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“She didn’t say anything to anyone?”
Shakes of heads met his question.
“She left us all notes, and walked out of that door,” Kyle answered, the emotion raw in his voice.
A sob escaped Sierra as Worthington spoke again. “I am sorry, sir. I did not realize until I found my note. She slipped out without anyone knowing.”
Grant slid his eyes closed as he recalled their conversation when they’d gotten home from the hospital. “We agreed to go to the cabin…we…”
He rubbed a hand against his neck. “She said goodbye.”
“What?” Kyle snapped.
“This afternoon. I went to work…she walked me out…she said goodbye. She never says that. Why didn’t I catch that?”
“Who cares?” Sierra said through tears. “Do something to fix this.”
Grant snapped his gaze to her. “Right. I can…I should find her.”
He shifted his weight as he reached for the phone. They could track her. He could find her. He could fix this. Urgency made his heart pound. Hopefully, she hadn’t gotten far.
Sierra tapped on her phone before she blew out a shaky breath. “She’s at the Magnolia Manor. Room three-fifty-five.”
“She told you?” Grant asked, his heart speeding up.
“My note said she’d always be there for me, and that she was just a text or call away. I told her I needed to see her because I needed one last hug from my almost mom.” Sierra’s features twisted as she squeaked out the last words.
He slid her rings into his pocket with the ring box. “I’m going to fix this, Sierra.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have let it come to this in the first place,” Kyle answered.
The biting remark sliced at him like a knife. But he couldn’t deny it. “I know. I…I planned to fix it this weekend. I didn’t–”
“What?” Kyle asked. “Didn’t expect her to actually leave? What did you think she’d do? Hang around until you tossed her out?”
“We were going to the cabin. I asked her…I…” He ran his shaking hand through his hair. “Had this handled. I thought I did, anyway.”
“Who cares?” Sierra said, tossing her hand in the air. “Just…fix it. Go get her, Daddy. And bring her back here where she belongs.”
Grant swallowed hard and nodded. His daughter was right. She belonged here. With them. With him. He just needed to tell her that. She only left because she didn’t think she was wanted.
He slid his hand into his pocket, wrapping his fingers around the ring box. He could fix this.
He snatched up the receiver of his phone and called James, requesting the car. After a hug and a good luck from Sierra, a reminder of the importance of honesty from Worthington, and a curt “bring her home” from Kyle, he stepped into the evening air before the car arrived.
He drummed his fingers against his thigh as he waited for the car, the weight of the ring in his pocket a tangible reminder of the weight in his heart. Fear crept in as each second passed, fear of a future without her.
James pulled to a stop a moment later and leapt from behind the wheel. “Last minute business, sir?”
“No,” Grant said as he opened his own door and slid into the car.
James took his place behind the wheel and pulled down the driveway.
“Julia left. She…it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have taken her for granted. I just…thought she’d stay.”
“I’ll get you there as fast as possible, sir.”
“Thank you,” he said before he flicked his gaze out the window. His stomach twisted and turned, knotting itself tighter and tighter.
