The door behind him opened, and Max turned, already anticipating who it was.
Hadley.
She stepped inside, a travel coffee mug in one hand and her bag slung over her shoulder. Her hair was pulled back, though a few strands had escaped, and she looked more rested than she had the night before.
He stood. “You’re here early.”
“I wanted to check on Juno before my first appointment.” She stepped closer, her gaze going straight to the pen. “How is she?”
“Doing well. All of them are.” He shifted to give her space. “Quirkle’s still keeping up.”
Hadley paused beside the pen, her attention focused on the puppies.
“That’s what I like to hear.” She studied them a moment before glancing up at him. “Any updates on Lyndee?”
“Nothing new. Not really.” He held her gaze. “You?”
“No. Last night was uneventful.”
“Uneventful is good.”
“It is.” Though she agreed with him, something in her expression suggested the word didn’t carry quite as much comfort as it should.
Max’s attention drifted toward the door, toward the world outside these walls. Uneventful didn’t mean safe. Not anymore. Not given everything that had happened.
The door opened again, and this time Naomi stepped inside. Her pace was quick and her expression tight as she headed toward them.
“Max,” she started. “I was looking for you.”
Max straightened. Something was wrong. “What is it?”
“Micah just called. A man who owns a private cabin out in the national forest called this morning. He went out to check on the place and found the door standing open.”
Max’s breath hitched. “And?”
“When he got inside, he said there were signs someone had been there,” Naomi said. “Signs there had been a struggle.”
Hadley went still beside him.
Max’s jaw tightened. “That’s not good.”
“No, it’s not.” Naomi hesitated before continuing. “He also said something had been left behind.”
“What’s that?” Max asked.
Naomi met his gaze. “A scarf. A bright and colorful scarf.”
Max’s chest tightened. “Let me guess. One that matches the one Lyndee always wore?”
Hadley lingered beside Juno’s pen.
Naomi and Max had stepped outside to talk about something. But even after they were gone, her thoughts still lingered on that cabin in the woods. She kept thinking about that scarf—Lyndee’s scarf.
She exhaled and forced her attention back to the present. Thankfully Juno and her puppies seemed unaware of the tension rippling through the air.
“Good news,” she murmured, more to herself than to them. “You’re all safe here.”
Hadley straightened and brushed her hands together, trying to shake the heaviness from her chest. She had a full day ahead of her. Animals to treat. People counting on her. She couldn’t carry everything with her—not if she wanted to do her job well.
