Scrubbing a hand down my face, I return to the living room, finding everyone still where I left them except Rosie is now passed out on Niamh and Caleb is quietly reading his book but his eyes snap up the moment he hears me come back into the living room.
“Is Miss Juni okay, Dad?” he asks, worrying his bottom lip as a small crease forms between his brows.
All eyes turn to me, waiting for my answer. “She cut her knee, but she’s fine, bud. Sleeping now.”
“Did someone hurt her?” My son asks.
I don’t want to lie, but I also don’t want my son to be afraid in his own home. “Not sure,” I go with a half-truth, “But whatever it was is gone now.”
Glancing at my brother, I ask him silently if he’s heard from any of the guys, but he gives me a small shake of his head.
“I should have driven her right to the door,” Niamh grumbles.
“It’s not your fault, sweetheart,” Roman goes to his wife, cupping her chin. She leans into it like it’s thesafest place in the whole world to be, her eyes fluttering closed.
“He’s right,” clearing my throat, I move into the kitchen and grab three glasses from the cupboard before pouring a small shot of whiskey into each one.
I hand a glass to my brother and Niamh and then reach down for Rosie so I can put her back to bed. She doesn’t wake once as I tuck her in, and when I come out, Caleb is standing at my bedroom door, looking through the crack.
“Is she scared?” Caleb asks quietly.
“Yeah, bud,” I squeeze his shoulder.
“Your bed is the best place to be when you’re scared,” he whispers. “Nothing can get you in there.”
His words just remind me that this boy is still just that,a boy.He acts far wiser than his young age, and it’s easy to forget just how little he is.
“That’s right,” I confirm. “But let’s get you back to bed, yeah? Beth is taking you to the zoo tomorrow, and then we have the meteorite shower, so you need to get to sleep. You don’t want to miss it.”
He gasps, “You’re right!”
I chuckle, “Sleep tight.”
“Love you!” he calls, his bedroom door clicking shut before I get a chance to say it back. I still do, regardless.
Plucking my whiskey off the counter on my way back, I collapse into the chair by the window, my head thumping back onto the cushion.
“The guys called and said they found no one on the property,” Roman says after a moment of silence.
“She thinks they had a gun.” I grind out.
Niamh sighs softly, “Whoever it was is long gone now. Ada and Darcy popped over to check on Juni. They heard her scream.”
“She was with them tonight?” I sit up.
Niamh nods, “At the bar.”
“And they didn’t see anything strange while there? Did you?”
“No, Silas. Everything was normal there. We have a full town right now, too many people to see every face, but nothing happened on shift. Juni was having fun.”
A heavy sigh leaves me, “Can we get eyes on Calvin?”
“Already called one of the guys investigating him. Said he hasn’t left the ranch in days.”
“Doesn’t mean he couldn’t send someone over here.”
“No,” Roman agrees, “Are you calling the sheriff on this one?”
