Page 25

Kingsley

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"Kenna?" Kingsley took the stairs two at a time. "Hey, brat?"

Lori called up to the clubhouse, looking for Kenna twenty minutes ago. She hadn't shown up to work at the bar. Since moving to Gem Haven and working, she'd never been late. She also had never run away.

She'd grown and got past needing to escape him. The truth was out. She accepted, if not forgave him, that he'd lied and kept her dad a secret. There was no reason for her to take off.

He pushed the door open and scanned the empty bedroom. "Fuck."

River was at the campground. Zane had verified her location before Kingsley left the clubhouse. That meant wherever Kenna was, she was alone.

He rushed to the window and peered down at the ground. Her car was still parked by the garage where it had sat since she came here. She couldn't get far.

"Kenna?" He checked the bathroom before running down the stairs to the kitchen. "Where are you?"

The house was empty. His heart thundered in his chest. He hoped someone from the prison hadn't called the house, upset her, and she'd taken off in a blind panic.

He walked outside. She could be anywhere. He had no idea where to start looking.

She wasn't inside, so she had to be outside. Gem Haven had hundreds of acres and rugged terrain. He walked to the corner of the house, peered down the side, and continued to the backyard. He scanned the deck and almost turned around when the brown cover of Kenna's sketchpad caught his attention.

He jogged over to the lounge chair and found her case of pencils scattered on the wood planks. Kenna always took care of her art supplies. She always kept her pencils lined up in the case by thickness. The sketchbooks stacked by size, so the pages wouldn't bend.

He opened the book. Thumbing through the pages, he came to the last one with any drawings. Recognizing the familiar landscape, he looked out toward the woods. She had to have come out here before work and drawn. But what made her scatter her supplies and leave?

His phone vibrated. He grabbed the cell out of his vest pocket. Zane.

He connected the call. "Did you find her?"

"No, not yet. Have you tried calling her phone?"

"Yeah, it goes to voicemail. Cell service is so fucking spotting on the mountain, she could be twenty feet from me, and I couldn't reach her." He stared at the sketchbook in his hand. "Her art supplies are all over the back deck like she dropped them in a hurry. That's not like her. She pampers her pencils and drawings."

"If she was sitting back there, maybe a bear or moose wandered into the yard and freaked her out," said Zane.

He looked back at the house. The sliding door was shut. She wasn't inside.

"I already looked through the house. I'm going to look around more. Call if you see her."

He pocketed the phone. If she hadn't gone to the house, then she went away from the house. He jogged across the yard and into the brush. It was sparse enough that he could walk toward the base of the next hill without any problem.

"Kenna," he yelled, picking up his boots higher to get through the tall weeds and underbrush. "Kenna!"

"Here."

He stopped, unsure if he had heard the reply or not. "Kenna?"

"I'm here."

Instant relief left him breathless. "Keep talking."

He set off, moving farther away from the house. As she talked, he veered right, climbing the hill.

"I can see you," she yelled.

He gazed ahead of him, spotting the waving arm. Seeing her on her feet and jumping gave him his second wind. She wasn't hurt.

Jogging across the span separating him from Kenna, he arrived a few minutes later. He swept his gaze over her, making sure she was okay.

"Fucking hell, brat. You scared me." He pulled her to him.

With her in his arms, he could see what drew her out into the forest. Behind her sat Zora, propped against a rock, holding her ankle.

"I'm so glad you found me. There's no signal for my phone anywhere—trust me, I've paced back and forth, and nothing." She pulled back. "Zora twisted her ankle. I heard her yelling for help."

"Don't be mad at Kenna. She wouldn't leave me and swore you'd come and find her if she failed to show up at work," said Zora.

"Oh, did she?" He cocked his brow.

Kenna looked at him and whispered, "You're my person. You always find me."

His touch softened on the back of her neck, and he strummed her skin with his thumb. Losing her was impossible. He needed her in his life. Without her, nothing mattered.

He stepped over and squatted beside Zora. "Let's see your ankle."

"I stepped into a prairie dog hole." His mom pulled up the hem of her jeans.

Her ankle was swollen above her sneaker. But she moved her foot without too much difficulty.

"I'll go back and get the side-by-side, and then we'll see about getting you to the hospital," he said.

"It's not broken." Zora frowned. "Is Barney still around?

Barney was ancient but still practiced medicine around the clubhouse. He hid his surprise that Zora knew the old man. But a sprained or twisted ankle was right up the old man's alley.

"Yep. I'll give him a call when I get back to the garage." He straightened and walked a few yards away with Kenna. "Are you okay to stay with her?"

"Of course." She wrinkled her nose. "Can you also call the bar and let Lori and Rebecca know I'll be there as soon as I can?"

"Don't worry about it. Zane already sent Taylor to cover for you tonight."

"Sorry."

"Not your fault." He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "You scared the shit out of me when I couldn't find you."

"I didn't mean—"

"I get it." He inhaled deeply, trying to shake the worry. "Thanks for helping Zora."

She kissed him quickly and sent him on his way. He jogged back toward the house. Once he stood in front of the garage, cell service came back, thanks to the booster. He made the necessary calls, grabbed the keys off the hook, took the first UTV he came to and headed back out to pick up Zora and Kenna.

Luck was on his side. Barney was at the clubhouse. Now they had to cross their fingers that he wasn't too drunk to check out Zora's ankle.

Dodging pine trees and boulders, he zigzagged his way to where he'd left the two women. There was only room for two people, but he wasn't planning on leaving Kenna behind while he helped his mom.

He got Zora into the passenger seat without causing her too much pain. Most of the discomfort seemed to come from putting weight on her foot.

"Kenna, go ahead and get in the driver's seat." He walked around to the other side.

"Me?"

He motioned for her to get inside the rig. "You'll drive back."

"I don't know how to drive this." She slid behind the steering wheel.

"It's just like a car." He reached in and turned the key on. "Put your foot on the accelerator lightly and go slow."

"How are you getting back?"

"Same way you are." He gripped the overhead bar and put his boot on the skid plate. "Let's go."

As he hung off the side, she navigated the UTV over the land with pure determination. Going slow enough, the rough terrain failed to dislodge him. When they arrived at the back of the house, they found Zane and Barney waiting for them.

He leaned into the side-by-side. "Let Zane carry you into the house. Barney will take a look at your ankle."

"Thank you." Zora scooted to the edge of the seat and turned toward his brother. "And thank you. I never expected either of you to help me or sweet Kenna for coming to rescue me. All I wanted to do was bring over some flowers for the girls after they were so nice to include me in your dinner the other night."

"Not a problem." Zane picked her up and carried her to the house.

Kenna got out of the UTV. "I hope she'll be okay."

"A little rest and some ice, and she'll probably be fine." He looped his arm around her shoulders.

"I should get over to the bar."

"Take the rest of the day off."

"But—"

"Don't argue." He gave her a reassuring squeeze. "You can help me deal with Zora."

"She's your mom." She wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Yeah." He frowned at the house. "Yet, I have no idea how to deal with having a mom in my life."

"Count yourself lucky." She leaned into him. "You're doing everything right by not shutting her out of your life. I think she appreciates having the freedom to come to the house. She was heading this way when she twisted her ankle."

He kissed the top of her head. His mom's arrival only reminded him that he and Zane needed to put another visit in with Dad. Once they got the girls to the prison to visit with Tom Pruitt aka Burt Shay, it would be time to settle down with dear ol' Dad and find out what the fuck was going on with him and Zora.