Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Y ou have to protect Rose.
Five words. Such power. Significance.
Each one hit a beat inside Finn’s head as his shoes struck the dirt on the trail. The heavy metal music in his headphones couldn’t drown it.
Was Rose in danger? Or had her grandmother been imagining things? In the ambulance, Ms. Magnolia clocked a fever over 103 degrees. Had her words come from a clear state of mind?
His promise wound in a loop inside his head as he ran his usual trail through the Bent Creek Experimental Forest. He noticed the mountain ridges in the distance, the beginning changes in color amongst the trees, the glimpse of the Biltmore. He didn’t pause and take it in like he normally would.
He ran fast, as if speed could ease the worry over the last words Ms. Magnolia spoke to him.
Who was the white-haired man who’d trespassed onto Everson land? The things Ms. Magnolia said before she collapsed. What did they mean? She’d been frightened enough to cause her life-threatening stress.
He didn’t know what to do. He’d planned to visit Briar House again on a future day off, after she was released from the hospital. Check on the matriarch and ask her about the promise he’d given.
Three days had passed. Last night, Pa called with the news that Magnolia Everson-Brooks had died.
Finn increased his pace.
Poor Rose. She’d been close to her grandmother. The child and teenager he grew up with would be devastated.
You have to protect Rose.
What had Ms. Magnolia meant? Protect her from what? He wouldn’t get to ask now.
Was the old man they’d seen the threat? He’d been trespassing, but Finn hadn’t recognized him. She’d mentioned lights, but he hadn’t seen lights out the window.
Whether Rose needed protection or not, he had to be realistic. There were obstacles.
Where did she live? Her gran hadn’t shared her address.
She could be local, somewhere in North Carolina, or in Europe for all he knew.
He wiped away the sweat on his forehead with the hem of his t-shirt.
Europe was a stretch—she’d been at the hospital the night of her grandmother’s stroke.
Maybe she lived closer to Evers Hollow or in it. She’d still consider it home.
Finn didn’t live in Evers Hollow. He lived in Asheville, not far, but how could he protect her from seventy miles away?
How would Rose react if he turned up to warn her she was in danger? He had no proof, only a plea from a woman who’d suffered a stroke. He knew how that conversation would go.
Rose hadn’t listened to him the last time he’d tried to warn her. Sure, it was a sensitive topic. She’d gotten engaged to an asshole. He’d tried to talk her out of it. She’d gotten angry, especially when he’d asked the wrong question.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were dating him?”
Her eyes flashed, her tone clipped. “Tell you. Why should I tell you anything? You never call or email. You couldn’t even take the time to send me a stinking postcard.”
She’d been right. He was crap at communication. While he’d created accounts on social media, he never took time to look, much less engage on the platforms.
He slowed his pace to a walk. Shook his head as if he was back in the conversation.
Guilt swept over him at her long-ago words. He shouldn’t have interfered with her engagement to Caleb fucking Brentwood. Should have trusted her to figure things out for herself.
His interference had ended their friendship. He recognized that now.
Rose was married. For five plus years. She might have a child. A dog.
His pace slowed.
Something wasn’t right. Rose was married. Why would Ms. Magnolia ask him to protect her? Shouldn’t the prick she married be the one keeping her safe?
He walked out of the arboretum back to his SUV. He grabbed coffee and a breakfast sandwich from a corner cafe.
He pulled into the parking lot of his apartment complex, shoved the memories aside. He showered and dressed for his next rotation.
After his shift, he called Pa. The man hadn’t been close to the Everson matriarch, but he wanted to attend her funeral. Finn offered to drive him. They both should be there.
Finn would reach out to Broome, Rose’s oldest brother. Maybe he would know what Finn was supposed to do regarding his promise.