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She glares at me. “Don’t you dare eat them all by yourself,” she chides, reading my mind easily. “Take them to Rory for me.”
“Are you trying to lure her into visiting you with these baked goodies?”
Sadness descends into her blue eyes. “Your dads told me what Rory has been through,” she says in a choked voice. “I’ve wanted to visit her so many times but each time, I stopped myself. I don’t want her to feel pressured into anything. If she likes these cinnamon rolls, I can make more for her. It’d be a way to show her how much I care about her without making her feel uncomfortable.”
Warmth blooms in my chest as I realize how much our mom’s come to care for Rory.
“Thanks for trying to cheer her up,” I say.
“Why do you say that?” she asks at once, looking anxious. “Has something been bothering her?”
I shake my head quickly. “She’s fine. You worry too much about nothing.” I grin widely, hoping she’ll be distracted by my lie. If I tell her about last night’s incident, she’ll get even more anxious.
Glancing at my wristwatch, I see that it’s almost time for me to get off duty.
“I’ll take these to her right away,” I say. Turning toward one of the drill sergeants, I call for him.
“Captain Burton,” he says, coming over to me. He nods politely at my mother before turning his attention back to me.
“How about we wrap up the drill a few minutes early today,” I say.
“As you command, Sir,” he says. “It’s the weekend anyway.”
While my subordinate walks toward the cadets, I get closer to my mom and hug her. “Thanks for being there for her.”
She pats my back gently. “Rory’s part of our pack now. She doesn’t realize it yet but we’re all here to support her.”
“I’ll head home right away,” I say, straightening up.
She smiles and nods. “Go ahead.”
Taking a deep breath, I turn around and walk away from the outdoor firing range. The need to see Rory burns in my chest, making me hurry toward our home.
The walk from the firing range to the residential area of the estate feels longer than usual today. Several soldiers and cadets salute me and greet me on the way but I barely notice them. A deep intuition drives me from within, making me focus on the path before me.
The neighborhood is still and quiet as I walk down the lane leading up to our cottage. A cool breeze blows by, bringing with it the fragrance of apricot blossoms.
Rory’s face bursts in my mind’s eye and suddenly, I’m jogging toward the house.
Entering through the fenced gate, I hurry toward the door.
Instinctively, I push the door but it remains closed. Gasping for breath, I turn toward the panel on the side and press in the passcode.
This time, the door opens up for me.
The narrow hallway leading inside the cottage is dark. I don’t understand why but my instincts flare up at the sight.
Hurrying inside, I call for Rory.
There’s no answer from her even as I reach the living room area.
“Rory?” I shout, willing my beating heart to calm down. There are times when we call out to her but she remains so engrossed in her painting that she doesn’t hear us.
I run up the stairs and directly make my way to her nest at the end of the hallway.
Pushing open the door, I step inside her room. “Thank fuck,” I groan, spotting her standing before an easel in the far corner.
My relief doesn’t last long though.
