“She wouldn’t do that.”

“It makes more sense than her leaving you.” Del started his truck and waited until the phone switched over to Bluetooth. “Dad, Mom loves you. She’s not going to leave.”

“There are things you don’t know. Truths in a marriage.” Ceallach groaned. “I should have seen this coming.”

“You’re not helping, Dad,” Del said loudly. “Where are you?”

“By Jo’s Bar.”

“Give me five minutes. I’ll meet you there.”

“I’m calling your brothers.”

“Good idea.”

He hung up, then phoned Maya. It took her several rings to answer.

“Del? What’s up?”

“Where are you?”

“With Phoebe. Why?”

He explained what had happened. “I know my dad is overreacting,” he told her. “There’s a logical explanation for whatever is going on. She’s somewhere. I thought you might have some ideas.”

What he’d really been hoping was that Maya was with his mother. Now that he knew she wasn’t, he was willing to admit to some small measure of worry.

“Has he tried calling her?” Maya asked, her voice tight. “Your dad. Did he call her?”

“He says she’s not answering. Maya, what aren’t you telling me?”

“I might have an idea of where she is. Meet me by Morgan’s Books in twenty minutes.”

She hung up before he could ask her anything else, and he knew that five minutes after she left the ranch, she would enter a dead space in cell coverage. There was nothing to do but wait for her to show up.

He drove into town. During the short trip, he tried his mother’s cell several times. It rang and rang before sending his call to voice mail. Once in town, he easily found his father. For once Ceallach looked old. Tired. There was a stoop to his shoulders and something that looked a lot like fear in his eyes.

Three years ago Ceallach had survived a mild heart attack. Del had spent a couple of days at the hospital, then helping his mother get his father settled. Back then, Ceallach had been full of bluster, despite the episode, barking orders and insisting he would make a full recovery. He hadn’t looked scared. In fact, until tonight, Del had never seen his father afraid of anything.

“We have to find her,” the older man said as Del approached. “I don’t care what she’s done, I just need her back. She keeps my life going. Without her...”

Del told himself there was love buried in there somewhere, but it sure wasn’t easy to find. He wanted to point out that if his father took a little extra time to appreciate his wife, they might not be having this conversation right now.

“Maya’s on her way back from her brother’s ranch,” he said instead. “She has some ideas on where to find Mom.”

Ceallach stared at him. “Who?”

“Maya? I dated her ten years ago. She’s the reason I left Fool’s Gold. She and Mom have stayed friends all this time.”

“Have I met her?”

Del swore. “Dad, if you’re right and Mom’s left you, you have no one else to blame.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” his father growled, and turned away from him.

“Then why don’t you do something? Act like a normal person once in a while. Bring her flowers. Tell her you love her.”

Ceallach swung back to face him. “You think I don’t love her? She is everything to me. She’s the reason I breathe. Without her I could never create a single piece. She knows that. She knows that better than anyone. She protects me, takes care of me. She allows my work to happen.”

Del glared at his father. “Then why would she leave you?”

Aidan’s SUV pulled up beside them. Ceallach hurried toward the vehicle. Nick jumped out of the passenger side.

“Where’s Mom?”

Del knew the moment was gone and he would never hear his father’s answer. There was a reason the old man had jumped right to Elaine leaving.

Aidan joined his brother. “What do you mean she’s missing? Mom doesn’t just walk out on her family. Did you two have a fight? What did you do to her?”

Ceallach glared at the three of them for a second, then dropped his gaze and inhaled slowly. “I don’t know what happened. Nothing out of the ordinary. I’ve been busy. Working. She’s always home and now she’s not.”

As much as Del wanted to join Aidan in blaming their father, he knew that line of questioning wouldn’t help anyone.

“Maya’s on her way in from the ranch,” he said. “We’re meeting her at Morgan’s Books. Let’s get there and wait for her. She knows Mom. I think she has an idea of where she went.”

“If she doesn’t, we’re calling the police,” Aidan said grimly. “And the search-and-rescue team. We’re going to find her tonight.”

Cheap talk, Del thought, understanding his brother’s frustration. But willing something to happen didn’t matter a damn.

They walked the short distance to the bookstore. About three minutes after they arrived, Maya pulled up. She got out of her car and approached them.

“You still haven’t found her?” she asked Del.

“No, and we’ve been calling her cell. She’s not answering.”

Maya looked more resigned than upset. Del put his hand on her shoulder.