More Than Cookies (The Maple Leaf Series) (18 page)

“Daddy?” Myah’s little voice brought his focus back. She didn’t sound right.

“Hi, honey,” he said. “What’s going on?”

“Mommy’s not here.” Was she crying?

“What time is it?” He pulled his phone from his ear and glanced at the time on the screen. 9:37 p.m. “What do you mean Mommy’s not there, Myah?”

At that question, Sage started putting her clothes back on and handed him his.

Damn.
They’d been interrupted two times now. Was the universe trying to tell him something? Trying to warn him?

He removed the condom—what a shame it never got to its destination—and shrugged back into his shorts and T-shirt while Myah sniffled on the other end of the line. “Myah, honey, where’s Mommy?”

“I don’t know,” she said on a sob. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you, Daddy. Mommy picked me up from camp early, because I had a tummy ache. She was mad that I got sick. Then I fell asleep on the couch watching TV, and when I woke up, Mommy was gone.”

“When did you wake up?” He wrestled with his work boots. What kind of a mother gets mad at a kid who has a tummy ache?
Jesus.

“I don’t know. Spot’s Firehouse was on,” Myah said hiccupping between sobs now.

Spot’s Firehouse!
He’d watched that enough times with her to know it was on at 4:30.

“Myah! You’ve been alone since 4:30?”

“Holy shit,” Sage murmured beside him.

“Don’t yell at me, Daddy.” She started on a fresh round of crying.

“I’m not yelling, honey. I’m… I’m…”

“Fucking rip-shit about Witchy Ex-wife?” Sage whispered.

He threw his free hand out as if to say,
Absolutely.
“Okay, listen, Myah. Is Mrs. Thismen home next door?”

“No. I went there first, but she’s not home.” She must have wiped her nose with her hand because a loud shuffling filled Orion’s ear. “I’m scared.”

“Don’t be scared. You’re okay, right?”

Sage had turned on the fluorescent lights in the workshop and put away the lanterns. She rolled up the sleeping bags and stowed them back in the chest.

He watched her, knowing full well that most women would not be so understanding. They’d both been pretty geared up only minutes ago, and here she was, unfulfilled yet cleaning up.

It was possible she wasn’t real. Maybe he’d created her in his mind. Maybe Sage Stannard was just a fantasy.

Or maybe she’s your perfect match.

“I’m okay. My tummy doesn’t hurt anymore.” She sniffed loudly. “But I’m hungry, and it’s dark, and I think Ranger needs to pee, but I’m afraid to take him out by myself, and I can’t find Muddie, and I want grilled cheese and pickles.” She sniffed again and ended up coughing.

Orion’s heart broke. “I’ll bet Muddie is at the bottom of your toy chest. You know how that teddy bear likes to hide from you. You try to find him and I’ll be right over.”

“Okay,” she whined. That was how Orion knew she was really upset. Myah never whined. Never.

“And don’t let Ranger out. He’ll either wait until I get there, or he’ll pee in the house and that’s okay.” In fact, he hoped his furry buddy peed all over Adriana’s white carpet. Served her right. What the fuck was she thinking leaving a six year old alone?

Had something happened to her?

“Can I come home with you, Daddy?” Myah asked, a first note of hope in her voice.

“If I get there, and Mommy’s still not there, then yes. You’re coming here.”

Myah got super quiet on her end.

“Honey?”

“I hope she doesn’t ever come home,” she whispered. “Hurry, Daddy.”

She hung up and Orion looked at the screen of his phone where a smiling picture of Myah with her arm slung around Ranger stared back at him. Sage’s hand on his forearm broke him out of the trance.

“Go, Orion. I’ll stay with your father,” she said.

“I can get Adam to come.”

“Orion. I’ll stay.” She took his hand and squeezed.

He focused on her face. Her deep green eyes. Her amazing mouth. All that shimmery, smooth hair. All the clothes she now had on.

“I’m sorry abo—”

She put her fingertips across his lips. “No need. Your daughter needs you. We can do that,” she pointed to where the sleeping bags had been, “another time. Don’t think for one minute that I’m letting you escape, Mr. Chainsaw. I want you. I’m going to have you, but I can wait.” She gave him a slight shove toward the workshop door.   

He stumbled forward, but stepped back to her first. Leaning his head down, he pressed a kiss to her lips and traced his index finger along her jaw.

“You, my dear, are an amazing woman.”

“Yep.” She gave him a winner of a smile. “Now go. Don’t worry about anything over here.”

He kissed her again. “Thanks.”

Ducking out the door, he ran through the light rain that was now falling and hopped into his truck. He immediately dialed Adriana’s number, but got her voice mail. He took a moment to grip the steering wheel and get his head on straight. When he turned on the headlights, he caught sight of Sage jogging from the workshop to the house. She gave him a wave and disappeared through the back door.

He should have been a nervous wreck leaving his father in her care. He didn’t know her that well. In fact, he hardly knew her at all, though he did know she had a sprinkling of freckles on her lower belly that needed further investigation. He knew that the curve of her waist was incredible and that her eyes darkened to such a deep forest green when she was aroused.

He knew he’d been the one to arouse her.

Despite the situation, he grinned like a lovesick dope. A woman like Sage could turn a man into a quivering pile of need. Just how deep into it was he?

Deep.
Deeper than he’d ever been with anyone else.

Fortunately, Myah was only a short distance away, but his truck couldn’t seem to get there quickly enough. He’d tried calling Adriana several more times, but with the same results. When he pulled up in front of the colonial she owned, her car wasn’t there and every light in the house was on. Every. Single. One. Supernova bright.

He threw the truck into park, yanked out the key, and sprinted up the front steps. He tried the doorknob, but it was locked.

“Myah,” he shouted. “It’s Daddy. Open up.”

Movement by the curtains in the windows to the right of the door caught his attention. Myah’s little face peeked out. When she saw it was him, she raced away.

The door lock jiggled then the door opened.

“Daddy!” Myah dropped her teddy bear and threw herself at him, her cheek pressing right into his wound, but he didn’t care. Holding her was incredible even if she was shaking.

“I’ve got you, honey. You’re okay.” He kneeled and rested his chin on the top of her head. He was about to say more, but Ranger shot out of the house and nearly plowed into him.

“Ranger!” At Orion’s voice, the dog skidded to a halt, taking up some of the moist grass in Adriana’s front yard.
Oops.

Ranger shook off the spritzing rain, peed on a pine tree, then trotted over to Orion and licked his face, the dog’s tail nearly waving right off his ass.

“Hey, buddy. Who’s a good boy? Did you keep an eye on Myah?”

Myah, who had a vise grip on him. Myah, who was crying softly into his neck. Myah, who was his reason for existing.

“Shh, baby. It’s okay. I’m here now.” He stood, picking her and her teddy bear up on the way, and climbed the front steps, Ranger beating him inside the house. He pressed the bear into Myah’s neck and rubbed its soft fur against her. “I see you found Muddie.”

“Bottom of the toy box. Like you said.” Myah grabbed the bear and squished it between her and Orion. “Muddie wants to go to your house.”

“I know. Hold on.” Orion had only been in Adriana’s home on a handful of occasions, and on those times, he’d only gone into the living room and kitchen. He definitely felt as if he was breaking and entering though Myah had called him, needing his help.

He tried to set her down, but she wouldn’t let go. “Myah, I need to breathe, baby.”

She loosened her hold on him a bit and raised her head. Teary blue eyes blinked at him and fresh anger at Adriana bubbled up inside him. He was about to ask if Adriana said anything about going somewhere to Myah when he noticed her little Spot’s Firehouse suitcase—white with black spots like a Dalmatian—beside the stairs.

Myah followed his gaze. “Muddie and I are all ready to go home with you, Daddy. Ranger too.” She pointed to a bag of dog food she must have dragged over. “You promised if Mommy wasn’t here I could come home with you. She’s still not here.”

“Okay, but let’s check a few things out first.” He managed to dislodge her arms from around his neck and set her down.

She instantly took his hand, her little one getting lost in his big one. “She’s not here. I checked everywhere.” She cradled Muddie in her other arm.

“I’m sure you did, but it doesn’t make sense that she’d just leave.” He walked to the kitchen, checked the refrigerator and counter tops. “She didn’t write a note or anything?”

Myah shook her head, black curls bouncing around her face. “There’s no message on the phone either.” She’d anticipated his next question and was as always in tune with him. Aside from being female, she was truly his Mini Me.

Orion dug out his phone and tried calling Adriana one final time. This time he left a message when he got voice mail.

“Adriana, where are you?” He wandered through the house, stopping at a room that appeared to be a home office. Adriana had a Spartan desk, no papers to snoop through, no leads to her whereabouts. “I’m at your house right now. Myah called. She’s scared. Why would you leave her alone?” He refrained from punctuating every word with a swear for Myah’s sake who hadn’t left his side as he roamed.

“I’m taking Myah to my house. Call me when you get this message.” He ended the call and shoved his phone into his pocket.

 “Can we go now?” Myah tugged on his hand.

“I need to look upstairs first.” He headed for the stairs.

“She’s not up there.” Myah set Muddie down and crossed her arms, looking so much like her mother now.

“I know, but there may be a clue about where she is.”

“Why do you want to find her? She’s never been nice to us.”

The kid had a point.

“Still, she has to be somewhere, Myah.”

Orion climbed the steps with Myah keeping up beside him. He poked his head into the bathroom, but like the office, it was tidy and offered nothing about where Adriana might be. The master bedroom, hall closet, spare room, and bathroom didn’t help him at all either.

Stopping at Myah’s room, he sat on her bed. “Where would she go?” He nudged one of her stuffed animals. “Did she say anything about going out when she picked you up from camp?”

“Nope.”

He had to wonder if Myah either knew nothing or was choosing not to share what she did know. Something was off about the entire situation.

Ranger barked, a low woof that said,
Let’s go. I need some kibble in me.

“C’mon, Daddy.”

Orion couldn’t tell which of them—dog or girl—was more excited to go home with him. He felt guilty for being a little excited too.

This is what I’ve wanted.

Not like this though. Not with Myah having been left alone for hours. Not with her crying and getting all upset. Not with her thinking her mother would abandon her.

He followed Myah down the stairs where she’d rolled the suitcase to the front door. She was about to drag the dog food, but he stepped in and picked it up.

After they were all loaded in his truck, Myah in the passenger seat with Muddie on her lap and Ranger sitting on the back seat, taking up all the space he wanted, Orion eased into the driver’s seat. He let out a little groan and put his hand on his right thigh.

“Does that still hurt, Daddy?”

He pinched her cheek, his heart overflowing because of her concern for him. “A little, but it’s getting better.”

“Stupid hunters,” she mumbled like an old man.

“Stupid me. I wasn’t wearing my neon vest. I know better than that.”

“You’re not stupid, Daddy. Never stupid.” She wrapped her hand around his arm and leaned her head on it.

“I’m glad you think so.” He tapped her on the nose and poked the key into the truck’s ignition. “I’m taking you to my house, but I have to call the police first, Myah.”

She lifted her head, her brows crinkled together. “Why?”

“They need to know Mommy is missing. They need to find her.”

Myah’s shoulders slumped.

“I know you want to stay with me, and believe me, that’s all I can think about too, but we have to make sure we’re not breaking any rules by me taking you. You understand?”

She nodded, but didn’t say anything as she brushed her hand over Muddie’s soft, black fur.

He pulled out his phone again, but when Myah’s stomach growled louder than a lion roar, he decided the police conversation might be best done after he’d gotten some food into her. He put his phone in the console between the seats and turned the key in the ignition.

“Grilled cheese and pickles, did you say?”

For the first time tonight, Myah gave him a genuine smile, one that beamed from ear to ear. Was there anything he wouldn’t do to see that smile?

Chapter Fifteen

Sage sat on the couch in Orion’s house listening to the clock on the mantle tick-tock, tick-tock. It’d been thirty minutes since Orion had left. She had the baby monitor on the end table, afraid to turn on the television and not be able to hear Ian should he need something.

Please stay asleep, Ian. Please.

She’d had good experiences with the man so far, but what would his reaction be if he awoke to find her and no Orion. She was basically still a stranger to him, though she did have the known-you-for-years feeling about the guy. Maybe they’d known each other in another life. She thought about calling Hope, Rick, Lily, or her mother to come over and stay with her, but she decided to pull up her big girl panties and stick it out on her own. She didn’t want to explain how close she was getting to Orion or how fast she was falling for him.