Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

For the first time in recent memory, Rhett slept through his alarm.

He woke disoriented, realizing it was later than usual. Even on weekends, he was usually up early, used to it from getting Jay up for school. But he’d had such an incredibly long week, working long hours at the short-staffed fire station and getting home late, that he hadn’t even heard it go off.

Or rather, he must have, and had switched it off in his sleep. It was the only explanation, since it wasn’t still screeching at him. He just didn’t remember doing it.

The house was silent. Too silent, actually, and he sat upright abruptly. He didn’t hear the usual noises of Jay pattering around the house, and he shoved his feet into his slippers, hurrying downstairs to see what his son was up to. In his experience, a too-quiet house with a kid living in it meant that the child was up to something.

“Jay?” He hurried down the stairs, checking the living room first, although he hadn’t heard any sounds of morning cartoons. Jay wasn’t seeking out his own breakfast in the kitchen either, and when he searched the other rooms, his son was nowhere to be found. He threw on a coat, heading out into the backyard, but a scan of the back and front of the house turned up nothing.

Jay was nowhere to be found.

Worry pulsed through him, and he tried not to panic. He hurried back inside and up to his room, throwing on actual clothes as he grabbed his wallet, phone, and keys. Jay’s coat and snow boots were gone, and Rhett’s fear increased, his pulse ticking rapidly in his throat. He couldn’t imagine why Jay would have wandered off, but maybe the change was finally getting to him. Maybe he was acting out, rebelling a little, and Rhett had just been too busy to see it.

Which was one of the things he’d worried about, after he’d gotten full custody and decided to move away—that he wouldn’t be able to pay enough attention. That he wouldn’t be enough , full stop. That Jay would suffer because he couldn’t be two parents, and provide for them, all at once.

He leapt into the truck, driving toward the tree where they’d gone for a walk first, but there was no sign of Jay. He turned around, heading back toward town, looking for any hint of his son. Worried sick, he dialed Pete at the fire department, grateful when his friend picked up on the first ring.

“Hey, man. What’s up?”

“I woke up and Jay was gone.” Rhett could hear the barely restrained panic in his voice. “He took his coat and boots, so it’s not like I think anything nefarious happened. Not that anyone would, here,” he added quickly. “But he’s wandered off or something.”

“Just being a kid, I’m sure. I’ll get on it, get one of the other guys to help. Keep looking, I’ll call you as soon as I know anything.”

Rhett parked in the main square, starting to walk from business to business. He checked the pet store, remembering Jay’s recent request for a puppy and his disappointment when Rhett had told him that they didn’t have time for a dog just yet, that they’d need to settle in more. But Bethany Woodrow, the shop owner, said that she hadn’t seen him come in.

“Do you need help looking?” she asked worriedly, and Rhett shook his head, feeling shame twist a knot in his gut. He hated the idea that these nice people might think he was negligent with his son.

“No, but thank you. I’ve got Pete out looking already. I’m sure he just wandered and hasn’t gotten far,” he added, sounding calmer than he felt.

“Well, I’ll call my husband at the general store and tell him to keep an eye out. There’s that maple candy he sells. Kids wander in all the time with their spare change to buy some. Maybe that’s where he went.”

“Maybe,” Rhett echoed. “I’ll check.”

But Jay wasn’t at the general store. He hadn’t wandered into the coffee shop, or the library, or gotten lost in the event center. Rhett felt almost breathless with panic by the time he made the rounds of the town and got back to his truck, feeling out of options. He hoped that maybe he’d just missed Jay, and his son had already gone back home.

He hated, even more, the idea that he was going to have to punish him—ground him, or take away television privileges. Something stern enough to impart to Jay how big of a deal this was. Evergreen Hollow was safer than Cleveland by far, but children still couldn’t just go wandering alone.

He drove slowly, heading back toward the house, stopping halfway to get out and walk again, looking for any sign of his son. Pete hadn’t called back, and he felt frantic with worry.

“Rhett!” Someone called out his name as he walked past The Mistletoe Inn, and he saw Rhonda out front, waving at him, motioning for him to walk over. He hesitated, on the verge of continuing on, but he didn’t want to be rude. And maybe she had seen some sign of Jay.

He turned, walking quickly up the snowy path. “Morning,” he said quickly, a little out of breath from all the hurried running around. “I’m sorry, I don’t have a lot of time right this second. Jay wandered off this morning, and?—”

“That’s why I called you over. He’s in the backyard, actually.” Rhonda’s face creased with concern. “I’m sorry, I thought you knew. I just assumed you’d given him permission to come over. I suppose I should have asked.”

Rhett blinked at her, both monumentally relieved to know that Jay was safe, and confused. He thought he’d been clear with Jay about going off to other people’s houses without asking, especially the inn, but maybe he hadn’t been. He let out a sharp breath. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s gotten into him.”

“Oh, it wasn’t any trouble,” Rhonda said cheerily, enough to make him believe that she really didn’t mind. “Caroline’s inside, if you want to say hello before you collect him.”

He had a feeling he knew what the reasoning was behind that suggestion, but he just smiled. It was clear that Rhonda seemed to enjoy trying to set her daughter up, but Caroline had made it pretty clear the last time they’d talked that she wasn’t interested. Still, the idea of seeing her for a minute, and saying hello, brightened his morning.

He headed up the steps, walking into the living room to find Caroline dusting the mantle. Through the large window to her left, he could see Jay playing in the backyard, and relief washed over him.

Caroline looked up at the sound of footsteps. “Rhett!” She blinked, clearly surprised to see him, and then smiled. “Did you come to get Jay?”

“Yeah.” He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “I’m sorry about all this. I overslept this morning and woke up to find he’d gone. Panicked a little. I thought he understood that he wasn’t supposed to go barging over to people’s houses, but I guess we still need to work on that.”

“Oh.” Caroline bit her lip. “I thought you knew where he was, or I would have called.” She smiled wryly. “I went out to feed the chickens this morning and saw him at the back gate, digging just past the property.” She laughed. “He looked so forlorn, and when I asked him what he was doing, he said he was trying to find out if some of the fossils were on the side he was allowed to be on. So I invited him in so that this time he could have permission. Of course, I thought you knew he was here,” she added quickly. “I’m sorry about that.”

“No, it’s not your fault at all.” Rhett tugged off his scarf, setting it on a side table as he wiped his hand over his forehead. He’d dressed for the weather outside, and it was pleasantly warm in the living room of the inn by the fireplace. He felt all too relieved to know that Jay was all right, but he was still going to have to figure out how to keep this from happening again.

“You might have to start keeping a tighter rein on him,” Caroline said sympathetically. There wasn’t any recrimination in her voice, he noticed, just concern. “Maybe he just needs to settle in more.”

“Yeah.” Rhett let out a slow breath, looking out of the window toward his son again. He wasn’t sure what it was about this woman that made him want to confide in her, that made it so easy to talk to her, but that too felt like a relief. He had felt isolated since the divorce, with no one to turn to and share his thoughts and feelings with. So much so that I started replying to anonymous responses in that journal I lost, he thought wryly.

“I have a hard time in that department,” he admitted. “Life has been turbulent for us both lately, with the divorce and the move and all of the changes. I try to look on the bright side of things, and Jay has always been an optimistic kid. We both make the best of it. But it makes it hard for me to want to keep him from doing anything that seems to make him happy, or put restrictions on him. I guess I’m a little too soft now, since I feel like I upended so much of his life. I want him to be happy with me.”

He stopped abruptly, realizing he might have said too much. “Sorry. Not trying to unload on you or anything.”

“No, I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to say you were a bad father.” Caroline gave him an apologetic smile.

“I know.” He found himself returning the smile. He felt at ease around her, and it was a good feeling to have. She seemed to be worried he would think she was criticizing or judging him, but truthfully, he never felt that way around her. “I know I need to work on things when it comes to enforcing the rules with him though.”

“Well…” Caroline hesitated. “I don’t have children, obviously. But I’ve always been under the impression that structure is good for kids. I know I appreciated it from my parents.”

Rhett chuckled. “I’d be willing to bet you always followed the rules when you were a kid.”

Her cheeks turned a little pink at that, but she didn’t seem upset by the comment. “I did,” she admitted. “But my parents had three kids. They needed at least one who wasn’t wild.”

“Oh, I’m sure they appreciated it. One has been a handful.” Rhett shook his head. “I love him to death, but it’s a lot of work.”

“Work that you’re good at, I think.” Caroline gave him a reassuring smile. “You seem like a wonderful father, really. And this is all new territory for you both. You just need some time to adjust, that’s all. Both of you.”

“I appreciate that.” Rhett paused, glancing out of the window once more to where Jay was still happily playing, before looking back at Caroline. He’d wondered if he should ask, but he found he couldn’t help himself. “The other day, when I stopped by and you gave me those brownies. Why didn’t you want to grab coffee? You don’t seem to mind my company.”

He felt an odd jolt in his chest, as he asked. As if the answer mattered. He hadn’t realized, he thought, just how much he liked her until he found himself working up the nerve to ask her that question. It made him feel like a much younger man again, a boy with a crush instead of a divorced adult with a son. It wasn’t an entirely unpleasant feeling.

Caroline looked surprised. “I didn’t think you were serious,” she admitted. “Honestly.”

Rhett blinked. How could I not have been? “Of course I was serious. I’d love to take you out on a date. I definitely meant it.”

He hadn’t expected her to look so stunned. But she recovered a moment later, and to his surprise, nodded.

“All right, then,” she said slowly. “A date sounds nice.”

A smile spread over her face as she said it, and his heart fluttered a little in his chest.

“Okay. I’ll send you a text with the details,” he said after they had exchanged phone numbers. He felt a flood of anticipation, an eagerness to think about where they might go. He wanted to pick the right thing, to make sure that she had a good time.

“That sounds perfect,” Caroline said. “I’ll see you then?”

“Sounds good.” He lingered for just a moment, and then went to go and collect Jay.

He could hardly wait to see her again.