Into the Wilderness Read online

  “I am not rude!” Kate caught Renee saying in an indignant tone.

  “Renee,” Kate said, leaning over to give her a hug. The heavy scent of Renee’s perfume filled Kate’s nostrils, and she suppressed a sneeze.

  Renee made her way into the foyer, and Livvy followed, whispering “You okay?” in Kate’s ear as she passed.

  Kate nodded, and Livvy added, “I’m glad, ’cause Renee’s in one of her moods.”

  Kate smiled to herself. Leave it to Renee to brighten her day without even meaning to.

  Then Kate hugged Betty Anderson, the forty-five-year-old bleached-blonde owner of Betty’s Beauty Parlor.

  “LuAnne didn’t come?” Kate asked, glancing outside before closing the door.

  “She had to work,” Betty said.

  “So, where’s Rebecca?” Renee asked, gazing around the living room. “I thought I saw you two talking just a minute ago.”

  “She’s just getting—” Kate began.

  “I’m here,” Rebecca said. She looked tired, but seemed to be trying her best to be upbeat. “Mrs. Lambert, you are too trendy with that pocket pooch!” She scratched the little dog’s head as he licked Renee’s manicured hand.

  Renee’s face glowed at the praise. She lowered her face to Kisses, who swiped her cheek with his tongue. Kate glanced at Livvy, who was rolling her eyes.

  “Why don’t y’all come in and have a seat.” Kate led the way to the kitchen, and the ladies gathered around the old oak table. It was set with a white tablecloth embroidered in tiny yellow daisies along the edges. From the cupboard, she pulled out a three-tiered serving tray and some cookies she’d baked earlier.

  “Sorry, I’m running a bit behind,” she said to the ladies.

  “We can help,” Livvy said, joining her behind the counter.

  Kate pulled a loaf of multigrain bread from the cupboard, then told Livvy to get the cucumbers and cream cheese from the refrigerator. She cut off the crusts while Livvy peeled cucumbers and Betty whipped the cream cheese for the delicious cucumber-and-cream-cheese sandwiches Kate usually made for her tea parties. The women had spent enough time in Kate’s well-organized kitchen to know where to find what they needed. Renee excused herself to use the powder room, but Kate suspected she was just avoiding having to help.

  “How are you feeling today, Liv? Any more calls from the band?”

  “No, and I hope it stays that way. I feel much better when I’m not reminded of my son’s rebellious attitude lately.”

  “I understand that. It wasn’t too long ago when Rebecca—”

  “How are things coming along?” Renee interrupted, returning to the kitchen and squeezing into the cramped space where Livvy and Kate were working.

  “Everything’s going well,” Kate said. “If you could pull out the china, Renee, we’ll be all set.”

  Renee sniffed but did as Kate directed, collecting the cups and saucers that matched the daisy motif of the tablecloth.

  In impressive time, the women had made an assortment of tea-party delicacies ready for their consumption.

  “Are these dishes new?” Livvy asked as she and Betty took their seats.

  “I found them at a flea market,” Kate said. “When I saw how perfectly they matched my tablecloth, I couldn’t resist.” She moved to the stove to retrieve the kettle that had started whistling, then poured boiling water into the matching daisy teapot that steamed at the spout when she filled it. After setting the teapot in the center of the table, she took her seat.

  Renee removed Kisses from her designer tote and petted his soft head as she waited for Kate to pour the tea. The dog started to squirm in her hands, so she set him on the floor. Kisses sniffed around under the table, and occasionally Kate could feel his wet nose on her leg.

  “What’s it like being manless for a while?” Betty asked Kate and Livvy as Kate poured the steaming liquid into one of the cups and passed it carefully to Livvy.

  “Are you kidding?” Livvy said. “I’ve read two books since they left. And the house is so quiet...and clean!”

  The women laughed. Kate lifted a cucumber sandwich from the tray and set it on her plate.

  “How did you read two books so fast?” Renee raised a thinly plucked eyebrow. “They’ve only been gone since yesterday.”

  “They weren’t long books,” Livvy replied. “Only about two hundred and fifty pages each.”

  “There’s a reason the woman became a librarian!” Betty added.

  “Did you always want to be a librarian?” Rebecca asked, then took a bite of her sandwich.

  Livvy tucked her short auburn hair behind an ear and set a sandwich on her plate as well. “I suppose, though not specifically. I always knew I liked reading, and I took every college literature class I could get my hands on. So I had to do something with books—write them or run a bookstore or something. Becoming a librarian just fit right in there. Sometimes you’re just meant to do a certain thing.”

  Kate saw the look on her daughter’s face and could tell that Livvy’s words were just another reminder that acting was her “certain thing.” Kate could see it in the wistful expression in Rebecca’s eyes.

  Kate sighed inwardly, knowing that some lessons weren’t meant for a mother to teach.

  “Kind of like how your mother was meant to make beautiful stained glass,” Livvy continued.

  Kate blushed. “Well, I like to do it, but I’m certainly not a professional.” She thought of the unfinished window on her table.

  “You’re too modest,” Betty said. “Have you seen your mother’s work?” She turned to Rebecca.

  “Yes, I have,” Rebecca said. “And she’s made several pieces for me over the years. My mother’s extremely talented.” She shot a look at Kate.

  “You should see the piece she’s been working on lately. It’s for a big horse farm up near Pine Ridge, isn’t it, Kate?” Livvy said. “It’s just stunning.”

  “Can we see it, Mom?” Rebecca said.

  “Your mother can be very secretive about her projects,” Betty said.

  “That’s just because I don’t want everyone in town knowing when I make duds,” Kate said. The truth was, she wasn’t in the mood to show off her work.

  “Nonsense, Kate!” Renee sniffed. “We’d love to see it.”

  “Maybe we can take a tour of my studio later, after we’ve had our tea,” Kate conceded.

  Conversation ebbed as the women ate their sandwiches and sipped their tea. Kate glanced at Rebecca. Her shoulders were stiff and her gaze sober. She reached over and squeezed her daughter’s hand under the table.

  Renee turned to Kate and Rebecca. “And what have you two been doing since Paul and...what’s your boyfriend’s name?”

  “Marcus,” Rebecca said, forcing a smile.

  Kate could see a hint of pain in Rebecca’s eyes as she said his name.

  Yes, Marcus. What have you been doing since they left?

  Rebecca looked to her mother helplessly. Kate took a long sip of her tea, then decided to share their story, figuring the least it could do was help her process the details.

  “Well, we’ve had quite a time the past couple of days. Some strange men have been nosing around lately. First at the diner yesterday, and then they showed up at the house later in the afternoon...”

  Renee lifted a curious brow. “Men?”

  “They were looking for Marcus,” Rebecca added. “And we think they stole my grandmother’s ring.”

  The women gasped in horror.

  “They were in your house?” Renee sat up straight. “What is this world coming to when a place like Copper Mill isn’t safe?” She clutched a hand to her bony chest.

  “I’ve asked myself the same thing, Renee,” Kate said.

  “I’m just worried about what they’d do if they found Marcus,” Rebecca added. “It’s bad enough that they took my ring.”

  “That’s just horrible,” Betty said. “Have you tried to get ahold of Marcus or Paul?”

  Kate nodded. �
��They’re out of signal range.”

  “Have you called the rangers’ office at the park?” Renee asked.

  “They took a message,” Kate said, “but they couldn’t guarantee when the men would get it.”

  “That’s ridiculous!” Renee sniffed.

  “If they knew it was something this serious, surely they’d send a ranger out looking for them. Didn’t Paul write up some kind of itinerary?” Livvy asked.

  “Now why didn’t I think of that?” Kate said. “I’m sure it’s on his computer in his office. Thank you, Livvy.”

  Kate had to admit that having her friends around her was a comfort, though she wished the phone would ring with news that Paul and Marcus were safe and that the two men had been apprehended.

  When they’d finished their sandwiches and tea, Rebecca cleared off the table while the others chatted. But Kate couldn’t get her mind off Marcus. If the strangers knew Marcus before 2003, she decided, then it was reasonable that someone in his family would know them too. She decided that after she called the ranger station again, she would call the number for Kieffer and Sons Moving Company.

  “Kate?” Renee leaned toward her, making eye contact. “Earth to Kate!”

  “Sorry. I must have been daydreaming,” Kate said, shaking her head. “What was it you asked me?”

  Before Renee could repeat the question, the phone rang. Sam Gorman’s frantic voice was on the other end of the line.

  “Sam?” she said, her eyes meeting the others in the room.

  “Kate, I don’t know how to tell you this but...” He paused and took a deep breath.

  Kate could hear the hesitation in his voice. Her heart hammered in her chest.

  “Paul and Marcus are missing.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Kate felt numb as she listened to Sam. Paul was missing? She couldn’t seem to wrap her mind around those words.

  “We’ve looked for them, Kate, but it’s getting dark, and we’ll risk losing others in the group if we keep looking.”

  “Sam, I don’t understand,” Kate said. She glanced at Rebecca, whose eyes were filled with terror. “What do you mean missing?”

  “I mean that Marcus took off, and Paul went to go find him. That was two hours ago. We hiked up to where Paul told us he was heading, but there was no sign of them. I don’t want to alarm you, but we already called search and rescue.”

  “Search and rescue?” Kate repeated. Rebecca came alongside her.

  “They’ll start looking at first light tomorrow. I’m so sorry!”

  “It’s not your fault, Sam.”

  Paul was missing. It couldn’t be her Paul, she thought. He was an Eagle Scout. He knew everything there was to know about survival. Surely he wouldn’t have gotten lost or intentionally deserted the group. It didn’t make any sense.

  Fear filled her along with the realization that this was all too real. She reached for her daughter’s hand, glad that Rebecca was here with her at that moment. She took a deep breath and asked God to keep Paul safe.

  “We’ll come right away,” she said.

  “They’re setting up search headquarters outside of Gatlinburg,” Sam said. “We’ll meet you at the Sugarlands Visitor Center.”

  “I’LL COME WITH YOU,” Livvy said once Kate had told everyone the news. “Do you want me to drive?”

  “Uh...I don’t know...” Her words trailed away with her thoughts.

  There were so many things that could have happened, none of them good, especially if the strangers had anything to do with Paul and Marcus’ disappearance. But Sam had said that Marcus took off, so he hadn’t necessarily been abducted. Maybe he’d just wanted some time alone and wandered away from the campsite, and Paul had gone after him. It had to be a coincidence, right? She kept telling herself that, yet the queasy feeling in her stomach told her not to believe a word of it.

  The truth was that even if foul play wasn’t involved, there were plenty of dangers in the wilderness.

  Paul or Marcus could be injured; a wild animal could have attacked them. She’d heard stories about black bears that came from miles away, enticed by the scent of a backpack full of goodies. If the group had already stopped searching because of darkness, it meant that Paul and Marcus would be spending the night in the cold. Even in the fall, temperatures in the mountains could dip below freezing. She glanced at Rebecca, her expression troubled.

  “Both of them are missing,” she said, almost in a daze.

  Kate nodded.

  “Kate,” Livvy broke in, “I’m going to drive you and Rebecca to Gatlinburg.” She left no room for argument. “But we’re going to have to take your car because mine is a disaster. No time to clean it out and make room. I’ll run home to pack a few things, then I’ll be back here in half an hour to pick you up, okay?”

  “Okay,” Kate said numbly.

  She glanced around at the other women in the room, their faces lined with shock and worry.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry—” she began.

  “Don’t you dare apologize!” Betty Anderson interrupted. She reached for Kate’s hand. “We’ll let the others at the church know to pray.” She exchanged a look with Renee, who nodded.

  “Search and rescue’ll find ’em,” Renee assured them.

  “Thank you,” Kate said, grateful for Renee’s encouraging words.

  “You go pack. We’ll stay here until you leave, just in case you need anything,” Betty said.

  “Thank you so much,” Kate said.

  She rushed to her bedroom, pulled out a suitcase, and tossed in several warm outfits. Then she thought to get her laptop. Rebecca had gone to pack a few things as well.

  Kate had just set her small bag next to the front door when Rebecca joined her, carrying her bags.

  “Renee and I have been thinking, Kate. Maybe we should come too,” Betty suggested. She glanced over at Renee.

  “You have work tomorrow,” Kate reminded her, “and there will be a full search-and-rescue team out looking first thing in the morning. But it’s so sweet of y’all to offer.” Betty sighed and looked deep into Kate’s eyes. Renee sniffed and fluttered her fingers.

  “All right,” Betty said. “But you call us if there’s any news, okay?”

  “I’ll try,” Kate promised.

  Then Betty and Renee said their farewells, and Kate checked for any sign of Livvy. She was due back any minute.

  “I have a map around here somewhere,” Kate said to herself, pausing in the entryway. She headed for Paul’s study and returned with the map.

  “What is that?” She pointed to the extra black suitcase at Rebecca’s feet.

  “I thought we should bring Marcus’ stuff just in case,” Rebecca said. “He might need it.”

  Kate nodded absently and drew a ragged breath.

  “Daddy’s going to be okay,” Rebecca said as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her mother’s ear. It was the kind of thing Kate would have done for Rebecca when she was little.

  “I hope so. He’s getting older,” Kate said. “I don’t know if he can handle something like this.”

  “He’s strong,” Rebecca said. “Unfortunately, I’m not so sure about Marcus. He doesn’t know a thing about camping or surviving in the wilderness.”

  Thoughts of Paul or Marcus face-to-face with a bear or a rattler played in Technicolor through Kate’s mind, edging her worry up several notches, but she kept her thoughts to herself and sent another prayer heavenward.

  “Did Sam say what Marcus and Dad were doing? How did they get separated from everyone else?”

  “He didn’t give many details, sweetheart. I’m sure we’ll find out when we get there.”

  Kate walked through the house turning out lights and checking the locks on all the doors. She rifled through her handbag twice to see if she had her credit card as well as her cell phone and charger. Finally Rebecca pulled Kate to a chair in the living room and forced her to sit for a moment and take a breath.

  Moments later, Livvy’s hea
dlights shone through the entryway windows, and they went to meet her on the sidewalk.

  Livvy parked her car behind the convertible in the driveway.

  “I called Sheriff Roberts to fill him in,” Livvy said. “He’s going to take time away from the office so he can come help with the search. I spoke with Joe Tucker too, since he’s familiar with the park. His Uncle Warren was part of the Civilian Conservation Corps that built the park.”

  Tears filled Kate’s eyes. Livvy’s kindness humbled her.

  Rebecca lightly touched her mother’s arm. “Let’s go find our boys,” she said.

  THE LIGHTS WERE ON in the back offices at the Sugarlands Visitor Center when the women arrived at 11:00 PM. Eli Weston and Sam Gorman were holding vigil around a map that lay open on a long table in the conference room that adjoined the head ranger’s office. Kate, Livvy, and an exhausted-looking Rebecca joined them. Sam and Eli came over to offer hugs.

  “I’m so sorry about this, Kate,” Sam said. “I feel responsible.”

  “You had no way of knowing,” Kate said. “Besides, we’re going to find them.” She lifted her eyes to Eli, who looked at her tentatively.

  “Kate...,” he said, then just shook his head.

  “You look exhausted,” Kate said, giving him a hug and squeezing his arm.

  “I’m okay,” he said. “We wanted to be here when you arrived.”

  He glanced at Rebecca and gave her a nod. Kate noted the blush that crept up his neck and onto his cheeks.

  “And we needed to talk about search strategy for tomorrow,” Sam added.

  They each took seats around the conference table. Sam pointed at the map that was a crisscross of trails and streams, ridges and valleys.

  A man in a ranger’s uniform approached the group carrying a tray laden with steaming cups of coffee.

  “This is Ranger Morton.” Sam introduced the tall, good-looking man who looked to be in his late forties. “He’s coordinating our efforts with search and rescue.”

  “Ranger Morton.” Kate shook his hand after he set down the tray. “Thank you so much for your help.”