Page 67 of Make Me Trust Again (Bluebonnet Creek #3)

The image of John’s face pops into my mind. The way Kyle would get upset every time his father promised him something, only to not show up or reject him, makes my fingers curl into a fist.

“He’s been told no too many times in the past.”

If he wants to go on a ride, I’ll ride with him, even if that means biting my tongue as I slide my body into tight spaces.

Blake slaps Miguel over the head. “Ignore him. As if he’s any better. I’d love to see him say no to Becky.”

“I guess there is that.” Miguel’s face turns serious. “You’re good with him, though.”

I glance at the two boys who are chatting animatedly. Kyle must feel my gaze because his blue eyes meet mine, flashing me a grin, and I can feel the pressure in my chest grow, making it hard to breathe.

Miguel’s wrong, though.

It isn’t me.

It’s them.

They’re good for me.

Thankfully, we don’t have to wait too long to get on the ride again, and this time, Kyle’s the one driving the car and crushing us into everything that gets in his path. All too soon, the ride is over. I slide out of the car, and Kyle climbs on the seat.

“This is the best. Can we get this for home?”

“I don’t think we have space for that at home, buddy ,” I chuckle softly as I slide my hand around his waist. Kyle’s arms wrap around my neck as I help him out of the car, and we start for the exit.

“But it would be so cool to have it,” Kyle protests.

“Flirting with my wife again, Rivera?”

I look up at Miguel’s comment to find a police officer standing next to my sister.

“Behave,” Becky chastises, shoving him away playfully.

The police officer chuckles and winks at Becky. “She can only wish. I’m afraid she’s stuck with your sorry ass.”

Becky shakes her head. “I don’t know, Nico, it’s a pretty nice ass from where I’m standing.”

“Damn right.” Miguel tips his chin at the guy as he slides next to Becky. “They put you on duty?”

“They put us all on duty.” Nico runs his hand through his hair, his eyes taking in the space before returning his attention to our group. “A lot of people, not enough staff. You know how it goes, but we should be getting a new transfer soon, so hopefully that helps.”

“Mom, did you see us?” Kyle asks, bouncing on the balls of his feet in front of Rose.

“I did; did you have fun?”

“Yes.” Those big, blue eyes turn to me. “Can we go again?”

Before I can answer, Rose places her hand on Kyle’s shoulder. “Why don’t you and Levi go together this time around? Give the adults a little time to rest.”

Kyle tilts his head to the side as he thinks. “Okay, but you’ll be watching?”

Rose lifts her phone. “And taking pictures.”

“You, too, Chase?”

“You know it.”

Kyle grins. “Deal.”

We watch as he goes to Levi, and the two of them get back in line for the ride, chatting animatedly among themselves.

Rose lets out a soft sigh as she leans against the fence. I stand behind her, my hand resting against her waist.

“Thank you so much for doing this,” she says as she leans against me, her gaze darting over her shoulder to meet mine.

“You don’t have to thank me.” I gently run my hand over her cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I had fun with him. He’s a good kid.”

Rose hums her agreement as we shift our attention back to the boys, just to catch Kyle glancing at us and waving before they let them into the ride, and each boy rushes to pick his car.

Rose pulls out her phone and snaps a few pictures of Kyle grinning at us before the ride starts, and he’s off, both he and Levi grinning as they chase one another around.

Slipping her phone in her bag, she leans into me, her fingers intertwining with mine on her stomach. I lean down, pressing a kiss against her neck, just where I can feel her heart beat faster.

Rose tilts her head back, those crystal blue depths zeroing in on me.

“He’s changed a lot in the last few months, and it’s all thanks to you.

” Turning around, she wraps her arms around my shoulders, her fingers gently running over the back of my neck and sending shivers down my spine.

“He’s happier, more confident in himself, but most importantly, he’s not afraid.

John always made him feel self-conscious about his deafness, like he’s less than, but you showed him that it’s okay to be different, to embrace his uniqueness.

If I didn’t already love you for a dozen other reasons, I’d fall for you just because of the way you’re with him.

You’re the father I should have given him in the first place. ”

A knot forms in my throat at her words, making it hard to breathe. I swallow hard, my voice feeling tight. “Sweetheart, I…”

She rises on the tip of her toes, her lips pressing against mine in a long kiss. “And don’t you dare tell me that’s not true, Chase Williams. I love you. Kyle loves you, and he’s so lucky to have you in his life. Any child would be lucky to have you as a father.”

“I love you, too. Both of you.” I slide my thumb over her lower lip. “Let’s go grab our boy and go home?”

“Yeah.” She nods, turning around. “Let’s go ho?—”

Her words trail off, her body going rigid in my arms. My head snaps up immediately, my eyes scanning the space for whatever could have caused her reaction.

“Chase?” Rose’s voice is low, tentative, as if she’s afraid to even voice her question out loud. “Do you see Kyle?”

The cars have come to a stop, and people are leaving the platform: kids, parents, teenagers… I scan their faces, looking for Kyle, but come up empty.

Shadow barks, her snout nudging my leg, but I ignore her.

Rose’s fingers curl around mine tightly, her nails digging into my skin. My heart starts beating faster as I look for a familiar dark head. “He’s not there. Did he leave?”

A small, dark-haired boy slips between the people, and I give her hand a squeeze. “He’s?—”

My words die when I spot the shirt.

A purple one, not blue.

“Levi!” Rose calls out, going toward the boy, but I’m still searching for Kyle, waiting for him to appear behind him, only he’s not there.

Dammit.

Rose’s voice is dulled by the sound of the buzzing in my ears that’s grown stronger since we got here, my senses overwhelmed by all the noises and chatter.

Where did he go? He wouldn’t disappear out of nowhere, would he? He isn’t one to wander off without saying a word, quite the contrary, so why isn’t he here? Did he get lost among all the people? Or is there something else?

My gut churns, the feeling of dread growing bigger the more the time passes, and he doesn’t come back.

Cursing once again, I glance at Rose as she gets to her feet, letting go of Levi, who rushes to his parents. Rose’s eyes are filled with tears, her lip wobbling slightly.

“He was there. Levi said Kyle was right behind him, but—” She shakes her head, pressing her lips in a tight line. “I should have never let him go on his own. I should?—”

“Hey.” I cup her cheeks, holding her gaze. “He’s here somewhere. We’ll find him. This isn’t your fault.”

“I let him go alone!” She shakes her head, a tear slipping down her cheek. “If something happens?—”

I tighten my grip on her. “Sweetheart, he’s going to be alright.”

He has to be alright.

I won’t accept the alternative.

“What’s going on?”

Wiping Rose’s tears, I repeat once again, “We’ll find him.”

I just hope I can keep this promise.

Turning around, I find our friends looking at us, worry evident on their faces.

“Kyle’s missing,” I tell them just as Shadow grabs my shirt, giving it a tug. “Wait,” I chastise, placing my hand on her snout to stop her. “He was on the ride with Levi, but now he’s gone.”

“Miss— Shit.” Becky’s eyes are wide, but she tries to force out a reassuring smile. “I mean, the place is busy, so he probably just got lost in the crowd.”

“Where did you last see him?” Nico asks, and any trace of the previous playfulness is gone instantly as he stands taller.

“He and Levi were driving the bumper cars,” Rose points out. “He asked me to take the pictures, so I did. We were watching him, but then when the ride ended, he didn’t come back.”

“Did you talk to any of the workers?”

I shake my head at the deputy’s question, turning around to go and do it, but Miguel just slaps me on the shoulder as he jogs past. “I’ll do it.”

Rose wraps her hands around herself, rubbing at her arms. “How is this happening? He was just there.”

The guy gives her a small smile. “Kids wander off. Maybe he just got lost in the crowd. Did he want to go somewhere else? Maybe another ride?”

I shake my head. “He was most excited about this one.”

“Okay.” Nico nods, his gaze shifting to Rose. “What about your ex?”

Rose’s brows furrow. “John? What about him?”

Nico shifts, clearly uncomfortable. “Could he have taken him by any chance?”

“What?” Rose lets out a strangled laugh. “That man doesn’t come to pick up his son when he should for his weekend.”

“Okay. Like I said, it’s most likely that he just got lost in the crowd. Did you maybe try calling him?”

“He—” She shakes her head. “No.”

“Kyle’s deaf,” I explain, wrapping my arms around her. “He won’t hear you.”

There is a moment of surprise, but he schools his expression quickly.

“Okay, then. Can you tell me his name and what he looks like? Or just send me one of the photos you took today? That way, I can forward it to the other officers to keep an eye out for him, and we can spread around and look for him.”

Rose’s throat bobs as she swallows, but she gives him the information he needs as I keep scanning the place for the sight of the blue shirt, only to come up empty.

Nico thanks her for the information, his expression grim as he takes a few steps back, grabbing his radio to call it in.

Rose turns to me, looking all small and lost. Her throat bobs as she swallows.

“What if he got hurt? What if something happened?—”

I slide my hands to her cheeks. “We’ll find him. Even if I have to tear this place upside down, I’ll find him and bring him back to you.”

Rose sucks in a long breath and nods slowly just as Shadow barks again. Letting my hands drop, I glance at the dog, who once again grabs my shirt and tugs.

“What? I need to fin?—”

My heart kicks up a notch as I stare at Shadow, who’s been trying to get my attention this whole time.

Like she knows.

“Okay, I called it in, everybody is aware Kyle is missing and will let me know in case they run into him. In the meantime, somebody should stay here?—”

Shadow barks again, walking around me and giving me a push.

“Fucking hell. Do you know where Kyle is?”

Another bark at the sound of Kyle’s name has my heartbeat speeding up as the adrenaline kicks in.

“Is she a trained search dog?” Nico glances between the two of us. “That could be really helpful. Our department doesn’t have one, and calling a search and rescue party could take time.”

We don’t have the time.

Kyle could be God knows where, lost and alone, or even something worse.

Don’t think about that, I chastise myself, pushing the dark thoughts back.

“Not technically.” My gaze is locked on Shadow’s, the sound of my thundering heartbeat echoing in my eardrums as hope blooms in my chest. “She was my partner in the army, a K9. But she’s always had really good instincts, and she’s connected with Kyle over the last few months.”

“She can find him?” Rose’s fingers dig into my skin. Our eyes meet, a trace of light shining through her tear-stained gaze.

“It’s worth a shot.”

Letting go of her hand, I crouch down, that familiar pain jabbing into my lower back as I run my hand over Shadow’s face, letting her sniff my palm. The one that was holding onto Kyle for most of the day. She pushes her snout closer to my palm as if she can feel him, too.

“Wanna help me find our boy?” I whisper softly.

Shadow’s tail starts wagging excitedly. She turns around and almost immediately goes into a run.

“Shit. Let’s go.”

Grabbing Rose’s hand in mine, I start pushing through the crowd. I can hear our friends calling after us, but I don’t bother waiting. My gaze is locked on Shadow, who’s slipping between people’s feet with ease as she moves away from the rides and toward the concession stands.

A few people yelp in surprise as she brushes by them, but she doesn’t linger. No, she’s completely focused on the job. Her ears perked up, nose lingering just above the ground as she slips between two stands.

“Where is she going?” Rose yells from behind me, her breathing labored as we slip past them, away from the crowds.

“I have no idea,” I pant, each step sending a sting of pain through my leg.

Are we doing the right thing? Is she confused with all the smells and people? She’s going toward where we left our car. What if we’re going in the completely wrong direction? Why would Kyle go there if he’s lost when he knows we’re by the rides? It makes no sense. And yet, she seems so sure.

“She’s going away from the fair, I don’t think—” Rose stumbles, crashing into me.

I turn around, my palms sliding down her arms. “Are you okay? You didn’t get hurt?”

“No, I—” She looks up, pushing her hair out of her face when her eyes widen, mouth falling open just as Shadow releases a loud growl. “Kyle!”

“I know, sweetheart. We’ll find?—”

Rose shakes her head. “No, Kyle is here!”

Spinning on my heels, I catch Shadow sprinting across the grass until she circles the two figures a few yards away from us, making them come to a halt.

“Shadow!” Kyle calls out.

There is a little hitch to his voice, a trace of fear, that makes my blood run cold.

“Fucking hell!”

The low hiss has the hair at my nape rising, as none other than John turns around to face us.