Chapter 24
Naomi watched the road unfold ahead of them as Micah drove them back after the doctor’s appointment.
In the back seat, Grace slept peacefully, completely unaware of any tension or danger.
The doctor’s appointment had gone well—Grace was healthy, gaining weight, meeting every milestone a week-old should. Dr. Nolan had smiled and said everything looked perfect.
But neither Naomi nor Micah had relaxed.
She saw the tension in the set of his shoulders, in the way his jaw stayed tight even when he wasn’t speaking. She saw it in the way his eyes kept flicking to the rearview mirror—once, twice, checking for something that might suddenly appear.
Having Grace with them changed everything.
This wasn’t just about Naomi anymore. It wasn’t even just about keeping the shelter safe. There was an innocent, fragile life in the back seat now, and both of them felt the weight of it.
Naomi glanced out the window, her mind drifting back to the man she’d seen outside the pediatrician’s office. Had she seen him before?
She wasn’t sure.
Could he be connected to what happened in New York?
The thought surfaced before she could stop it.
Her attack had been random. At least, that was what the police had told her. She’d simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Someone had been looking for an easy target on a dark street.
But she’d never understood it. Why her? Why that night?
And why hadn’t the man robbed her?
She constantly wrestled with those questions, turning them over and over in her mind, searching for patterns that didn’t exist.
There were no answers. Just gaps where her memory should have been.
At least she was here now. In Virginia. Away from the noise and chaos of the city, away from the crowds and the constant hum of traffic and the feeling of being surrounded by strangers who didn’t care if you disappeared.
At one time, she’d thought city life was for her. The energy, the opportunity, the way everything moved fast and felt important.
She’d been wrong.
Her gaze drifted to Micah.
He was focused on the road, one hand steady on the wheel, his expression unreadable—calm on the surface but always working underneath. Always watching. Always ready.
Something warm flickered in her chest at the thought, and she looked away quickly.
That warmth was dangerous.
She wasn’t looking for a relationship. She couldn’t afford one, not with everything else pulling at her attention. And Micah didn’t seem to be looking either—he kept himself at a careful distance, present but never pushing, helpful but never crossing lines.
But there was something about him . . . something about the way he showed up without being asked. The way he listened without filling the silence. The way he made her feel steadier, like the ground beneath her was more solid when he was around.
She was doing it again. Letting her attraction to Micah settle in. She needed to stop nurturing that feeling before it went any further.
The iron gate came into view, and Micah slowed to enter the code. The gate swung open, and they pulled through onto the drive.
Naomi released a breath.
She was home. She was safe. Grace was safe.
For now.
Micah parked near the side entrance of the house, and they both sat in the SUV a moment without moving.
Grace stirred in her car seat but didn’t wake.
“She did great today,” Micah finally said.
“Yes.” Naomi looked back at the baby. “She did, didn’t she?”
She reached for the door handle, but Micah’s voice stopped her.
“Naomi.”
She looked at him.
“Stay alert,” Micah said. “Okay? Until we figure out who left that note.”
She nodded. “I will.”
He held her gaze a beat longer before nodding and stepping out of the vehicle.
Naomi climbed out then unbuckled the car seat carrier and lifted it. While she did that, Micah grabbed the diaper bag and fell into step beside her as they headed toward the house.
Before Micah even reached the door, Ruby stepped outside.
Her gaze from Naomi to Micah and back again. “Well, hello, you two.”
“Hello, Ruby,” Micah called.
“Micah, good to see you. You staying for lunch?” She tilted her head and gave him a pointed look. “Before you answer, just know that I won’t take no for an answer.”
He couldn’t help but smile. Ruby King had a way of making invitations sound like decisions that had already been made.
“I made chicken salad,” she continued. “Everyone always raves about the recipe. It will make you want to slap your mama—something I don’t condone, by the way.”
Micah’s mouth twitched. “Well, I can’t turn down an invitation like that.”
He glanced at Naomi, half-expecting her to look uncomfortable with the idea of him staying. But she just adjusted her grip on the car seat carrier and gave a small nod.
“Good.” Ruby smiled as if satisfied then held the door open. “Come on in before the cold gets in with you.”
They stepped inside, and the warmth of the house wrapped around them.
The yellow lab appeared from the living room at a full run, tail wagging so hard his whole back end swayed. He went straight to Naomi, jumped up to say hi, and then circled back to sniff at the car seat carrier with interest.
“No jumping,” Naomi murmured. “It’s bad manners.”
As if he understood, he sat down and looked up at her.
Naomi set the carrier on the entryway floor and crouched, rubbing the dog’s head with both hands. “Hey, Good Boy. Did you miss me?”
Micah raised an eyebrow. “Good Boy?”
Naomi looked up, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “Temporary name. I couldn’t keep calling him ‘the dog.’”
“Fair enough.”
She straightened, her hand still resting on the dog’s head. “By the way, someone called about him. Says Good Boy is his dog.”
Micah watched her a moment. She was already attached, he realized. He could see it in the way her fingers lingered in the dog’s fur, the way her shoulders dropped just slightly when she said the words.
“When are they coming for him?” he asked.
“Two days.”
Two days. Not much time.
The dog leaned harder against her leg, oblivious to the fact that his time here had an expiration date. He feared she’d done exactly what she told herself not to do—she’d gotten attached.
Naomi picked up the car seat carrier again and moved into the living room, setting it carefully on the couch. Grace was still asleep, her tiny face peaceful, one hand curled near her cheek.
Footsteps sounded from the kitchen, and Millie appeared, a dish towel slung over her shoulder. “Hey. How’d the appointment go?”
“Good,” Naomi said. “Grace is perfect.”
“Of course, she is.” Millie smiled, then glanced at Micah. “You staying for lunch?”
“Apparently.”
Ruby’s voice carried from the kitchen. “Hadley’s coming by in a bit too. Should be here any minute.”
Naomi looked at Micah. “Have you met Hadley yet?”
“No. Don’t think I have.”
“She’s my cousin. A veterinarian. She just moved to Blue Ridge Hollow to open her own practice.” Her voice brightened. “You’ll like her. She’s great.”
Micah nodded. Caleb had mentioned her before, but Micah hadn’t crossed paths with her yet.
As Ruby pulled out everything for lunch, Micah leaned against the doorframe, watching the rhythm of it. The normalcy. The way the house seemed to settle into itself when people were here, safe, together.
It was a good house. A good family.
And Naomi was right in the center of it, holding it all together in ways she probably didn’t even realize.
Then her phone rang.
Naomi pulled it from her pocket and looked at the screen. Her face went still.
Ruby stopped what she was doing. Millie turned from the sink.
“It’s a call from jail.” She looked up, meeting Micah’s eyes. “It must be Sissy.”