“What is it? Are the girls alright?” His one hand clenched the steering wheel.
“The girls need you. Could you come by when you?—”
“I’ll be right there.” Ethan disconnected the call. He jerked the wheel into a wide U-turn that sent the truck bouncing off the gravel shoulder before straightening out again. “I can drop you back off at the house.”
Honey rested a hand on his arm. “We’re already headed toward the inn. It’ll be faster if we just keep going. I can always wait in the car.”
“Okay,” Ethan said. He turned back around, and Honey watched the speedometer creep above the forty and, despite the thirty-five speed limit, said nothing.
They rode the rest of the way in silence, headlights cutting long beams across the pavement. The closer they got, the faster Honey’s heart pounded. It wasn’t worry over the girls so much as it was Ethan. The way his voice had changed the moment he heard Nova speak. The way he gripped the wheel despite knowing the girls were with responsible adults he knew and trusted. She’d seen that look before. A man on the edge of panic but trying to hold it in.
They pulled up in front of the Inn Between, and Honeyinstinctively reached for the handle. The inn looked different at night. Lit softly from within, it cast a warm glow onto the porch and flowerbeds. The wooden sign above the door swayed gently.
“I’ll come in with you,” Honey announced, unbuckling her seat belt.
He didn’t argue. He just nodded once, then pushed open his door.
They crossed the porch steps in silence, but before they could knock, the front door creaked open. A man with dark, mussed hair and a worn hoodie stepped into the light, pausing as his gaze landed on Honey. He blinked, did a quick double-take, then looked back at Ethan.
“They’re in the Mallard Room,” the man said. “Sorry to interrupt your date.”
“Don’t worry about it, Mav,” Ethan said tightly.
The man stepped aside. “They went to bed fine. No complaints, no fighting. Then Emma woke up crying but wouldn’t let us call you. Brooke got upset, too, and things spiraled a bit. Melly’s asleep upstairs. I’ve got her in my room just to keep her out of it.”
“Thanks, man.”
Ethan was already moving, long strides eating up the distance across the lobby. Honey trailed behind him, past floral wallpaper, low lighting, and a grandfather clock that ticked the wrong time.
She didn’t ask if it was okay to come. She just followed, because she needed to see them.
Ethan took the stairs two at a time. She followed more slowly, trying not to get in the way.
Warm light spilled into the hallway from a door left cracked open.
“Hi, sweetheart,” Ethan said softly as he stepped inside.
“I’m sorry, Dad,” came Emma’s choked reply.
“You don’t have anything to be sorry for,” Ethan said gently, crouching so he was level with her. “Tell me what’s going on, kid.”
Honey hung back, unsure if she should be hearing this, but the door was open and the voices carried. She couldn’t walk away.
“I can’t stop thinking about those guys from yesterday. I know Honey told me not to worry about it, but I looked outside and they look just like the guys that took Mom and I’m scared that they’re gonna take me too.”
Ethan didn’t hesitate. “Hey, hey, no.” His voice was soft but steady as he wrapped his arms around her. “You didn’t do anything wrong. No one is taking you anywhere, okay? You’re safe.”
He pulled her closer into his chest, like she was still his little girl who fit in the crook of his arm.
“You’re just a kid, Em. This isn’t something you should be carrying. You should be worrying about science projects and soccer practice and sneaking extra dessert. Not this grown-up stuff.”
His voice cracked on the last part, and he held her tighter, whispering so low Honey barely caught it. “Don’t worry. I’ll figure it out.”
Honey’s heart ached. Emma’s shoulders shook as she cried harder, and Ethan just held her, murmuring something she couldn’t make out, steady and soothing, over and over. The room had quieted except for the soft sounds of grief and love trying to hold it all together.
She leaned forward a little more and spotted Brooke sitting on the bed with her knees pulled to her chest, staring blankly out the window.
Emma sniffed, wiped the tears from her eyes, and sat back slightly to look at her dad. “You look nice.”
