“We’re getting our bowling shirts next week,” she announced. “I saw a sample, and they’re going to look wonderful. They’re fuchsia.”

Gideon stared at her. “Wasn’t I supposed to approve the sample?”

She waved her hand in a gesture of dismissal. “They’re fine. You’ll love them.” Her smile turned sly. “I took the liberty of ordering a couple of extras. One for you and one for Carter.”

“Cool,” Carter told her. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” She looked at Gideon. “He’s a very nice young man. You should get him a dog.”

With that, she left.

Carter stared up at him. “A dog?”

“No.”

“But a boy needs a dog.”

“Did you two plan this?”

“No. I’ve never met that lady before in my life.”

“You’ll have to make do with a bowling shirt. By the way, they’re pink.”

“She said they’re fuchsia.”

“Do you know what color fuchsia is?” Gideon asked.

“No.”

“It’s pink.”

“About that dog,” Carter began.

Fortunately, they turned the corner and Gideon saw Ford up ahead. He waved to his friend, who headed toward them.

“Have you seen my mother?” Ford asked, looking over his shoulder.

“No. Carter, this is Ford Hendrix. Ford, my son, Carter.”

“Hey,” Ford said, holding out his hand. “Nice to meet you.” He looked around. “She’s here.”

“Who?”

“My mother. She wants to find me a wife.”

Gideon remembered talk of the booth at the Fourth of July festival. “That’s right. She’s taking applications. How’s that working out for you?”

Ford glared at him. “If there wasn’t a young man standing here, I would tell you exactly how it’s working out for me.”

“I don’t mind if you swear,” Carter told him. “I’ve heard it all. Why don’t you want to get married?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Are you in love with someone else? Because if you’re not, Felicia’s awesome. She’s totally hot and she can cook and she’s very organized.”

Now it was Gideon’s turn to glare, but at his son rather than his friend. “What are you doing?”

Carter shrugged. “Felicia wants a family. She told me. If you haven’t made your move yet, Dad, you need to step out of the way and let some other guy have a shot at her. She’s a babe. Not to me, because she’s like a stepmom, but Reese thinks she’s all that.”

Ford patted Gideon on the shoulder. “All right, bro. You have bigger problems than me. I find that comforting. Good luck.” He started to walk away, then turned back. “You should get that kid a dog.”

Carter beamed.

Gideon found himself wanting to pummel his friend and ground Carter for the next year. “Felicia can get her own guy.”

“She won’t go out with anyone else while she’s still with you. Unless you’re in love with her. You don’t have to tell me, of course,” he added. “I’m just a kid.”

He started to say he wasn’t in love with Felicia, that he was never going to love anyone. He couldn’t. To love was to be weak. But Carter wouldn’t understand that.

“You guys are great together,” Carter added. “If you’re worried I’ll be upset because you didn’t marry my mom, I won’t be. I promise.”

“Good to know.”

* * *

SUNDAY AFTERNOON CARTER and Reese lay on the grass in Reese’s front yard.

“I’m not getting anywhere,” Carter admitted, staring up at the blue sky. “Gideon won’t make his move.” Reese already knew about the fight the previous week. Although it hadn’t been part of his plan, afterward he’d realized they’d had to pull together to deal with him. He’d waited for days, hoping for a sign that things had progressed.

“You’re sure he didn’t say he loved her?” Reese asked.

“I’m sure. I practically asked and he didn’t answer.”

“Maybe he doesn’t want to talk about his feelings. My dad never does.”

“I don’t think it’s that simple. He wasn’t happy when I suggested Ford go out with her, but he also didn’t say no.” Carter needed Gideon and Felicia to get together. He needed them to be a family, and he was running out of ways to make that happen.

Reese sat up. “Okay, I have one more idea, but it’s risky. And we could both get in a lot of trouble.”

“Trouble isn’t always bad if it brings Felicia and Gideon together. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

* * *

FELICIA COULDN’T REMEMBER being this tired before, except maybe after the last festival. She had spent the past three days running from around six in the morning until midnight. Now it was close to ten Sunday evening and she could barely keep her eyes open.

“Thanks for picking me up,” she said, trying not to yawn.

“I know how long the days are,” Gideon told her as he drove up the mountain. “We’ll get your car in the morning.”

She leaned against the door and closed her eyes. “I’m not worried. No one is going to steal it.”

“Succumbing to small-town charm?”

“Uh-huh.”

She could feel herself starting to drift off. The sound of the car was soothing, and being around Gideon always made her feel safe. Sleep, she thought drowsily. She needed sleep.

“You know Ford Hendrix, right?”

“What?” She opened her eyes. “Sure. For a long time. He’s friends with Justice. A SEAL, but we don’t hold that against him.”

“You ever date him?”

“No. Ford falls into the brother category. Not as much as Justice, but close. His mother’s trying to find him a wife. I don’t think he’s excited about the prospect.”

“So if he wanted to go out with you, you wouldn’t be interested?”

Surprise added to alertness. “No. What a strange question. Ford and I are friends.” The only man she could imagine herself being with was Gideon. The thought of trying to be intimate with someone else made her uncomfortable.

Pair bonding, she thought. She’d bonded. She wasn’t sure that was the same as love, but it was a step on the road. Another sign of normal, she thought happily. If only she could figure out his feelings for her.

“Do you think we should get Carter a dog? A couple of people mentioned it today.”

“There are many reasons to have a dog in the family. They teach responsibility and demonstrate loyalty. Does Carter want a dog?”

“He said he did.”

“Do you?”

“I’m not sure.”

They arrived at the house. He parked in front. She climbed out of her side and started toward the house.

The night was dark and still. In the distance, she heard the soft hoot of an owl.

“There aren’t any lights on in the house,” she said as Gideon unlocked the door. “What time was Kent dropping off Carter?”

“Around nine. That’s what Carter said. Maybe he went to bed already.”

“He never has before. He always waits up.”

But he wasn’t in the living room. Felicia found herself coming completely awake as irrational panic swept through her.

“Carter?” she called as she hurried to his bedroom.

“He’s not in the media room,” Gideon yelled from downstairs.

He wasn’t in his bedroom, either, but he’d left a note on his desk.

Gideon and Felicia—I’ve run away. I’m out alone in the world. It’s a dangerous place. Who knows what could happen to a kid my age. You should probably come find me.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

IT TOOK THE Fool’s Gold police department less than an hour to set up a command station. While Gideon waited for Ford, Angel and Justice to arrive, Felicia moved her computer into the dining room. The police might technically be in charge, but she was going to be running the show.

She had trouble with her computer. Something was wrong with the keys. They weren’t responding. It took her a second to realize she was shaking so hard, she wasn’t pressing them right. Then she sank down in a chair and covered her face with her hands.

She couldn’t do this, she thought as panic and helplessness wrestled for control. Couldn’t not know, couldn’t feel these feelings. All around her police officers spoke on cell phones and called out instructions, and all she could think was that Carter had run away.

Had she done something wrong? The question repeated itself over and over in her brain. She waited for some logical response or a pithy phrase in Latin. Instead there was only fear and the knowledge that if it would bring him home, she would gladly cut out her own heart and offer it to whomever was interested.

Someone pulled her hands away from her face.

“They’re ten minutes out,” Gideon said, his expression tense and determined as he crouched in front of her.

“Justice and the guys?”

“Yeah. They’re who I’d want on my team.”

He was trying to make her feel better. She wished it could work. “We need to find him.”

He straightened. “We will. I’m going to call in a heat-seeking helicopter.”

Not the technical term for the cameras that were sensitive enough to differentiate various temperatures from hundreds of feet in the air, but she got the point.

“Maybe later. First, we should start by searching the old-fashioned way.” Mayor Marsha walked over to them. She took Felicia’s hand and squeezed her fingers. “I know this is hard for both of you.”

“He ran away,” Felicia said, still trying to believe the words. “He ran away because I did something wrong.”

“While it would be easy for you to blame yourself, I doubt either of you are at fault,” the mayor told her. “Let’s think about this from Carter’s point of view. He’s a thirteen-year-old boy who’s had his life turned upside down. A year ago he lost his mother. Three months ago, his living situation dissolved and he knew he was going to be thrust into the foster care system. He had to find his father, make his way to Fool’s Gold, all on his own, and start over. A lot for anyone, but for a young man of his age?”

Felicia nodded. “You’re right. But he did it. All of it.” She looked at Gideon. “He’s so strong. I think he gets that from you.”

Gideon raised his hands and took a step back. “Do we have to talk about that now?”

“No. You’re right. We have to find Carter.”

“Did he take his bike?” Mayor Marsha asked.

Gideon shook his head. “It’s still in the garage with the other two.”

“Well, then, he’s traveling on foot.” The older woman smiled and released Felicia’s hand. “He can’t have gotten far.”

“Unless he got in a car with someone.” Felicia pressed her hand to her mouth. “What if he’s been abducted?”

“He left a note saying he ran away,” Gideon reminded her. “He wasn’t abducted.”

“I agree.” The older woman drew in a breath. “Boys do love to explore. There are so many trails in the mountains. Caves and old shacks. We have a lot of ground to cover. I’ve already put a call in to Max Thurman. Two of his older service dogs used to work for the DEA. They’re trained to find items based on scent. I wonder if they could help locate Carter.” She sighed. “We really need an organized Search and Rescue operation in this town. I’ll have to put that on the budget agenda for next year. But first things first. Let’s find your boy.”

The front door opened and Justice, Angel and Ford walked in. They were dressed in black and carrying backpacks. Felicia raced to Justice, who pulled her close.

“We’ll find him,” he said. “I promise.”

“I want to believe you,” she admitted. “I’ve never looked for a child. I’m not sure where to start first.”

Patience stepped into the house and hurried to Felicia. “We start by calling his friends and talking to their parents.”

“I’ve done that,” Felicia said, relieved she hadn’t wasted time with a useless task. “I spoke to all of them except for Kent. He didn’t answer his cell. I left a message for him, and none of the other parents have seen Carter.” She bit her lower lip. “Why would he do this?”

“That’s for later,” Patience said firmly, leading her back to the dining room. “First we have to find him.”

Felicia nodded, even as she fought tears.

More police officers arrived, along with a few state troopers. They started to divide everyone up into teams. Police Chief Barns pointed at Felicia. “You’ll be staying here.”

“No way,” Gideon said, before Felicia could say anything. “She’s coming with me. She’s as capable as anyone here, and she knows Carter the best.”

“Thank you,” she told him.

He put his arm around her shoulders. “I know you’re scared. I’m scared, too. When we find him, I’m locking him in a shed until he’s eighteen.”

She managed a slight smile. “I wish we could.”

Gideon’s jaw clenched. “Damn kid. Fine. I’ll admit the shed is a little extreme, but he’s going to be grounded or something. This is irresponsible.”