She had told Logan about the shoe. There had been a logical explanation. And they’d dealt with it.
Relief was as heady as a narcotic. Why not join him down there? Show her support. That they were a team and should share everything. Even nurse duty for a sick horse in the middle of the night.
She acted on the thought, staying to the path, keeping the flashlight beam directed at her feet. A strange sensation moved over her as she walked—of being completely alone in some strange world. The towering pine trees and thick underbrush that lined the path seemed to close in on her. The night sounds, the buzz of insects and rustle of some creature in the thicket. Something swooped past her head and her heart leaped to her throat. A bat, she realized, shuddering.
Her every instinct urged her to run. Reason held her back. She couldn’t risk falling again. So she kept on, one foot in front of the other, carefully picking her way.
And then the path opened up. Manicured grounds with fenced paddocks. Occasional solar lamps providing a welcome glow to the dark path. The barn ahead. A small, welcoming light at its entrance. The golf cart parked directly under it.
Bailey hurried to it, slipped through the barn doors, then hesitated as the strangest sensation of dread came over her. Something wasn’t right here. The barn was dark. The animals sleeping. A lone, lonely light came from the far end, a feeble glow escaping from under a doorway.
Turn around now, Bailey. You don’t want to be here.
She thought of the big, warm bed. The locks on the doors. She rubbed at the goose bumps on her arms.
“Logan?” she called.
One of the horses neighed softly in response. Another peered out of its stall as if curious at the commotion.
Bailey switched off the flashlight and started toward the closed door and its feeble glow. She realized she was creeping. Like a mouse—or a thief. She didn’t know why, but even as she told herself to stop, she didn’t.
She reached the door. Pressed her ear close to listen. Movement. Something being opened and closed. A rhythmic hum. What sounded like a washer or dryer.
The blood pounding in her head, she reached for the knob. Before she could, the door swung open. With a squeak of surprise, Bailey jumped back.
Paul looked as shocked to see her as she was him.
“Bailey?” He held out a hand to steady her. “What are you doing down here?”
Her gaze shifted to the open door behind him. “Looking for Logan.”
“Logan?” He reached behind him and closed the door. “It’s the middle of the night.”
“I know. I woke up and he was gone.”
“What made you think he’d be here?”
“He wasn’t in the house and the golf cart was gone, so I assumed he came down here.”
“I’m using the cart tonight. Catching up on some things.”
Her gaze slid over his shoulder again. His office was at the other end of the barn; what work could he be catching up on here?
“Laundry, feed inventory,” he said, as if reading her thoughts. “Not enough hours in the day.”
“Logan said one of the horses was colicky. That’s another reason I thought he might be here.…” At his blank look, her words trailed off. She caught her bottom lip between her teeth. “I feel pretty ridiculous right now.”
“Don’t.” Paul hesitated a moment, then said, “Logan doesn’t sleep well. On any given night, he could’ve wandered down here. But not tonight.”
“Will you talk to me, Paul? I want to help him, but I don’t know how.”
“Help him what? Sleep better?”
She didn’t understand the edge in his voice and frowned. “Trust that I won’t leave. That I’m safe from whatever boogeyman he expects to pop out and snatch me.”
“Sorry, I can’t do that.”
“Why?” She reached out a hand to touch him; he jerked away. Her cheeks heated. “I see now. You won’t help me because you think it’s a lie. You think I’ll leave him, too. That I’ll disappear.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t need to. If you see Logan, tell him I was looking for him.”
“I didn’t hear a car.”
“I walked.”
“Walked?” He frowned. “At this time of night, with your head still bandaged from your last accident?”
She flushed and held up the flashlight. “I was careful. Came prepared.”
“There are some things you can’t prepare for.”
“Like the bat that did a flyby of my head.”
He didn’t smile. “I’ll bring you back up to the house.” When she started to protest, he added, “You don’t want Logan to return, only to find you missing and freak out.”
“A ride it is. Both of us freaking out in one night might be a little much, even for this family.”
“Let me turn off the dryer before we go.”
He ducked back through the door, once again closing it behind him. Odd, she thought. Almost as if he didn’t want her to look inside.
“What is that room?” she asked when he returned.
He looked surprised. “Feed room. Medicine and supplement storage. Laundry room. Why?”
“Just curious.”
“Want to see it?”
He started to reopen the door; she stopped him. “Really, just curious.”
He nodded and closed the hasp and snapped the padlock tight. “I keep it locked at all times, mostly because of the pharmaceuticals. But the supplements add up, too. Don’t need them walking off.”
They started toward the front of the barn.
“Bailey?”
He stopped; she looked at him.
“Another woman’s gone missing. Did you know that?”
“No.” The word came out choked. “When?”
“While you were in the hospital. Her name was Dixie.”
“Was?”
“Is,” he corrected. “She was last seen at a local bar. I just want you to be … It pays to be cautious, that’s all.”
She swallowed hard. “You’re right. Thank you.”
A moment later, they were in the cart. It started silently.
“I’m sorry, about earlier,” he said. “Refusing to help you with Logan. But I can’t encourage him to trust, not after True.”
“What … what do you believe happened to her?”