Chapter 45: The Plan That Changes Everything
The next morning dawned gray and heavy, the sky thick with low clouds that looked like they were holding their breath. Emery woke to the sound of Brent moving quietly around the cabin — not pacing, not restless, but with a kind of deliberate focus that made her chest tighten.
She slipped out of bed, padded down the hall, and found him at the kitchen table again. Papers were spread out in front of him — maps, notes, copies of the letters, and a list of names written in his steady handwriting.
He looked up when she entered.
“Morning,” he said softly.
“Morning.” She moved closer. “You’re up early.”
“Couldn’t sleep.”
She sat beside him, pulling her chair close. “What’s going on?”
Brent tapped the list with his finger. “I’ve been thinking. We
