cabin because from the dark cloud cover, and the rumble of thunder, they weren’t going to make it to the ranch house.
Droplets began to fall as they scrambled out of the boat, and he tied it up quickly. Terry grabbed her shoulder bag and Stacey’s backpack as the rain pelted down.
“This way,” he yelled, and the three of them plus the dog, who was whining and barking her head off, made a dash for the cabin. Lightning cracked and thunder boomed when he shut the door behind them. Fortunately, the lights worked when he flipped the switch.
“Go on and have a seat anywhere. My daddy and I used this as a little fishing cabin when we’d be out and get caught in the rain. Lucky for us, these storms don’t last long, so we should be ready to go pretty quick.”
But as the rain raged on, Shea wasn’t too sure it would be ending anytime soon, and he was getting increasingly worried about Jake. He’d tried several times to call him with no answer. Where the hell was that damn fool? Kiss sat by the door, whining and scratching. He walked over to her and kneeled.
“You know somethin’, girl? You know where Jake is?”
She wriggled and barked, then scratched at the door. Rain lashed at the windows, and he tried calling the ranch, but he couldn’t get a signal. Perils of living out in the country. He left the dog and decided he needed to talk to Terry.
“I’m gonna go out and look for Jake. He’s probably sittin’ under a tree, soaked, but I’d feel better havin’ us all together.”
“Of course. We’ll be fine inside here, all snug and warm, right, honey?”
Stacey didn’t react, and Shea pretended a bravado he didn’t quite feel at the moment. “The lights run on a generator backup, so you don’t have to worry none. And there’s snacks in the fridge.”
To his immense relief, he heard the sound of an engine, and headlights swept across the windows. In a moment a car door slammed, and Craig, with Johnny at his side, burst into the cabin.
“Oh good, y’all are in here.” Craig took off his hat and shook the water from the brim. His gaze searched the cabin. “Where’s Jake?”
“That’s what I mean to go find out. He took off for a hike, but that was over an hour ago.” Shea hoped his voice didn’t sound as grim as he felt.
“Well, then let’s get goin’,” Craig said. “We’ll take the pickup. Ladies, you’ll be fine, long as you stay put.”
“We’re not going anywhere,” Terry assured him.
“Let’s go.” Shea put his hat on, and Kiss shot out the door the moment it opened. “The dog’s been itchin’ to get out, so I’m thinkin’ to follow her lead.”
“Good idea. Dogs know best.”
They raced toward the Ram and took off, bouncing along the rutted trail in the direction he’d seen Jake walk while they were on the lake.
“You go find him, girl,” he whispered into Kiss’s ear. They stopped where the trail ended and the path turned to grass, and became more difficult to drive through. Shea knew they’d have to slow their progress to avoid an accident. “Find him so I can kiss him before I kill him.” She panted and licked his face, then jumped out of the truck. They followed, keeping her wagging tail in their sight.
The rain had let up from the almost blinding deluge, but it still came down at a steady pace. The dog raced ahead of them, but they kept up with her, and when they reached the back fence of the ranch property, Shea saw with a sinking heart the broken railing.
“I thought we checked the fence?” he asked his friends, ready to rip them a new one. “You told me it was all good.”
“We did, and it was fine. Thinkin’ these two last rainstorms must’ve loosened the posts, and they cracked open again.”
“Well, shit.” He picked his way over the broken pieces of wood. Knowing Jake and his belief that he could do anything he put his mind to, Shea had no doubt the damn fool was on the opposite side of the fence. He watched Kiss leap over the rails and take off toward the creek, which had swollen from the recent rains and was running dangerously fast. “Be careful, girl. Jake?” he yelled out. “Jake, where the hell are you?” Damn idiot.
With ropes in hand, Craig and Johnny joined him, and they slipped and slid their way down