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"Mackenzie wrote me a note that said she needed ti Carrie knew he’d probably done every five o Where on earth would she go?"

"I don’t know," Carrie whispered Her heart constricted as she i These few days with Laura had ht maybe she’d come to you" He shook his head "I’ve tried her cell, but it’s off I’ve called her girlfriends, but none of them have heard from her Now I don’t knohere to look Think, Carrie"

"She probably doesn’t want to be around people just yet," sheto clear her head of worry and fear in order to be of help

Philip nodded "Do you think she went for a walk? Alone in the dark?" He cringed as he said the words

"I’ll go out with you to look"

His eyes told her he was grateful Carrie grabbed her coat and purse, and they both rushed out of the building

Soon after she’d graduated frohteen, she’d decided to seek out her father It had been afrom him, and in retrospect, she knew she had She’d wanted him to love her, wanted him to tell her how proud he was of the woman she’d become It had taken her the better part of a year to realize that To her anything Even his approval

In the five years she’d known Jason Manning, at that point, he’d been far ical one would ever kno to be She hadn’t had any contact with Tom Weston since It had hurt that theto do with her, but after a few , she appreciated his honesty, hurtful as it’d been at the ti, they walked quickly froht have gone Their fears led to hide them Instead, they offered each other reassurances neither believed

"I hate to think of her out in the cold, alone and in pain," Philip finally murmured, his hands in his coat pockets

"Me, too" The cold air stung her cheeks

"I could hate Laura for doing this to her," Philip said defiantly, "but I refuse to waste the energy She can treat me any way she pleases, but not Mackenzie"

Carrie kneas pointless to remind him that he had no control over his ex-wife Laura would behave as she chose

"Perhaps I should’ve said so, "warned her not to count on anything her mother promised I didn’t because, well, because I didn’t want Mackenzie to think I’d try to influence how she thinks about her mother"

"I find that admirable And wise"

"I don’t feel either of those things just now" His voice revealed his anger and frustration

"Mackenzie’s sure out what her mother’s really like She won’t need you or me to tell her," Carrie said