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“I don’t know” Ty was hopping on one foot while trying to tug on his boots “Tara didn’t give him any details Da her spoiled little neck”

“So, Mr Niles didwhen he walked through the front door She was gowned in a fil robe with thick ruffles for down the front to the heain, I’ll leave you,” she threatened, her voice tre

“What’s this story you told him about Cat?” Ty demanded “What’s happened to her?”

“I don’t know The school called right after you left to say she was ” Her answer cary

“Did she run away or what?” At the moment he was more concerned about his sister than he was about his wife’s outrage

“That’s the way it looks, but they aren’t sure They think a couple of her girlfriends covered up for her this ,” Tara explained tersely

“My God, has she been gone that long?” His froas deeper and angrier as Ty crossed to the telephone and picked it up, dialing a number “Who is this?” he demanded when a voice answered “Jobe, I want you to roust Repp Taylor out of his bunk and get him up to The Hoet up here on the double!”

“You surely don’t think—” Tara began

“I wouldn’t put anything past her,” Ty cut in and clicked the phone to clear the line, then dialed another set of numbers

“Are you calling the police?”

“No She one to the hospital to see Dad” He waited impatiently for someone to answer The hospital operator came on the line and switched him to the appropriate nurses’ station The response to his initial question brought a flurry ofup “Cat was there the latter part of the afternoon” The infor along another course “She left shortly after the change of shifts As far as anyone re about returning later”

Thethe wooden floor of the long veranda filtered into the house As they registered with Ty, he ran a critical eye over Tara’s appearance

“Go upstairs and change into so around dressed like that in front of my men,” he stated tersely

“I didn’t think you had even noticed what I earing” And she had changed for his benefit, a spiteful attempt to show him what he’d missed when he’d stalked out of the house

“That was the whole point, wasn’t it?” he taunted with no hu away, even that satisfaction lost to her as she crossed to the stairs “When you coht,” Ty called after her