Until a buzz sounded.
Caleb glanced at his phone and frowned. “That’s the front gate.”
Wes was already on his feet. Through the front windows he saw a dark SUV idling just outside the entrance. As he watched, the driver’s door opened, and a man stepped out holding a camera with a long lens.
Rowan appeared at his shoulder, and the color drained from her face. “Oh no.”
“You know him?”
“No.” She shook her head once. “But I know why he’s here.”
The man raised the camera and pointed it toward the house.
Caleb was already moving toward the door. “He starts taking pictures of this property, we’ve got a problem.”
He wasn’t wrong. Refuge Cove’s entire foundation existed on privacy. Several of the women currently staying there had comespecifically because they needed somewhere no one could find them. One photograph posted online with a location tag could unravel all of that.
The camera lifted again.
Wes followed Caleb out the front door.
The man near the gate spotted them and straightened.
“Can I help you?” Caleb asked as he strode toward the man.
The reporter smiled, almost appearing carefree. “Chad Godwin withCelebrity Dispatch. I’m looking for Rowan King.”
“You found private property instead,” Wes said.
The man lowered the camera but didn’t step back. “We’re working on a story about Thayer Holt’s death and Ms. King’s disappearance from production. We thought she might want the opportunity to comment before it runs.”
Caleb’s expression hardened. “You need to leave.”
“Is Rowan King here?”
Caleb bristled even more. “That’s none of your business.”
The reporter’s gaze shifted past them toward the house. Wes moved a half step to his left, cutting off the sightline without making it obvious that was what he was doing.
He kept his voice level as he said, “Sir, you’re on private property, and you’ve been asked to leave. I’d strongly encourage you to do that now.”
Something in the delivery—not the volume, not the words, but the steadiness behind them—seemed to land. The man’s posture shifted.
“Understood. The story runs tomorrow either way.” He produced a business card and held it out. “In case she changes her mind.”
Caleb took it without a word.
The reporter climbed back into the SUV. Wes watched the vehicle ease down the drive and disappear beyond the gate before he turned toward the house.
When he stepped back inside, Rowan’s eyes met his across the room.
He knew at once that she’d come to the same conclusion he had.
The story was coming whether she was ready or not.
CHAPTER 27
Rowan stayednear the window long after the SUV disappeared down the drive.
