"Without raising flags," Dan added, shooting me a quick look that made my insides warm despite the tension in the room. Ever since we'd rushed back to the house to tell everyone about the truck, he'd been different—more focused, more like the deputy and less like the man who'd held my hand in the shadows. But those looks he kept giving me reminded me that both sides were still there, just waiting for a private moment.
Ransom leaned forward, his chair creaking under his weight. "I still say we ought to handle this ourselves. McKenzie justice. Simpler."
"And end up with all of us in jail," Knox countered, shaking his head. "We do this by the book. Mostly."
Ma had gone to bed an hour ago, after making sure we all had enough coffee and setting out a plate of leftover biscuits that none of us touched. The kitchen felt different without her there - like we could breathe easier, talk plainer.
Pa was still up, sitting silent in the living room with his shotgun across his lap, watching out the window like he expected trouble to come calling any minute.
"Harlow will set the cameras at first light," Dan said, his voice pulling me back to the conversation. "I'll coordinate with the sheriff at noon, frame it as following up on my accident investigation. By tomorrow night, we'll be ready to catch them in the act."
Knox nodded, satisfied. "Ransom and I will handle the ridge point. Harlow, you and Dan take the creek crossing. You know that area better than any of us."
A flicker of something passed over Dan's face—surprise, maybe, that Knox had paired us together without hesitation. The same thought must have hit Ransom too, because he snorted softly.
"Guess Deputy's officially part of the operation now," he said, his smirk not unkind. "Ma didn't even make him sleep in the guest room."
Heat crawled up my neck into my face. "She would've if he'd stayed," I muttered.
"One step at a time," Dan replied, but his mouth curved into a small smile that was just for me.
The planning continued for another twenty minutes before Knox finally folded up his maps. "Get some sleep," he ordered, sounding so much like Pa that Ransom rolled his eyes. "Dawn comes early."
Dan pushed back from the table, stretching in a way that made his sheriff's department polo ride up just enough to show a strip of skin above his belt. I looked away quickly, but not before noticing Ransom's knowing glance.
"I should get going," Dan said, reaching for his jacket. "I'll be back at first light to help with the cameras."
An ache opened up in my chest at the thought of him leaving, even though I knew he'd be back in just a few hours. It was foolish, wanting him to stay when Ma was just barely acceptingus. But I couldn't help it. Being near him felt right in a way few things ever had.
"I'll walk you out," I said, standing up so quickly my chair scraped against the floor.
Knox and Ransom exchanged a look I pretended not to see.
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Ransom called after us as we headed for the door.
"That leaves a lot of options open," Knox muttered, making Ransom laugh.
Outside, the night air hit us with its spring coolness, carrying the scent of damp earth and growing things. The moon hung like a silver coin in the sky, casting enough light to see by but leaving plenty of shadows between the house and the road. Dan walked close beside me, our arms occasionally brushing in a way that sent little shivers up my spine.
"You okay?" he asked quietly as we crunched down the gravel drive. "That truck shook you up."
"Not scared for me," I replied honestly. "Scared for you. For all of us."
His hand found mine in the darkness, our fingers lacing together like they belonged that way. "We'll get them, Harlow. Together."
We walked in silence for a moment, each step taking us farther from the house lights. A thought had been building in me since we'd come back from seeing the truck, growing more urgent with each passing minute. I didn't want Dan to leave without something, some moment that was just ours, without planning or families or threats hanging over us.
When we reached the fork where the drive split—one path leading to the main road, the other to the barn and equipment sheds—I tugged gently on Dan's hand.
"This way," I said, guiding him toward the barn instead of his truck.
Dan raised an eyebrow but followed without question, his trust making something warm bloom in my chest. The barn loomed dark against the night sky, its weathered boards silver in the moonlight. I led him past the main doors to the smaller side entrance that opened into the tack room.
Inside, the air was warm and heavy with the scent of hay, saddle soap, and worn leather. Moonlight slanted through the single high window, casting patches of silver against the dusty floor. The space felt intimate and hidden, a world away from prying eyes and family expectations.
I closed the door behind us, my heart suddenly hammering against my ribs like it wanted to break free. Dan stood in a patch of moonlight, watching me with those warm brown eyes that seemed to see straight through to the parts of me others missed.
"I wanted..." I started, then swallowed hard, the words sticking in my throat. "Wanted a moment. Just us. Before you left."
