Page 85 of The Sweet Spot
Chris nods. “The father has a cell phone with him. That’s all.”
“They’re not going to get a signal out there,” I say. “Did Hannah bring Scout?”
“Yes,” Killian says. “I’m heading up there to join her now.”
Suddenly, Killian’s satellite phone rings. “It’s Hannah,” he says as he answers the call and puts it on speaker. “Go ahead, Hannah. You’re on speaker. Chris is here with me.”
“Scout is showing strong interest in a connector trail that leads over to Black Bear Trail,” Hannah says.
“That would explain why we haven’t found them,” Killian says. “If they switched trails, we’re looking in the wrong place.”
“How far up the trail are you?” Killian asks Hannah.
“A little over one mile.”
“All right. I’m coming. I’ll join you as soon as I can. Maya and Travis are still with you, right?”
“Affirmative,” Hannah says.
“Good. All right, I’m on my way. Over and out.”
Killian pockets his sat phone. “Let the other teams know where we’re going,” he tells Chris. “If we spot anything, we’ll call it in.”
“Got it,” Chris says as he makes a notation on the map. Suddenly, the search area has increased significantly. “Good luck.”
After Killian leaves, I go to the catering tent to grab a box meal and a cup of coffee for Chris. I set the items on the hood of his SUV. “Please take a moment to eat and drink. Knowing you, you haven’t had anything all afternoon.”
He reaches for the coffee cup and takes a sip. “Thanks.” He touches my cheek. “Thanks for everything you’re doing. It really helps.”
Now that Chris is finally eating something, I bring Mrs. Atkins a boxed meal and a bottle of water. “It’s a turkey and cheese sandwich,” I say. “I’ve got vegetarian and vegan options, too, if you’d prefer.”
The woman shakes her head. “Thanks for the food, but I can’t eat anything right now. My stomach is in knots.”
I crouch down beside her. “You need to eat something. It won’t do your husband or daughter any good if you make yourself sick. When they’re found, you’re going to need your strength.”
Her eyes flood with tears. “I know. I’ll try.”
More volunteers come down from the trail to grab some food. Other volunteers take their places. Even from the trailhead, I can hear people calling for the missing hikers.
These mountains are beautiful, but they can also be dangerous.
When I return to Chris, he gives me a rueful smile. “I’m sorry our plans for this evening were ruined.”
We had planned to go on a dinner date tonight in Estes Park. “It’s okay.” I step close beside him, lean into him, and lay my head on his shoulder. “We can reschedule.”
“I know,” he says. “It’s just that I had special plans for tonight.”
I realize I left my gloves in the catering tent, and my fingers are ice cold. I slip them into his jacket pocket to warm up. To my surprise, his pocket isn’t empty. There’s something in here—something small, square, and covered in velvet. It’s a little box.
“What’s this?” Without thinking, I pull it out. My eyes widen when I see it’s a small dark blue velvet jewelry box, and my heart goes thump. “Oh, my God.” I shove it back into his pocket. “I’m so sorry.”
He laughs softly as he retrieves the jewelry box from his pocket. “This was my special plan for tonight. I guess the cat’s out of the bag now.”
“Is that what I think it is?”
The corners of his brown eyes crinkle as he nods. “Yes.”
“You were going to—” I can’t even say the words.
