*
Tory’s day continued downhill. First, she couldn’t find Lisa, then the five o’clock news on KTEF 6 was bad. A terror attack at Houston’s Hobby Airport had killed six people. The entire city was in lockdown, though the police had shot and killed the two men responsible for setting off a bomb in front of the ticket counter.
Commentators were speculating the attack might be linked to the terror cell that had plotted to blow up the state capitol a few months back. They thought the recent lone wolf knife attack in Austin might have been another member of the cell.
News like that was always upsetting, but at least it kept her mind off Josh and what was going to happen when he came over later that night. A prospect that both thrilled and terrified her.
Then things got worse. Shelly called. Lisa wasn’t at home and it didn’t look like she’d been there for the past few days. Her plants were dying and the curtains throughout the house were closed. The weird part was her car was in the garage, her purse sat on the kitchen table but her phone was nowhere to be found.
Shelly had tried calling Lisa over and over, just as Tory had been doing, but the calls just kept going to voicemail.
“I’m calling the police,” Shelly said.
“Yes, I think you should. I’m really worried about her.”
“Me too. I’ll keep you posted. I know how close you two are.” Shelly ended the call. As worried as Tory was, she had no choice but to go ahead and finish making supper.
Since Josh would be working late, she made a plate for him and put it in the oven, then took Ivy and their portion back to the trailer. After supper, Tory put Ivy to bed and read The Little Red Hen for what seemed the hundredth time, until her little girl finally fell asleep.
As she returned to the living room, Tory thought of Josh and the evening they had planned, but her mind kept straying to Lisa and what might have happened to her. Nothing she came up with made any sense. She was pacing the floor of the living room when Josh rapped softly on the door.
“Hi,” he said as he walked inside, leaned down, and kissed her. He must have read the worry in her face because he gently caught her shoulders. “Something’s wrong. What is it?”
Her eyes burned. “My friend Lisa. She’s missing. I’m really scared for her, Josh.”
He started to say something but the phone rang just then. Tory hurried to answer it. “Yes?”
“It’s Shelly. I’ve got bad news, Tory.”
Her stomach clenched. “Wh-what is it?”
“Lisa’s in the hospital in Flagstaff. She’s in critical condition.”
Tory felt the blood draining out of her face and she started to tremble. Josh guided her over to the sofa and gently eased her down.
“She’s in a coma,” Shelly was saying. “As soon as she’s stable, they’re airlifting her to Scottsdale Memorial.”
“What . . . what happened?”
“The police aren’t sure, but . . . Tory, Lisa was shot.”
She made a little sound in her throat and Josh took the phone from her hand.
“My name is Josh Cain. I’m a friend of Tory’s. Tell me what’s going on.”
His jaw hardened as Shelly retold the story. Then he handed back the phone and stood in front of her with his hands on his hips and his legs braced apart.
“I’m . . . I’m on my way back to Phoenix,” Tory said. “When you see Lisa, tell her I’m on my way.” She could pay for the trip on her credit cards. She hadn’t used them because she didn’t want Damon to find her. Now she had no choice.
“I’ll tell her.” Shelly started crying. “The police think she was abducted from her house, Tory. She’s in really bad shape. The doctors don’t know if she’s going to make it.”
Tory bit back a sob and blinked against tears. “Tell her I’m coming. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“When she wakes up I’ll tell her. I promise.”
The call ended and Tory started crying. Josh sat down beside her and drew her into his arms. “Easy, honey. I’m right here, okay?”
She looked up at him and the tears in her eyes rolled down her cheeks. “The police think Lisa was abducted, Josh. Whoever did it, shot her. Who would . . . who would do something like—”
Her heart jerked and her head shot up. “Oh, my God. Oh, my God, Josh, what if it was Damon?”
“Hey, wait a minute. You don’t know he had anything to do with this. You can’t jump to conclusions.”
“Damon knows she’s my closest friend. Maybe he thought she knew where I was. Maybe he took her so he could force her to tell him.” Fresh tears welled. “If it was him, what happened to Lisa is my fault.”
Josh gripped her shoulders. “Whatever happened, it wasn’t your fault. None of this is your fault. If you’re right—and we have no reason to think that yet—the only person to blame is Damon Bridger.”
“We have to tell the police. We have to call them.”
“You can’t do that, Tory. You don’t have any proof.”
He was right. Damon was cunning and he was extremely smart. If he had abducted Lisa, he would have taken every precaution, done everything in his power to hide his identity.
“I have to get to Phoenix. I’ve got room on my credit cards. I was afraid to use them, but now—”
“I’ll take you to Phoenix. I’ve got money. There’s no need to use your cards.”
“I can’t do that, Josh. This isn’t your problem. It never has been.”
His features turned hard. “I’m making it my problem—as of right now.”
Tory made no reply. She needed his help. Desperately. Aside from that, you didn’t argue with a man like Joshua Cain once his mind was made up.
Chapter Fifteen
They decided to leave Ivy with Mrs. Thompson. It was a difficult decision, but the thought of dragging her little girl through long hospital corridors, or keeping her for hours in waiting rooms that smelled like antiseptic, seemed a far worse option.
“She’ll be fine,” Mrs. Thompson said when Tory explained what had happened. “We’ll play games and bake cookies. We’ll have a pajama party. You just take care of your friend.”
Tory managed to smile. She was grateful that Ivy was so caught up in playing with Mrs. Thompson’s antique dollhouse, she barely noticed when Tory and Josh left the house.
“I know it’s stupid,” she said, fighting the urge to cry as the pickup headed for town. “But we haven’t been apart since I got out of the hospital.”
“She’ll be fine,” Josh said.
“I know.” She turned in the seat to look at him. “What about the ranch? Do you think Cole and Noah can handle it? The cows seem pretty self-sufficient. What about the horses?”
“They’ll be fine. Cole’s staying in the house at night. He knows a kid who’ll take the job as a stable hand, boy about nineteen who loves to ride. He’ll get paid but he’ll also be able to ride on the weekends whenever he wants. Cole thinks he’ll be a great fit.”
“That’s one problem solved, but—”
“Noah and Cole will both be there in the daytime to look after the livestock. If there’s a problem, one of them will call and we’ll figure a way to handle it.”
Tory leaned back in her seat. She thought of the man sitting next to her, a slightly different Josh than she had seen before. This man was completely in charge, more assertive, totally in command of the situation. Odds were this was Josh the marine.
Her thoughts returned to Lisa as the pickup rolled toward town. Shelly had called early that morning. Lisa had been medevaced to the hospital in Scottsdale. Mr. and Mrs. Shane were flying in from New York but they couldn’t get there until tomorrow.
Lisa had never been close to her family, who had wanted her to marry one of her dad’s wealthy friends instead of having a career. But Lisa was still their daughter, and they had to be sick with worry.
Tory really needed to get there.
“Airport security’s going to be a nightmare after the terror attack in Houston,” she said.
Josh flicked her a sideways glance. “Won’t be as bad as you think.”