Bryony nodded. “Her go park?” she asked hopefully. Bryony woke up wanting to go to the park. It was a daily thing. I hoped I was misunderstanding her and my grandmother was still in this house. My heart was beating frantically regardless as I jerked on a pair of shorts and ran down the hallway toward the kitchen.
“Grandmamma!” I called out loud enough so I she could hear me anywhere in the house.
No response. “Grandmamma!”
Why hadn’t Mom woken me up this morning? This wouldn’t have happened if I had been awake.
“Gan’mamma,” Bryony called out behind me. “You go park?”
I turned to look in the living room, and the front door was wide open.
“Oh God,” I whispered then reached for Bryony, picking her up and running outside at the same time.
This could not be happening. My grandmother could have gone anywhere. She couldn’t remember anything, much less directions. And I was supposed to be watching her. Why had I slept late?
I buckled Bryony into her stroller. She was still in her pajamas and needed a diaper change, but there was no time for that. I had to find my grandmother.
I shared a car with my mom. She had it at work this morning. So we would have to search on foot. My phone was still inside, beside the bed, and I would have to leave it there because there was no time to lose. Running barefoot in the tank top that I’d slept in and a pair of cut-off jean shorts, I ran toward the street pushing Bryony.
Stopping, I looked both ways, not sure which way to go first.
“Dat way, Momma,” Bryony said, pointing to the right toward town.
“Did you see her leave?” I asked Bryony.
She nodded. “Gan’mamma dat way.”
I kissed her little blond head in gratitude and started running down the sidewalk toward town, praying I found her before something bad happened. I would set my alarm for five in the morning from now on. Never again would this happen. Never again.
We’ve Got Workout in Five Minutes
CHAPTER 10
BRADY
As I reached for my protein shake, something caught my eye and I slowed my truck down. It was Riley and Bryony running down the street. I turned back around at the stop sign. That hadn’t looked like a morning exercise run, and I knew Riley stayed with her grandmother in the mornings. Especially this early. It wasn’t even seven yet.
Pulling up beside them, I rolled down my window. “Everything okay?” I asked.
Riley turned her head toward me, and there was a frantic look in her eyes. “No, my grandmother is missing.”
Shit.
“Get in,” I told her. “I’ll help you look.”
She shook her head. “That’s not safe for Bryony. She should really be in a car seat.”
Good point. It wasn’t raining today, and the threat of lightning didn’t outweigh the need for car safety. So I pulled ahead into the service station and parked the truck. Then I ran over to catch up with her.
“What are you doing?” she asked, sounding frustrated.
“I’m going to help you look. Where have you already searched and where should I go check?”
She stopped running then and took several deep breaths. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because your grandmother has Alzheimer’s and is missing. You need help finding her.” I would have thought the answer was obvious.
“Someone could see you with me. It’s that time of day when everyone is headed to school.”
“Where do I look, Riley?” I repeated, annoyed with her comment. I understood why she thought that, but it stung to hear her say it. I didn’t want to be that guy. The one who cared what everyone else thought.
“Fine. I was going to the park because Bryony thinks she may be there. Could you go to the grocery store?”
“On it. I’ll meet you back at the park,” I told her and took off running in the direction of the grocery store. I wondered if she’d called her parents yet. If we didn’t find her grandmother in the next fifteen minutes, I would ask.
The manager, Mr. Hart, saw me run inside and smiled. “Need something this early?” he asked.
I shook my head. “No, Mrs.—uh, Lyla Young’s mother is missing. Have you seen her in here this morning?”
Mr. Hart’s eyes went wide. “Amelia? Good Lord, she has Alzheimer’s” was his response.
“Yeah, she does. Have you seen her?”
He shook his head. “No, but I’ll make some calls and keep my eyes open.”
“Thanks,” I replied then hurried back out the door and headed for the park. Maybe the little girl had guessed right. I sure hoped so.
“Brady! Man, what are you doing? We got workout in five minutes,” West called out from his truck.
“I’m helping Riley find her grandmother. She’s missing. Tell Coach I’m sorry and I’ll be there soon as we find her.”
West frowned. “Riley Young?” he asked as if I had just said something insane.
“Yeah,” I replied and kept running. I didn’t have time to defend myself. He could be judgmental if he wanted to. That was something I was going to have to deal with if Riley ever decided to let me be her friend.
“Doesn’t her grandmother have Alzheimer’s?” he called out after me.
“Yeah, she does.”
I didn’t look back as I answered.
It wasn’t until I got to the park to see Riley running back out of it while pushing the stroller that I heard footsteps behind me.
I turned to see West. What the hell?
“What are you doing?” I asked, confused.
“Helping. Where have y’all not looked?” he asked.
This was a turn of events I didn’t expect. “Only checked the park and grocery store.”
Riley looked even more terrified than she had when I first saw her. “She’s not there,” she said, her gaze darting to West then back to me.
“Mr. Hart is looking around for her too. He’ll have the whole town aware she’s missing in no time. Have you told your mom?”
She shook her head. “No. I left my phone at the house because I was in such a big rush.”
I slid my phone out of my pocket and handed it to her. “You’d better call.”
She took the phone, then I turned back to West. “Go check the post office and ask at the pharmacy,” I told him.
He nodded and turned to jog toward the main street.
“Why’s he here?” she asked, frowning.
“He stopped to help.”
She looked as surprised as I had been. I had a feeling Maggie was to thank for his help. The West before Maggie wouldn’t have stopped. He’d have told me I was an idiot and gone to practice.
“Mom, it’s me. I’m using Brady’s phone. No, he’s not at the house. No, I’m not. That’s the thing. No. Just listen. She’s missing, Mom. I woke up before seven and the front door was open.” Tears filled her eyes. “And we’re looking for her.”
She sniffled and wiped at the tears beginning to roll down her face. “Yes. The park, the grocery, and West is checking the post office and the pharmacy.”
She paused and her gaze jerked back up to meet mine. There was hope there. “I hadn’t thought of that. We’ll go there now. Okay, I will.”
She hung up and handed me the phone. “The church. She went missing once before, right after we moved back here. It was when we realized she could never be left alone. She went to the church, then forgot where she was and why she was there.”
She began pushing the stroller and running again.