“As a matter of fact, I was just about to.”

She swallowed, picked the little card out of the flowers, and read:

I’m sorry I haven’t been around much. I’ve been busy with training.

But I’ve been thinking of you and will see you soon.

Love, Gage

Chloe scoffed at the little smiley face Gage had drawn at the bottom of the card to go with his words.

“I think it means he likes you,” Natalie said, as if it were obvious.

Chloe took a big bite of her cupcake and stared at the flowers. She’d never gotten flowers before, and it left her feeling…giddy.

She shoved the rest of the cupcake in her mouth, crossed her arms, and glared some more. She’d never asked for an explanation why he hadn’t called. She knew why he hadn’t called. She’d walked out on him.

But he’d given a reason anyway. And it was just like him not to come down on her for making a mistake. Instead, he’d put the blame on himself.

He also said he’d see her soon, which probably meant the anniversary event. In the meantime she had to…trust him.

Natalie whistled and raised her eyebrows. “I know you’re new to this whole dating thing, but trust me, acts of kindness are a good thing.”

She shook her head. “That’s just it. He’s being kind when I should be the one apologizing.”

“Whoa.” Natalie held out her hands. “You mean you’re admitting you’re wrong?”

“No,” Chloe said quickly. “I mean it’s not a matter of right or wrong. I just…don’t want to like him.” She meant it. This need to see him, to want to be around him, this constant wondering what he was doing, it was taking over her mind. She was practically obsessed.

Not good.

“It’s a vulnerable place to be. Wanting someone and hoping they want you back.”

Natalie glanced away, and a flash of sadness crossed her face. But she blinked a few times then plastered on her trademark sunshine smile. “But Gage clearly wants you back so what are you worried about?”

“Because I know him.” Gage’s need for change, for adventure… He was a flight risk, and she knew better.

She glanced at the flowers again. Maybe he could stay—better, maybe he’d want to. Maybe he really did want more with her, and maybe she could make it work with him.

Maybe…

“I need to focus on getting ready for the event,” Chloe said.

“Ah yes, why acknowledge this when you could avoid it instead?” Natalie answered.

“What do you mean?”

“You have a man in front of you, Chloe. He’s trying to make this work. And you’re shutting it down.”

Chloe shook her head. “I have a good reason.” By age six, she’d stopped counting how many times her dad had taken off. She’d stopped keeping track of her mother’s tears and bouts of depression by age nine. It had come as no surprise that final time her dad left and never came back, or that her mom never stopped waiting for him.

Now, as an adult, there was an emptiness in Chloe that still wouldn’t go away. She wasn’t worth sticking around for, and she didn’t want another reminder. Not with Gage. To love someone and lose them was a special kind of torture.

Not that she was in love with him…

“You may have a good reason, but Gage has nothing to do with those reasons. He’s not your dad, but you’re making him pay for those mistakes.”

Oh crap. Natalie had a point.

“Maybe it’s time you try a different tactic. Otherwise you may lose out on something worth keeping.”

Chloe closed her eyes. If that didn’t seal the fear in her heart, nothing would.

Maybe…

It was terrifying how a single word gave her hope and fear all at once. The last thing she wanted to risk losing was Gage.

“I need to focus on the event,” she finally said and walked back to the kitchen. But she didn’t make it. She turned around and bolted back to the counter, fishing her cell phone out of her pocket.

“What are you doing?” Natalie asked.

“I have to talk to Gage.” She dialed his number and held the ringing phone to her ear. She had to tell him she cared. Had to say…something. Anything. Because for once, she’d try feeling her emotions instead of hiding from them.

“Hey,” Gage answered quickly.

“Hi. Listen, I got the flowers and was wondering if maybe—”

“Sorry sweetheart, I can’t talk now,” he interrupted. She could hear the fumbling of a pack being zipped in the background. “Got called out. Family is missing over by the campsite and cliffs. I’ll call you when I can.”

Chloe didn’t get another word out. The phone clicked as Gage hung up on her.

She stared at the screen, the flashing numbers showing the call had lasted exactly seven seconds.

“What was that about?” Natalie asked.

Chloe swallowed past the icky feeling rising in her throat. “He got called out on a mission.” Which was his job. Something she knew. Something she understood. Something he couldn’t help. So why the ick?

“I’m sure he’ll call you as soon as he can then,” Natalie offered as if replaying Gage’s words.

“Yeah,” she agreed, but her smile felt forced. She put her phone back in her pocket and did the one thing she should have done a moment ago. Walked into the kitchen and regained focus on the event.

Not Gage.

Chapter Ten

“No more training, boys, this is the real thing.” Gage picked up his pack. Everyone had met at the edge of the forty-acre campground on the outskirts of town where thirty minutes ago, a family of three had been reported missing from their campsite on the outskirts of Beaufort. Gage had the volunteers he’d been working with as his backup.

A little girl and her two parents were missing. That was all the information they had. They could be together, separated, hurt… No one knew, and time was precious.

Sure, Gage hadn’t been sent on the west coast mission last week, but this family was missing on his turf. And he had the trainees and the full-time team with him.

This was a mission he could do right now. And he would. He’d find this family.

“The girl was right here, playing by the fire pit,” the campsite neighbor said, pointing at the long extinguished coals. “When they didn’t come back yesterday, I started to worry and called it in. The girl is six. Her name is April. We’re sure the parents went out after her and got lost themselves. My feeling is that if we find the girl, we find the parents.”

Gage’s chest was tight. He had to find them, and he had to find them fast. They only had another hour of daylight on their side.

With a map in hand, he assigned quadrants to the different groups of search and rescuers, and then he took off on his own to search.

Six-year-old blonde girl wearing a red shirt and jeans.

Forty minutes in, Gage was scouring every inch of terrain he could. His body was already covered in sweat and his muscles ached, but his training kicked in, and he closed himself off to the discomfort. He’d force his body to continue until the mission was complete. A little girl and her parents were out there. Alone. Afraid. Lost. A minute’s rest could be all that stood between them and getting out of this alive.

He spotted small footprints in the dirt, and hope rushed through him.

“April!” he called.

She had to be close.

The sun was setting, and he had to find her before it got dark. Had to. Because the second the light faded, the chances of her surviving…

No! He’d find her first.

A soft sniffle and a hoarse cry came from his left, and he took off toward the sound.

The trickle of a creek filtered into his mind, and with it came Chloe’s face. Hard to believe only a short time ago she’d been out here with him. The world had seemed hopeful and bright. Now all thoughts of what could but might never be were sinking in hard.

Damn it—he needed to get his mind straight.