Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 99399 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99399 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
“Rosie said she talked to him about feeling stuck. I guess Lennon offered for her to buy into the ranch, and she said no. She told Wolfe she didn’t want to be stuck with something just because she’d kind of fallen into it when she didn’t know what else she wanted to do with her life. She said…”
“What?” I prompted, ready to begin my search for Wolfe with as much information as I could gather.
“She got the impression he felt the same way about working for the foundation.”
I could hear the guilt in his voice. “Derek, he loves working for the foundation.”
“I know that, but it was never what he wanted to do with his life. He just… ended up there. Maybe this is him deciding he wants something else.”
“That would be okay, though, right?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
“Of course. But why wouldn’t he just tell us? He has to know we’d support him in whatever he wanted to do.”
“Maybe,” I began carefully. “Maybe it’s not about work. Maybe it’s something more personal.”
“What, like a guy? We’ve thought about that. But the only relationship he’s had recently seemed to end amicably. Wolfe didn’t even seem all that upset about it.”
My stomach did a sickening little lurch. “Relationship? With who?” And why didn’t I know about it?
“You met him, I think. He came to Legacy last summer. Guy named Max? He’s one of Joel’s clients at On Your Six.”
“Max who? No, I never met anyone with Wolfe. And what does he do that he needs a bodyguard?”
“He’s a prosecutor. Was working a big drug case and needed temporary protection.”
“Jesus, Derek. And you were okay with that?”
There was a beat of silence before Derek spoke. “Of course not. But Wolfe is an adult. Am I supposed to tell him who he can and can’t date? Besides, it’s over. They didn’t even see each other seriously, I don’t think.”
“Except you said the guy came to Legacy with your family,” I reminded him, feeling a little sick about it. “So it had to have been a little serious.”
“No, no. Max was traveling from Glacier to Yellowstone with his own family and stopped in to say hello. Honestly, it might have been what put the nail in the coffin for Wolfe. They were done shortly after. I don’t even know if Wolfe thought of him as a boyfriend.”
I heard Jude’s voice in the background before Derek clarified what he was saying. “Wolfe isn’t much of a relationship guy. Do you think that has something to do with why he left?”
Something he said earlier filtered back into my mind. “Wait, you said you hadn’t heard from him, but then you said he’s been reaching out to Rosie.”
“He was. But then he stopped. We haven’t gotten a message in almost two weeks.” He hesitated. “Please, Trace,” Derek said in a voice made gruff with emotion. “You’re the best tracker I know. If anyone can find him, it’s you. You’ve always been able to find my son.”
The breath stopped in my throat. Not because the words surprised me, but because they landed heavier than they should have.
My son.
The entire fucking reason I couldn’t have what I so desperately wanted.
But was Derek right? Did I have the ability to find Wolfe if he didn’t want to be found?
I closed my eyes and thought of the other times I’d done it. Once, when Wolfe had been seven and had wandered to a neighbor’s garden shed after hearing a rumor about a raccoon who’d had babies there. Another time when he’d been fifteen and had gone off with a guy he’d met at a summer camp, only to be left behind when he’d refused to cross the border into Mexico with them on a lark. And again after he’d dropped out of music school and was too scared to come home and face his dads.
That time, I’d found him at Fisherman’s Wharf watching his favorite busker play a gorgeous old double bass. As soon as he’d seen me pushing my way through the crowd of tourists, he’d burst into tears and run straight into my arms.
Each of those times, finding him had been easy because I’d known what he liked. How his brain worked. But other than that night in February, I’d barely seen him in years, and we kept things shallow when we did see each other.
Still… there was only one answer for Derek. For me.
“I’ll find him. Send me what you have.”
As soon as I got off the phone, I called an all-hands instructor meeting and told everyone at SERA I was taking some personal time.
“What’s going on?” Foster asked. “Everything okay?”
I felt Tommy Marian’s eyes on me and knew I wanted to protect Wolfe’s privacy from the rest of the Marian clan.
“Yeah. I’m doing a favor for a friend. I’m not sure how long it will take. A week, maybe two?”