Chapter 43
Brielle woke before dawn without knowing why. The townhouse was still wrapped in darkness, its familiar creaks softened by the quiet that settled over the neighborhood before sunrise. She lay beneath the blankets for a moment, listening as she tried to decide what had disturbed her. Nothing seemed unusual. The room was cool, the window stood slightly open to admit the late-summer air, and somewhere beyond the neighboring houses a rooster crowed before silence returned. Then she heard footsteps downstairs. She recognized Grandpa's slow, measured pace before she consciously thought about it. A cupboard door opened, followed by the scrape of a chair across the kitchen floor, and a moment later the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee drifted up the staircase. Brielle frowned. The scent seem
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