Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 95311 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95311 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
"Wait... how did you..."
"Oh, honey," she said, looking over her shoulder at him but moving forward. "I know everything."
Elliott shook his head at the weirdness. How could someone know why he was there? Who he was there to see? Whatever the reason, he turned and started back toward the street Maude Mays had indicated.
He got to fourteen, a neat pretty cottage with a creative rainbow colored cobblestone path to the front door. He strode up quickly, knocking three times before he could lose his nerve.
The door opened quickly as if someone had just been passing by as he walked up. In the open door stood Mrs. Clary, her black hair in a messy bun with two knitting needles sticking out of it. She smiled at him, automatically charming and kind. "Hi can I help you?"
"I... umm... yes. I am looking for Hannah," he said, feeling like a teenager asking the parents if he could take their only daughter on a date.
A crease formed between Mrs. Clary's eyebrows. "I'm sorry but Hannah doesn't live here. She hasn't for many years."
"Oh," Elliott said, his shoulders sinking. "I thought she had come here for a visit. My apologies," he said and was down the path before she could comment further. She closed the door and he pictured her going right for the phone to call Hannah.
They hadn't seen her, he realized as he made his way back into the inn. She wasn't in Stars Landing. She wasn't at work. She wasn't at her apartment. Where the hell was she?
His slight worry from the day before rose to a real, tangible dread. What was going on? He closed the front door to the inn too roughly, making someone who had been sitting reading in the seating area to jump and look over. He walked toward the stairs only to be grabbed by his upper arm.
"Not so fast," Emily's voice found him and he turned quickly. Her eyes looked angry, her features serious. "What the hell are you doing looking for Hannah?"
Elliott felt his stomach tighten. God, what had he gotten himself into?
Emily none-too-gently pulled him back toward the reception desk, checking around before speaking again. "I asked you a question. Who the hell are you?"
"I'm Elliot Michaels."
"Elliot Michaels. I know. I checked you in. Wait. Oh. EM. You're EM. As in the place. As in where Hannah works." A look of sincere worry crossed her face. "What's going on? Where's Hannah?"
Elliott ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know. That's why I'm here. She left a note yesterday saying she would be gone for two weeks. No reason. She hasn't been answering her phone. She wasn't at home. I'm worried."
Emily's eyebrow raised a bit. She knew it was more than him looking for his employee. She was a keen, intelligent young woman. "Her mom can't get in touch with her. And even I haven't heard from her in days," she supplied and Elliott was left realizing this woman was one of Hannah's friends, someone she must have grown up with. "This isn't like her. She always answers. She doesn't want to worry anyone. Was something wrong with her?"
"She's been... off lately. I dunno. Seems upset about something."
"Shit," Emily said, reaching for her phone and punching a number. She let it ring and hung up, frustrated.
"You seem to know her," Elliott said, hopeful, "where would she go?"
Emily shrugged, raising her hands in defeat for a moment before a light hit her eyes. "Sam's. She would go to Sam's."
"Who is Sam?" he asked, trying not to sound jealous.
"Her ex from when they were kids. She would probably go there. And he wouldn't rat on her. They were always really close. They haven't talked in forever but if something was wrong and she didn't want to be pestered about it, she would go see him."
"Where is he?" Elliott asked, grabbing a pen and random piece of paper off the desk.
"Here. He lives here. Just way on the outskirts. Hold on, I'll get an address."
He felt oddly energized driving down the long dirt road that Emily swore would eventually lead to this Sam Flynn's farm. You'll know it when you see it. He wasn't entirely sure what that was supposed to mean. He imagined she meant it was impressive.
Despite his efforts not to, he found himself wondering why Hannah would run to this Sam person. Emily had said they had barely been in contact in years. But she had also said they had been together since they were twelve or thirteen or something like that. And they broke up when Hannah went away to college. Sam's roots were buried deep and Hannah needed to spread her wings. It sounded like that was the only reason for the dissolution of their relationship. Five or six years was a long time to spend with someone.