down without a scratch in a yard four houses down. Trees were down everywhere, but people were already out with chainsaws cutting them away so the residents would have access in and out of their driveways and rescue vehicles could get up and down the streets.
She ate the pizza all the way to the crust and then threw it out into the yard for the birds, downed her milk, and was on her way back inside when she heard the sound of a speeding car. She turned just as an SUV slid sideways then turned up her driveway. As it slid to a stop, her heart skipped a beat. She already knew something was horribly wrong before she recognized the driver as Nate Pierce, the geologist who’d helped her find the body that had been buried in their back yard.
He got out shouting her name. “Tara! Tara!”
He jumped on the porch and grabbed her by the arms and just like that she was sucked into the panic and the fear he was feeling. He was wet and muddy and there was a tear in the knee of his jeans. She could see dried blood on the skin beneath. He was crying, and she knew he didn’t even know it.
“Please, my sister’s house was hit by the storm last night. We’ve looked all night and still can’t find her daughter, Gracie. She’s still a baby, not quite two and—”
She didn’t need to hear anymore. “Give me fifteen seconds. I need to change my shoes.”
She dashed into the house, kicking off her house shoes as she ran, stomped her feet into a pair of old cowboy boots, put on her all-weather coat and headed for the door. With her phone in her pocket and her house keys in her hand, she locked the door behind her and then they were gone.
They didn’t talk again until Nate had backed out of the driveway. He kept trying to control his emotions as he talked, but Tara could tell by the tremble in his voice how distraught he was.
“I know I’m asking a lot but we’re at our wit’s end and I knew we needed a miracle. That’s when I thought of you.”
Tara’s heart sank. “I can’t perform miracles, Nate.”
He shook his head. “I know, I know. I said that wrong. We just need to find her no matter . . . no . . . ”
Tara touched his arm. “Stop talking. You don’t need to explain. I know what this means to you. It’s like losing your wife and daughter all over again. I owe you one, but I would still be doing this, okay?”
He stomped the accelerator, driving around storm debris without care for the deep scratches being left on his car, taking alleys instead of streets when the roads were blocked.
“I need to let Uncle Pat know where I’m going,” Tara said.
The phone rang twice before he answered. “Tara, are you alright, honey?”
“I’m okay, Uncle Pat. Are you still with search and rescue?”
“Yes. It’s pretty gruesome. Is the power still off at home?”
“Yes. Listen, Uncle Pat. Nate Pierce just came and got me. His sister and her family live on the north side of Stillwater. The storm hit their house. Their daughter is missing. They’ve been looking for her all night. I’ll be with Nate if you need me.”
“Oh honey, I don’t think—”
“I have to, Uncle Pat, and you know it.”
She heard him sigh. “Yes, I know. Just be careful.”
“I will. You, too.”
She dropped her phone back in her pocket.
“Is he upset with you?” Nate asked.
“No,” Tara said, and then gave Nate a closer look. His thick black hair was matted to his head from a combination of drying mud and rain. His clothes were torn and there was a huge bruise forming on the side of his face. “You were caught in the storm, too, weren’t you?”
He shrugged.
She touched his arm and saw everything. “It’s all gone, isn’t it?”
He sighed. “It doesn’t matter. They are just things. We need to find Gracie. She’s just a baby. Even if she’s . . . if she’s not . . . ”
He couldn’t finish the sentence and Tara wouldn’t do it for him. She wasn’t ready to face what was ahead of them. Not
She ate the pizza all the way to the crust and then threw it out into the yard for the birds, downed her milk, and was on her way back inside when she heard the sound of a speeding car. She turned just as an SUV slid sideways then turned up her driveway. As it slid to a stop, her heart skipped a beat. She already knew something was horribly wrong before she recognized the driver as Nate Pierce, the geologist who’d helped her find the body that had been buried in their back yard.
He got out shouting her name. “Tara! Tara!”
He jumped on the porch and grabbed her by the arms and just like that she was sucked into the panic and the fear he was feeling. He was wet and muddy and there was a tear in the knee of his jeans. She could see dried blood on the skin beneath. He was crying, and she knew he didn’t even know it.
“Please, my sister’s house was hit by the storm last night. We’ve looked all night and still can’t find her daughter, Gracie. She’s still a baby, not quite two and—”
She didn’t need to hear anymore. “Give me fifteen seconds. I need to change my shoes.”
She dashed into the house, kicking off her house shoes as she ran, stomped her feet into a pair of old cowboy boots, put on her all-weather coat and headed for the door. With her phone in her pocket and her house keys in her hand, she locked the door behind her and then they were gone.
They didn’t talk again until Nate had backed out of the driveway. He kept trying to control his emotions as he talked, but Tara could tell by the tremble in his voice how distraught he was.
“I know I’m asking a lot but we’re at our wit’s end and I knew we needed a miracle. That’s when I thought of you.”
Tara’s heart sank. “I can’t perform miracles, Nate.”
He shook his head. “I know, I know. I said that wrong. We just need to find her no matter . . . no . . . ”
Tara touched his arm. “Stop talking. You don’t need to explain. I know what this means to you. It’s like losing your wife and daughter all over again. I owe you one, but I would still be doing this, okay?”
He stomped the accelerator, driving around storm debris without care for the deep scratches being left on his car, taking alleys instead of streets when the roads were blocked.
“I need to let Uncle Pat know where I’m going,” Tara said.
The phone rang twice before he answered. “Tara, are you alright, honey?”
“I’m okay, Uncle Pat. Are you still with search and rescue?”
“Yes. It’s pretty gruesome. Is the power still off at home?”
“Yes. Listen, Uncle Pat. Nate Pierce just came and got me. His sister and her family live on the north side of Stillwater. The storm hit their house. Their daughter is missing. They’ve been looking for her all night. I’ll be with Nate if you need me.”
“Oh honey, I don’t think—”
“I have to, Uncle Pat, and you know it.”
She heard him sigh. “Yes, I know. Just be careful.”
“I will. You, too.”
She dropped her phone back in her pocket.
“Is he upset with you?” Nate asked.
“No,” Tara said, and then gave Nate a closer look. His thick black hair was matted to his head from a combination of drying mud and rain. His clothes were torn and there was a huge bruise forming on the side of his face. “You were caught in the storm, too, weren’t you?”
He shrugged.
She touched his arm and saw everything. “It’s all gone, isn’t it?”
He sighed. “It doesn’t matter. They are just things. We need to find Gracie. She’s just a baby. Even if she’s . . . if she’s not . . . ”
He couldn’t finish the sentence and Tara wouldn’t do it for him. She wasn’t ready to face what was ahead of them. Not
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