Luis rounded the corner. Still no sign of Kay. Where on earth had she gone? By splitting up, he, Sam, Hank, Sheridan, and Gwen had managed to search more than half the town already, but there was still no sign of Sam's eldest daughter.
Was this what it was going to be like raising a teenage girl? Was this a glimpse into his future?
He had been trying to stay calm for Sheridan's sake earlier, but the truth was that he was terrified—and very anxious about what was to come. How on earth would he ever be able to keep his daughter safe? There were so many variables and so many unknowns.
A shrill sound in the distance made Luis's ears perk up.
"Please, leave me alone!"
Luis whipped around to find two teenage boys harassing a girl around their age. "Hey!" he shouted. "You heard the lady! Beat it!"
The boys' eyes filled with terror for a split second; they jumped onto their bikes and sped off.
"Thank . . . thank you so much," the girl stammered, shrinking back into herself.
Luis pulled out his badge. "You don't have to worry. I'm a police officer. It's my job to protect you. Why don't you let me take you home?"
The girl shook her head. "Thanks, but I live two blocks away."
"Okay," Luis said. "Why don't you get going then? It's not safe for you to be out here alone."
The girl nodded and frowned—and then took off like a dart.
His eyes still fixed on her, Luis sighed and slumped down on the rail. How was he ever going to deal with having a daughter of his own?
How was he ever going to find the courage to let her out of his sight for a single second? To come to terms with the fact that he wouldn't always be able to keep her safe—that, sooner or later, she'd get the urge to explore the world on her own?
"And that was the last time anyone saw her?" Eve wiped the tears from her cheeks and glanced at Julian, her brow creasing with worry.
"Yes," Grace answered through the phone. "I know that she's almost all grown up, but she's still my little girl—what if something's happened to her?"
"I know this is difficult for you, Grace." Eve cleared her throat. "But try not to panic. Sam, Hank, Luis, Sheridan, and Gwen are all out looking for her. I'm going to go join the search—one of us will find her."
"Thank you, Eve. You're such a good friend," Grace said. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Well, you'll never have to worry about that," Eve said. "I'll get in touch with you soon."
Eve flipped her phone shut and turned back to Julian. "I'm sorry, Julian, but I need to go help look for Kay. As much as it pains me to say this, our search for information on your mother and our son will have to wait."
"I completely understand, Eve." Julian squeezed her arms and smiled softly at her. "We can pick up our search—and the conversation we were just having—after Kay is found."
Eve dug into her purse, her voice quieting. "There's no need to continue the conversation we were just having."
"Yes, Eve, there is." Julian lifted her chin. "I'm not going to stop until you realize what a wonderful woman you are."
Gwen rounded the corner and squinted at Harmony High School's bleachers. She didn't see any sign of Kay, nor had she at the last three places she had visited. No one else was having any luck either—and it was getting really late.
"Thank goodness I'm not a teenage girl anymore," Gwen uttered, digging in her purse for her phone.
Where should she check next? Might Hank have any more ideas? Gwen started to flip open her phone, when an idea suddenly hit her.
"Of course . . ." Gwen said, an image coming to her mind. "If I were Kay and I got into a fight with my mother, that's exactly where I would go . . ."
Shoving her phone into her purse, Gwen took off in a run.
