WHAT HER FATHER HID
427 Words
The barn still smelled faintly of smoke the morning after the threat appeared. The scorch mark wasn’t large, but it was enough to send a chill through Eminia’s bones.
Rowan stood beside her, his arms crossed tightly, brows furrowed.
“Your father wasn’t wrong,” he repeated, expression heavy. “He always knew someday someone would come for this land.”
Eminia stared at him, confused.
“What does that even mean? We’re farmers. Poor ones, even.”
Rowan sighed, rubbing a hand over his face.
“Your father didn’t talk about it because he didn’t want the weight on you. This land… it’s more valuable than it seems. Rich soil. Natural water sources. Mineral rights. Developers have had their eye on this valley for years.”
Her heart twisted.
“So someone wants to force me out?”
Rowan nodded. “Someone with power. Someone who doesn't care who gets hurt.”
The words hit her like a stone.
Her farm—her parents’ dream—wasn’t just land. It was a target.
And she was alone in the middle of it.
Except… she wasn’t completely alone.
Rowan stepped closer.
“Your father asked me to protect this place if anything ever happened to him. I intend to keep that promise.”
Eminia swallowed hard, tears burning her eyes.
“Why would he trust you so much?”
Rowan hesitated. Then—
“Because… your father once saved my life.”
PART 2
They sat on the farmhouse steps, the afternoon sun spreading long shadows over the dry fields. Rowan’s voice was quiet, like he was pulling the memory from a place he rarely visited.
“Years ago,” he began, “I was lost. Drifting. Making mistakes. Your father took me in. Gave me work. Gave me purpose.”
Eminia blinked. Her father had always been a gentle man, but he never talked about saving anyone.
“What kind of mistakes?” she asked carefully.
Rowan exhaled.
“The kind that ruin lives if someone doesn’t stop you.”
He didn’t elaborate. She didn’t push.
But his eyes—scarred with regret—told her enough.
“Your father believed in second chances,” Rowan continued. “He believed people could do better if they were given a chance to.”
Eminia looked at him, suddenly understanding.
“And now you want to repay him,” she whispered.
Rowan nodded once.
“By protecting you. And this land.”
For the first time since the threats began, Eminia felt something besides fear.
She felt resolve.
- Writer
