gave him what she hoped looked like a genuine smile.
“I have to go. Aspen’s at home waiting. Can you drive me?”
“Of course. What time did you want to do dinner tonight?”
The poor guy. This was so unfair to him. “I’m spending the day with Aspen.”
“Oh, well, then, what time will you be back? We can watch a movie or something. I don’t care how late it is.”
Hazel slid out of bed and talked without looking at him. She couldn’t do this staring into his eyes. “Paul, you know this doesn’t mean anything. I have to stay focused on the search for Rowan, and then I’m going back to Hawaii. I appreciate you carting me around yesterday.” She turned and faced him. He needed to see she was serious. “And last night was wonderful, but it can’t happen again. I don’t want to get wrapped up in anything that will distract me.”
He frowned. “That’s okay. I can wait. Maybe I can put in a transfer to Hawaii.”
Hazel grabbed his hand. “No, Paul, this isn’t going to work. I’m not looking for anything serious.”
He sat up and pulled her closer to him. “Maybe not now. But someday you will, and I want to be that person you finally settle down with.”
She crawled across the bed and kissed him gently on the lips. “Tell you what. When I decide I’m ready to get married and have babies, you’ll be the first one I call.”
He gave her a grin and her stomach fell, thoughts not on him, but Val.
Hazel entered the house and heard raised voices. They weren’t yelling, but it wasn’t a happy conversation. In the kitchen she found her mom and Aspen.
“We need to expand the search.”
Mom put her hand on Aspen’s. “Look, the car was found in Yellowstone. He’s not somewhere else.”
“He might be. Come on. Let me at least explore other possibilities.”
Hazel took the seat next to Aspen.
“Sweetie, all the evidence points to him being here. We found the car on the road here. He’s not somewhere else,” said Dad.
Aspen crossed her arms. “You can’t know that.” Hazel agreed with her sister, but she kept her mouth shut because Aspen was better at convincing them of things than she was.
Mom sat back and sighed. “Well, where do you think he is?”
Aspen threw up her hands. “Who knows? But we’ll never know if we don’t at least try. He has a better chance at being alive if he’s not in the woods.”
Hazel’s chest tightened at that thought. If Rowan really never left the park, then his chances of survival at this point were slim to none.
Mom rubbed her eyes. “I want to believe you, but I can’t. Not when all the evidence says otherwise. Give me one good piece of evidence, and we’ll expand the search.”
Aspen deflated. “It’s just a feeling.”
Hazel put her arm around Aspen’s shoulder. “I agree with Aspen. For all we know he got in a car with someone else and took off.” Hazel hated the idea that they were giving up. It was too soon.
“If he was in the park, the chance that he’s alive isn’t good,” said Aspen.
Dad nodded. “I know, but we want to search around the hot springs and geysers again. If he’s not there, then the dragon probably got him.” Dad’s voice cracked.
Hazel stood up straighter. “There is absolutely nothing that proves he’s dead. Doesn’t this dragon usually leave a limb or something lying around?”
Mom shook her head. “In the early deaths, he did. But he’s getting better. The last three deaths we had were only known because of cameras or eyewitnesses.
Your father and I are holding out hope that he’s holed up somewhere, but they are looking for evidence the dragon ate him.”
“Fine. Then I’ll just continue my own investigation. Aspen, will you help me?”
Aspen nodded, her lips in a tight line. Hazel was glad she could count on her.
Mom stood. “Stay close to town. Take Paul with you. I don’t want you girls disappearing. We could really use your help in searching around the hot springs.”
“No, I
“I have to go. Aspen’s at home waiting. Can you drive me?”
“Of course. What time did you want to do dinner tonight?”
The poor guy. This was so unfair to him. “I’m spending the day with Aspen.”
“Oh, well, then, what time will you be back? We can watch a movie or something. I don’t care how late it is.”
Hazel slid out of bed and talked without looking at him. She couldn’t do this staring into his eyes. “Paul, you know this doesn’t mean anything. I have to stay focused on the search for Rowan, and then I’m going back to Hawaii. I appreciate you carting me around yesterday.” She turned and faced him. He needed to see she was serious. “And last night was wonderful, but it can’t happen again. I don’t want to get wrapped up in anything that will distract me.”
He frowned. “That’s okay. I can wait. Maybe I can put in a transfer to Hawaii.”
Hazel grabbed his hand. “No, Paul, this isn’t going to work. I’m not looking for anything serious.”
He sat up and pulled her closer to him. “Maybe not now. But someday you will, and I want to be that person you finally settle down with.”
She crawled across the bed and kissed him gently on the lips. “Tell you what. When I decide I’m ready to get married and have babies, you’ll be the first one I call.”
He gave her a grin and her stomach fell, thoughts not on him, but Val.
Hazel entered the house and heard raised voices. They weren’t yelling, but it wasn’t a happy conversation. In the kitchen she found her mom and Aspen.
“We need to expand the search.”
Mom put her hand on Aspen’s. “Look, the car was found in Yellowstone. He’s not somewhere else.”
“He might be. Come on. Let me at least explore other possibilities.”
Hazel took the seat next to Aspen.
“Sweetie, all the evidence points to him being here. We found the car on the road here. He’s not somewhere else,” said Dad.
Aspen crossed her arms. “You can’t know that.” Hazel agreed with her sister, but she kept her mouth shut because Aspen was better at convincing them of things than she was.
Mom sat back and sighed. “Well, where do you think he is?”
Aspen threw up her hands. “Who knows? But we’ll never know if we don’t at least try. He has a better chance at being alive if he’s not in the woods.”
Hazel’s chest tightened at that thought. If Rowan really never left the park, then his chances of survival at this point were slim to none.
Mom rubbed her eyes. “I want to believe you, but I can’t. Not when all the evidence says otherwise. Give me one good piece of evidence, and we’ll expand the search.”
Aspen deflated. “It’s just a feeling.”
Hazel put her arm around Aspen’s shoulder. “I agree with Aspen. For all we know he got in a car with someone else and took off.” Hazel hated the idea that they were giving up. It was too soon.
“If he was in the park, the chance that he’s alive isn’t good,” said Aspen.
Dad nodded. “I know, but we want to search around the hot springs and geysers again. If he’s not there, then the dragon probably got him.” Dad’s voice cracked.
Hazel stood up straighter. “There is absolutely nothing that proves he’s dead. Doesn’t this dragon usually leave a limb or something lying around?”
Mom shook her head. “In the early deaths, he did. But he’s getting better. The last three deaths we had were only known because of cameras or eyewitnesses.
Your father and I are holding out hope that he’s holed up somewhere, but they are looking for evidence the dragon ate him.”
“Fine. Then I’ll just continue my own investigation. Aspen, will you help me?”
Aspen nodded, her lips in a tight line. Hazel was glad she could count on her.
Mom stood. “Stay close to town. Take Paul with you. I don’t want you girls disappearing. We could really use your help in searching around the hot springs.”
“No, I
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