Page 83 of Connor

I think about where else she could be, and my mind immediately goes to the springs. She’s gone there twice since we got back from New York without telling me. I caught her the first time sneaking off and followed her, watching her from a distance with pride as she worked hard at accomplishing a new skill of swimming. I know she’s smart and competent, and getting into trouble when she’s in the water is an almost unthinkable issue now. But it’s still not impossible. What if she drowned? What if she slipped on a rock and hit her head? I would never forgive myself if that happened.

Feeling a fresh rush of panic, I run out the door and down the path toward the springs, looking around on my journey, and there’s no sign of her. I speed up my steps, frazzled, having no idea where else she might be if she isn’t by the water.

I reach the springs, and the water is calm. The gravel’s a little messy in the area where I know she normally steps, so she may have been here, but there’s no other sign of her. No towel, shoes. Nothing.

“Daisy!” I yell out her name, the feeling of something being off building. I hear nothing, I see nothing, and with nowhere else to search, I run back up the path, my mind spinning.

We had a great night. We laid out our cards. I told her how I feel about her, and she feels the same. It was so good to have her in my arms, dancing in our garden of daisies, and while I know we still have a few things to iron out, we’re both committed to merging our futures.

There’s a pit in my stomach, and I rub my chest as my heart pounds hard and fast. Something feels really wrong, like the connection we have is in jeopardy. I shake my head. I’m sounding woo-woo, but… I feel it in my gut.

“What’s going on?” Dad asks, having just pulled up to the distillery and seeing me come through the gate. “What’s wrong?” he asks again, striding over to me, my panic written all over my face, no doubt.

“I can’t find her,” I tell him, my breathing rapid.

“Who?”

“Daisy. I went for a run. I thought she was going to do yoga, but I can’t find her on the lawn. Then I checked the office, and she hasn’t been in yet. I just went down to the springs, and she isn’t there either, although I think she might have been,” I rush out, and a frown creases his face immediately.

“Do you think… Do you think she left?” I ask him, swallowing as self-doubt creeps in. I know it’s not possible. We feel tethered together, Daisy and me. Our feelings are too real and too big to even consider that she would run from me, but I need to look at all angles.

“Left you?” he asks, already shaking his head.

“Maybe last night was too much for her?” I mention, and he inhales a sharp breath.

“Call her parents,” he says, and I nod, grabbing my cell. Finding their details, I immediately call them.

“It’s Connor Whiteman,” I say as soon as someone answers.

“Connor. Good morning,” her father says.

“Sorry for the early call, but I can’t find Daisy. She normally does morning yoga while I run, but when I got back, she wasn’t there, and I’ve looked everywhere. I can’t find her. I’m calling to see if you have heard from her…” I ask, knowing that this is an odd phone call, and I have taken him by surprise. I hold my breath. On the one hand, I want him to tell me that he has heard from her and she’s on her way home to them. I would be devastated, but at least I’d know she’s okay. On the other hand, if he hasn’t heard from her, then I know my gut feeling is right.

“We haven’t heard from her. Are you sure you’ve looked everywhere? Called her cell?” he asks, and Dad looks at me. It’s a silent question, asking if she’s with her parents. I shake my head, and he’s quick to pull out his phone.

“I’ve called her cell, but her phone, along with her purse, are still sitting on the table at my place. She doesn’t have anything with her,” I tell him, thinking about seeing her handbag, her crystals, yoga gear. Everything is still as it was last night. Safely in my house.

“Connor, you’re starting to worry me,” he says, his voice taking on an edge of panic. The kind I’ve felt all morning.

“I am worried, sir,” I admit. My palms start to sweat, my shoulders tense as I wait for his response.

“Did the two of you have a fight or anything?” he asks, and I look up to the sky.

“No, the opposite. I told her last night that I loved her and I want her to build a life with me,” I tell him honestly.

“Was she okay with that?” he asks hesitantly, and I swallow.

“She reciprocated her love for me. She smiled, laughed, we danced under the stars for a bit, before we had to come back inside for the remainder of the party, and then we went home. She was happy last night and still asleep in bed this morning when I left for my run.”

“What time did you last see her?”

I look at my watch. “About three hours ago.”

“She isn’t a runner, Connor. She has never run away from anything in her life. Rainbow and I will pack a bag and come to Whispers right away. Something doesn’t feel right,” he says, and I nod, even though he can’t see me.

“I’ll arrange a car to be at your place in half an hour. I can fly you both here to Whispers this morning.”

I hear my dad on his phone, calling the staff in. Starting a search party, the gardener, the restaurant team, he’s asking everyone if they’ve seen her and to come in to start looking around the area.

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