The Lost and Found (37 page)

“So… how are we going to handle this?”

“Let me ask you this: how soon would you like to get married?”

“I… don’t know… how soon do you want to get married?”

“I asked you first.”

“Josiah! You can’t put that all on me…”

“Okay, how’s this weekend work for you?”

“What?”

“Look, just a few days ago you were nearly in tears over… certain needs… and you did your darndest to entice me into your way of thinking and feeling, which was some kind of hell, let me tell you. And, you were just saying that it’ll be weird sleeping in separate beds — this fixes everything.”

“Are you being serious?”

“Sure, you asked.”

“You’d get married next week?”

“I would.”

“Wow! Well, I’m not sure… I haven’t even thought about it.”

“
I’ve
been thinking about it. A lot. Just so you know — I really do
want
you.”

The sincerity in his voice, and in his gaze, made me chuckle. In the end we agreed to look at a calendar and come up with some dates tomorrow. For the time being I’d continue to stay in my room at the end of the hall. But we promised each other plans would be made — and soon.

Illusion

Crimson Sage

IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG
to get back in the swing of things. Ethan and Billy were ecstatic with my return, claiming to have missed me so much. Which I guess was probably true. They were two more people I had to add to my people-I-hurt-with-my-fear list and felt the need to apologize accordingly. Both Ethan and Billy brushed it aside, said they understood, and loved me too much to let it fester and bother them. They were glad I was home and that things were back to normal. And they were happy with the news that Josiah and I were engaged.

Maybe the focus on my taking off would have been a little more intense had it not been for the fact that Rob and Adam had run away. It had happened four days after Josiah had left. It was shocking because they were just shy of turning eighteen and graduating from the program. Billy told us about it over coffee the next morning. So far there were no leads as to where they’d gone, or who may have helped them. And the absolutely precise manner in which they’d vanished made us believe that they must have had help. The L & F is several miles out of town, and for the boys to disappear in the middle of the day — no one saw them leave, no farm vehicles had been stolen — they must have had everything planned out. Someone picked them up, gave them a ride, and a place to stay.

The room they’d shared had been searched and several very disturbing things had been discovered. Clothing that belonged to Maggie Tyler, the girl who’d been attacked a few months back, had been found stuffed under a broken floorboard, along with a couple pieces of my clothing — a bra and a pair of panties. There was a list of names with phone numbers — Charlene’s name had been on that list. It was determined the list was simply contacts for parties and drugs. They’d also found several photos of me and a few other girls in the area. Maggie had been questioned again, to verify the clothing had been hers, and to see if she’d been wearing it at the time of her attack. She verified the clothes were hers, but either couldn’t or wouldn’t say if that was what she’d been wearing.

There was a measurable difference in the atmosphere at the ranch. While there was certainly curiosity as to the whereabouts of the missing boys and their actions and activities, there was an almost united sigh of relief as well. And even stranger was the difference between how Josiah and I handled the news. Relief was my primary feeling. No more having to be on guard around Rob, or worry about Ethan. Josiah, on the other hand seemed even tenser, more on guard. He’d taken to escorting me into town again, even when I went to talk with Tina at the Java Shack about getting my job back.

“How long will the surveillance continue?” I asked him as we left Burger King with our milkshakes.

“Just being careful,” was his reply.

“You’re worried,” I pressed.

“I didn’t like the idea of Rob being around you. I like the idea of him roaming around on his own with no one to monitor him, especially after he had your clothes, even less.”

“You can’t follow me everywhere, Josiah. You have a job, and tomorrow I begin work again.”

“I won’t interfere with your work, or mine. But I intend to keep an eye on you either way.”

“Josiah….”

“Crimson.”

I sighed deeply and said, “I love you.”

He grinned. “I love you, too.”

We sat in silence for several minutes, each of us just enjoying our milkshakes, our thoughts off in varied directions, when I suddenly had a thought. Josiah had asked me several times about setting a date for our wedding. I’d told him I had to think about it. And as we sat here together in companionable silence, it came to me. “October,” I told him.

“October?”

“How does October work for you? For a date?”

Josiah scratched his chin in exaggerated thoughtfulness. “Yeah… I guess that’d work all right. Nothing open sooner? Like this weekend, or tonight, huh?”

Chuckling at him I said, “I like the fall, all the colors, the crispness. It reminds me of you.”

“October it is. Which day?”

“The fifth.”

“And why the fifth?”

“My parents were married on the fifth of March.”

“The fifth it is. Have you looked at any dresses yet? Or do you know what kind of wedding you want it to be?”

“Yeah… I don’t know what you’ll think of my idea, but I was thinking of a retro, Fifties look…”

“Hmm… that sounds perfect actually. I guess we should get busy getting everything together and sending out the invitations. Where are you thinking of getting married at?”

“The ranch seems the best place.”

“Agreed.”

Josiah

PLEASED WAS TOO MILD
a word for the happiness and relief Josiah felt after Crimson said yes.

Every emotion he’d felt for her was suddenly intensified tenfold. Her lemony scent clung to the very air he breathed. She was all he knew, needed, or wanted. And like a predator with a sure-kill in sight he closed in, his attention focused solely on her.

The news that Rob was missing fractured his euphoria. There was suddenly an unseen player on the field, and all of Josiah’s warning bells were ringing simultaneously.

Not for a second did he think Rob just up and left. There was too much unfinished business between them. And he knew Rob would be back to test himself against Josiah. He’d be back to try and take Crimson from him. And when he made his move, Josiah would be ready.

Crimson Sage

DESPITE JOSIAH’S CONCERN OVER
the missing boys and what they might be up to, time seemed to move steadily forward. Summer arrived with warm weather and sunny, clear skies. Eventually he relaxed his self-imposed vigil when two months had gone by and nothing had been happened.

Charlene and the other names on the list found in Rob’s room had been thoroughly questioned. Red was thinking that maybe they’d headed south, to California. Billy agreed, saying Rob had family down there that he might be trying to connect with. Red told us that the proper authorities had been notified and that he’d done what could be done.

I was worried a little about Billy. He hated seeing any of his boys heading off in the wrong direction. He’d tried steering Rob along the right path, but the boy had been uncooperative at best. Ethan was relieved at his absence, though, and as time continued to move along, he finally opened up to me about how his arm had really been broken. It had been Rob, just like I’d feared. And like I’d suspected he’d threatened to hurt me if Ethan ever told anyone. My emotions were heightened by that news, but I assured Ethan I wasn’t mad at him, just glad he’d told me and that he was okay.

My dress had been ordered — well, both of my dresses. My maid-of-honor dress for Gracie’s wedding was a deep nautical blue, floor-length, formfitting, and strapless. Gracie was ecstatic with how it looked on me when I sent her a picture at my fitting. I’d been helping her make wedding favors and decorations, then shipping them to her. I liked that even though we had so many miles between us, I was still able to be involved.

My dress for my own wedding was my favorite. I wished I could have worn Mom’s wedding dress, but they’d just gone to a justice of the peace for their vows and then had a reception later. Mom said she’d never minded not having a real wedding, that she’d had all she ever wanted. But, I’d found some pictures she’d cut out of a magazine years and years ago and pressed into the back of her Bible. I’d kept them, at the time not having any thoughts about wedding-type plans. The pictures had been Mom’s so they were special to me. But later, as I began to think about my own wedding, those pictures had come to mind. I dug them out and then began building and expanding my idea. It was the closest thing I could think of to wearing my mother’s dress.

I found the dress I’d wanted online at a consignment-type store and ordered it. Its color was candlelight, a sort of soft cream — more golden than ivory. I ordered a matching lace veil and a deep burgundy slip. Josiah would be in slate grey, with a black vest, and a bow tie and suspenders also in the deep burgundy color. Gracie would be my only attendant — her dress was a medium grey color with burgundy accents. Josiah asked Ethan to be his best man. Ethan was pretty proud of that honor. Tina said her sister-in-law was a photographer and she’d ask her to do our pictures. Everything seemed to be coming along. Josiah and I agreed that even though we were getting married in October, we still wanted to have an ice cream and milkshake bar at the reception. There were five more weeks until I had to leave for Gracie’s wedding, and Josiah and Ethan would be going with me. I’d already shipped the dress to her, so that was there and one less thing to worry over.

And really, despite the planning that was taking place for two weddings within a couple months of each other, I was pretty calm. Life was good. It felt good. I was happy and at peace. At times I’d get sad thinking about how much I wished Mom and Dad were here and a part of all this. I’d get a little teary-eyed, but then I’d focus on all the good in my life. And I’d think that if Mom and Dad hadn’t died, I’d never have moved to Idaho, never would have met Josiah, wouldn’t even be planning my own wedding right now. It wasn’t that I wished for things to be different, so much as I was trying to just accept things as they were and not worry over details that I was unable to control. Would I trade Josiah to have my parents back? I couldn’t say that I would. It would be an impossible decision to make. It was one I was thankful I didn’t
have
to make.

Another sore spot occurred one night about four weeks after I’d been back. The sore spot came in the form of butterfly tattoos and green eyes: Charlene. Josiah was supposed to meet me that night after work. It was our usual thing. He’d driven me into town for my shift, and would be back later to pick me up, but he’d texted me to say he was running late. Ethan had stopped him, all upset, saying he couldn’t find Daisy. So Josiah had helped him look around the ranch, and now was running late to pick me up. He said to wait inside the Java Shack, but it was such a nice night out that I decided to stretch my limits and wait for Josiah on one of the metal benches just outside the Shack doors. Tina was still inside counting the till, and I knew she had a shotgun that she kept handy, “just in case.”