Her father had passed away just months after Evie was born, and Laney had moved back in with her mother to help keep the place running. Even in the darkest moments, the ranch had been steady ground. Today, though, the sight of it didn’t bring comfort. It only deepened the knot in her gut.
Harlan eased the truck to a stop near the porch. “Go check on your mom and Evie,” he insisted, his eyes scanning the property. “I’ll call someone to come and pick up that bag with the clip, and I’ll walk the perimeter to make sure… all is well.”
Laney nodded once, already moving. Tucking the evidence bag back in her pocket, she took the porch steps two at a time, relieved to find the front door locked even though it slowed her down from getting inside. The key turned smoothly in the lock, and she slipped inside, closing it quickly behind her.
Without slowing down, she hurried through the front parlor, past the narrow hallway that branched into sitting rooms and bedrooms, heading toward the back of the house. The large kitchen opened up before her, sunlight spilling through lace curtains over the sink.
Her breath left her in a rush when she saw them. Carol stood at the counter, a mixing bowl in front of her, and Eviewas perched on a stool beside her, grinning through a face dusted with flour. Chocolate chips littered the counter, and her daughter’s small hand was busy sneaking more into her mouth.
“Mommy! We’re making cookies!” Evie announced, her voice bubbling with excitement and an obvious sugar high.
Relief washed over Laney so hard her knees nearly gave way.
Carol’s gaze sharpened the second she really looked at Laney. “What’s wrong?” she asked, her voice low but carrying a weight that said she already suspected it was bad.
Laney forced a small smile for Evie’s sake and then leaned closer to her mother. “I’ll fill you in later,” she murmured. “There was a bomb near the culvert.”
Carol’s eyes widened instantly, the alarm sparking there unmistakable. Before Laney could say more, movement caught her mother’s attention through the window over the sink. Carol’s head turned, tracking the figure outside.
“It’s Harlan,” Laney said quickly. “He’s checking the grounds.”
That did nothing to ease the tension in her mother’s expression. Carol’s shoulders squared slightly, and Laney could see in her eyes that she understood exactly what that meant. There was a threat, and they both knew it.
Laney kept her voice casual for Evie’s sake. “Sweetheart, where’s your pink hair clip?”
Evie’s brow furrowed. “I can’t find it.”
“Do you remember where you last saw it or the last time you wore it?” Laney pressed.
The little girl shrugged, her lips pursing as she thought. “I don’t know,” she admitted, and she then bolted for the hallway. “I’ll look in my room for it.”
The quick patter of her feet on the hardwood faded, giving Laney the moment she needed. She turned back to her mother,keeping her voice low. “Harlan and I found the hair clip, it was outside, in the dirt. Up the trail from the culvert.”
Carol’s eyes darkened, her jaw tightening. “You’re sure it’s Evie’s?”
Laney nodded once. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but I need you to understand that something is wrong. So you’ll be ready.”
She quickly laid out the events of the morning from the moment she and Harlan had found the bomb to the photographer vanishing into the woods. With each word, Laney watched as her mother’s cop instincts clicked into place.
Carol’s gaze shifted back to the window where Harlan was making his way along the fence line. Her expression was thoughtful, almost guarded.
“Harlan meant it, you know,” Carol said, her voice barely above a whisper. “That promise he made to David to keep you both safe. Harlan will keep it.”
Laney’s throat tightened. She remembered that promise too well, along with the grief and the way Harlan had stood with them first at the hospital and then at the graveside. Like a silent sentinel.
“I know,” Laney managed, her voice steady despite the knot in her chest. “And I know he’s going to insist on carrying through on it no matter what the consequences. And right now, I’m not going to turn down his help. If my daughter is in danger, I want every ounce of backup I can get.”
Carol hesitated, her brows drawing together. “Are you going to be all right with him being around?”
Laney knew exactly what she meant. She didn’t need to ask for clarification. Images flashed through her mind before she could stop them—Harlan leaving her, breaking her heart.
No, not just breaking it.Crushing it.
Of course, Harlan had never known the depth of her feelings. How could he? She had buried them so deep that even she had tried to forget. But they had been real, strong enough to make her turn to David when Harlan was gone. That relationship had started as a rebound and grown into something far more complicated.
She pushed all of it aside, locking those memories away where they belonged, when movement at the back door caught her eye. Harlan stood there, framed by the glass.
He knocked, and when her mother unlocked the door and opened it, he stepped inside. He brushed a bit of dust from his sleeve as he greeted Carol with a nod. “Ma’am.”
