They sat in comfortable silence for a while, watching the light change across the lake.Eventually, Scott checked his watch.
“I should head back,” he said.“Early start tomorrow.But Liam?Don’t write her off completely.From what Saber says, she’s taking an enormous risk coming to New Zealand.That’s got to mean something.”
After Scott left, Liam drove back to the station alone, their conversation echoing in his head.When he pulled up at the homestead, Cam emerged from the office with an envelope in his hand.
“Mail came while you were out,” Cam said, handing it over.“This came for you via Saber Mitchell.”
Liam’s heart stopped.There was only one person who would write to him through Saber.
With shaking hands, he opened the envelope and read.
By the time he finished, the afternoon light was fading.The tightness in his chest had loosened, breaking the weeks-long grip.
Cam appeared in the doorway, took one look at Liam’s face, and grinned.“Good news, I take it?”
“Yeah.”Liam folded the letter carefully.“Cam, I need to ask a favor.Could you post a letter for me on the next supply run?”
“Course.Taking your time to think it through, eh?Smart man.”
Liam nodded, already composing his reply in his head.He had two months left on his contract, and Sienna was building a new life in Middlemarch.Maybe slow was precisely what they both needed.Time to get to know each other properly, without a crisis or guilt clouding everything between them.
He had so much he wanted to tell her—about the mountains, about the work, about how he’d figured out what home meant to him.And if her letter was anything to go by, she had things to tell him too.
For the first time since leaving Scotland, Liam felt like they were moving in the right direction—together, even if they were taking the long way around.
Chapter 26
Theshopdoorstoodajar.
Sienna’s keys dangled from her fingers as she stared at the gap where wood should’ve met the frame.She always locked up—Emily had drilled that in after the third time burglars struck Middlemarch this winter.
The deadbolt hung uselessly, the brass bright where someone had forced it from the wood.
After a long hesitation, she pushed the door open with a trembling hand.
Inside, she gaped at the overturned displays, sticky puddles spreading across the floorboards, and the empty shelves where their premium spring honey should have gleamed in the morning light.
“No, no, no.”She barely heard herself over the rush of blood in her ears.
For long seconds, she stood paralyzed in the doorway, her mind skittering.Call Saber.Call Emily.Call Niall in Scotland because he’d know what to do.Someone older, wiser, more experienced.Someone who could fix this.
Her fingers were already scrolling through her contacts when she stopped.Liam’s last letter crinkled in her jacket pocket.I want the woman who figured out how to save Sophie, not the one consumed by guilt and constantly apologizing.
Her panic eased.She found the number for Laura Adams, one of Middlemarch’s two policemen, and made the call.
“Laura?It’s Sienna from the honey shop.We’ve had a break-in.”She stepped around the shards of glass.“I need to file a report, but I can’t wait long before I clean up.Today was meant to be a busy day.”
Laura arrived within ten minutes, with Charlie, her fellow cop, close behind.Sienna had heard about the local constables—both human and both mated to shifters.According to Saber, they juggled the unique challenges of Middlemarch’s mixed community without missing a beat.
“Professionals.”Laura surveyed the scene, her expression grim.“They knew exactly what to target.”She gestured at the untouched jars of basic clover honey while the premium shelves stood empty.“Do you have any idea who might target your high-end stock specifically?”
“Could be anyone,” Charlie said, taking photos of the forced lock.“Manuka honey is expensive.It’d be easy enough to on-sell.”
Sienna did a quick inventory while they worked.The thieves had taken every jar of the premium spring wildflower, the entire batch of rare manuka, and the Taieri Gold limited-edition blend, which sold for forty dollars a jar.
“I’ll need a list so I can give you a report for your insurance company,” Laura said, “but Charlie’s right—this was planned.Someone who knows the business.”
Yeah.Three hours until the Saturday market opened, and half her stock was gone.
