“Mom,” Mindy whined. “I’m fifteen, not five!”

“Why don’t we compromise,” his dad joined in. “Take Chase with you and I think you three will be fine.”

He could live with that compromise, Chase thought. He’d lose skiing, and Baxter would lose out on his walk, but going to the festival with Tami could be fun. And they could do the hot tub when they came back. Yup. Chase liked the sound of that. And what he liked more was the fact that his dad gave him the role of taking care of his sister instead of the other way around.

As much as he liked it, Mindy didn’t. She rolled her eyes. “I don’t want to babysit.”

Chase scowled. “Didn’t you hear him? I’m the one babysitting you.” He almost said something about Eric being there just to get even for her bitchiness. But right before he tattled, he closed his mouth. Just because his sister was a shit didn’t mean he had to be one.

“It’s so unfair,” Mindy snapped. “I’m older and you’re always acting as if—”

“He’s bigger and twice your weight,” Dad said, pointing out that Mindy had inherited her height gene from Mom. “And bad things are less likely to happen with three of you together.”

Mindy let out a huff of disappointment. “But—”

“It’s the deal breaker as far as I’m concerned.” Dad gave Mindy a stern look and then looked at their mom. “What do you say, hon? You okay if all three go?”

His mom paused. “I guess if Chase goes with you, it would be fine.” She looked at Chase. “Do you mind going with your sister? Or were you set on going skiing?”

He hesitated, glancing at Mindy for a pregnant pause, hoping she appreciated that he could refuse, and all her plans would be flushed down the toilet.

Not that he would flush them. If it took putting up with Mindy to be with Tami, he’d do it in a snap. But his sister didn’t have to know that. He hoped she didn’t know it. The less power she held over him the better.

“Nah, I’ll go,” Chase finally said.

“Great,” said Tami, and she actually reached over and gave his arm a soft squeeze. Her touch sent tiny currents of something really sweet through his body and had him remembering how it felt when her foot had brushed up against his. Blinking, he gazed into her face. She smiled so big that her dark brown eyes crinkled. Was she really that happy he was going?

Pulling her hand back, she looked back at his parents. “I’ve been wanting to have my palm read for years.” She pushed her dark hair over one shoulder and he watched as it cascaded across her back. For some crazy reason he wondered if it was as soft as it appeared. “I love festivals.”

Okay, so maybe it wasn’t spending the day with him that had her so happy. But it didn’t stop him from being thrilled at the idea of hanging with her for the next few hours—of maybe scoring a few more smiles and soft touches. Especially when tomorrow morning they would be flying home and their weekend would be over. That would mean it might be like two weeks before he saw her again. That would completely suck.

His chest felt heavy from the thought. She did that thing again with her hair, pulling it up and letting it fall on her shoulders. He studied her profile, a small nose, full lips that looked soft and always shiny. Large brown eyes, slightly slanted, with thick dark lashes.

He tucked his hands into his jeans pockets and tried to push the tug on his emotions away. While Chase really liked girls, he hated thinking of himself as one of those guys who got all sappy-eyed and started tossing around the L word. But for the life of him, it felt as if it was where he was heading. And he wasn’t sure he could stop it.

He glanced back at Tami, who was still smiling. Still the most beautiful thing he’d ever laid eyes on.

He wasn’t sure he wanted to stop it.

November 1, 8 a.m.

Breaking News: Update

An emergency crew has decided to brave the weather and embark on a rescue mission, hoping to find survivors of the wreckage of the Cessna 210 carrying Dr. Tallman and four other passengers.

Despite the deteriorating weather conditions, the emergency rescue crew is gathering supplies and is expected to depart on the rescue mission in the next few hours. Dr. Tallman’s plane fell off radar twenty minutes after leaving Jasper Regional Airport yesterday at 4 p.m. “There are five people out there who could be alive,” says Search and Rescue (SAR) volunteer Tom Phillips. “Three are just teenagers. If they are alive, I’m sure they are desperate for help. If they are not, we need to bring closure to the families. It only seems right that we try to get to them as soon as possible.”

Sheriff Ted Carter released this in his latest statement: “While two SAR helicopters have flown over the wreckage this morning, visibility is still low, and unfortunately no signs of life have been reported.” Tom Phillips also told the media, “While under normal weather conditions the hike up the Jasper range could take up to three hours, with these weather conditions it could take twice as long.”

Family and friends of the Tallmans flew in last night after being notified that the plane went missing. “I want to know my daughter is still alive. I have to believe she is,” says Cary Collins, father of fifteen-year-old Tami Collins. The Faith Tabernacle church in Jasper has opened its doors to the family and is holding an open service for any of the townspeople who would like to stop in and pray for the Tallman family and Tami Collins’s safe return.