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“Buffet,” they said in unison.
“Okay help yourself whenever you’re ready, I’ll be back with more water.”
Declan looked at Luke. “So how long is Brit going to be because my stomach is about to eat itself.”
“Mine too. And who knows, Kim needed her to try something on and you know how women are when it comes to clothes.” He stood up. “C’mon, let’s grab a plate before it’s all gone.”
They made their way over to the table and each took a plate and started piling it high with food. Taking a scoop of scalloped potatoes, Declan plopped in on his plate. “So, have you told her why I’m here?”
Luke made a face. “She doesn’t know you’re here at all.”
“What?” Declan asked in disbelief. “How could you not tell her? If she sees me before knowing the reason I’m here, she’s going to run.”
He chuckled. “And that’s why you’re sitting with your back to the door.”
After the two men had filled their stomachs and reminisced of days gone by Luke concluded that Brit was a no show. Kim must have put her to work doing something else.
“I couldn’t believe the traffic on the way up here,” Declan said, yawning as he scratched his belly. “I think I’m going to head on up to my room and take a nap. Maybe once you talk to Brit we can meet over drinks and discuss her future.” Luke looked up as Declan stood and pushed in his chair.
“Yeah, that sounds good. I have work to do anyway.” As Declan walked away, Luke pulled his cell phone out and sent a quick text to Brit asking where she was. Without another thought, he too left the dining room, and headed to the next room on their list to be cleaned.
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BRIT WAS LOOKING ATher cell phone trying to figure out where the hell she was on Google maps when she got Luke’s text. Ignoring him, she turned around in the middle of the snow filled forest trying to figure out which direction to head. She never should have taken to the forest in the first place and had stuck to the road, until Dean’s truck was heading straight for her. She told herself that she would only stay in the woods for a little bit, but that little bit had turned into an hour and a half.
Stumbling forward she came to a hill and stared up at it. With a deep breath, she started the trek up, slipping along as she did until she came to the crest. A coldness took hold of her that had nothing to do with the weather and everything to do with the farm that laid ahead. Head bowed, she forged on until she stepped into the clearing of the yard. The place looked run down and Brit had a dizzying moment that threatened to send her into a tailspin. With no other place to go, and even if she had one, she had no way to get there. She climbed the steps to the back porch and tried the handle. It was locked. Remembering that Jasmine had once mentioned that there was a key hidden behind a loose brick in the wall, Brit started scanning its surface. Sure enough, close to the floor of the porch there was a brick with the mortar missing around it. Bending down, she pulled off her glove and tugged on the brick. Sighing in relief she snatched up the key and went back to the door, fitting it in the lock. The door creaked loudly on its hinges as it swung inward. As Brit stepped inside her eyes went to the fireplace where a crackling fire was dancing in the hearth casting a welcoming glow.
What the hell did you just step into Brit?
Was her last thought before her world went black from a blow to the back of her head.
––––––––
LUKE WAS CLOSING THEdoor to the last room on the cleaning list when Kim was coming at him from down the hall.
“Luke. Why are you closing the door on Brit?” she asked, stopping in front of him.
“She’s not in there.” He frowned. “She’s with you.’
“Does itlooklike she’s with me? She never showed up for the dinner hour shift, and I can’t find her anywhere.”
He rested his hand on the cleaning cart and stared at her. “She told me before lunch that you needed her to try something on. You didn’t ask her that, did you?”
Kim shook her head. “No, why would I ask her to try something on when I knew she was busy. When was the last time you saw her?”
Luke steered the cart down the hall, heading towards the supply closet as Kim followed behind. “It was just before lunch; we were cleaning and she” — He swung his gaze to his aunt— “Did you check her room?”
Kim held the closet door open. “Not yet.”
Luke shoved the cart inside, not waiting for his aunt, he turned down the hall and stalked to the hidden staircase. Taking the steps two at a time with Kim hot on his heels, he flung the bedroom door open. He went right to the dresser and started yanking open the drawers, finding them all empty. He went to the closet door, flipped on the light and flung it open to see the dress his mother had given her hanging from a hanger. “Sonofabitch she’s gone.”
“What?! What do you mean she’s gone? Where? Why?”
“I don’t know Kim! But as you can see her clothes are all gone, except the dress.” He stood there for a moment, his mind racing to the last conversation they had, the kiss they shared, the tears in her eyes. She was fine until he had mentioned having lunch. But what had happened before that? He had sat his phone down on the dresser... A sweat broke on his brow. She knew about Declan and just like he predicted, she ran.
“Call the cops Kim,” Luke called over his shoulder as he flew down the steps.
“What?!”
