Throughout all the introductions, Rowan stood on the far side of the room, a little apart from the others. Not withdrawn exactly but not fully engaged either.
Their eyes met. For a moment, everything else faded.
Wes held her gaze then looked away, giving her space she hadn’t asked for.
It wasn’t his right to ask her questions anymore. To expect her to open up.
To expect anything from her.
Caleb stepped inside from the backyard, a platter of meat in his hands. “Food’s ready. Let’s eat.”
They gathered around, chairs pulled out, plates passed. Steaks, baked potatoes, salad.
Wes sat across from Rowan, and general small-talk started at the table.
A few minutes into the meal, Naomi leaned her elbows on the table and looked at Rowan. “So . . . are we going to pretend we’re not all curious about what you’ve been working on?”
Rowan laughed, the sound easy and familiar. “You mean besides surviving a cross-country drive?”
“I mean the movie,” Naomi said. “You can’t drop that and expect us not to ask.”
Rowan lifted a shoulder. “It’s still early. A lot of moving parts. But it’s been good.” She smiled, just enough to keep it light. “Filming equals some really long days with a lot of waiting around pretending you know what you’re doing.”
A few chuckles traveled around the table.
“It’s being directed by Vince Furlough, right?” Sheriff Sutherland asked.
Rowan’s smile held, but Wes caught the flicker beneath it. “He’s the one.”
“That’s a big deal,” Naomi said. “He’s done some really popular movies, right? Like award-winning and career-defining.”
“He has. And this movie could be a big deal.” Rowan shrugged again. “Or it could be one of those things that sounds impressive until it isn’t. You never really know with these things. Hollywood can be very hit or miss, and sure bets aren’t always sure.”
Wes listened as Rowan kept the conversation moving. She turned the focus back on the others with practiced ease. She asked Millie about working at Refuge Cove, teased Caleb about his singing ability, and she even managed to draw a reluctant smile out of Sheriff Sutherland.
Anyone watching would’ve thought she was completely at ease.
Wes didn’t buy it. She was putting on an act for the sake of her family.
Just then, her phone buzzed. The sound was soft, but he saw the brief tightening in her shoulders before she reached for it. She glanced at the screen, just for a second, then flipped it face down.
She didn’t miss a beat. “Sorry. I promise I’m not that important.”
Naomi smiled. “I don’t know. It sounds like you’ve got people keeping tabs on you.”
“Or trying to.” Rowan’s tone remained easy. “Same difference.”
The conversation rolled on, but Wes’s attention stayed fixed.
Rowan was good. Too good.
The timing of her responses was on point. She had the ability to laugh at the right moments and to keep things moving so no one lingered too long on any one subject.
It wasn’t just natural.
It was controlled.
Intentional.
