Page 79 of Where the Roses Bloom

I blinked. “Do what?”

“Whatever we need to do,” he said, already rolling up hissleeves. “You want sage? Holy water? I’ve got salt in the truck. Crystals in the glovebox. You want me to dig somethin’ up, I’ll grab a damn shovel.”

That caught me off guard.

“I mean it,” he went on. “Tell me what direction to swing and I’ll swing. We’re not lettin’ whatever this is take root.”

“You don’t even know what we’re fightin’,” I said.

He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “No. But I believe in you. And I can see plain as day you’re scared.”

“Thanks,” I muttered.

He shook his head. “I’ll be pissed at you if you get yourself killed…but you’re welcome.”

CHAPTER 27

Willow

The baby came justbefore dusk.

Anita Mae Evers—red-faced and healthy, with a strong set of lungs. The doctor arrived just before the baby came, thank God, and had left a few hours ago with instructions for post-delivery care. I’d agreed to stick around longer, just so that both Jasmine and Caleb could get some sleep.

It was a good birth. Nothing went wrong.

It was almosttoo easy.

I stood in the kitchen, rinsing out a cloth, hands sore from Jasmine squeezing them. My cell rang where it was tucked into my shoulder, trying to reach the landline back at the Ward house with no luck. I was starting to get worried; Rhett had said he would keep an eye on things, and I hadn’t heard from him.

Was he okay?

While I was here…was something going wrong?

Even if he’d tried to hide it from me, I knew Carter’s death was bothering him. From the get-go, Rhett had always claimed not to be superstitious—but that bouquet had rubbed us both the wrong way, showing up on the porch likethat. And the house…it hadn’t whispered the same way since Carter’s death.

The voices were different, wrong.

I didn’t know what was waiting for me back at home, and I didn’t like it.

“You headin’ out?” Caleb’s voice came from the doorway, soft enough not to wake Jasmine. He looked worn out in a way that only new fathers did—eyes heavy, shirt rumpled, but calm now. Settled.

I nodded, drying my hands on a kitchen towel. “Yeah, I think so. You two seem solid, and I should get home before it gets fully dark.”

He gave me a tired smile. “I think we’re good. Thanks for staying.”

“Of course.” I reached for my bag, slinging it over one shoulder. “Just promise you’ll call if anything feels off overnight. I know the doctor left notes, but still. First nights can be weird.”

He nodded. “We’ll be alright.”

I glanced down at my cell with a frown. “I’ve been trying to call my place since earlier, but I think something’s wrong with the line. Just static. So…probably call my cell, too, just in case.”

Caleb raised an eyebrow. “Old wiring maybe? My cousin’s an electrician in town, I could ask ‘em to go out…”

“That would be great,” I said, smiling. “Thanks, Caleb.”

I didn’t add that the last time I’d called, I’d heard what sounded like breathing under the static.

Didn’t seem helpful.