The Scarry Inn by Shirley McCann

Author:Shirley McCann [McCann, Shirley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-07-13T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Donald Bowman pushed the disconnect icon on his cell phone and swallowed the lump lodged in his throat. He stood at the window, gazing at the wintry scene outside. Sleet pinged against the window, while a powdery white blanketed the yard. He hugged his arms, trying to ward off the cold fear that surged through his veins.

“What’s wrong?” Melanie came up behind him and put her hand on his shoulder. She wore a blue housecoat and furry slippers. Her long hair was still damp from a recent shower.

We should all be doing that, Donald thought. This time of the evening, Heidi and her friends should be here, and we should all be sitting around sipping eggnog, sampling homemade fudge, and getting to know each other again.

“Beverly hasn’t heard from the kids,” he told her. ”She’s starting to get worried too, since they were supposed to call her as soon as they arrived here.”

“Well, it’s not so late,” Melanie responded. She wrapped her arms around his middle. “They probably stopped somewhere to get a bite to eat and just didn’t realize the time.”

Donald gazed at the ceiling, his mind a whirlwind of possibilities—and none of them good. “That’s not like Heidi,” he told her. “Her cell phone is always on, and she’s not answering it. Heidi wouldn’t worry anyone intentionally.” At least not her mother, he thought glumly. Heidi might not call him, but she would never worry her mother this way if she could prevent it.

Donald turned around and leaned against the window, feeling the cold chill of the night. “What if they’ve had car trouble, Mel? Or what if they’ve been in a wreck?”

Melanie pursed her lips and stared at the floor. When she looked up, her eyes were full of warmth and understanding. “And you think you should go out searching for them?” she asked. He heard her heavy sigh. “Where on earth would you begin to look?”

He understood his wife’s concern, but he didn’t know what else to do. Heidi was his daughter. He thought he’d lost her once. He had no intention of losing her for good. “I honestly don’t know,” he admitted. He forced a smile and pulled her into a tight embrace, his chin resting on her head. “But Beverly is checking with Beau’s parents. If she can get the license number of his car, she’ll call the highway patrol and alert the authorities to be on the lookout for them.”

Beau’s a good kid, he thought. If anyone could get his daughter home safely, it was Beau Clayton. “But if I don’t hear something soon, I’m going out to look for them myself.”

Melanie’s voice trembled. “Well, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” she said softly. “It’s Christmas Eve and the roads are snow covered. They’re probably just taking their time to make sure they arrive safely.” Melanie cradled her head on Donald’s shoulder. “I’ll bet she just forgot to turn the cell phone off of vibrate. I do that all the time. You’ll probably be hearing from her soon and then everything will be okay.

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