A Billionaire in Disguise #2 : A Perfect Plan(22)

She called William next. He was such a worrywart but she didn't mind. He was like an uncle to her and she loved him dearly.

"Did you get my note? That RV is a beauty! When did you buy it?"

"Uh...what? I promise you I don't have an RV." Emily laughed.

"Hun, I was at the property today to bring you lunch and I saw it parked, and a new Escape was near it."

"I'll find out. Can I call you later? I'm getting ready to board my flight home from New York."

"You got into it again with the Davis brothers?" William could feel his temper rising.

"No, it was quite the opposite. The trip was really needed." The last thing she wanted was to hear the protests from William.

"Call me tomorrow and fill me in." William didn't like the sound of any of it.



Parker stretched and felt nothing but discomfort, cold air, and a hard surface beneath him. He sat up and felt a slight panic. It took a few minutes for his eyes to adjust to the blackness and for him to remember where he was. Parker could see very little. I can't believe I fell asleep out here. He reached for his phone to help provide some light so he could make it out of the woods, but it was dead. Shit! He had no shelter or warm clothing. He had to make it back to the RV. I walked for a long time, but it was a straight shot, right through those woods. Parker picked up the bag, grateful he had two bottles of water and his lunch left. He wasn't overly worried though. Getting back shouldn't be a problem. The longer he walked, the deeper he got into the woods, and the darker it became. It was impossible to recognize anything. I don't remember being in the woods this long.



It was three in the morning before Emily unlocked her apartment door. If it was earlier she would have driven right to the property, but she was exhausted. With some of the stress being lifted, she was sure she'd sleep like a lamb. She shed her clothes and stood in the hot shower. Memories of seeing Parker in the buff filled her mind. He has no birthmark on his abdomen. Relieved to finally be at peace with who was who, she rested her head on the pillow and quickly fell asleep. 



Parker knew he'd heard the sounds of an animal. The low grunt, loud sniffing, and sticks breaking sent him into a full run. He didn't get very far before he tripped on a tree root which sent him flying. Parker quickly got to his feet, grateful he wasn't injured, and ran away from the direction the sounds were coming from. Before he realized it, he was lost. Stop running and find somewhere safe.



Emily woke up with a smile on her face. She hadn't experienced that in a long time. Throwing on a pair of jeans, hiking boots, and a certain yellow t-shirt, she headed to the pet store. She'd buy the specialty food from the clinic, but the shepherd was going to need a few things before being discharged. When Emily reached the checkout, she realized she kind of went nuts on pet supplies. There were dog toys, treats, a nice bed, good collar and leash, and matching food and water dishes. The grooming items were the top of the line. Emily laughed at the cost. Not because of the amount, but because she didn't have to count her pennies. Emily put the things in a travel case in the back of the pickup and then headed to the clinic.

Mick greeted her when she walked in the back office. She gave him a big hug and pecked his cheek.

"You're awfully chipper this morning. I love it!" Mick was so glad for her transformation. The dark circles under her eyes and serious facial expression were gone.

"How's our big guy?"

"Em, we need to have a name for him. If he was going to anyone but you, I'd keep him longer. But you know the drill. Keep him calm, restrict his activity to short walks, and take out his stitches in a couple of days. He has one more dose of antibiotics. So what's his name gonna be?"

"I'm not going to name him because his new owner should do that."

"You're going to let Parker have him?"

"Yeah. There's so much to tell you, but I need to get going. If I stay here I'll get involved in something and won't finish up this vacation you made me take." Emily winked at Mick, and he reached over and ruffled her hair. It was his favorite thing to do to her.

The shepherd was such a good dog. He seemed so grateful to everyone and was well behaved. Mick lifted the shepherd into Emily's truck and made her promise to take the back roads. "Seriously, Em, you need a different vehicle. No offense, but this pickup isn't good to transport animals in, and when winter hits, you'll be all over the road."

"Yes, father." Emily gave him a playful laugh and then climbed in behind the wheel. Even though the driving time was doubled, she made it to the property in one piece with the shepherd sound asleep beside her. She knew Mick was right about needed a different vehicle. Emily promised herself she would look for one soon. As she turned to travel down the long drive, her excitement rose, knowing it was Parker's RV. The Escape parked close by let her know that he was inside.

Russell had been trying to reach his brother all evening after Emily left. Rhonda was having no luck reaching him this morning.

"Russell, this isn't like Parker to not answer the phone or call us back. I'm getting worried." In her gut, Rhonda felt as if something was wrong.

"Maybe he isn't getting a signal out on the property." Russell didn't even believe that himself. Something was clearly wrong. He could feel it.

Parker must have dozed off under the low-lying branches of the huge pine. He was getting hungry and thirsty and was more determined than ever to get out of the woods. Somewhere along the way, he'd lost the bag with the food and water bottles in it. Probably when he'd fallen and gotten up to run out of fear. If he could just find the lake or stream, he could follow it. He tried to listen for the sounds of the water flowing but there weren't any. Parker was positive he had walked far away from where he'd been. He'd have to get to some sort of clearing.


 

 

 

The longer Parker walked, the denser the woods became. He could see the light rays coming through some places here and there, but he wasn't able to see the sky. Following his gut instincts, he decided to switch directions.

Emily knocked on the door to the RV, leaving the dog in the front seat. She wanted to surprise Parker. She knocked again and waited. After no sounds were heard, she went back to the truck to wait. He probably went for a walk. Emily put the leash on the shepherd, helped him to the ground, then poured some water from her bottle into a dog dish and sprinkled some food in the other. She took the shepherd for a slow, short walk and then helped him back into the pickup. He fell quickly asleep.

Two hours later, Emily climbed back out of her pickup and knocked on the RV door again. She called his name and still heard no rumblings inside. Maybe he had someone come and pick him up to go back to New York. He certainly wouldn't still be out there. She walked back to the truck and retrieved her cell phone from her purse. She tried to dial Davis Enterprises but had no signal. Emily drove toward town and pulled in a parking lot of a gas station. She dialed the number again.

"Davis Enterprises, may I help you?"

"Yes, could I speak with Parker Davis?"

"Please hold."

"This is Rhonda, may I help you?"

"Rhonda, this is Emily Carson, is Parker there?"

"No, we've been trying forever to reach him. He's in Colorado and isn't answering his phone."

Emily could tell that Rhonda was upset; her voice was rushed. "Rhonda, I can't find him either. His RV is on the property along with his rental, but he isn't there."

"Oh this isn't good..."

"I thought maybe he went for a walk. But at this point, I'm afraid he's lost out there. My friend was out at the property first thing this morning. So Parker's been gone for hours. If he went out yesterday--"

"Emily, we need to search for him! Do you know the land?"

"Yeah, I'll keep you posted." Emily drove back to the clinic to return the shepherd. She didn't want to risk leaving him in the pickup unattended. After informing Mick of the situation, she grabbed a bunch of bright orange tourniquets, hopped back in the truck, and headed to Wilkerson Farm.

"Well, if it isn't Emily Carson!" Gerald Wilkerson was the closest farm near her grandfather's property. He had several horses and allowed Emily to ride whenever she wanted.

"Gerald, it's good to see you again." Emily hugged the old man and then got quickly to the point. "Gerald, I need to borrow your four-wheeler. I'm afraid there's a friend of mine who's twisted around out there. I need to find him and I don't want to lose any more daylight." 

"Sure thing, Em. You be careful on that land and don't forget to mark as you go. Run in the kitchen and grab some supplies."

When Emily walked out of the house, Gerald was standing outside holding the key.

"Thank you, Gerald. I'm heading north towards the lake, then east."

"Okay, got it. The tank's full and if I don't hear back from you by nightfall, I'll get some help out there."

"Thanks, Gerald."

Emily started the four-wheeler and then turned onto the road. She could have taken one of the horses, but if Parker was out there, the sound of the motor would carry.



Russell could no longer stand it. Something is horribly wrong. He grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair and ran from the office.

"Get the jet, Rhonda. I have to get to Colorado."

Rhonda nodded and picked up the phone, knowing there'd be no way to even slow her husband down. She was just as worried.