She realized this family was the kind who showed up for each other.
She not only admired that.
She longed for it.
Wyatt rested his hands on the back of one of the kitchen chairs.
“And now Pete Williamston is missing,” Caleb said. “I heard about that earlier when I went into town.”
Wyatt nodded. “He disappeared from the general store this morning. He went in early to meet someone about a large order.”
Caleb rubbed the back of his neck. “You think the two are connected?”
Wyatt shrugged. “I don’t know yet.”
“But you’re considering it.”
“I have to.” Wyatt glanced toward the window, where darkness pressed against the glass. “Tomorrow we’ll run a full search. We’ll use a drone. Bring in more people. Sweep the trail and everything around it.”
The side door opened suddenly, letting in a rush of cold air.
Max Kincaid stepped inside. He helped out here at the kennels and was practically like a brother to them.
He’d grown up in Blue Ridge Hollow, which meant he knew these mountains—and the people in them—better than most. He’d worked for Sarah back when the refuge was just an idea, and after she died, he’d stayed.
No one had ever asked why, and Max had never offered an explanation.
But he was an asset to Refuge Cove. He didn’t rattle easily. In fact, Wyatt wasn’t sure he’d ever seen the man rattled at all. When things got chaotic, Max got quieter and somehow more focused. In fact, he carried himself like a man who had already handled worse.
Max’s gaze moved across the room and stopped on Wyatt. “What’d I miss?”
Wyatt glanced toward Caleb before saying, “Just the part where we mentioned Harrow’s Mill.”
Max went still, and his eyes sharpened as he asked, “Did you say Harrow’s Mill?”
