Sara exhaled.
“Sara, honey,” Willow said, setting the bakery box on the tray table, “we brought lemon bars, brownies, and a romance novel that won’t ruin your sleep.”
Leigh held up the paperback. “Cozy kind. Hunky baker. Zero murder.”
Mrs. Kinsey placed the flowers on the table. “And something pretty.”
Caitlin moved in and touched Sara’s arm. “We were so scared for you.”
Sara swallowed. “I didn’t realize so many people…”
“We do,” Emma said firmly. “You matter here.”
Sara blinked hard and gripped Rosie’s fur.
Willow leaned back, eyeing the hallway. “And we noticed the very handsome deputy outside your door.”
Leigh whispered—loudly—“Tall drink of water.”
Heat climbed Sara’s face. “I—I hadn’t noticed.”
Caitlin laughed softly. “You haven’t been awake long enough to notice anything.”
Emma fanned herself. “If I were twenty years younger?—”
“If you were twenty years younger, you’d still be bossy,” Mrs. Kinsey cut in.
The room filled with laughter—soft, easy, real.
“Thank you,” Sara said quietly. “All of you.”
Caitlin’s smile softened. “This isn’t kindness.”
“It’s community,” she added.
Leigh squeezed Sara’s wrist. “And you’ve got one.”
Into the Hall — Luke
The ladies drifted out eventually, leaving behind a romance novel, a vase of flowers, and a box of lemon bars with a sticky note:
Eat these first. Life’s too short.
Luke straightened as they passed, fighting a smile.
Willow paused beside him. “You take good care of that girl, Deputy.”
“Yes, ma’am. Always.”
When the hallway quieted, he glanced through the window into Sara’s room.
She was reading.
Not staring at the ceiling. Not flinching.
Reading.
Luke adjusted his stance.
