Page 77 of Taken Away

“I came from Napa. Born there. Raised there. Married there.” Something quiet, a heavy shadow of old grief, settled over his expression. “I thought I’d probably die there too.”

The breeze caught a few loose strands of her hair, blowing them across his shoulder. Aubrey waited, her heart thudding steadily against her ribs.

“When my wife died, I couldn’t stand looking at it anymore. Everything reminded me of her. Every road. Every restaurant. Every vineyard.” His gaze drifted toward the courthouse lights below. “So one morning I opened the paper, saw an ad for mountain acreage in North Carolina, wrote a check, and pointed my truck east.”

Aubrey blinked, her defenses melting at the raw honesty in his voice. “You bought property from a newspaper ad? Sight unseen?”

“Sight unseen.”

“That seems reckless.”

A faint smile touched his mouth, his eyes dropping to her lips. “That’s because it was.”

She laughed softly, the sound breathless in the tight space between them. “Then what happened?”

Bennett shoved his hands deep into his pockets, stepping a fraction of an inch closer until his chest was nearly brushing her shoulder. “At first? I figured I’d stay a year. Maybe two. Truth is, I never planned on putting down roots here.”

Something tight and aching pulled in Aubrey’s chest. “What changed?”

He was quiet for a long moment, his gaze boring into hers. “Mabel. She gave me work when I needed it. Trusted me before I’d earned it. Dragged me into Blackwood whether I wanted in or not.”

Aubrey smiled gently. “That sounds like her.”

“Yeah.” He looked back out toward the dark ridges. “She made this place feel like more than land and vines. I probably would’ve left eventually if it hadn’t been for her.”

Aubrey looked up at his profile. “But you didn’t.”

A faint smile touched his mouth. “No.” His eyes moved across the town. “Now I wouldn’t trade it.”

A familiar voice interrupted the heavy stillness between them. “Evening, Bennett.”

Aubrey turned as a young deputy approached, a soft drink in his hand. Tall, athletic, dark hair.

Bennett nodded. “Hale.”

The deputy extended his hand toward Aubrey. “Luke Hale.”

“Aubrey Langford.”

His smile warmed. “I know. Sorry. That probably sounded creepy.”

“Not anymore. I’ve accepted that privacy doesn’t exist here.”

“That’s healthy.”

Bennett rested his forearms on the iron railing, leaning over her just enough to cast her in shadow. “What’s up?”

Luke’s expression sobered. “Burke asked me to let you know we’ll be running extra patrols around Blackwood for a while.”

Aubrey’s attention sharpened, her fingers tightening against the iron railing. Luke noticed.

“Nothing alarming,” he said. Which meant it was at least a little alarming. “Just after the porch issue. A couple of prowler reports around the ridge properties, too. We’ll swing through more often at night. Make sure things stay quiet.”

Bennett went still.

“I appreciate it,” Aubrey said, her voice trembling slightly.

Luke nodded. “If anything feels off, call. Doesn’t matter how small.” He tapped two fingers lightly against the railing. “Y’all have a good night.”