Page 169 of Sugar & Shadows

Dinner was getting cold. Okay, “dinner” might be a bit of a stretch. I’d thrown together sandwiches and assembled a salad kit, but compared to my usual dinner of Pop Tarts, beef jerky, and protein bars, this felt downright gourmet.

But Sabrina still wasn’t here.

And she hadn’t called.

The snow was really coming down now, which always made me nervous. As mayor, I saw each flake as danger, cleanup, and yet another crisis to manage. And this late in the season, when our salt reserves and plow budgets had already been maxed out, it became a financial concern as well.

So I picked up the phone and did something a little ridiculous.

Nolan grunted in greeting when he answered.

“You still at the station?” I asked, also forgoing formalities.

“When am I not?”

Fair.

“Can you look out your window and see if Sabrina’s car is still in the library parking lot? Black G-Wagon. Can’t miss it.”

“I know her car.” His chair squeaked, and then a door opened. “No,” he said a moment later. “Parking lot’s empty. She probably went home; snow’s picking up.”

“She was supposed to be here a while ago,” I said, pacing the kitchen. “And she’s not answering her phone.”

My hand shook as I held my own phone to my ear. Why was I getting so worked up? She was a grown woman.

Yet I had this strange feeling that something was wrong, and it grew stronger by the minute.

Nolan sighed. “Don’t panic. I’m heading out. I’ll do a loop around town and report back.”

“Thanks. I don’t know how to describe it, but I have this feeling…”

He inhaled sharply. “I’ll radio the patrols. See if anyone has seen her car. That stupid expensive thing sticks out around here.”

“Thanks.”

Sabrina was an excellent communicator. And after she ghosted me the other day and we’d talked things out, she wouldn’t just blow me off without contacting me. I held my phone in front of me, considering whether I should call her mother. She would hate it if I did, but maybe she’d gone home instead. Or maybe she’d gone to Nina’s or stopped to run an errand.

Dead phone battery? Flat tire? Grocery store? Chatting with someone in the parking lot? Sitting in her car listening to a sad song? My brain searched for any plausible, safe scenario. But none made me feel better.

Fuck it. I was allowed to be worried. I loved this woman and she was carrying our child. Maybe my behavior was unhinged, but I didn’t think I cared. If anyone would know where she was, it was the TAP team. So I pulled up a group text thread.

Gabe:

Did the TAP meeting go long? Sabrina was supposed to be here an hour ago.

Harper:

No. We wrapped around 4.

Laurie:

I sent her over to visit Marigold. She could be there.

Marigold:

Nah, I kicked her out before Wheel. She should be home by now.

Nina: