Only You (Love In Montana Book 6)

Flashback  (Fordsville - The morning after Sawyer left)

Renée woke up the next morning, feeling blissfully happy. Sawyer had made her feel very special on her birthday. She remembered the way he danced with her in front of everyone and blushed thinking how everyone would be after her for answers. She was sure that after last night, everyone at home knew that she and Sawyer loved one another.

She stretched and was about to go to the washroom when her eyes fell upon a sheet of paper with something scribbled upon it. Curiously, she picked it up and read the words. Her breath stuck at her throat. She read and re-read the words, not able to comprehend anything out of it.

I love only you, Ren. 
Don't cry when I'm gone. 
Take care of yourself for me 
I'll come back soon. 

Only yours 
Sawyer

What did it mean? Did Sawyer leave home? But why would he leave all of a sudden that too without informing anyone?  Renée walked out to the living room in a daze. She had woken up late so the whole family was already there just like any other day. However, Sawyer was no where to be seen.

"You look like a zombie," laughed Ryder, looking at her as she walked into the room. She had forgotten to remove her makeup last night and the eyeliner might have spread all over. Renée didn't smile, her pale face and horrified expression made granny concerned.

"Is everything alright, dear?" She asked with concern.

"Where's Sawyer?" Whisper asked Renée, looking at everyone's faces.

"Don't tell me that you miss him first thing in the morning?" Chuckled Ryder.

"Please bro, this isn't a joke. Have you seen Sawyer after last night?" She asked with the same grave expression. Ryder frowned and so did aunt Kathy.

"He should he in his room. I'll go and check," offered Rihanna, rushing off.

"Why? Is anything wrong?" Asked Sawyer's mom, looking worriedly at her.

"I found this note beside my bed this morning, aunt Kathy,"  said Renée as a sob broke out of her mouth. Katherine Wilson took the note and read it again and again, staring at it with disbelief. Rihanna came rushing out of Sawyer's room.

"He isn't there and neither has he slept on his bed last night," said Rihanna with a worried expression.

"I'll check the barn. He might have slept there," said Ryder, rushing off towards the barn with a worried expression on his face. He raced at top speed, his heart beating faster and faster. He unlocked the door of the barn with a frown on his face. If Sawyer would have been inside, he couldn't have locked the place up? Since he was the last one to leave, he had the keys to the barn. Ryder walked out of the barn, a sinking feeling of dread spreading all over his heart and mind. As he had expected, Sawyer wasn't inside.

He locked the barn up and walked towards the house when his feet hit something, kicking it a little further. He stopped in his tracks and looked at it. A gasp escaped his mouth seeing Sawyer phone lying there. So he was here. Was he kidnapped by that man who was stalking him? Most probably since Sawyer had told him that Antonio Cruz was watching his activities closely. He ran into the house, looking pale and scared.

"What happened? Did you find him?" Asked Rhett, standing beside their granny. Ryder shook his head. His aunt Kathy was sobbing uncontrollably while his uncle Kevin was trying to console her. Renée on the other hand sat shocked like a statue, not able to believe that Sawyer had really left home without telling her. But why? She couldn't find any answer to that question.

"The barn door was locked. Sawyer was the last one to leave. I found his mobile lying on the ground outside the barn. I think he was kidnapped by that man," said Ryder in a daze, his eyes wide with apprehension.

"Which man, Ryder?" Asked his granddad, eyeing uncle Kevin. They shared an unspoken look of dread. Renée looked up from her shocked state.

"I told Sawyer to inform everyone but he didn't listen to me," she said gravely.

"What's going on, children?" Asked uncle Kevin. Ryder told everyone about Antonio Cruz and how he'd been shadowing Sawyer for the last one month.

"I'm sure that he's from the mafia. I know they've taken him away from me, forever. Sawyer will never come back," cried Renée, hysterically, realizing at last that her Sawyer wasn't coming back ever. Everyone looked at her with horror not understanding a word she said. She covered her face and sobbed brokenly. Rihanna pulled her into her arms.

Granddad explained everything about the pendant and Sawyer's probable connection with a mafia family.

"But if they would have taken him away, how did he leave that note in Renée's bedroom? How did he place the barn keys back in the bowl? The Mafia don't operate that way. They'd just kidnap straight away. I'm sure Sawyer has left out of his own free will," said uncle Keith.

"But why would he? He was so happy here," pointed out Ryan.

"Yes, he had been waiting for Renée to turn eighteen. He wanted to marry her. They love one another. Why would he want to leave now?" Asked Sawyer's mom.

"Maybe he wanted to earn enough to be able to buy that ranch," suggested aunt Ruth, remembering the argument that they had a few days back.

"Foolish boy! Why did he have to leave home for that? We were buying it for him," said granny, looking at everyone with dismay.

"Let's call Sheriff Murphy right away," said uncle Kendrick.

"No, we can't tell him about Sawyer's mafia connections. The whole town would come to know," said granddad, Joe Wilson.

"We need to look for him and bring him back. He might be in trouble. He spent all his money to buy gifts for Renée. I'm really worried about him," sobbed aunt Kathy.

"Yes we'll definitely look for him. Calm down and let us think, Kathy. Please," said uncle Kevin.

Aunt Helena took a distraught Katherine Wilson to her room while Rihanna tried to take an uncontrollable Renée to her room. "No I want to go and look for Sawyer. Leave me, Anna, " she protested. Rihanna looked at Rhett for help.

"Renée, you know you can't go and look for him. It's unsafe. We'll hire a private investigator. Granddad is already speaking to him. He will be here any moment. Please let us handle this. I know what Saw means to you but he's family to us. We'll do everything we can to find him. Trust me," said Rhett. Renée nodded finally. She walked with Rihanna and Ryan to her room. A scared looking Raine and Ronald also followed them while the elders waited for David Hampton, the private investigator whom their granddad was acquainted with.

He arrived in fifteen minutes and the family informed him about everything that was going on. Ryder described the man called Antonio Cruz and informed him about the motel at the marketplace where he'd been staying. He scanned Sawyer's room and Ryder found a few of Sawyer's clothes, his passport and other necessary stuff missing.

"He had come back here to pack a few essentials. He left the keys in their bowl and wrote a note to your grand daughter whom he loves. Right?" Asked Mr. Hampton.

"Yes," said Rhett.

"That only means one thing, Mr Wilson. Your grandson has left home voluntarily. He wasn't kidnapped. Why don't you wait for two weeks? If he doesn't return as promised, then we can start our investigation?" Asked Mr Hampton.

"It might be too late by then, Mr. Hampton. Why don't you start enquiring at that motel about this Antonio Cruz in the meantime? " suggested their granddad.

"Fine then, I'll do that and update you," said the PI. After he left, there was nothing that they could do but wait.

Renée was heartbroken and her tears had dried up. Every moment she rushed towards the door to see if Sawyer had come back. She was living with the hope that he would come back soon as he had promised.

The next day too went by but life had to go on as usual. College, work, nothing could be stopped. They waited for the PI to update them. He arrived only to inform them that the phone number furnished by the man, Antonio Cruz wasn't responding. He had no other information about the man. It was back at square one.  Sawyer's mom's condition was the same as Renée as she dragged on and on with the hope that he would return soon.

"We would have accepted his relationship with Renée. Why did he have to leave home?" Said granny, with tears in her eyes.

"Yes, ma. He could have just spoken to us," said Renée's mom.

"He had told me. I wish I had told everyone then. We could have put his mind at peace that we weren't against his and Renée's relationship, " said aunt Kathy.

But now it was no use discussing this as Sawyer had already left without a trace and they could do nothing but wait for him.

End of Flashback