Page 23 of Caught With the Sheriff

“I’m good here. You go ahead and take her to the bathroom. I’ll wait right here.”

Her silver brow lifts and her gray eyes crinkle. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. Go ahead and get her there before she has an accident.”

That might seem like a long shot but I laugh at her potty dance. “I think that last lemonade sent her over.”

Maggie rolls her eyes and grabs her hand. “Let’s go, kiddo.”

They wander off and I close my eyes, breathing in the smell of delicious fried food and listen to the people laughing and enjoying the gorgeous day.

It takes me a second to feel it but I stiffen when I hear the footsteps behind me.

But then I relax. I’m out in broad daylight. In this little town. And somewhere out there, Jasper’s taking care of everyone.

And then a cloth comes down over my mouth and I suck in a sharp breath.

And fill my lungs with the stuff on the cloth. My head swims and then I whimper as everything goes black.

CHAPTER 9

Jasper

My phone rings and I pick it up, laughing when I see it’s my mom. “Yeah? Don’t tell me. Claudia wants to eat dinner at the festival.”

“Jasper?”

I sit up straight in my car. “What’s wrong? Is Claudia alright?”

“Yes. Yes. But I took her to the restroom and when I got back, well, Willow wasn’t sitting where we left her. And I’ve looked everywhere, asked all my friends and nobody’s seen her.”

“Fuck,” I growl under my breath. “Just stay put. I’ll get ahold of Tessa and Cal. We’ll find her. She’s probably just wandered off.”

But I don’t believe it for a second. There’s no way she’d just up and leave my mom and Claudia with no warning and she doesn’t know anybody in town to talk to.

My stomach churns. I told her that she’d be safe. Even though I knew that there was a possibility he was here.

I didn’t want to scare her.

And now she’s lost and I don’t know where. And if he’s got her I’m gonna kill him.

And if he hurts her again? I’m gonna make sure he hurts worse than he’s ever hurt in his life.

“Tessa, I need an APB out for a five foot three curvy redhead with gray eyes.” My heart pounds in my chest describing the love of my life. Like she’s lost.

“Her name is Willow Wilder and she lives out at that old renovated farmhouse.”

“The one from the call the other night?”

“Yeah. She was at the festival with my mom and Claudia and then she disappeared.”

“Maybe she just wandered off.”

“No. She doesn’t like crowds. She wouldn’t go off by herself. I also found out that the guy who attacked her got out of jail on some stupid technicality. I think he might be in town.”

“Okay.”

“I hear you,” Cal clicks in. “Where do you want me to go?”