Chapter 14

FOURTEEN

The chaos had finally settled, but unease lingered like a mist, thick and pervasive. Evelyn Hartwell stood near the parking lot, clutching Chloe’s hand as though it could anchor her in the aftermath. The echo of the gunshot still reverberated in her mind.

Most of the protesters had dispersed, leaving only a few onlookers casting wary glances toward the yellow crime scene tape that fluttered in the wind. It was a quiet Evelyn had never wanted to associate with fear, but now it clung to the day, unsettling and heavy.

Chloe, always so full of life, was still as a statue, her wide eyes staring at the police cars and the tape, trying to make sense of what had unfolded. The earlier excitement of attending the rally had dissolved, leaving only fear. Evelyn squeezed her daughter’s hand tighter, wishing she could absorb the terror radiating from her little girl, protect her from the ugly reality that had shattered their day.

Nearby, Liam hovered like a guardian, his lanky frame taut with tension. His eyes, sharp for his age, swept the area, constantly vigilant. He wasn’t Evelyn’s son, but Liam had taken on the role of Chloe’s protector. The way he looked out for her filled Evelyn with both pride and sadness. He’d grown up too fast, forced to bear burdens far beyond his years.

Evelyn’s attention drifted to Sheriff Tuck, who stood at the base of the rocky cliff, deep in conversation with one of his deputies. The set of his shoulders, the tightness in his face, told her more than any words could. This was no routine disturbance. Whatever had happened today, it was far from over. She could see it in the way he gestured toward the ridge, the way his posture carried the weight of something darker, something that wouldn't be easily resolved.

“Mom.” Chloe’s soft voice, fragile and trembling, pulled Evelyn from her thoughts. “Can we go home now?”

Crouching down, Evelyn brushed a lock of hair from Chloe’s face, forcing a smile that she hoped would provide some comfort. "Yes, sweetie. We’ll leave soon. Everything’s going to be okay." But as she said it, the words felt hollow.

Liam stepped forward, placing a protective hand on Chloe’s shoulder, his voice steady despite the tension surrounding them. “I’ll take her to the car.”

“Thank you, Liam,” Evelyn murmured, her gratitude tinged with exhaustion.

She watched as Liam gently guided Chloe to the old station wagon, never letting go of her. The sight filled Evelyn with a bittersweet ache—pride in the boy Liam was becoming, but sorrow for the innocence he and Chloe had lost today. They shouldn't have to shoulder this kind of weight. Not yet. But she was deeply grateful for Liam’s strength. Especially now.

The sheriff’s approach pulled her attention back to the scene. His face was etched with lines of worry and the unspoken burden, the lines she’d come to recognize when something serious weighed on him.

“You should take Chloe home,” he said quietly, his voice firm but not without gentleness. "She needs to get some rest after all this."

Evelyn nodded and studied his face for a moment, searching for the answers he couldn’t yet give. “What about you?”

“I’ve got things to finish up here. This is … more than we thought.”

Liam, having reached the car and helping Chloe inside, walked back toward them. Concern was etched on his young face. “You want me to drive them home, Dad?”

A sense of pride warmed him. Liam was becoming the man Tuck hoped him to be, maybe more so. “No, son. Just follow them. Make sure they get there safe.”

Liam hesitated, clearly wanting to offer more, but he held back. “Got it.”

As the sheriff returned to his duties, Evelyn felt the familiar twinge in her chest—a complicated mix of concern and something deeper, unspoken. Their relationship had always teetered on the edge of something more, yet neither had taken that next step. Watching him now, his shoulders weighed down with strain, made her want to reach out, to help him carry the burden.

"Your dad’s going to be okay, right?" she asked, turning to Liam.

Liam didn’t answer immediately. “He’s always okay. He’s tough as they come.”

But Evelyn knew better. She had seen that look in the sheriff’s eyes before, a man who recognized danger and wouldn’t back down from it. Whatever lay ahead, it wasn’t going to be simple, and the ripple effects would touch them all.

She climbed in the car and pulled away. In the rearview mirror, the crime scene shrank into the distance, the fluttering yellow tape serving as a reminder of how dramatically her small world had been turned upside down. Evelyn’s grip tightened on the steering wheel as the old station wagon descended the mountain road.