And every now and then, when Rowan thought no one was looking, her gaze drifted toward the window.
Like she was waiting for trouble to arrive.
Wes ate, but his focus stayed divided, tracking both the conversation and the subtle shifts beneath it.
Whatever was going on with Rowan, she was working hard to make sure no one saw it.
Just as dinner wrapped up, a low sound cut through the room. Then it grew louder and into a steady thrum.
Sheriff Sutherland tilted his head toward the noise. “You hear that?”
Wes did. It was a helicopter. And it was close.
CHAPTER 5
The sound outside grew louder.
Rowan set her fork down as the steady thrum pressed in around them, vibrating through the walls, the table, and even her chest.
“That’s close.” Sheriff Sutherland pushed his chair back.
Caleb stood. “Let’s take a look.”
“I’ll stay inside and guard the food,” Millie said. “And keep an eye on Grace.”
Smart thinking. These canines might be well-trained, but they would devour every bite of any leftover steak the moment everyone stepped away.
Chairs scraped as everyone rose, the mood shifting from relaxed to alert in a matter of seconds. Rowan followed.
They all stepped out onto the porch.
A helicopter above them came into view.
The aircraft cut across the sky at a low angle, closer than it should have been. The noise was loud enough to drown out any attempt at conversation, and the wind from the blades stirred the tops of the winter-barren trees.
Rowan’s gaze tracked it, searching for any markings or something identifiable. Was this a TV station? The paparazzi?
But she couldn’t make out anything clear.
“Is it a medical copter?” Naomi shielded her eyes as she glanced up.
“It doesn’t look like it,” Micah said.
The helicopter shifted, circling just enough to feel intentional before angling away again.
Rowan’s chest tightened.Someone is looking for something or someone. Something or someone like you.
The thought came fast and uninvited.
She swallowed hard, forcing herself to breathe through it.
No, that’s ridiculous.
No one knew she was here. No one could have followed her—not across the entire country, not this quickly. She hadn’t told anyone where she was going.
Vince didn’t know she was here. He couldn’t.
Why would he think she’d gone home? Would he have looked into her family? She did like to talk about them—about how wonderful they were. Maybe that had been a mistake. What if she’d made them a target by doing so?
