Page 67 of Reunion at Mistletoe Lodge
“Because she can be a big kid again,” Zac teased, then yelped when Paige punched himon the arm.
“Come on, Ozzie, let's go catch us a hayride.” Paige took his hand.
“Bye, love you both,” Oscar said, blowing them a kiss as he and Paige walked off.
Zac and Barb walked back to the lodge and found that Herschel had gotten them all the supplies Zac had ordered. They were neatly laid out on the counter, and the cold goods were stored in the refrigerator.
“We’re making that much chili?” Barb’s eyes widened as she looked at the pot Herschel had bought.
“Yup!” Zac nodded. “There are a lot of mouths to feed at the festival.”
“Then we’d better get cooking,” Barb said.
As she moved, Zac moved, and they bumped into each other. Zac reached out to grab her and pulled her against himself to stop her from falling. Their eyes locked, and they started being drawn toward each other. As their lips met, Barb’s arms wound around Zac’s neck as he pulled her closer to him.
The world around them started to fade away, only to come back in when Zac and Barb’s phones began to ring. They pulled apart and answered.
“Hello,” Zac said, a little breathless, his heart beating so loudly that he was certain Barb and whoever was on the other side of the call could hear it.
“Zac, it’s Jackie.” Jackie’s voice was strained. “You need to get to the start of the hayride right away. Oscar, Paige, and Herschel are missing.”
“What?” Zac and Barb said in unison, their eyes meeting.
Once their calls were ended, Zac and Barb looked at each other. “Did you just get the call about Oscar, Paige, and Herschel?”
“Yes,” Barb said, her eyes wide with fear. “Let’s go,” was all she said before spinning on her heel, grabbing her hat and coat, then rushing outthe door.
Zac was just a little behind her. They reached the starting point of the hayride. Daven, Hank, Giles, Emily, and Heather were waiting for them.
“What happened?” Zac asked.
“The horse and cart came back without Herschel, Paige, and Oscar,” Giles told him, indicating toward the seat. “Zac, there’s blood on the driver's seat.”
“We were about to go look for them when we saw you arriving,” Daven told him, his eyes filled with worry.
“We don’t have any weapons,” Zac said, glancing around, his eyes scanning the ground where he saw the tracks made by the horse and cart. “Follow me.”
Zac followed the tracks, backtracking the way the horse had brought the cart home and stopping at a point which marked a scuffle. Zac picked up five sets of footprints: two females, two males, and a child.
“They went that way.” Zac pointed in the direction the footprints lead into the woods.
He stood by the edge of the snow-covered forest, his eyes scanning the trees for any sign of movement. It had been a week since Barb got sick, and during that time, he had found solace in the small moments they shared—breakfasts, dinners, and quiet talks about their families as they prepared for the Mistletoe Winter Festival. But now, with the festival in full swing and the sledding competition behind them, everything had taken a dark turn.
The laughter and joy of the sled race still echoed in Zac’s mind. For a brief moment, time had stood still as he and Barb had shared their first moment. But that lightheartedness had quickly evaporated when they received the calls—Oscar and Paige were missing.
Now, Zac’s focus was razor-sharp, his FBI training kicking in. As he was about to walk, his phone bleeped. “Shoot.” His mind was in such turmoil that he’d forgotten to tell the group to turn off their phones. “Turn the sound off your phones.” As he did so, a message flashed on his screen, making him freeze.
We have Oscar and Paige. We want two million wired to an account and a plane to get me out of the country—no cops, or else.
“I’ve just received a ransom message.” Zac’s voice was low, and he showed it to the group.
“What?” Barb’s face paled as she stood beside Zac. “Where am I going to get two million dollars?”
“Don’t worry, Barb.” Zac’s voice softened. “We’ll work it out.” His eyes darted back to the tracks. “I don’t think we’re dealing with professionals here.”
“Does that make it more or less frightening?” Barb asked, her voice shaky.
“To be honest,” Zac muttered. “I’m not sure.”
