Before I can ask more, Wren appears at the edge of the table. Dorian catches the movement instantly, his expression guarded once again.
“I’ll be seeing you around, Norah.” His voice softens as he stands. “Take care, Wren.”
Then he’s gone, coat brushing past my chair as he walks out the door and into the snow. He didn’t even stop at the register.
I stare at the spot he left behind, my chest tight and my thoughts twisted.
Wren slides back into her seat, watching me carefully. “You okay?”
“I don’t know,” I admit.
She reaches for my hand again, her fingers curling around mine. “What did he say?”
I tell her everything. I can’t shake the image of his face—the faint lines of exhaustion, the weight behind his words.
His mom is sick. That must be so fucking scary for him.
I know how much he cares for her.
Margaret had been there for me once. When my aunt died, she brought soup, helped with paperwork, checked in when no one else did. And then everything with Dorian imploded, and I pulled away from them both.
Now she’s sick.
Guilt twists through me. I should have checked in.
“MS sounds terrifying,” I murmur.
“It is,” Wren says softly. “But she’s lucky to have him here now.”
Lucky. The word echoes too loud in my head.
Wren squeezes my hand again, gentle but firm. “You’re not a bad person for being confused, Norah.”
I nod, but it feels hollow. My chai’s gone cold, untouched beside the plate.
Dorian’s words replay in my mind.I’ll be in town for the foreseeable future.
Of course he will be. Fox Hollow’s small enough that running into him again is inevitable.
I draw a deep breath, forcing my shoulders to relax. “I’ll drop by and check on his mom tomorrow,” I say finally. “Just to see how she’s doing.”
Wren gives me a knowing look. “You sure that’s all?”
“Yes,” I lie.
She smiles faintly. “Then I’ll come with you.”
I laugh quietly and pick at my toast, trying to believe that’s all it will be—a visit to an old family friend. Nothing more.
But deep down, I know better.
Margaret’s not the only James I’m currently worried about.
CHAPTER FOUR
Jude
The snow’salready collecting in the cracks of Main Street when Ryker and I step into Town Hall. The old building smells like pine polish and coffee, same as it has since I was a kid.
