Chapter 10
Palmer
We fell into a natural rhythm over the next week.
Roman’s schedule was more normal than I’d expected.
Aside from that first day, he was usually done at the fire station around six in the evening.
As chief, he no longer had overnight shifts.
Most of his job was management now—schedules, reports, and the endless administrative work that kept the station running.
He still took calls sometimes and led direction for larger-scale emergencies, but he explained his hours were steadier now than they had been before his promotion.
Hailey settled into a schedule too, which I thought was good for her.
Roman usually brought her to school in the mornings, and I picked her up in the afternoons.
I helped her with her schoolwork, and then we found something fun to do until it was time to cook dinner.
Hailey loved theater and singing, and I didn’t think I’d ever done so much karaoke in my life.
But it was fun. With every passing day, she seemed brighter. Lighter.
I was doing well too.
I was free to do whatever I wanted when Hailey wasn’t in my care, and I found myself doing most of the daily chores while listening to documentaries or podcasts. My latest obsession was learning more about the Shadow Stalker, for obvious reasons. It kept my mind and body busy.
One of my favorite things was cleaning the bed-and-breakfast. The house was stunning—truly.
I loved wandering through it, taking in every tiny intricate detail the period builders and designers had thought to include.
Polishing the woodwork was a joy when it meant I could inspect the craftsmanship and carved filigree up close.
Even the doorknobs and hinge plates were beautiful—the iron adorned with delicate designs I could study for hours.
I was wandering down one of the hallways on the second floor, dusting picture frames with my earbuds in, when I came to one that made me pause.
There were a lot of framed photos throughout the bed-and-breakfast, but most of them were more like art pieces—landscapes of Ember Hollow, scenic shots meant to feel welcoming rather than personal.
This one was farther from the staircase and the main rooms, tucked deeper into the house.
I’d noticed the difference before while tidying the bedrooms. The rooms used mostly for guests had a less personal quality.
They were beautiful—charming linens, Victorian décor—but they weren’t lived in.
Hailey’s room was different.
It was obviously hers. She had bright, colorful bedding with little unicorns and fluffy homemade cloud decorations hanging from the ceiling. It was a room that was loved.
I tilted my head as I brushed the duster lightly over the photo.
It was a Ramsey family picture. One from years ago, judging by the looks of everyone. My gaze caught on Roman instantly, even though he was much younger—late teens or early twenties, maybe. He towered over nearly everyone except the older man beside him, who I assumed was his father.
A smile started to form as I took in the faces of the Ramsey clan I hadn’t yet met.
Every single one of the Ramsey men were undeniably handsome.
It was obvious they were brothers, even though each had his own distinct appearance.
Roman favored his father more—the shape of his face, his darker eyes—though his hair was dark like his mother’s.
My attention narrowed to the lone girl standing beside the Ramsey matriarch. My smile fell.
I might not have known all the brothers’ names yet, but I knew exactly who stared back at me from the photo.
Thea Ramsey.
An uncomfortable pressure settled in my chest as I stared at her face. She was like a smaller version of her mother, with long, dark hair and lighter blue eyes. Her smile was bright and wide, with a hint of mischief behind it.
The expression reminded me of Hailey.
Cautiously, I reached out and touched the tip of my index finger to the glass over Thea’s image. There were very few people in Ember Hollow who didn’t know about Thea—or the way she’d died.
She and her roommate had been murdered in their college house.
It had been such a tragedy.
I studied the faces of her older brothers surrounding her, then found Roman again. His smile in the photo was wide and unguarded. Beaming. I wondered whether he ever smiled like that anymore, or whether the years and the grief had weighed on him so heavily that he’d forgotten how.
Roman was a kind of an enigma to me.
We sat down together for dinner most nights, but other than that, I didn’t speak much to the man who had hired me. He was quiet and reserved, if not a little grumpy. The contrast between Hailey’s personality and her father’s was kind of funny. They were like night and day, darkness and rainbows.
And yet, I was surprised by how comfortable I was around him.
Despite his gruffness, I felt at ease. Maybe it was because he was the fire chief and so well respected around town, or maybe it was something quieter than that. Either way, I was safe here.
My finger fell from the photo, though I lingered on Thea’s face for a moment longer.
“Watch out for him, okay?” I whispered softly.
Then I moved on, lifting the duster and continuing down the hallway.
Iknew something was wrong the moment I picked Hailey up from school.
She sat quietly in the back seat, staring out the window as I pulled away from the curb. There was no excited chatter. No rapid recap of her day. Just silence.
I glanced at her in the rearview mirror, worry tightening in my chest.
“How was school today?” I forced my voice to sound light.
She shrugged, not even looking at me.
My hands clenched around the steering wheel. Something had definitely happened. This wasn’t like Hailey at all. She seemed so…sad.
I sucked on my bottom lip. “Is there anything you wanted to talk about?”
She shook her head, saying nothing.
My shoulders sagged, but I didn’t push. I was still new in her life. She probably didn’t trust me completely yet—and that was okay. Trust took time.
The drive home was heavy and quiet, and the mood didn’t lift when we got there. Hailey sat down at the table to do her schoolwork, but it took much longer than usual. She kept getting distracted, staring off into space, and the longer it went on, the more on edge I was.
When we finally finished, I tried one last thing.
“How about we go get some ice cream?” I hoped it might help.
She perked up a little, but still didn’t smile. Her gaze drifted to the window, where the snow lingered in a dense blanket on the ground. “It’s a little cold for ice cream.”
My heart clenched, extremely worried now. What little girl didn’t love ice cream?
I wouldn’t give up, though. “You’re right.” I nodded. “How about we get hot chocolate instead? We can go to the coffee shop and get a giant cookie to go with it.”
That seemed to get her attention. Some of the sparkle returned to her expression, but she didn’t give me that carefree grin.
“Well,” she began, tilting her head. “I guess we can get cookies. As long as I can have one with frosting.”
“Deal,” I said, smiling big enough for the both of us.
We drove downtown, past the row of cozy little shops and businesses that made Ember Hollow feel like something out of a movie. I parked in front of a cute coffee shop and bookstore that was bustling.
The scent of roasted coffee and pastries wafted over us as we stepped inside the warmth of the building.
I immediately pulled Hailey tighter against me, as we shifted through the busy front section where the cafe was located.
Most of the shop was filled with bookshelves and oversized armchairs.
The cafe counter was near the front and the line was long for the evening.
I worried that Hailey might get anxious as we waited, but she stood quietly by my side, gazing around the store with attentive wonder.
“Do you like reading?” I noticed her eyeing the children’s section that was barely visible in the back corner. It was a cozy corner with children’s toys and bean bags. I loved taking Maverick here—
I stopped the thought before it really began, refocusing on Hailey.
She shrugged. “Sometimes.”
“Maybe we can check out the kids’ books after cookies.” I smiled, but she didn’t return it.
She looked away from the bookshop portion of the building. “No. That’s okay.”
My worry intensified, but I didn’t push her.
When we finally reached the front of the line, I ordered two hot chocolates and let Hailey pick out her cookie from the display case.
She smacked her lips as she scanned the options before pointing decisively at the biggest one they had—a thick sugar cookie piled high with swirls of pastel frosting.
The thing was practically the size of her face.
“Excellent choice,” I told her.
She seemed a little proud of herself as the barista slid it onto a plate.
We were lucky enough to find a small table tucked near one of the bookshelves. The cafe buzzed with quiet conversation and the low hum of the espresso machine while the evening faded into darkness outside the windows.
Hailey climbed into the chair across from me and immediately leaned over her cookie. She licked the edge of the mound of frosting, smudging it on the tip of her nose.
It was honestly adorable.
I shifted on my chair as sweat prickled on my forehead.
The table we’d found was the closest to the electric fireplace blowing out heat.
It would’ve been cozier if the shop hadn’t already been packed with people who made it even warmer.
My skin itched, and I was annoyed I couldn’t take off my cardigan because I wore short sleeves underneath.
My scars would be bared for all to see and stare at if I took it off.
I stiffened, reminding myself that this wasn’t about me. I focused back on Hailey. I’d brought her here because she was struggling. Me being a little hot was not a big deal.