Then she climbed over the fence and landed on the other side.
A moment later, she disappeared into the dark.
Naomi let the footage run a few more seconds.
Caleb frowned. “I don’t see a vehicle waiting for her.”
Max straightened. “Which means she either went out on foot . . .”
“Or someone was waiting out of sight,” Naomi finished.
Either way, it wasn’t good.
“Why’d she leave Tinkerbell?” Max asked, glancing at the prissy-looking canine. “She loves that dog.”
“Maybe it was too hard to take the dog with her,” Caleb said. “And we know from talking to her that Kenny hated the dog.”
“Maybe she figured Tinkerbell would be safer here with us,” Max murmured. “She knew we’d take care of ‘her baby,’ as she likes to call her.”
Naomi reached for her phone. “I need to let Micah know what’s going on.”
Hadley finished checking the puppies, her mind still on Lyndee.
What had happened to convince Lyndee to leave the safety of Refuge Cove?
She didn’t know. All she could do right now was pray. That man Kenny was dangerous. If Lyndee was with him . . .
The door opened, and someone stepped inside.
Kendra Williams. She stood at the entrance, her eyes wide and a look of confusion stretched across her petite features. The woman was beautiful, with a face made for magazines and a body that appeared flawless.
Hadley smiled. “Good morning.”
“Morning.” Kendra stepped closer, her gaze moving quickly through the room before settling on Hadley. “I’m surprised you’re here this early.”
“I never left last night.” Hadley brushed her hands together. “I didn’t want to leave sweet Juno alone. God designed animals to know what they’re doing when giving birth. I know that. But even dogs can use some emotional support sometimes.”
Kendra’s eyes flicked toward the pen. “The puppies are here?”
“They came last night.”
Kendra stepped closer and peered into the pen. “Look at them! They’re adorable.”
“Aren’t they?” These puppies represented innocent new life coming into a cold world.
As Kendra leaned in, Hadley watched her a second. Her posture looked relaxed at first glance. But Hadley sensed a tension beneath it. There was a slight tightness in Kendra’s shoulders, in the way her gaze darted too quickly and never settled in one place for long.
Hadley had seen that kind of hypervigilance before. Not always in people, but in animals that had been through too much. They didn’t always react outwardly. Sometimes the trauma showed in the way they stayed alert, like they were braced for worst-case scenarios.
“They’re so tiny,” Kendra murmured, still staring at the puppies. “So delicate.”
“They’ll get stronger. Surviving this long is a true win.”
Kendra nodded, but her focus drifted toward the doorway.
Hadley followed the movement without meaning to. It was almost as if Kendra was waiting for someone.
Max? Did she still have feelings for him? It made sense. Feelings didn’t always fade with a breakup. Relationships were complicated.
