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Her resolve was tested when Mick, phone pressed to his ear, stepped in from the patio, his brow furrowed in concern. Rose's heart skipped a beat at the sight of him, the familiar pang of anxiety tightening its grip. She strained to catch snippets of his conversation, the tone urgent, his words clipped. But she knew before he said a word directly to her. Something had happened. They’d have to go.
As Mick ended the call, he glanced at Rose and Nathaniel, his expression grave. "We need to leave. Now."
Rose's spatula paused mid-air, her heart racing. "What's happened?"
Mick was already moving, gathering their scant belongings with swift efficiency. "No time to explain. Turn off the stove. We need to get to the airport."
“I’m halfway through making breakfast. I can’t just leave all of this here.”
“Turn the stove off,” Mick repeated flatly. “You can leave it there.”
Nathaniel's face crumpled in confusion and disappointment. "But I'm hungry . . . And the beach . . ."
Mick knelt beside him, his voice gentle but firm. "I promise, buddy, I'll explain everything soon. Just trust me, okay? We'll have food on the plane, and where we're going, there's a big lake to explore. You’ll love it."
Rose watched, torn between frustration and trust. "Mick, is there a threat? Are we in danger?"
He shook his head, his focus on packing. "It's not us. We're not the target. But we need to move, now."
Questions swirled in Rose's mind as they hurried into the car, the world outside blurring past as Mick drove with urgency. The private airstrip came into view far sooner than Rose was readyfor, a sleek jet awaiting their arrival. This was happening so fast. There had to be a good reason. Something bad.
Mick ushered them onto the plane, then stepped away to converse with the pilot. Rose watched him, the knot in her stomach tightening. She wanted to demand answers, to understand why their fragile peace was being uprooted so suddenly again.
"Mick," she called out as he returned, "is Charlize okay? Did something happen to her?"
He hesitated, his gaze meeting Rose’s. There was a weight in his eyes, a burden of knowledge he seemed reluctant to share. "Charlize is fine. But there's a situation. Someone needs help, and we're in a position to provide it."
Rose was taken aback. "We're going to help someone else?” There was something invigorating about this. She’d been on the receiving end of help. In debt. The idea that she could be looked to as someone on the other side was thrilling. “We’ll definitely help if we can.”
Mick nodded, but didn’t smile. "I wish I could say more. Sometimes that’s not how it works. This will be a long flight and maybe you’ll want to pepper me with questions, but I don’t have answers. I won’t for a little while.”
“I understand.” She didn’t. Not even a little bit. But that didn’t seem to matter now. As the engines roared to life, Rose settled beside Nathaniel, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. He’d never been on a plane before. She hadn’t even had time to explain what it would be like or what to expect.
“Mom?” he whimpered as the wheels left the ground.
“We’ll be in the sky,” she sang happily. “You’ll love it. The clouds are so puffy. The buildings look so small. And this plane, oh Nathaniel, it’s so cool. Fancy. We’re so lucky.”
“The clouds?” he asked, looking a little more relaxed. “We’re safe?”
“Very. Right, Mick?”
“I’ve flown hundreds of times.” Mick waved his hand like it was no big deal. “It can make your ears pop a bit but you know what’s good for that?”
“What?”
“Candy. Chewy, yummy. Even better when you’re eating it for breakfast.”
There was no way Rose would protest when Nathaniel’s shoulders relaxed and his smile grew wide. Mick handed over a few chocolates filled with caramel. Then placed one in Rose’s hand too. “Breakfast of champions,” he retorted playfully.
Rose gazed out the window as the ground fell away. The self-control required not to ask a million questions was almost beyond her. The best she could do was stuff a chocolate in her mouth and pretend she was okay with not knowing.
Nathaniel leaned against her, his initial disappointment forgotten in the face of adventure and snacks. "Mom, do you think we'll find bigger shells at the new lake?"
Rose kissed the top of his head, her heart swelling with love for her resilient, ever-optimistic son. "I'm sure of it, Nathaniel. And we're going to find much more than just shells. I can feel it.”
As the plane cut through the clouds, Rose leaned back, closing her eyes. At least up here, for a little while, she didn’t have to look over her shoulder and worry. If she was going to look for a silver lining, that was a good place to start.
CHAPTER 13
