Page 80 of In Full Bloom

“But you’d like to see Sadie?” I hold my breath as I wait for her answer.

“Yes. If you think that’s a good idea. It’s totally in your court.” Her voice wobbles.

“She’s not here,” I mutter as we approach Katie’s house. It’s just her car in the driveway, right where we left it earlier. “Keep driving, take the next left,” I say.

Abi resettles her hands on the steering wheel and accelerates as we leave the town boundary and enter a higher speed zone. “Can I ask why Sadie doesn’t know about Katie?”

I sigh and rest my head against the window. “Because it’s new. Katie wasn’t sure she was sticking around and we didn’t want to tell Sadie anything until she was sure.” My voice cracksand I heave in a strangled breath, fighting against a sob that’s threatening to escape.

A pain stabs through my chest as I realise the potential repercussions of the altercation with Max. Will Katie want to stay? Or is she going to leave me after everything anyway?

Abi doesn’t respond. She must know me well enough from our history to understand I’m out of words and need to stew in my feelings for a bit. I close my eyes and rest my head against the glass of the window. There’s silence in the car, just the rumble of tyres on the rough road surface.

After a while, I feel the car slow and crack my eyes open. We’re approaching the Wildflower Ridge gate.

“It’s this one,” I say, my voice rough.

Abi slows further and turns into the driveway, pulling to a stop and staring up at the wooden sign announcing the property name. There’s a matching one hanging over the function centre door—handmade gifts from Henry to Violet after he renamed the farm for her.

“This is where she works?”

“Yeah, and me.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Of all the places.”

She accelerates again, still muttering under her breath about coincidences and chances and how it’s a small fucking world.

I’m too distracted looking for any sign of Katie to pay her much attention. The main house comes into view, but my ute isn’t parked outside. Olivia is just climbing out of the side-by-side though, and we come to a stop beside it.

I jump out of Abi’s car and glance at my cottage. No sign ofthe ute over there either. I’m sure I’d be able to see it through the trees.

She’s not here.

My heart plummets.

Olivia is staring at me open mouthed. “Dallas. Why are you here?”

I spin to face her. “Do you know where Katie is?” The desperation in my voice is clear and she snaps out of her confusion.

“No. She’s supposed to be with you. What happened?”

“Max happened,” I rasp and Olivia’s eyes slam closed as she takes a deep breath. “Did you know all the things Toby did to her?” I ask.

“I know some of them,” she whispers. “What happened today?”

“Max had a go at her again. She told him the truth, but Tilly was there and she heard everything.”

Olivia lets out a long sigh. “Oh, the poor kid.”

“Yeah. Katie was horrified. I think Tilly overhearing was more upsetting for her than having it out with Max. Katie took off and before I had a chance to catch up, she’d taken my ute and gone. She isn’t at home. She isn’t here. Where else could she be?” My words spill out of me, tumbling over each other so fast I’m amazed they even sound like words anymore.

A hand on my back slows my rapid breathing. “Take a breath, Dal,” Abi says softly. “You’ll find her.”

Olivia has her phone out and she’s tapping the screen so ferociously I think she might be about to smash right throughthe device. A moment later a motorbike skids to a stop beside us and Flynn climbs off, looking harried and panicked.

“What’s the SOS?”

“We can’t find Katie,” Olivia whispers and Flynn’s face goes white.

---