His gut tightened. He wanted her. Hell, he needed her. Instead, he had driven her away. Now he wasn’t sure he could convince her to come back to him. Even if he asked her to marry him, it might not be enough.

Marriage. He wanted that, he realized. Wanted to build a life with her. Maybe even have kids. The thought filled him with quiet determination. Ellie was his. Deep down, she must know they belonged together. They were a perfect fit.

He’d been a fool to let her go. And Kade was no fool.

Now that the fog had cleared from his brain and he’d admitted the truth, he took the four-wheeler and headed down the mountain, arriving back at the ranch a little after noon. Dark clouds had settled over the valley, and drops of rain had begun to fall.

When he spotted Ellie’s white Jeep Cherokee, he breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn’t left yet. He still had a chance.

His long canvas duster flapped around his legs as he walked into the kitchen. No one was there. Maria and Dolores wouldn’t be back to start supper for at least a few more hours.

He walked through the house calling Ellie’s name, but got no answer. There was an emptiness in the rooms that said she wasn’t there.

Beginning to worry, he went back outside to look for Billy, figuring the two of them must be together, but as he glanced through the window of the Jeep, he saw Ellie’s suitcases in the back, her purse in the passenger seat.

His unease built. Kade opened the car door and looked inside her purse, saw Ellie’s cell phone. A knot began to build in his stomach. She always carried her phone. No way would she go off somewhere and leave it behind. He took the phone out and checked her recent calls. Her friend Zoe’s name appeared as the last call she’d made, and that was yesterday.

A sense of urgency had him moving faster, striding rapidly toward the barn.

“Billy!” Sunshine was there, nickering softly at his approach. A can of grain had been spilled on the ground in front of her stall and hadn’t been cleaned up. Lady was in another stall. She hadn’t been grained, and there was no sign of Billy.

The knot tightened as Smoke raced toward him, whining, and barking, yapping frantically. The dog raced off toward the back door of the barn, turned around and raced back, started barking again, then rushed back to the door.

Cold fear replaced worry. “Where are they, Smoke? You know where they are? Show me where they are, boy.”