Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 101501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
“Duke’s truck and boat were found in Wyoming. At Yellowstone Lake. His boat was on the water, but there’s no sign of him.”
I’d been preparing for this news since I’d heard he was missing, but it still hit me in the chest like a sledgehammer. “Are they going to drag the lake for him?” The words felt dry in my throat.
“That’s what I’ll ask,” Logan returned, “when I get there.”
“Wait, what? You’re heading to Wyoming?”
“Yeah. Seems Duke—”
“Storm!” Ty called out from the conference room, waving us over. Logan sighed and took my hand, leading me to the room. Everyone was seated when we stepped inside, waiting, it seemed, for us.
“What’s going on?” I posed the question to the whole room.
“We voted and it was unanimous for those here,” Gerry Sullivan began. “We called the other council members and got their vote of confidence on record.”
“Vote for what?”
With a flick of his wrist, Gerry tossed something metal at Logan. When he opened his hand, a badge was staring back at me. And not any badge, the Chief of Police.
“I don’t understand?”
“It’s temporary until I find Duke or a suitable replacement is hired.”
“What’s temporary?” I looked between Gerry and Logan. “Are you saying you made Logan the Chief of Police?”
“Temporarily,” Logan stated.
“But he’s been here two days. You don’t even know him.”
“Are you saying you don’t think he can do the job?” Ty asked confused.
Logan and Ty’s newfound respect for each other still threw me. One minute they were ready to kill each other, and the next Ty was voting for him as the new chief. “Of course, he can. With his military background he’s the obvious choice. But how do any of you know that?”
Gerry rose from his seat, hooked his thumbs through his belt loops. “Duke chose him. Strong-armed him really, without even trying. And that was good enough for us.”
Ed nodded in agreement. “Seems your man made quite the impression on Duke. He ran his background yesterday and told us last night over a beer that he’d found his replacement. Fortuitous for us considering Duke is missing. And you’re right. Out of all the men in Ennis, Mr. Storm is the most qualified to take on the responsibility until we can figure out what’s happened to Duke.”
Logan squeezed my shoulder and I looked up at him. “I’ll do everything in my power to find Duke. I can promise you that.”
Logan’s silent strength put me at ease. If anyone could find Duke, it was him. “I guess I need to fire you then.”
A grin crossed his mouth. “I think I can hold down two jobs.”
Considering he used to fight terrorists for a living, I was sure he was right.
“We need you to head over to Yellowstone tonight, see what you can find out,” George Anderson said. “Duke wouldn’t sleep if it were one of us missing, and we’ll do the same for him.”
I turned at that announcement and told Logan I was going with him then ran from the room and headed to find Josh before he could argue. George was right, Duke would have done anything for one of Ennis’ citizens. He’d also delayed retiring because of my brothers and me. We owed it to him to help bring him home.
“Can you stay the night at a friend’s house?” I asked my brother when I found him.
Josh, being fifteen and a perv, wiggled his eyebrows. “Need the cabin to yourself?”
I reached out and popped him behind the ear. “Quit being a perv. Logan’s heading to Yellowstone to find Duke, and I want to go with him.”
“Duke’s in Wyoming?”
“They found his truck there.”
“Why is Logan going?”
“He’s the new police chief until we find Duke.”
His eyes bugged out. “Jesus, Skye, you hit the motherload with this guy. We’ve got unlimited ‘get out of jail free’ cards now.”
I popped him behind the ear again. “Focus, Josh.”
“Right. Right. Sorry. Um, yeah, I can hang with Cody.”
Logan’s hand landed on my shoulder. “Can you take Max with you? Keep an eye on him for me?”
Josh grew very still, and his eyes turned glassy with an odd sort of wonder. You’d have thought Logan asked him to keep watch over the varsity cheer squad the way he reacted. “You bet. Absolutely. I won’t let anything happen to him.”
Logan reached out his hand for Josh to shake, and he stood taller instantly. “I know you won’t.”
The glassy wonder morphed into pride, and I wondered, not for the first time, if Logan truly was Superman. In less than two days, Josh had changed from broody and secretive to open and hopeful.
Once we were outside heading to his truck, I tugged on Logan’s hand. When he turned to look back at me, I reached up and placed my hand over his heart before rising up to kiss him. He didn’t stop me, let me take control. When I’d finished showing my gratitude for Josh’s attitude adjustment, I simply said, “Thank you.”