Tracie Peterson by Forever Yours-1

he smiled. Of course they were good men; they were Daughtry’s family.
    Making his way to where they awaited him, Nicholas took the lead. “Come on inside.”
    Nicholas immediately sensed that all was not right when he entered the kitchen. Things were strewn about in a haphazard way that was not indicative of his wife’s normal sense of order. For a minute he stood in the silence, while Garrett and the boys glanced around the room.
    “Daughtry!” he called out, but in his heart, Nicholas knew she wouldn’t answer.
    He rushed from one room to the next, and when he saw the same disarray in the bedroom that had greeted him in the kitchen, Nicholas knew that she was gone. Panic filled his soul. Had friends of the men he’d jailed come for him and taken her instead?
    The fear was clear in Nicholas’s eyes as he returned to the kitchen. “She’s not here. I’m going to check the barn and see if her horse is gone. You wait here,” he instructed and ran out the back door.
    Nicholas began to pray as he’d never done before. “Dear God, keep her safe. Please don’t let any harm come to her. Oh, God, please help me find her.”
    When Nicholas realized the horse was indeed missing, he made his way back to the house with a heavy heart. Where was she? The light was fading and the wind was picking up, causing a chill to fill the air. Where was Daughtry?
    The defeat on his face made it clear to Garrett that Nicholas was more than a little upset at finding Daughtry gone. “Where do you suppose she got off to?” Garrett asked, trying to keep his voice even.
    Just then, Nicholas spied the letter on the table. He picked it up, praying that it might be some note of explanation from Daughtry.
    “She’s run away again,” Nicholas muttered and handed the letter to Garrett. “She found out you were due to be here and, what with me gone, she was afraid.”
    “Afraid? Of me?” Garrett nearly growled in disbelief.
    Nicholas nodded his head. “She’s been in a real stew since we married. Always looking over her shoulder, wondering when you were going to come and take her by force.”
    “She was afraid of me,” Garrett stated sadly as if all the wind had gone out from him. “I don’t know why she thought I would try to make her unhappy.”
    “It’s not important now. What is important is that we find her,” Gavin offered, and Nicholas nodded.
    “I just wanted her to make good choices,” Garrett said, trying to explain himself.
    “She’s a good woman,” Nicholas responded without hesitancy. “She makes good choices.”
    “Ha,” Garrett sounded. “She doesn’t seem to have made a very good one this time. She’s out there somewhere, only God knows where, and she’s alone. It’s getting colder and. . .”
    “I’m going after her,” Nicholas said and turned to leave. “You make yourselves comfortable here, in case she comes back.”
    “No,” Garrett replied, “I’m going after her. She’s my daughter, and if I caused this like you said, then I’ll find her.”
    “She’s my responsibility now,” Nicholas said a bit more forcefully than he’d intended.
    “And I say she’s still under my authority and protection,” Garrett replied, coming to stand only inches from Nicholas. “I was there when she came into this world, and God gave me charge over her.”
    “But I married her, and that authority now falls to me,” Nicholas replied softly. “I love her as much as you do.”
    “You may love her,” Garrett answered, “but she’s still my daughter. Flesh of my flesh and blood of my blood.”
    Nicholas nodded. “I know. But she’s my wife, and she’s carrying our child.”
    Garrett’s mouth dropped open at this sudden declaration. A part of him wanted to fight Nicholas all over again, while another part of him stood in awed amazement.
    “A baby?” he questioned in disbelief.
    “Yes,” Nicholas replied.
    “Why don’t we stop this nonsense,” Gavin finally spoke up. “We should go together.