“I have a wedding to finish planning.”

“I am not going to let your pride ruin my life.”

I watched them, my hands resting flat on the cool granite.

The satisfaction I expected to feel wasn’t there, replaced by a cold, heavy weariness.

I looked at Dan.

He looked older, the lines around his eyes deeper in the harsh kitchen light.

The phone in his hand began to vibrate again.

The screen lit up, casting a blue glow on his fingers.

It was Marcus again.

This time, there was a text notification sliding across the top of the screen.

The preview of the message was short, but the words were clear.

Dan’s brow furrowed as he read it.

“What does he want, Dan?” Sarah asked, her voice tight with anxiety.

Dan didn’t answer right away.

He stared at the screen, his mouth slightly open.

“He says he’s standing at the front gate,” Dan said slowly.

“And he brought the sheriff with him.”

The silence in the kitchen was thick enough to taste.

I could hear the low hum of the refrigerator and the rhythmic click of the ceiling fan overhead.