TAKE ME HOME (21 page)

The two men left, and Evan went farther into the car, passing Nate and Penny who were seated two rows in front of where Sasha stood in the aisle. Penny gave a slight wave, but she didn’t flash her usual smile. Evan nodded and went to Sasha. He didn’t like the way the train employees had their hands on her. “Sasha…”

She let out a panicked sigh when she saw him. “Rebecca is outside. I know she is.”

“They went to check.”

Oscar returned and whispered to the conductor. “There are footprints at the bottom of the steps. They look the right size.”

“Oh God.” Sasha gripped Evan’s forearm.

“Can you tell which way she went?” the conductor asked.

Oscar shook his head. “There are several sets of her tracks, like she ran back and forth along the train. If she walked off, I can’t tell where she went. The wind’s blowing like crazy.”

“I have to go find her.” Sasha lunged for the stairs. “She’s not wearing her coat.” 108

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The two employees stopped her again.

“You need to wait here,” the conductor said. “I’ll call for help and send my crew out to search for her.” To Oscar, he said, “Tell everyone to get their coats on. Kitchen staff too.” He headed for the door leading to the next car.

“I’m not staying here,” Sasha cried out.

Evan wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “It’s going to be okay.” She leaned in and cried against his chest. “I’ve got her,” he said to the two men, and they let go. Sasha wouldn’t do any good outside in her current state. He patted her on the back. “You need to be here for when they find her and bring her back to you. I’ll go help them look.” She lifted her head, tears in her eyes.

“We’ll find her,” he said. “I promise. You be here to take care of her.” She nodded.

Evan gave her shoulders a final squeeze and helped her into her seat. Then he jogged after the conductor, catching him before he reached the door. “I’d like to help with the search.”

“Just take your seat and let us handle this.”

The gorgeous gray-haired man from the observation car the day before, who still could be a thief if he was lying about his alibi, stepped forward. “I’m retired law enforcement. If she’s outside, you need to find her now. I’ll help with a search.”

“I’ll help too,” another man said, then a couple of women in their early twenties stepped forward.

Nate stood to join the volunteers, and Penny seized his arm. “You cannot go out there.”

“I can too.”

More passengers stood, and murmurs filled the car.

Evan clutched the conductor’s arm before he turned away again. “It’ll be dark before long.

Even with every employee you’ve got on this train, you need help, and you know it.” The conductor sighed. “I’m going to be fired for this.”

Kyle awoke, and for a minute, nothing odd registered. He hadn’t been asleep for long. Extending the nap sounded good. He rolled over, and then it hit him. Evan had been beside him when he’d fallen asleep. He sat up and scrubbed his face with his hands, unease settling over him. A series of lies ran through his mind before he landed on the truth. He would have liked waking with Evan in his arms.

Especially after what they’d spent the afternoon doing.

“I’m going to ride you until you scream.”

He’d heard horny guys say all kinds of shit when they were fucking, but no one’s words had ever had such an effect on him. No one had ever shown him being the bottom didn’t have anything to do with giving up control. Or maybe they had. He just hadn’t cared to notice.

The best sex of his life, and he’d lain there on his back, watching Evan sit on his cock, letting Evan boss him around.

Who was he kidding? He’d loved Evan like that. So confident. So sure of what he wanted.

It was a side of Evan he’d never seen—a side he wanted to see a lot more of.

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Would he get that chance? Evan loved him, always had. Then why hadn’t he ever said anything? Because he can’t trust you. He thinks you’re going to hurt him. Again.

The wind howled outside, and the train rocked. A new storm had moved in, and their room was colder than before. He got up and went to the window. It was getting close to dusk. Would they be spending the night stuck on that mountainside? Evan had probably gone for food. Man could not live on sex alone. Even fantastic fucking sex.

Kyle pulled clean clothes from his bag and got dressed. He grabbed his phone. Not a great signal, but he dialed anyway.

Lorrie answered. “Kyle?” She sounded alarmed. “Are you guys still stranded?”

“Yep. They can’t get us moving until some equipment gets here.”

“I’m glad you called. Everyone is freaking out.” Her voice was cutting in and out.

“Why?” he asked.

“The folks don’t think you’ll be home in time for Christmas. You’re still so far away.

Whose brilliant idea was it to take the train?”

That would be Evan’s brilliant idea. The man had never had a better one.

“I’m sure we’ll get moving soon. All we can do is wait it out.”

“Waiting?” she asked with a lilt to her voice. “Is that all you’ve been doing? You and Evan haven’t—”

“I think I broke his heart.” Of all the things he could’ve told Lorrie, why that?

“Already? What the hell did you do?”

“Not now. Ten years ago. He’s scared.” What had Evan said? “I can’t watch you walk away from me to another guy again.”

Like he’d done in that bar in Iowa. He’d hurt Evan more than he’d known, given it had been ten years and Evan still used that as a reason they needed to keep apart. Although, they hadn’t done so well at keeping apart.

He’d told Evan he didn’t want to leave him, and he’d meant it too. Could he keep that promise? Evan would expect him to be faithful. Monogamy. One person. Forever? “I don’t want to be another asshole who hurts him.”

“Then don’t be an asshole. The world is filled with those.”

“So, then avoiding it is probably easier said than done.”

“Kyle, don’t think so much. Just let yourself go with the flow, with what you’re feeling.” Her voice turned serious. “Travel the high of love and sex and see where it leads you.” The door to their room opened, and Evan’s reflection in the window stared back at him.

The expression on his face said it all. Something was wrong. “I have to go, Lorrie. I’ll call you later.” He hung up and faced Evan. “What happened?”

“Rebecca’s still missing. She got off the train a few minutes ago.”

“What? How?”

“She slipped out while someone had the door open. Probably went looking for more cabins. They’re putting a search party together. I figured you’d want to go too.”

“Hell, yes.”

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Evan dug through his bag. “We have to hurry. I just came to get my coat, and you.” He pulled on a sweatshirt, then got out his hat and gloves.

Kyle grabbed his own winter gear, including the red scarf from his mom. “You should take my coat. It’s warmer.”

“That’s stupid. What the hell would you wear?” Evan picked up his coat. “Let’s go.” When they reached the lounge car, the room was full, people standing everywhere, all talking. Evan pointed to a man conversing with what looked like a group of kitchen staff in the corner, all dressed to head out. “The conductor,” Evan said. “I guess he’s running the show.” The men and women with the conductor looked scared shitless at the idea of going out into the storm. Kyle couldn’t blame them.

The gray-haired potential thief approached the conductor and exchanged a few words with him. Evan indicated the man with a nod. “That guy we thought broke into our room is a cop.

Said he was retired law enforcement.”

So maybe not their thief.

Oscar stood near the conductor too, dressed in a long coat, the Santa hat gone, replaced by a wool cap with flaps over his ears. He spotted Kyle and gave a nod.

The conductor faced the crowd and spoke. “Okay, here’s the deal. We’ve called for a search chopper, but they can’t take off in this weather. So we’re on our own until an official search-and-rescue team can get here. We go out in groups of two. All passengers are to be teamed with a train employee. Some employees are here in the lounge car. The rest are already searching the immediate area around the train. We have several two-way radios and a few compasses. We’ll hand those out to as many as we can. Other than that, each team be sure you have a phone with you. Every employee has my number. No one is getting much of a signal right now, but at least try to call if you find her or you get lost. Each team will head out in a straight line for fifteen minutes, then turn around and come back to report in. You are to stay within sight of your search partner at all times. No exceptions. The little girl’s name is Rebecca. She has on a pink sweat suit and is not wearing a coat or hat. As best we can tell, she’s been out there for”—

he checked his watch—“fifteen minutes now. If you find her, get her as warm as you can and get her back here fast. We have a passenger who is a retired physician who will be standing by. Any questions?” The room remained silent. “All right. Let’s move.” Oscar and a woman Kyle had seen working in the lounge car quickly headed their way.

The woman stood five foot nothing and looked like one strong wind would knock her over. She wouldn’t be much help in carrying the little girl, let alone assisting someone larger back to the train in an emergency.

“I’ll head out with one of you,” Oscar said.

Kyle liked that idea. “Go with Evan.”

Before Evan could speak, Kyle gave a nod to the woman. “That means you’re with me.

I’m Kyle.”

“Diane.” She pointed toward the west side of the train. “We’re going this way.” Oscar indicated the opposite direction for him and Evan. Everyone was in a rush to get outside before it was too late to help Rebecca.

“Wait,” Kyle said before Evan walked away. He seized him by the collar and kissed him, a quick, hard press of lips, then released him and said, “Take this. My coat’s collar comes up Take Me Home

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higher.” He wrapped the red scarf around Evan’s neck, tucking it into his coat. He met Evan’s gaze. “Be careful.” Then he turned away to head out into the storm.

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Five minutes away from the train and Evan had a sinking feeling in his gut. No one would last long out here. His face stung from the bitter cold wind that came at them from every direction. It whipped the branches of the monstrous pine trees around like they were miniatures from a train set. He had snow caked on his pants from dragging his legs through the drifts piling up all over the uneven terrain.

How had Rebecca gotten two steps away from the train? She sure was a determined little shit.

It would be dark soon. He looked back the way they’d come. They hadn’t gone far, and it had only been a fraction of their fifteen minutes, but through the trees and the blowing snow, he could no longer see the train.

Oscar stopped and raised the sweatshirt he wore as a makeshift scarf higher to cover his mouth. He glanced Evan’s way, and they exchanged a look. If they didn’t find her soon, this would not end well.

“Let’s keep moving.” Evan had to holler to be heard over the wind.

Oscar nodded and tipped his head forward as he hiked on.

The wind died down for a moment, and Evan heard rushing water, possibly a river. It sounded far off. Then the wind picked up again, and the sound of the water was gone. She’d only have minutes in this weather if she’d gotten wet. If there was a chance she’d fallen into the river, he hoped someone’s search path was close enough to find her before it was too late.

He continued forward. With the snow-covered trees, the vast expanse of the wilderness, no houses, roads, or power lines, it was picturesque. He’d have thought it was beautiful, if Rebecca were safe beside her mother in their seats and he and Kyle were still on the train, looking out the windows from the warmth within.

Another two minutes and they hadn’t made it much farther.

It was far enough, though.

There, under the shelter of a fallen tree, the pine needles still green, making an enclosure above her head, sat Rebecca. She had her arms wrapped around her knees, her head dropped forward, her cheek pressed against her kneecap.

Evan took off, trudging through another snowdrift like he was under water. He spotted her footprints now where she had walked around the same drift.

“She’s here,” he called out and pointed toward the fallen tree. He wasn’t sure if Oscar heard him, but he kept going.

At the tree, he dropped to his knees before her. Her lips were purple, and her eyes were closed. There was evidence of frozen tears on her lashes and snow along the bottom half of her Take Me Home

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pants, but the rest of her looked dry. In her right hand, she clutched the photo album she had pulled out at dinner. It was open to the picture of her father.

“Rebecca.”

Her eyes fluttered open. “C-c-cold.”

“I know, honey.” He slid off his coat and wrapped it around her as he picked her up.

“M-M-Mommy.”

“I’m going to get you back to your mommy, okay? Hold on.” He shifted her around so the coat was covering all of her. As he worked, she closed her eyes again and pressed her cold face against his neck. Her trust, her vulnerability, awoke a part of him he’d buried only a few minutes earlier. He wanted to be a father. He wanted someone to need him, someone he could love and teach and help grow into who they were meant to be. He couldn’t pretend to ignore that part of himself. Not for long. Certainly not forever. He held Rebecca closer and said, “You’ll see your mommy soon.” Her skin was like ice against the warmth of his. They had to hurry.

Oscar arrived at his side. “Is she okay?”

“She’s freezing.”

Oscar removed his makeshift scarf and wrapped it around her head, neck, and most of her face. “You got her?”

“Yeah.” Evan pulled her tighter against his chest.

“Let’s go.” Oscar helped Evan stand. “This way.”

They started back, the three bodies moving in a huddle, Oscar blocking the wind from Evan and Rebecca.

Either they were walking a different route, or the footprints they’d made on their way to find her had already blown over. He hoped Oscar knew what he was doing. Or that he was using the compass.