Page 43 of It's a Wonderful Knife

“Oh, okay.”

Max sighed. “I’m coming too.”

I frowned. “There’s no need for both of us to get soaked. You should stay here and keep warm. Eat your dinner. I’ll be back in just a sec.”

“Nope. I’m coming with you.”

I laughed gruffly. “Okay, but you’re going to get drenched.”

“Oh well,” he said brightly. “At least we’ll be drenched together.”

I addressed Amelia, “Will you tell Elle what we’re up to so she can save us some food? I’ve been looking forward to dinner all day. Elle said she was making her famous pot roast.”

“I will.” Amelia gave a relieved smile. “Thank you so much, Royce.” She turned her gaze to Max. “And… um… thank you too, M… Max.”

He nodded. “No problem.”

“Which cabin is yours?”

“The red one on the opposite side from where your cabin is. It’s got a big pine tree in the front yard and a white picket fence. I believe it’s named the Red Rose Cabin.”

“We’ll be back in a jiffy.” I headed toward the coat closet, and Max followed.

“I hope we don’t miss the one meal that isn’t bacon.” Max smiled, slipping on his jacket.

“Could life be that cruel?”

We grabbed two umbrellas from the holder near the door. There was an assortment of flashlights near the front door as well, and we helped ourselves to one of those. We went out into the cold, wet night, heading in the direction of the cabins.

The wind batted us around like badminton birdies. We leaned into it, trying to keep our balance, but it wasn’t easy. The rain was cold and coming at us almost horizontally, and it was hard to hang on to the umbrellas.

“This is nuts,” Max shouted over the storm. “I don’t understand why Ezra couldn’t be more helpful. This should be his job, not ours.”

“I agree. He obviously dismissed Amelia’s concerns because she’s a woman.”

“That’s stupid. If Santiago has diabetes, I can see why she’s worried. I still think it’s the farm who should handle this though. You’re here as a guest.”

“I know.” I pulled my collar tighter against the chilly wind. I hadn’t realized until too late, but we should have grabbed gloves. My fingers were freezing.

“You’re just too nice, Royce. People take advantage of you.”

Frowning, I didn’t respond. Did he really think that? Did he think I was weak or something? I helped people because it felt good to do that, not because I was spineless.

We reached the row of cabins, and I winced as a flash of lightning lit the area. The rain pelted loudly on our umbrellas as we walked the gravel road in search of the red cabin. Once we found it, we walked up the steps, and I pounded on the front door. When there was no answer, I knocked again, louder.

Silence.

Scowling, I moved to where there was a window. There was one light on inside, and I peeked through the tiny opening in the curtain. There was no sign of Santiago. The bed was made and the bathroom door wide open. It wasn’t a big cabin, and unless Santiago was hiding in the closet, it appeared he wasn’t home.

I moved back to Max. “He’s not here,” I called out.

Max rolled his eyes. “Of course not.”

Glancing around, I moved down the steps. If he wasn’t in his cabin, where in the heck would Santiago be? I’d seen Gianna heading in to dinner, so I knew he wasn’t in her cabin with her. I searched the area, but there were no footsteps in the mud other than mine and Max’s. It was raining so hard even ours would be gone within minutes.

“Should we go back?” Max yelled.

“I’m not sure. It’s worrisome that he’s not in his cabin.”