Ten minutes later, she heard footsteps crunching the gravel path. Her pulse picked up, but she stayed slouched on the bench, arms folded, chin tucked down like she might disappear into herself.
Connor didn’t say anything at first. Just sat on the far end of the bench, leaving plenty of space between them. No awkward clearing of the throat. No immediate questions. Just quiet.
Danielle glanced sideways. He was wearing sunglasses and sipping something from a to-go cup, posture loose, like he was just here to enjoy the morning.
“You bring coffee to all your crisis calls?” she asked dryly.
He cracked a small grin. “Nah. But I figured if I showed up empty-handed, I might get chased off.”
She rolled her eyes, but it softened into something less sharp. “I’m not gonna bite.”
“That’s not what
