The days settled into a rhythm.
Pain meds. Gentle exercise. Caleb hovering, Ranger glued to her side. She slept. Not perfectly but better than before.
Laughing came a little easier. And then came the restlessness.
“I’m going back to work,” she said one morning, staring out the window, arms folded tight.
Caleb looked up. “Why?”
“Because it’s mine,” she said quietly. “Because it’s something I love to do and because I need the money.”
He studied her for a moment, then nodded. “We’ll do it smart.”
Mia went backto the farm two days later. She stopped first for coffee with her dad, who looked good. Told her he was being well taken care of. Then she kissed the top of his head and walked toward the kitchen barn.
When she stepped inside, it smelled the same as always. Citrus cleaner. Cinnamon. Familiar enough to settle her.
She scanned the space. Nothing was out of place. The stainless counters gleamed. The prep table waited. The only things missing were the pig and the others.
She set down her bag, pulled out her calendar and phone. It was time to get back to work. She had calls to return, events to book.
The cameras were there. She knew that. They were easy to forget until the faint red blink caught her eye. They didn’t feel intrusive today. They felt like backup.
Caleb didn’t followher in.
Instead, he drove to the Brotherhood campus. Ranger stayed at the farm, stretched out by the kitchen barn front door, like he’d been assigned a post. The cameras were live. It was as secure as they could make it.
Chase was in his office when Caleb walked in.
“What’s up?” Chase asked.
Caleb took a seat. “Dana is still missing. No hits on her phone, no financial activity, no sightings. We’ve checked her house, the cabin and every property tied to her name.”
Chase nodded, already reaching for his phone. He dialed Tex and put it on speaker. “Dana Weston is still missing. Anything else she or her father owns that might be under an LLC, legacy holdings or shell company we haven’t traced yet?”
Caleb waited while Chase listened, pacing once across the room.
After a few minutes, Chase hung up. “He’s digging deeper. Old trusts, dormant companies, anything that might’ve been established years ago. Said he’ll call if he finds anything.”
“Thanks,” Caleb said as he stood. “I’m heading to the farm. Checking repairs. Making sure everything’s normal.”
Because Dana being quiet didn’t mean she was gone.
It meant she was somewhere she didn’t want to be found.
CHAPTER 54
The day passed quickly,the hours slipping by while Mia worked. Caleb stopped in a few times, and each time she was smiling, relaxed, fully in her element.
The last time he stopped by, she looked up from the prep table. “Got two new clients.”
He grinned. “Congratulations.”
“It feels good,” she said.
“It should.” He glanced toward the door. “I’m going to check on your dad.”
“Thank you.” She smiled softly. Her father enjoyed Caleb’s company. He missed Roy, of course, but Caleb stayed longer, asked questions, listened. Her father told her the house felt less empty when he was there.
