Read Online Professor and the Nanny (Silhouette Romance) by Phyllis Halldorson - Free Book Online
Authors: Phyllis Halldorson
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Fortunately he was familiar with the layout of the building and knew exactly where he was going as he raced up and down the twisted hallways opening doors and calling Nate’s name.
By this time everyone was gone except Quinn, the night janitor, who caught up with Ethan and offered his help as soon as he realized something was wrong. Quickly Ethan explained the situation and they each went in different directions shoutingand turning lights on in hopes that Nate would find his way to them even if he was having a panic attack and didn’t know who or where he was.
All the time Ethan searched, he berated himself for not paying closer attention to his father. He’d been so secure in the knowledge that Nate was right there in the room with him, would even have to pass beside the table where Ethan was seated in order to get to the door if he wanted to leave, that he’d let his guard down.
How could he have let Grady Ellison badger him into attending this meeting when he had family emergencies at home? They couldn’t fire Ethan, he had tenure, and they couldn’t force him to work more than a certain number of hours overtime. He’d put those in months ago and had hours to spare.
If anything happened to Nate…
Ethan couldn’t bear to think about that now.
When Quinn and Ethan caught up with each other again they agreed that Nate had possibly left the building and was wandering around outside somewhere. The idea was terrifying, but they couldn’t waste any time. Nate lost all sense of direction when he got confused.
Ethan put in a quick call to Anna to brief her on the situation and ask her to keep Danny overnight at her house if necessary. She agreed, and with that worry off his mind he suggested to Quinn that he stay in the building and continue to search there while he, Ethan, would walk around outside and, if necessary, take his car to explore a wider range. If only he knew how long his dad had been gone before Ethan missed him!
The police department didn’t consider a person officially missing until he or she had been gone for forty-eight hours, but they might make an exception in Nate’s case since he had a medical problem. As a last resort he’d call 911.
Quinn turned on the outside lights on the school buildingand found a large flashlight for Ethan, but even so it was difficult to see in the dark shadows and nooks and crannies where the light didn’t reach. The first place he looked was his car, but no luck. He continued to call out Nate’s name and stood under streetlights as much as possible so his dad could see him, but the silence between his calls was deafening.
Finally, Ethan took his car and started driving around the campus, but there was no one on the streets, either walking or driving.
Suddenly a thought occurred to him. Brittany’s apartment was only two or three blocks from the campus. Ethan had never been there, but she’d told him about it. It was in a large old house and most of the tenants were students.
Could she have taken Nate there at some time, maybe to pick up something she needed, and he remembered? Was it possible he was trying to find her?
Immediately Ethan pulled over to the curb and reached for his cell phone.
Brittany was having trouble sleeping. She’d been tired when she went to bed, but since then she’d tossed and turned and couldn’t seem to rest. Something was bothering her but she didn’t know what it was. If she were prone to premonition she’d think that was it, but no one was more earthbound than she. She needed good solid proof before she believed anything she couldn’t see.
She pulled the sheet over her shoulders and had just started to relax when the shrill ring of the telephone cut through the silence of the room. Oh, for heaven’s sake, who would be calling her at this time of night? It had to be close to midnight.
She reached for the phone on the bedside table, but then realized it was her cell phone. Darn! If she got out of bed and headed across
By this time everyone was gone except Quinn, the night janitor, who caught up with Ethan and offered his help as soon as he realized something was wrong. Quickly Ethan explained the situation and they each went in different directions shoutingand turning lights on in hopes that Nate would find his way to them even if he was having a panic attack and didn’t know who or where he was.
All the time Ethan searched, he berated himself for not paying closer attention to his father. He’d been so secure in the knowledge that Nate was right there in the room with him, would even have to pass beside the table where Ethan was seated in order to get to the door if he wanted to leave, that he’d let his guard down.
How could he have let Grady Ellison badger him into attending this meeting when he had family emergencies at home? They couldn’t fire Ethan, he had tenure, and they couldn’t force him to work more than a certain number of hours overtime. He’d put those in months ago and had hours to spare.
If anything happened to Nate…
Ethan couldn’t bear to think about that now.
When Quinn and Ethan caught up with each other again they agreed that Nate had possibly left the building and was wandering around outside somewhere. The idea was terrifying, but they couldn’t waste any time. Nate lost all sense of direction when he got confused.
Ethan put in a quick call to Anna to brief her on the situation and ask her to keep Danny overnight at her house if necessary. She agreed, and with that worry off his mind he suggested to Quinn that he stay in the building and continue to search there while he, Ethan, would walk around outside and, if necessary, take his car to explore a wider range. If only he knew how long his dad had been gone before Ethan missed him!
The police department didn’t consider a person officially missing until he or she had been gone for forty-eight hours, but they might make an exception in Nate’s case since he had a medical problem. As a last resort he’d call 911.
Quinn turned on the outside lights on the school buildingand found a large flashlight for Ethan, but even so it was difficult to see in the dark shadows and nooks and crannies where the light didn’t reach. The first place he looked was his car, but no luck. He continued to call out Nate’s name and stood under streetlights as much as possible so his dad could see him, but the silence between his calls was deafening.
Finally, Ethan took his car and started driving around the campus, but there was no one on the streets, either walking or driving.
Suddenly a thought occurred to him. Brittany’s apartment was only two or three blocks from the campus. Ethan had never been there, but she’d told him about it. It was in a large old house and most of the tenants were students.
Could she have taken Nate there at some time, maybe to pick up something she needed, and he remembered? Was it possible he was trying to find her?
Immediately Ethan pulled over to the curb and reached for his cell phone.
Brittany was having trouble sleeping. She’d been tired when she went to bed, but since then she’d tossed and turned and couldn’t seem to rest. Something was bothering her but she didn’t know what it was. If she were prone to premonition she’d think that was it, but no one was more earthbound than she. She needed good solid proof before she believed anything she couldn’t see.
She pulled the sheet over her shoulders and had just started to relax when the shrill ring of the telephone cut through the silence of the room. Oh, for heaven’s sake, who would be calling her at this time of night? It had to be close to midnight.
She reached for the phone on the bedside table, but then realized it was her cell phone. Darn! If she got out of bed and headed across
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