What the Tide Brings

Chapter 13 - Liam - Expect the Unexpected

The shrill sound of the phone ringing roused Liam from sleep. Rubbing his eyes, a yawn on his lips, he reached for his phone. He barely got out, "Hello," before his mother launched into a spirited line of questioning.

He blinked quickly, tossing aside his covers to sit up on the edge of the bed. "Slow down. Say that again."

"Kaelin is missing," his mother said. "I can't find her anywhere. It's been almost an hour. I'm getting worried."

Liam's eyes grew wide. An icicle of fear stabbed him through the chest, making him feel cold all over. "What?"

He didn't wait for her to repeat it again. He cut her off mid-sentence. "I'll be right there."

Liam dressed quickly in navy shorts and a gray tank top, bounding downstairs. He flew out of the house at top speed and got on his motorcycle.

He hoped he could get there and find Kaelin, before she slipped up and said something Kaelin-like about how weird the human world was.

He broke more than a few traffic laws—and nearly ran over a squirrel—getting to the market. He parked across from the tent-lined street and ran into the crowd. He craned his neck, stretching up on his toes to see over the other patrons.

He checked every stall trying to find either his mother or Kaelin.

His heart sank when he spotted his mother talking to the sheriff. He pushed and shoved his way through the crowd, toward the two women, hoping nothing bad had happened. "Mom," Liam called out.

Mrs. Bainbridge looked up, showing her concern. "Oh, honey." She shook her head, like she didn't know how to form the words that needed to be said. "I looked everywhere."

"How did you even lose her?" he asked. This was not good. Anything could happen to her. She wasn't just a stranger to the island. She was a stranger to land, period.

"I left her there for just a second and--" She raked a hand through her chocolate-colored hair, taking a breath.

"You left her alone." Liam snapped, rearing back in disbelief. "How could you do that? She doesn't know this place." He stopped speaking and pressed his lips together before he said too much.

The sheriff laid a hand on his shoulder. "Liam," He looked down at the small blonde woman. She stood at barely over five foot tall, but she was the most imposing person he'd ever met. "Your mom told me your friend is from another country."

"Yep, Iceland." Liam nodded.

"And how do you know her?" Sheriff Mills asked, hooking her thumbs in her utility belt.

Liam's eyes jumped to her hand so close to her gun, then back to her round face. "We met on the beach."

Mrs. Bainbridge recounted the lie he'd told her about the dolphin. She looked at her son for confirmation of the story.

Liam simply nodded. He figured it was best not to say too much.

"Well, good for you." Sheriff Mills stared into his eyes for a long moment. He shifted his gaze away. Something told him that the woman wasn't buying his story. Probably because of their history. He had been in the back of her squad car more than once over the years. "So, what's her last name?"

Liam shook his head, wracking his brain for the name that Kaelin had given his mother the other day, when she asked out of the blue. Was it Morrison? Morgan? He couldn't remember. He didn't even know how Kaelin chose it, or if it was her own.

"Morcant," his mother answered for him. "Her name is Kaelin Morcant."

She removed a small notepad and jotted that down. "And do you happen to know any of her relatives names?"