Matters of the Heart (14 page)

Brad went
cold, and his heart beat picked up.

“What’s
wrong, is it Presley?”

“Please just
get here as soon as you can because I sense something’s happened to both
Presley and Lucy. Please, please hurry.”

Bile churned
in his throat and stomach. Something had happened to both his girls.

“I have an
emergency but could you put that ring on hold for me and I’ll be back shortly.”

Brad ran out
of the shop, almost sipping on a patch of ice in his haste to get to his truck.
He put the siren on and headed home while calling in his deputy to meet him at
the house.

He hoped that
Sadie was over reacting because if anyone had hurt Presley or Lucy he’d kill
them with his bare hands.

Chapter Twelve

Brad pulled
into the driveway to see Sadie pacing up and down. His deputy pulled in just
after he did.

“What’s
wrong?” asked Brad running toward her.

“I came
looking for Lucy but no one’s home. I found the baby’s blanket covered in snow
and drops of blood beside it. I know something’s happened to them.”

Brad glanced
down driveway and saw blood splatters on the snow. He took and baby’s blanket
from her and held it close.

“Lucy’s car
isn’t here so maybe she just went to the store and dropped Presley’s blanket by
accident,” said Brad, hoping that was the simple explanation for it.

Sadie shook
her head. “Don’t ask me how I know but I sense they’re in danger, please go and
look for them.”

He held her
hand because she was shaking and not just from the cold snow that was falling
fast now.

“You want me
to get some of the men out looking?” asked the Deputy. “Sure, give them her
license number, and the car’s a blue Mazda.”

“I think we
should look too,” said Sadie, pulling on his arm and dragging him toward the
end of the driveway.

“Okay, let’s
take my sheriff’s truck,” he said.

He opened the
door for Sadie and then got in.

“What made
you drive up to Pine Ridge?” asked Brad as headed out.

“I wanted to
talk to Lucy and I just had a horrible feeling something was wrong.”

“So you
didn’t see anything unusual when you arrived?”

He glanced
over at her and saw her hugging the blanket to her chest.

“No, no one
was around, not even a car.”

His deputy’s
voice came over the radio.

“Brad,
you there?”

“Yeah, you
found anything?”

“We think so.
North of town, highway 10, there’s a car fitting the description down in a
ravine. A rancher driving by saw it and just called it in. Ambulance is on its
way there.”

Brad felt
sick, what if Lucy and Presley were hurt, and what were they doing on that
road? That led out of town.

He turned
around and put the siren on as he put his foot down on the accelerator. Sadie
had been right. He thought she was a just plain weird but maybe she had a sixth
sense or something.

When he got
the highway he saw flares in the road and two police cars and an ambulance. He
didn’t want to be rude but he didn’t wait for Sadie to get out but just ran as
fast as he could because the person on the gurney was wearing the same coat as
Lucy’s.

The snow was
blinding him as pushed everyone out of the way. He felt sick when he saw it was
Lucy and she was battered and bruised.

“Lucy.”

“Sheriff,
you’re going to have to stand back,” said one of the paramedics.

“I can’t
she’s my…” He wasn’t quite sure what to call her.

He grabbed
her hand and her eyes fluttered open and then she seemed to have difficulty
keeping them open.

“It’s me,
Brad, can you hear me?”

“Presley,”
she muttered.

He went cold.
Where was Presley? She wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Was she dead in the car?

“The baby,
where’s the baby?” asked Brad pulling on the paramedics arm.

“No baby sir,
just this young lady. There was a car seat but I can assure you no baby in the
car or anywhere around this area, we checked.”

“Presley,”
said Lucy again.

Brad had to
get close to her mouth to listen to what she was trying to tell him. He held
her hand but she could barely keep a grip on his.

“
Nevie
and a man took Presley,” she finally managed to get
out.

Her head fell
to one side and for one horrible minute he thought he’d lost her but then he
realized she’d passed out.

Nevie
had taken
their daughter.

He’d kill
her.

Chapter Thirteen

Lucy couldn’t
focus. She tried to keep her eyes open but they had a mind all their own and
refused to cooperate. She could remember Presley being
taken,
and driving along and then swerving on the ice.
 
Brad, she was sure, had been there before she’d blacked out for a second
time.

And now she
could hear voices.
 
She willed her eyes
to open and stay that way. All she really wanted to do was sleep but she had to
find Presley.

Trying her
hardest, she opened her eyes and focused on her surroundings. She was in a
hospital room. She attempted to move but her head throbbed, her arm hurt, and
her left leg didn’t feel much better.

“She’s
awake.”

Lucy
recognized Sadie Sutton’s voice and then saw Brad rushing toward the bed with
Sadie in close pursuit.

“I’m sorry,”
said Lucy.

“For what?”
asked Brad, squeezing her
hand.

“For letting
them
take Presley. I tried to follow them but…”

Lucy burst
into tears.

“Now, now, no
crying,” said Sadie. “The whole sheriff’s department is out looking for the
baby and we’ll get her back.”

“Can you
remember exactly what happened?” asked Brad.

“I was about
to put Presley into my car when
Nevie
appeared from
nowhere and said she was taking Presley. She hit and scratched me…”

Lucy had to
pause for a minute. Remembering the whole scene was scary because
Nevie
had acted like some sort of deranged person, which
made her worried about Presley’s safety.

Brad pushed
some hair away from her face. Normally having him touch her that felt good, but
now it just plain hurt.

She lifted
her arm up and noticed it was in a cast.

“You
fractured your wrist,” said Brad.

“Did you get
a look at the car?” asked Sadie.

“Yes, it was
a dark grey SUV and I know part of the license was CU1. And there was a man
driving.”

“Probably
Nevie’s
new husband.”

“He said he
wanted to get on the road and they headed north out of town. I’m sorry I lost
them.”

“Hey, hey,
you did great and I’ll give the information to everyone and we’ll find her,”
said Brad. “In fact, why don’t you visit with Sadie while I go and do that?”

“Can I go
home?” asked Lucy.

“Oh honey,
you have a concussion and your ankle’s sprained, so this is the best place for
you,” said Sadie.

Lucy leaned
back on the pillow. She felt like crap and wanted to just cry and cry.

“I’ll be
right back,” said Brad.

“Do you think
they’ll find the baby?” Lucy asked Sadie.

“Of course
they will.” She patted Lucy’s hand.

“Geez, I
forgot. I have a job interview in
Helena
tomorrow.”

“Maybe the
universe is telling you it’s not for you and that you belong here with the
sheriff and Presley.”

Lucy shook
her head. “I should have protected her better.”

“Nonsense.
Dark….”

“Dark what?”
asked Lucy.

“Never mind,
now you just close your eyes and rest.”

“I won’t be
able to all the time Presley’s with that crazy…”

She stopped
when she saw Brad walk back into the room.

“It’s okay
Lucy; you can say it, crazy bitch. Sadie, you mind if I spend some time alone
with Lucy?”

“Consider me
gone. And Sheriff, I think you should go home and get some shuteye. With Lucy
out of commission for awhile your daughter’s going to need you when she comes
home.”

Brad nodded.
“I promise I’ll head home after I’ve visited with Lucy.”

Brad waited
until Sadie had left and closed the door.

He leaned
over and kissed Lucy. Her lip was cut, it hurt, but she didn’t want him to know
that because she wouldn’t say no to one of his kisses.

“I was sick
with worry when I saw you on that gurney,” he whispered.

She raised
her good hand and stroked the side of his face. She hoped that he’d find
Presley because she knew that he adored the little girl.

Her eyelids
were growing heavy again and she felt herself almost drifting off to sleep.

“I think I
should let you get some rest but I’ll be back in the morning.”

She squeezed
his hand. “Wake me if you find Presley.”

“I’ll do
better than that. I’ll bring her here to see you. Sweet dreams.”

He kissed her
again. This time it didn’t hurt. This time it was more like a humming bird
flapping its wings against her lips. It tickled almost and then she drifted off
thinking how much she’d like the three of them to be a family.

****

Brad had lied
to Lucy about going home to rest. He had every intention of staying awake and
sitting in a chair all night at the hospital and calling in every hour to check
if there was any news of Presley. He knew he should be out there looking
himself but his deputy had convinced him to stay put just in case
Nevie
had a change of heart and came looking for him.

He’d settled
down in an armchair in the family waiting area and had been spotted by Sadie
who seemed to know all about his true intention, and that he wasn’t even
considering about going home. The lady really did have a sixth sense. She’d
insisted that he go home and rest because his two girls would need him.

Brad threw
his keys into the tray by the door and clicked on the light. For the last month
or so the house had finally felt like a home. He had a baby and Lucy to come
home to every night. There’d been the smell of something delicious cooking or
baking each time he’d walked through the door. There’d been diapers, and baby
toys scattered on the living room floor. And they’d been Lucy to eat with,
watch TV with, and yes, make love to.

He pulled out
a kitchen chair and slumped down upon it, quickly putting his head in his
hands. He wanted to cry like he had when his mother had passed away several
years ago, but his eyes seemed dry from all the crying he’d already done.

His stomach
rumbled yet he didn’t think he could tolerate food or even a beer at this time.
Maybe he should get some sleep because
him
walking
around like a zombie wasn’t helping either Presley or Lucy. He got up, climbed
the stairs and for the first time since he’d moved into the house, hated its
peacefulness. He longed for the day when it would be once again filled with
Presley’s crying and giggles, and Lucy’s voice and laughter.

Deciding not
to even get undressed, Brad lay on the bed and shut his eyes.

He hadn’t
realized he’d drifted off to sleep until his cell phone ringing woke him. He
slapped the bedside table, knowing he’d put the phone there soon after he’d
entered the bedroom. He finally found the edge and pulled it toward him,
noticing it was the early hours of the morning.

Maybe they’d
found, Presley. Maybe there were such things as miracles after all.

“Hello,
Sheriff Ryan speaking.”

He didn’t
hear everything because he felt sick when the words
Lucy, blood
clot
, and
knew he had to get to the hospital as fast as he could. If he lost her as well
as Presley it would destroy him.

****

Lucy knew she
wouldn’t complain about a simple headache ever again. She’d woken and called
the nurse telling her she felt like her head was about to explode. The next few
hours had been a blur when she’d been taken down to the X-Ray department, given
a scan, and heard the doctor saying the words blood clot.

She was now
on blood thinners and her prognosis was excellent, but she still felt like
crap. Brad looked even worse as she sat slumped in the chair where he’d sat for
most of the day and into the night until he’d finally given in and gone to
sleep. They’d been no word of Presley and it made her feel sick and angry.
Nevie
didn’t deserve to be a mother and if there was any
justice she’d be paid back big time for doing this to Brad.