Boston PD about our friend from the woods.”
“Mom and Dad went out for a walk, but they should be back soon. You can wait or leave it with me and I’ll give it to him.” I really hoped he would choose to wait. I didn’t want to be alone right now.
He must have read my mind. “I’ll wait. So how are you handling all of this?”
I looked up at him to meet the concerned look in his eyes. “It’s a lot to process right now. I’ve lived here my whole life and nothing like this has ever happened. I keep wondering, if this guy really did take Ryder, which seems pretty likely, why did he do it? What was his motive?”
“I don’t know. I wish I had the answers, Laken.”
“The only thing I can think of was that he was going to hold Ryder for ransom, but there’s no way he could have thought he’d get a huge payout from it. The Thompson’s aren’t rich. Anyone can see that. So if it wasn’t money, then what did he want? What if he planned to abuse him or kill him? What if he planned to keep him?” I shivered, thinking of all the sickening possibilities, and gazed at Noah, wishing he had the answers.
He reached his free arm out around my shoulders, pulling me against him. With a heavy sigh, I rested my cheek against his chest as he rubbed my back.
“I’ve always felt safe in this town until now,” I admitted. It felt
I jumped up from the bed, rushed out of my room, down the stairs, and out the back door to the patio. The sun had dropped below the mountains, darkening the sky to a hazy purple. A gentle breeze whispered through the leafy trees. The crickets were hiding from the cool temperatures again, and it was quite possible that we had heard the last of them now that the cool fall nights were right around the corner.
I scanned the shadows buried within the woods, looking for any movement, hoping to find Dakota. “Dakota!” I called. “Here, boy!” But there was no sign of him. I stood on the edge of the patio, not ready to give up. “Please come here, Dakota. I just need to know that you’re out there.”
A movement deep within the trees caught my eye. As I glimpsed a smoky black shadow and amber eyes, relief washed over me. He was still out there, watching over me. But as quickly as I saw him, he took off, disappearing into the woods without a single sound.
“I thought I would find you out here,” a familiar voice said from the edge of the yard.
I gasped as I turned to see Noah walking through the grass from around the side of the house. His sudden appearance explained why Dakota had taken off like he had.
I sighed, managing a weak smile. Forgetting about Dakota, I raised a hand to tuck my loose hair behind my ear, at once feeling self-conscious in my pajama pants. Noah still wore the jeans and light blue shirt he’d had on earlier, but he looked tired from the day’s events, so maybe he wouldn’t care. “Hi.”
“I rang the doorbell, but no one answered. I thought I’d see if anyone was out back. Were you talking to someone?”
I felt a blush creep along my cheeks, but it was getting dark, so hopefully he couldn’t see it. “Stray dog.”
“Was he here? Did I scare him away?”
“I thought I saw him in the woods, and yes, he bolted just before you walked around the house.”
“Sorry about that.”
“That’s okay. He’ll be back.”
“Well, I won’t stay long.” Noah walked up the patio steps and stopped beside me as he held out a large letter-sized envelope. “I was just bringing your dad a report from the Boston PD about our friend from the woods.”
“Mom and Dad went out for a walk, but they should be back soon. You can wait or leave it with me and I’ll give it to him.” I really hoped he would choose to wait. I didn’t want to be alone right now.
He must have read my mind. “I’ll wait. So how are you handling all of this?”
I looked up at him to meet the concerned look in his eyes. “It’s a lot to process right now. I’ve lived here my whole life and nothing like this has ever happened. I keep wondering, if this guy really did take Ryder, which seems pretty likely, why did he do it? What was his motive?”
“I don’t know. I wish I had the answers, Laken.”
“The only thing I can think of was that he was going to hold Ryder for ransom, but there’s no way he could have thought he’d get a huge payout from it. The Thompson’s aren’t rich. Anyone can see that. So if it wasn’t money, then what did he want? What if he planned to abuse him or kill him? What if he planned to keep him?” I shivered, thinking of all the sickening possibilities, and gazed at Noah, wishing he had the answers.
He reached his free arm out around my shoulders, pulling me against him. With a heavy sigh, I rested my cheek against his chest as he rubbed my back.
“I’ve always felt safe in this town until now,” I admitted. It felt
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