Jack
Time managesto move smoothly along, effortlessly even. The ease at which I meld into the life that Strutt’s Peak offers is natural. My days are filled with editing photos and working through visuals on a few remote projects, I pepper in work from other ventures when needed, while my nights are choreographed between climbing with Benny, watching football with Law, and being wrapped up in conversations and moments with Everly.
Thanksgiving comes and goes in a blink. Dinner with Kathryn and Benny meant a burned turkey, but we managed to make the most out of all the sides and some good rolls. Benny escaped after a few hands of cards to catch a movie with friends. It was relaxed, and it felt comfortable, a new normal. The holiday ended at the Riggs’ ranch where Everly’s entire family, including her best friend, their neighbor David and his son, Callen, who is also sheriff, waited for me to join them for dessert. As usual, her father’s spread of pies and after-dinner cocktails was over the top. Endless football games were playing on a wall of oversized screens. There were individual platters for every guest that included eight different variations of apple, pumpkin, buttermilk, and pecan pies. It came and went, but it felt so much like something I could get used to.
The light from outside is highlighting the edges of the covered windows in Everly’s bedroom. There’s just enough of a yellow tint to tell me it’s well past sunrise and morning has officially broken through. I pull her warm body into me closer and burrow my face in her hair and neck.Oranges.No nightmares last night. That’s more than two weeks without one. Somewhat of a record for me.
I notice my phone lighting up on Everly’s bedside table and sit up to grab it.4 Missed Calls Benny, 6 Unread Text Messages Benny.I pull myself out of bed and kiss my girl on her head, trying my best not to wake her. It’s only just after five in the morning.
“Are you sneaking out on me?” She catches my hand and pulls my arm back toward her.
“I was trying not to wake you. Benny is trying to get ahold of me, so I’m going to head over there to see what’s going on.” I sit and brush a few pieces of hair out of her face.She’s so beautiful. In so many ways, I’m learning.
“Tell Benny I said hello.” She smiles and kisses the inside of my wrist. I lean down and brush a quick kiss across her lips.
“I’ll see you at the Tree Lighting tonight.”
“Jack?”
I turn back and smile at her. “Yeah, beautiful?”
She just smiles and shakes her head. When I shut the door behind me, I can hear her laugh softly and I can’t help but smile at the sound. I call Benny back as soon as my foot hits the stairs.
He picks up on the first ring. “Uncle Jack. Um, I’m sorry…I didn’t know what else I should do. I just figured you would.”
“You call me for anything, anytime. What’s going on?”
“Mom. She hasn’t been home. Sometimes she stays out late, but she didn’t come home this morning like I thought she would, and now I think…shit, I don’t know what to think.” He takes a minute to finish and my stomach drops, like falling off a cliff, only to be jerked awake a moment later. The problem is, I’m not dreaming right now, and it’s the first time I wish that I were. “I’m nervous that something happened to her. She usually calls or texts me that she’s fine, but she’s not answering her phone, it's just going straight to voicemail.”
“I’m on my way to you, kiddo. Hang tight.” Kathryn is not the kind of person to just stay out all night, at least as far as I’m aware. I’m not an idiot; maybe she has a one-night stand or something, but I know she isn’t seeing anyone, so not answering her phone just makes it feel like something's off. I’m even pissed she left him home all night alone, if I’m being honest. I know he’s seventeen, but he’s still a kid in my book.
By the time we head down to the sheriff's station, Kathryn still isn’t answering and we both have tried calling and texting repeatedly. We’re past the point of waiting for her to surface. Every hour that ticks by makes me more anxious. I’ve run my hands through my hair so many times at this point that I look disheveled. I don’t want to make Benny any more nervous, so I’m swallowing down all of the what-if assumptions. It's obvious that she didn’t just lose track of time doing something.
“I’ve called the hospitals and clinics in Strutt’s and into the next two counties. They don’t have anyone with her description as a patient,” Benny says quickly. “She drinks sometimes, so I called all the bars in the area too. Half of them didn’t even answer, but the ones that did weren’t much help.” My chest tightens at his admission. The sheriff looks up at me to confirm what my nephew is saying. I feel blindsided. An outsider looking in at my sister’s life. Out of the loop.
“She drinkssometimes…?” I just stare at him, clenching my jaw. He gives me an awkward one-shoulder shrug. “How bad, Benny?”
He doesn’t say anything. My head is pounding. I pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to put pressure at the pain. How could I not know she was drinking heavily again? She squashed that issue years ago, right after Benny was born.
“How bad is it, Benny?” I raise my voice louder to speak above the ringing in my ears. I’m so upset, I’m on the verge of punching a wall. But I know that’s not going to solve anything and my nephew doesn’t deserve to be on the receiving end of it.
“You don’t know the whole story with my dad, okay.” He rubs his hands on his thighs, wiping off sweat and frustration. “It’s bad,” he chokes out, fearing that their secret can’t be kept any longer. “I thought she was doing better since the last time she got in trouble for it, but she drinks. A lot. More than I think she should. More than Dad thought she should too.” He looks up at me, finally meeting my eyes, and his are glassy. It makes mine water too. I pinch my eyes closed, letting a few tears escape, and quickly wipe them away. “She’s never not come home for this long, though. I’ve had to help her to bed or the bathroom before, but she’s never been away like this.” I center myself, take a breath, and feel a new wave of responsibility hit me. My time to be angry and upset about this will have to come later. Now it’s about finding Kathryn and making sure Benny has someone in his corner.
Sheriff Muldowney wrestles through some papers and asks us both questions about her behavior lately and a description of what she was wearing the last time Benny saw her. He brought a few pictures they can use.
“She hasn’t been out of contact for more than twenty-four hours yet, which means I can’t assign her as a missing person.” The sheriff nods and continues to make sure we’re on the same page. “I’m going to have my guys make some additional calls and take a trip down to County General Hospital just in case they’re too slammed to do a good enough check. I want both of you to keep your phones on and alert me if she responds to any text or call.”
The sheriff moves his attention to my nephew and says, “Benny, we're going to do our best to find her. If she’s still out of contact by this evening, then we can escalate her to a missing person and that will allow me to reach beyond our county.”
He shakes Benny’s hand and then asks that I stay back for a minute. I wave Benny on to meet me in the car. “Listen, Jack, call the ex-husband and feel it out. If you catch a strange vibe, let me know. I can’t do much right now since he’s out of state, but I don’t want to drag my heels on anything until she’s back at home.”
“I left him a voicemail already. I have a couple of other people I can call in the meantime.” After shaking his hand, I rush out of the station to find my nephew looking like he’s ready to start crying or hit something.
I drive his truck back to their apartment, and instead of filling the silence, I think about all the signs I might have missed. There’s a gnawing feeling in my gut that this is going to come back to bite my sister in the ass. I’m almost sick at the thought of it being anything more than her passing out somewhere.
“I need to open the shop for a little while. We need to make some money and we’re not going to do that if the shop stays closed today,” Benny says, looking exhausted.
“Money isn’t anything you need to worry about right now, Ben. If you guys get into a jam, I’m always here to help. Your mom knows that too. I have more than enough, so you guys don’t have to add it as something else to worry about. If you want to open and take your mind off of things for a bit, then I’ll help you.”