Only You (Wild Creek Ranch Series Book 4)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Flashback (Fordsville - The morning after Sawyer left)

Renée woke up the next morning, feeling blissfully happy. Sawyer had made her feel very special on her birthday. She remembered the way he danced with her in front of everyone and blushed thinking how everyone would be after her for answers. She was sure that after last night, everyone at home knew that she and Sawyer loved one another.

She stretched and was about to go to the washroom when her eyes fell upon a sheet of paper with something scribbled upon it. Curious, she picked it up and read the words. Her breath hitched while her heart constricted with shock. She read and re-read the words, not able to comprehend anything out of it.

I love only you, Ren.
Don't cry when I'm gone.
Take care of yourself for me
I'll come back soon.

Only yours
Sawyer

What did it mean? Did Sawyer leave home? But why would he leave suddenly that too informing no one? Renée walked out to the living room in a daze. She had woken up late, so the whole family was already there, just like any other day. However, Sawyer was nowhere to be seen.

"You look like a zombie," laughed Ryder, looking at her as she walked into the room. She had forgotten to remove her makeup last night and the eyeliner might have spread all over. Renée didn't smile, her pale face and horrified expression made granny concerned.

"Is everything alright, dear?" she asked with concern.

"Where's Sawyer?" asked Renée, looking at everyone's faces.

"Don't tell me you're missing him the first thing in the morning?" chuckled Ryder.

"Please bro, this isn't a joke. Have you seen Sawyer after last night?" she asked with the same grave expression. Ryder frowned and so did aunt Kathy.

"He should be in his room. I'll check," offered Rihanna, rushing off.

"Why? Is anything wrong?" asked Sawyer's mom, looking worriedly at her.

"I found this note beside my bed this morning, aunt Kathy," said Renée as a sob broke out of her mouth. Katherine Wilson took the note and read it again and again, staring at it with disbelief. Rihanna came rushing out of Sawyer's room.

"He isn't there, and neither has he slept on his bed last night," said Rihanna with a worried expression.

"I'll check the barn. Saw might have slept there," said Ryder, rushing off towards the barn with a worried expression on his face. He raced at top speed, his heart beating faster and faster. He unlocked the door of the barn with a frown on his face. If Sawyer would have been inside, he couldn't have locked the place up? Since he was the last one to leave, he had the keys to the barn. Ryder walked out of the barn, a sinking feeling of dread spreading all over his heart and mind. As he had expected, Sawyer wasn't inside.

He locked the barn up and walked towards the house when his feet hit something, kicking it a little further. He stopped in his tracks and looked at it. A gasp escaped his mouth seeing Sawyer's phone lying there. So he was here. Was he kidnapped by that man who was stalking him? Most probably since Sawyer had told him that Antonio Cruz was watching his activities closely. He ran into the house, looking pale and scared.

"What happened? Did you find him?" asked Rhett, standing beside their granny. Ryder shook his head. His aunt Kathy was sobbing uncontrollably while his uncle Kevin was trying to console her. Renée, on the other hand, sat shocked like a statue, not able to believe that Sawyer had really left home without telling her. But why? She couldn't find any answer to that question.