Except Wes.
As Caleb and Naomi broke off into a side conversation, Wes stood to get a refill on his coffee.
As he walked past her chair, he leaned toward her and kept his voice low enough for her alone. “You might want to check the headlines this morning.”
Her smile froze.
A knock at the door drew everyone’s attention before anything else could land.
Caleb pushed back his chair. “I’ve got it.”
Wes wrapped both hands around his mug and listened.
A familiar voice carried from the entry. “Morning.”
Sheriff Sutherland.
The tone underneath the word said this wasn’t a social call.
Caleb stepped aside. “What’s going on?”
“I heard back from the fire chief.” Sutherland’s gaze moved across the room before returning to Caleb.
“And?” Caleb asked.
The sheriff’s expression hardened just enough to make the answer clear before he spoke. “Last night’s fire wasn’t accidental.”
Wes set his coffee down, his thoughts already churning.
“If someone set that intentionally, I’d like to take a look at where it started,” he said. “See the approach routes. Figure out why that spot was chosen. I need to know as part of my property risk assessment.”
“Makes sense,” Sheriff Sutherland said.
“You need me to go with you?” Caleb asked.
“Not necessarily. I know which direction to head.”
“If it’s okay, I’ll catch up with you in a bit,” Caleb said. “I have some business I need to take care of first.”
Wes pushed back from the table then glanced at Rowan. “Any chance you want to walk with me? It would be nice to catch up and maybe stretch our legs. What do you think?”
The question sounded casual, but it wasn’t. He wanted to talk to her alone, and this might be his best opportunity.
Rowan hesitated before pushing back her chair. “Sure. Let me just put on some shoes and a jacket.”
A few minutes later, Wes headed for the door, Remington already moving at his side. Rowan followed, now wearing the black leather jacket she’d had on when she arrived. It looked more Hollywood than mountain hike, but he didn’t say anything.
Rowan had always been more glamourous than anyone else in their small town. But at her core, she’d also always been down-to-earth and relatable. Those contradictions had made her more fascinating.
Outside, the air carried a faint trace of smoke, thinner than the night before but still there.
They headed through the fence and walked along the edge of the woods in the direction of the fire. Wes kept his pace even, giving the distance from the house time to build before he said anything.
When the opportunity was right, Wes said, “I saw the news article this morning.”
Rowan’s gaze stayed forward, her expression masked. “I saw it also.”
“I know it’s not my business. But I can’t help but feel like you could use a listening ear. Do you want to tell me what actually happened?”
