The gravel road had smoothed out into paved asphalt, and the familiar sights of Blackwood territory began to appear.
They were only about ten minutes from the main house when Finnegan suddenly slowed down and pulled the Mountain Climber onto the wide, grassy shoulder.
He put the truck in park and killed the engine. The sudden silence was jarring after hours of roaring machinery.
He turned in his seat to face her, reaching out to take her hand. He squeezed it tight while holding her gaze with his.
.
"Hey," he said softy, seeing the tension creeping back into her shoulders as they got closer to reality. "We'll figure this all out." He looked at the spot on her chest where the stone hummed beneath her shirt.
"Right now, we just ride the storm out. Just like we did in the Grove."
Leela
