Page 29 of Whispers of Sweetwater

Hayden turned back to them, his expression tight, serious, out of character. ‘Molly, you shouldn’t be staying here alone.’

‘You’re not staying here at all,’ Gavin added firmly. ‘We’ll figure something out. You’ve got too many people who care about you to let you sleep in a danger zone.’

‘You can come and stay with me for now, Molly.’ Brianna reached out and gave her friend’s hand a tender squeeze. ‘Sherlock will certainly look after us both.’

Molly’s shoulders trembled slightly, but she gave a grateful nod.

They sat in silence for a long moment, the occasional hum of the fridge and the tick of the old clock behind the counter filling the ravaged space.

Finally, Hayden leant forwards, his gaze locked on Molly’s. ‘Out of respect for you, we’ll keep this between us. For now. But you need to promise you’ll tell the police, Moll, sooner rather than later.’

Molly hesitated, then nodded. ‘If anything else happens, anything at all, I will, I promise.’

Gavin exhaled. ‘Well, if we’re not playing detectives full time, I call dibs on that turnover.’

Laughter, fragile and short-lived, broke through the tension. They could always count on Gavin to bring some sense of normalcy, to add some light to the dark, even in a situation as grave as this, and Brianna was so grateful for him, and for Hayden. But she couldn’t shake the shadow curling beneath her ribs. This wasn’t over. Not even close.

A few hours later, the two women headed to Brianna’s cottage with a packed overnight bag and Sherlock leading the way. Halfway there, Brianna’s phone buzzed in her pocket, and she plucked it out. The fact that it was Hayden made her belly and heart somersault into each other. They’d only said their goodbyes for the night half an hour earlier.

Hey, Bri, just wanted to check in.

She didn’t reply right away as she was busy hustling Molly and Sherlock through the front door.

You okay?

This time, now all safely inside, she typed back.

Yeah, all good. Molly is with me. We’ll be safe here.

There was a pause. Then typing bubbles appeared, followed by …

I meant what I said earlier. I’m here for both of you. Day or night. Doesn’t matter what time. If you even THINK something’s off, call me, Bri.

Brianna stared at the message. Not flirtatious. Not dramatic. Just steady. Like he always was.

Thank you. I appreciate you checking in on us.

She hesitated, then added, Sleep well, Hayden.

The three dots blinked for a moment.

You too, Bri. Stay safe. Speak to you tomorrow.

And as she crossed the lounge room, and to the back door, making sure it was locked, too, she felt the echo of his words humming like a quiet promise between them.

* * *

The timber boards of the verandah groaned softly under Hayden’s boots as he sank into the old camp chair, a stubby in hand and the last of the day’s warmth slipping into the breeze. The familiar hush of Sweetwater Acres at night usually comforted him – crickets chirping in the underbrush, a lone owl calling from the gums near the dam, old Diesel shuffling in the paddock nearby. It was the kind of peace he’d once prayed for. The kind he’d built, bit by bit, with Casey, then especially after she’d left this earth because he’d needed something, anything, to focus on, something that made him want to stay here on earth without her.

But tonight it didn’t quiet him.

Tonight it made him even more antsy. Like he should be doing more.

But what could he do?

He leant forwards, forearms braced on his thighs, fingers wrapped loosely around the bottle.

The glass felt warm from where he’d held it too long without drinking. His thoughts were too tangled in what had unfolded that day, in the broken windows of Molly’s vandalised café, and the shadows creeping in from somewhere close.