Page 66 of Nashville Lights

“Can I speak to Ainsley Beal, please.”

“I’m sorry, she’s unavailable. You can leave a message with me if you’d like and I’ll pass it on. She’ll get back to you in due course.”In due fucking course?“If you’d like to speak to her directly, you’ll have to make an appointment.”

“I’ll make an appointment then.”

“Right. Let’s see…” There’s a pause. “She only has one free appointment this week. There was a cancellation. Tomorrow at two o’clock.”

“I’ll take it.”

“Fine. What’s your name, sir?”

“Nate Boone.”

“Do you know where we’re located, Mr. Boone?”

“No. Hang on, I’ll get a pen.” I find one of Daisy’s crayons. “Right, go ahead.”

“5633 Montgomery Street. We’re two blocks off Broadway.”

Shit, they’re in Nashville. It’s a two hour drive and Daisy starts school tomorrow. I also have meetings—which I’ll have to cancel. I scribble the address onto a piece of paper. “Thank you. I’ll be there at two.”

As I’m ending the call, I look up to see Roxie running down the stairs. “Daisy? Is she down here, Nate?”

“No. She went to her room.”

“She’s not in her room. Or your room. Or any of the other rooms. I looked everywhere. She’s gone.”

25

I sprintup the stairs followed closely by Roxie. I hear Vaughn calling to Daisy outside on the deck.

I check the princess castle, the closet, the bathroom. Frantic, we go room to room, looking everywhere.

I think of all the times Daisy has played hide and seek and made us worry. Once she went off to see Aunt Lou when Ma was babysitting her and forgot to tell anyone where she was going. Or the time she fell asleep in Dakota’s room after playing under Dakota’s bed and no one knew where she was for an agonizing twenty minutes.

It doesn’t happen often, but she’s given us a scare enough times for me to feel sure this will be no different.Please be okay. Where are you?Daisy happens to be quiet. She also happens to be freakishlyfast.

The hot tub cover is locked but I check it anyway.

I notice then that the small gate to the side staircase leading off the deck is open.

Daisy.

And I know where she’s gone. “The cemetery,” I say to Roxie.

“You think she went there?”

“We go there every Sunday afternoon. We missed it this week.”

“Where is it?”

“It’s up behind the orchard, by the waterfall. It was their favorite place on the farm.”

“I’ll come with you,” Roxie’s pulling on her boots.

“Travis, can you keep searching around the house? Vaughn, go up to Ma’s and see if maybe she’s there.”

“Sure, man. She can’t have gone far. We’ll find her.” I’m suddenly incredibly glad they’re here.

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