Determinant -Guardians of Vesturon [3] by A.M. Hargrove Read Free Book Online

drive, thinking I would hate the time in the car every day. I couldn’t have been more mistaken. The drive between Cullowhee and Waynesville was magnificent. The constant changing hues of the sky, coupled with the glorious peaks of the Smoky Mountains were a sight to behold. Cat and Maddie bragged about it all the time, saying how unmatched the splendor of the mountains was. They frequently hiked and backpacked in the national park, and examining the views as I drove, gave me a better understanding of why they loved it so much.
    I was getting extra hours again at the Purple Onion and I was having a grand time. Since I didn’t have classes or exams to worry about, I was truly enjoying my burden-free vacation and the gorgeous drive to work made it feel special.
    “January, what are you doing for Christmas?” Lou asked me a few days before the Holidays.
    “I was planning on working,” I replied as I carried a load of plates into the kitchen.
    “No, that’s not what I meant. I meant for Christmas dinner. We close at five that day and I was wondering what you were doing afterward.”
    “Oh.” I hadn’t bothered to give it much thought. Truthfully, I had avoided thinking about it altogether. What I wanted more than anything was to see the joy on Tommy and Sarah’s faces when they came downstairs to see what Santa left for them.
    “Um, nothing I guess,” I mumbled. I had a feeling where this was heading.
    “Well, the wife and I want you to come to our place. It won’t be fancy or anything, and it’s just the two of us, but you know the food will be good.”
    “Oh, Lou, that’s awfully kind of you but…”
    “No buts January. You already said you weren’t doing anything and we’ll have more than enough food. You know Diane...she’ll have enough for an army,” he insisted.
    “Thank you, but…”
    “I told you January, no buts. You’re not going to make excuses to get out of this one. It’s settled. You’re coming home with me right after we close here. And if you want, you can spend the night. We have plenty of room and that way you won’t have to drive home.” He was not going to take no for an answer.
    “Are you sure?” I asked hesitantly. I didn’t want to burden them.
    “I wouldn’t have asked you in the first place if I didn’t want you to come. Now quit jabbering and get back to work,” he said with a wink.
    I wish Lou and Diane were my parents. They fussed over me that night and I’d never felt anything like it before, except maybe for my short stay with Seth and Lynn. That gnawing ache in my belly had lifted and I ate more than I had in a long time. Maddie always mentioned the “warm fuzzies” and I think I finally got what she meant by that.
    *****
    The week after New Year’s would bring that feeling of comfort to a screeching halt. Maddie had gone backpacking over Christmas and was supposed to go to Cat’s for New Year’s. She never called or showed up. She simply fell off the face of the Earth.
    The search parties checked everywhere for weeks and the only things they found were her backpack and a bloody sleeping bag. They brought in search and rescue dogs but were unable to find anything. Her scent disappeared off the trail and the dogs could never pick it back up. She had simply vanished into thin air.
    I never had been afforded the chance to sleep much before, but now my nights were filled with scary dreams. The churning tension in my belly threatened to erupt every day. I could hardly bear the thought of her in the hands of a kidnapper. Or what if she had been lying somewhere injured, with no one to help her? How could this have happened? I couldn’t get those awful thoughts out of my head.
    “Wake up January!”
    What? Who’s that?
    “January! Wake up! Come on, you’re scaring me. Wake UP!”
    Someone was shaking me…and hard. I struggled to open my eyes. My lids felt like they were glued together. I hoisted myself on to my elbows and opened my eyes to see Carlson’s