Evidence of Life. Barbara Sissel Taylor

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      Chapter 3

      It was one of those perfect spring days: a breeze fiddled along under a blue umbrella sky while the sun rose, a butter-yellow balloon above the sodden earth. It was the picture of innocence, a child’s crayon drawing. Not one vestige remained of the horrible rain Abby had driven through to get here, and it disconcerted and infuriated her...this weather that lay on her like a blessing, that wouldn’t hurt a fly, that would take nothing from anyone. She felt mocked by it. She paced the length of Kate’s porch feeling she was the brunt of its joke. An awful noise began to build inside her, and when it pushed into her throat, she bit down hard against it, went back into the house and found Kate in the kitchen. “I have to call Louise,” she said. “I can’t put it off any longer.”

      “I can do it, if you want.” Kate switched on the coffeemaker. She’d dragged out the big one, the forty-cupper that she and George used during roundup or rodeo days when they fed and coffee’d dozens of ranch hands, men who bunked with them, who loved to cowboy. Now a lot of those same men were here in a far different capacity, and Abby was so grateful for their presence. As long as they stayed, there was activity and there was hope.

      She opened the dishwasher and began unloading the clean dishes. “As much as I dread it, I should be the one to tell her that her son and granddaughter are missing.”

      “I’ll sit with you then.”

      “I’m worried she’s alone. I wish I knew a friend to call for her, who could be with her. She’ll be devastated.”

      Kate stowed the glasses Abby handed her in the cabinet. “Won’t her housekeeper be there? Maybe she’ll answer. It might help to soften the news.”

      But it wasn’t Louise’s housekeeper who answered Abby’s call. It was Louise herself.

      “There must be more that can be done,” she said through her tears. “You aren’t thinking clearly, Abby. Of course, you aren’t.” Louise blew her nose, and Abby heard the jangle of her bracelets. “I’m coming there.”

      “No, Louise, you can’t.”

      “What? Of course, I can. For heaven’s sake, I’m Nicholas’s mother. I’m Lindsey’s grandmother.”

      “I know, but the roads are still closed. They’re asking people to stay—”

      “I’ll fly then. It will be quicker in any case. You can pick me up in Austin or San Antonio.”

      “The airports are closed, too, Louise. I’m so sorry.” Abby meant it. She and Louise had never had an easy relationship, but that didn’t seem to matter now. “I’ll call you as soon as I know anything. I promise.”

      “What is going to happen to me?” Louise asked after an uncertain silence.

      Abby closed her eyes. It was no surprise really that even now Louise would be most concerned for her own welfare. “Consuelo is there, isn’t she? Can she stay with you?”

      “Yes, but I mean if Nick is— If he’s—”

      But Abby wouldn’t allow Louise to say it. “They’ll find them,” she said, and she believed it with all her heart.

      * * *

      Jake didn’t make it to the ranch until late on Wednesday, three days after the rain stopped. By then much of the power in the area had been restored, and most of the primary roads and highways were open. Abby saw him from the porch and went down the steps to meet him, and once he was out of his car, she hugged him to her, fiercely, and he allowed it.

      “Anything?” He stepped out of her embrace, looked anxiously down into her face.

      She shook her head and, reaching up, traced her fingertips across his brow. Although he had her paler coloring, he had Nick’s dark hair, and he was as tall as Nick and as broad-shouldered. In fact, Jake’s resemblance to his dad had never been clearer to her than it was now, and somehow it hurt her even as it pleased and relieved her. She said, “The helicopter’s gone up several times, but there’s no sign of them or the Jeep.”

      Abby had asked the search and rescue pilots to take her up with them. She said СКАЧАТЬ