“You know you hurt her feelings,” Larkin said.
He nodded. “And I’ll make up for all of it. While I’m looking for her, I need some help with a few things.”
“Whatever you need,” Rylan told him.
“If she’s willing, I’d like to see if a relationship between the two of us would work. I felt an emotional draw with her from the very beginning. That’s why I took it so hard when I thought she was greedy. We both need to get to know each other, but I want to be ready for her if she agrees. I want to be able to give her everything she deserves. I want a room in my house set up like what these girls have.”
“What if she doesn’t want to?” Jenna asked.
He hated the thought of not having Kyla with him, but there was a good possibility she wouldn’t want anything to do with him, and he knew that was his fault. “Then the room will be there for you girls when you come to visit me.”
Darian nodded. “I’ve got some guys who can paint it and change the carpet.”
“I know a furniture place that delivers the same day,” Travis said.
“I can take the girls over, and they can plan it and pick out colors. They can help me choose the toys, dolls, and books.”
Duncan nodded.
“I think the wall color should be a shimmery pink like a few of the girls have. It’s really pretty,” Larkin said and then looked hopefully up at her daddy.
Darian laughed and tapped Larkin’s nose. “I got the hint. You’ll get that paint next time we redo your room. Okay?”
Larkin bounced and clapped. “Yes! Thank you, Daddy.”
“Was there anything else?” Travis asked.
“I want you guys to find the best seamstress in town.”
“Why?” Darian asked.
“Because she has a teddy bear the hospital gave her when she was born. It was the only toy she ever got,” Duncan said. “She loved it so much, it fell apart. But she kept it, and I want to fix it.”
“You have no idea what that would mean to her,” Jenna told him.
“I think I can guess.”
“Let’s get going. We’ve all got a lot to do,” Darian said.
Duncan started for the door. “I’m going to scour the city.”
“I don’t think she’s here,” Rylan said. “She talked about moving away to protect Jenna.”
Trey growled. “I fucked that up. She took what I said the wrong way. I told her she couldn’t get a job yet because Billy’s still on the loose. I told her she could be used to get at Jenna, and I think she took it as I was only concerned about Jenna and not her. I could see her shut down, but she explained that she was just worried about her friend.”
“We’ll fix this,” Duncan said. “She doesn’t have her own car, and I doubt she had the money to buy a plane ticket, so I’ll check bus stations.”
“Good idea,” Travis said. “Let’s get a move on.”
“Take as much time as you need,” Rylan told him.
Duncan nodded and headed out.
An hour later, he stopped at the second bus stop that day, already frustrated. They had people looking all over the city for her, but they weren’t having any luck. Kyla’s letter indicated she was going out of town, and the only way she could do that was by bus.
“Hello, I’m looking for a young lady about this tall,” Duncan said and indicated his shoulder blades. “Very long dark hair and green eyes.”
“I’m sorry, mister. I just came on. You could talk to Gerald when he gets here in the morning.”