Page 30 of The Map Home
“You aren’t sorry at all,” he said.
“Nope, guess not,” Dakota agreed, still smirking.
Together, they looked out onto the square. Again, Tad noted how easy it was for him to be quiet around Dakota. He didn’t feel like he had to fill in empty spaces with meaningless words, like he sometimes did with his other friends or with customers at Jake’s. With Dakota, he could just be his slightly nerdy, goofy, uncool self.
Friend.
Instrumental holiday music drifted on the breeze from one of the now open stores that had outdoor speakers going. Unaware of Tad or Dakota, his parents stood up from their seats and tossed their empty cups into the recycling. Still talking, his momlooking determined and his dad resigned. Not that unusual, but why? He’d call them later and find out.
“You’re on foot patrol again today? Like an old-time copper in London?”
“Yeah. Morgan has me walking around this morning. I’ll be in the cruiser later. It’s going to be a long day, for sure. What about you?”
“You know, human interest stories, that kind of thing.”
He was tempted to tell Dakota that Curtis had asked him to help with the land development story, but Curtis liked to keep things close to his chest until he was ready to publish. Tad didn’t think Dakota would say anything, but he wasn’t going to let Curtis down.
“Did you hear that the donated toys were stolen?” Dakota asked.
Tad swung around to stare at him. “Are you fucking kidding me?” That could explain his parents being in town.
Dakota nodded, looking grim now. “They were discovered missing early this morning. I was just talking to a kid who might have seen something, but honestly? We don’t know when they were taken. It could’ve been any time after people went home yesterday. Fuck, it could’ve been right afterward, there were so many people milling around.”
“Crud. Mom is going to be devastated.” Tad glanced across the square where his parents were still standing. Their conversation seemed intense. “But maybe they already know.”
Dakota followed his gaze. “I imagine they do.”
“That’s probably why Mom’s upset. I bet that’s why they’re in town too.” Tad narrowed his eyes. “We have to try and find them—the toys, I mean. And return them to the donation box.” Tad thought a bit further. “Why would someone take them? I mean, the ones Mom donated were just teddy bears for little kids.”
“Who knows? Could’ve been a prank, or a dare.”
“I hope they aren’t trashed.” This was the first year for the toy drive, and some jerk stealing the donations wasn’t going to be helpful in selling the county council on doing it again.
“We have no idea what the motive was, honestly. That’s why Morgan has me out here keeping my eye out. He figures I might see something out of the ordinary. But it’s not like we can spend a lot of time looking for them. We’re short-staffed, and there’s a missing person too.”
While they watched, Tad’s dad answered a call on his cell phone. Waylon spoke briefly and then tucked his phone away again. Leaving the front of the coffee shop, Tad’s parents started toward city hall.
“Yep, they definitely know the toys are gone,” Tad said.
A voice from behind them said, “What are you two doing?”
This time, the interloper was Boone. Tad tried to tamp down the automatic surge of irritation he felt toward his older brother and Dakota’s expression hardened. He and Boone did not get along.
“What are you doing here, Boone?” Tad asked, cranky that Boone had interrupted them.
“It’s a free country, baby brother. I can walk around town if I want to,” his brother said somewhat belligerently.
Tad eyed Boone. He knew his brother well, and Boone looked like he was up to something. His hands were stuffed into the pockets of his coat, his shoulders were rounded, and he had an overall furtive air about him.
“Where’s Amanda?” Tad asked. “Have you popped the question yet?”
The question made Boone look even shiftier. Had the idiot managed to mess it up with Amanda already?
“Did you do something stupid? Where is she, anyway? I haven’t seen her in ages.”
Tad liked Amanda. Weirdly, she seemed to like his brother, but maybe she liked being the one in charge because everybody knew it wasn’t going to be Boone. He talked big but pretty much wanted Amanda to make all the decisions. Which was Boone being smart, in Tad’s opinion.
“Fuck off. No, I haven’t asked her yet. I’m waiting for the perfect moment. She and Sara drove into Jackson Hole yesterday and stayed over, not that it’s any business of yours. What are you doing here?”
