Searching For Love (Contemporary Cowboy Romance) (Carson Hill Ranch series: Book 2) by Amelia Rose Page A

been outside to see if he did any damage to the other buildings or if he shot any of the animals that are still around here.”
    “Don’t go out there, Anders!” Bernard yelled. “Stay in the house, and keep everyone else inside, at least until Matthews has a chance to find this lunatic!”
    “Okay, Dad,” Anders replied. He could be heard through the connection talking to some people in the background before coming back to address them. “The sheriff is going to leave someone here tonight, but the deputy will have to go back to town in the morning.”
    “Don’t worry, son, we’ll have someone home by late tomorrow night, maybe the next morning. You guys try to get some sleep and have everyone sleep in the main house. Don’t let any of the staff go back out to their quarters until this is all cleared up.”
    Bernard signed off and switched off the phone before turning to Carey. “Son, I need you to head back home.”
    “Really? Why?” he asked, confused for a moment before realizing for the hundredth time that he was the oldest now. “Oh, right. Sure, I’ll get my stuff and leave right now.”
    “No, you need some sleep before you can head out. Take my bed in there. I want you to be well rested because you’ll most likely have to drive straight through. I’ll sleep out here on the bench seat.” Carey nodded, then went into the bedroom at the far end of the RV and did as he was told, so worried about his younger brother and the staff back home that he had to force himself to close his eyes and get some much needed rest.
    He was awakened by someone shaking him softly, calling his name over and over. Carey opened his eyes to see his father’s face above him, a pitch-black sky still visible outside the windows. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and pulled his t-shirt on over his head, getting out of bed and finishing getting dressed before stepping over to the coffee maker on the small kitchen counter.
    “Take the truck,” Bernard said. “and call me along the way. I’ll let you know what Anders has reported. Do you need to take Dwayne with you?”
    “Well, it’d be nice to have another driver and to have some more muscle on the ranch when we get there, but I’m afraid you can’t spare him. No, you’ll need him for the rest of the drive, especially without Casey or me. I’ll just have to go on through.”
    “Promise me you’ll pull over and nap if you get tired, Carey,” his dad pleaded sternly. “Nothing will be resolved if you don’t make it there in one piece, and I sure don’t want anything to happen to you out on the road.”
    “I’ll be fine. I promise I’ll be careful,” he assured him, but he was too keyed up with worry to guarantee he’d be that cautious. Knowing that Mack hadn’t been found meant he was more than likely still hiding out somewhere on the ranch, and there was no telling what he’d be stupid enough to try once darkness fell again.
    Carey stepped out of the RV and immediately spotted Amy, rolling up her sleeping bag by the remains of last night’s campfire. He felt a pull in his gut at the thought of not seeing her for the rest of the ride, and of just leaving things hanging with this stranger he’d only just met. He walked up to her, completely undone by her bright smile, only to feel crushed when her face fell, sensing that something was wrong by the look on his face.
    “I have to leave,” Carey began. “I’m sorry. I hope you have a great rest of your trip, and a safe trip back home.” He started to turn to leave, but she put a hand on his arm to stop him.
    “Carey, is something wrong? Why are you leaving?” she asked calmly, not so much for her own benefit but because she could see something was really troubling him.
    “Um, it’s just some problems back at the ranch. My younger brother is there and there’s been a…an incident. Kind of an emergency. I’m driving back now, and hope I get there without having to stop anywhere. Again, I really am