The sounds of a twig snapping to her left caused her to pick up the pace.It might be her imagination or, just maybe, the mountain lion.
Hudson rolled out of bed,still half asleep.He snatched his cell off the nightstand while rubbing his eyes with his free hand.After turning off the alarm, he set the phone back down and then headed toward the bathroom.Cold water from a quick shower woke him up faster than a cup of coffee ever could.He needed caffeine.Coffee was non-negotiable.He would put on a pot and check on Cassie.
Yesterday had been one long day.She needed to catch up on sleep.Dark circles had cradled those emerald eyes of hers, and she must have yawned half a dozen times on the way home last night.
Home?
Funny, he hadn’t thought about the ranch as home before.Especially not the main house, where Beaumont had dished out various punishments for the slightest infraction.What he’d called discipline, most would call abuse.The name didn’t matter.Either way, the scars were real.He had plenty on his arms and the backs of his thighs.Beaumont had once speared Hudson’s hand with a fork for being a lefty.Beaumont had forced Hudson to use his right hand, stating that lefties were retards.No son of Beaumont’s was going to be classified as stupid, he’d said.
Hudson had learned to do things with his right hand.His handwriting was worse off for it.His teachers had joked that he had a doctor’s handwriting.He’d never seen the humor.
Heading downstairs, the sun peeked through the windows.The house was still quiet, so he was caught off guard when he smelled coffee halfway down the stairs.Conrad sat at the kitchen table, nursing a cup.
“Morning,” Hudson said to his brother.One look at the concern lines on Conrad’s face said there was no word on Nikki.
Conrad stood up.The two exchanged a bear hug.
Hudson knew better than to make promises, so he didn’t.Instead, he glanced at Conrad’s near-empty cup and asked, “Ready for a refill?”
Conrad nodded, then sat back down.He scrubbed his hand over the stubble on his chin.Red-rimmed eyes said he hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep last night.
“I lost someone very close to me once,” Hudson said to his brother.
Conrad’s eyebrow arched.“You did?When?”
“It was a long time ago.Her name was Adina.We were barely nineteen years old and crazy in love.”Hudson went to work refreshing Conrad’s cup before pouring his own.
“What happened?”
“She had a rare bone cancer.”Hudson brought over the mugs, set them down on the table, and then sat opposite his brother.He shook his head.“She tried to fight it.Not knowing what was going to happen was the worst.Those few months of roller coaster emotions were the most miserable of my life.”
“You were a kid.”Conrad took a sip of coffee.“I wish you’d said something, man.I would’ve liked to have been there for you.”He shook his head and frowned.“You must’ve felt alone.”
Hudson could see so clearly now.“Beaumont did a number on us, didn’t he?”
“Bastard,” Conrad bit out.He paused a beat and then lifted his gaze.“Why are you telling me this now?”
“I believe in my heart we’ll find Nikki alive and well,” Hudson said, not allowing any other outcome.“This is the hardest part.The waiting.It’s the worst kind of torture.”
Conrad released a slow exhale and nodded.
“I heard voices,” Beau said at the doorway.“Okay if I join you?”
“Pull up a seat,” Conrad said.
“Coffee?”Hudson asked.
“That’d be great.”Beau’s injury delayed his trip to find his mother.He glanced around the room.His eyebrows drew together.“I expected to find Cassie in here.”He eased onto a chair.
“Why is that?”Hudson stopped halfway across the room and turned to Beau.
“She’s not in her room.”Beau’s expression dropped to outright concern.“The adjacent bathroom door is open.So, I assumed she would be in here with you guys when I heard your voices.”
Hudson abandoned his trip across the room, backtracked, and headed down the hallway toward the guest bedroom.
Shit.
The room was empty.The bed had been made.The towel she’d used to shower was folded up on the counter in the adjacent bathroom.