Chelsea frowned.Noah had said little and hadn’t been overly friendly.She wasn’t sure what she’d done to offend him.Maybe she’d ask Mila after the others left.
By the time they finished dinner, everyone had volunteered for jobs the next day.Connor started on the dishes, and the other men headed for the door.
Chelsea stopped Ethan before he left.“Be careful.”She hugged him a little too tightly, not wanting to let go.
“Always.If you hear or see anything you think is off, you tell Connor and he’ll investigate or get in touch with us.”He tapped his ear.“Now come out and act as if you’re waving friends goodbye.”He made sure the porch light was off and opened the door.
Chelsea followed them down to their cars.“Thank you so much for your help today,” she called out.
“No worries.We can come back next weekend if you need more help,” Dobby called back.
She swallowed her smile as they got into the two cars and she waved them off.
As their taillights disappeared around the corner, she walked back to the lights of the house.Someone had shut the curtains in the living room and kitchen, letting only a little light peek out around the edges.The steps creaked as she climbed them and let herself back into the house, shutting and locking the door behind her.
Mila was waiting at the kitchen table and as the door closed, Connor came out of the laundry.
“Time to party?”Mila joked.
Chelsea couldn’t shake her worry for Ethan.She spotted Aunt Maggie’s recipe book on the kitchen bench.“Feel up for some baking?”
Connor grinned.“I volunteer to be chief taste tester.”
She laughed as Mila nodded.“Let’s get started.”
Chapter 17
Stepping into the darkness dressed in his night fatigues was like coming home to Ethan.He smiled, readiness zinging in his veins as Rhys switched off the engine and all sound faded away.He’d found a gate into Aunt Maggie’s farm property earlier in the day and they parked both vehicles inside near the neighbouring bush where they wouldn’t be spotted by anyone who might drive by.
They checked the comms as they moved back to the garden.He hadn’t asked Dobby where he’d got the equipment from, but it was top quality.
Before they reached the lake trail, they separated; Rhys, Noah and Dobby heading right to come at the garden from the eastern side, and he and Heath coming from the south.
Maybe he was being paranoid expecting the garden to be hit again tonight.The fire had done significant damage, but it still hadn’t stopped Chelsea from going ahead with her plans to renovate and Ethan suspected that would be enough to irritate Johann.
And now they had both Darren and Leyton as potential suspects.
He kept scanning the area, moving quietly, listening for anything out of place, or any sounds of a motor vehicle.They were far enough from the main highway that any cars were a faint rumble.
The wire fence marking the start of the garden came into view and Ethan let Heath climb through first before following.It felt strange not to have a rifle in his hand, but he had a knife at his belt.
Heath split off, heading for a spot close to the gate where he could monitor both the road and the back of the garden.
Ethan continued to a tree between the cottages and the main house.Connor would monitor the security cameras Heath had set up and would notify them if they caught any movement.
He climbed up onto the lowest branch of the liquidambar, his pelvis twinging as he did so.Taking a second to shift, he climbed to the next branch.From here he could see the house, kitchen garden, cottages and over the hedge into the public garden.
He settled in to wait.
***
Chelsea found she didn’t like waiting, so the distraction of cooking Aunt Maggie’s favourite biscuits was welcome.Connor had set a laptop on the table monitoring the security camera feed while she and Mila cooked up a storm.
By ten o’clock, they’d made almond bread, Father’s Favourites and melting moments, and were waiting for the banana bread to come out of the oven.The entire kitchen smelled like Chelsea remembered from her childhood; sweet and delicious.
A pang of loss swept over her.
Mila yawned.“When this one’s done, I’m going to bed.”
