The mansion felt too still after the retreat.
Alex stepped into the front hall with his bag and the faint smell of salt still clinging to his jacket. Bridget appeared from the kitchen, wiped her hands on a towel, and looked them both over.
“You two look exhausted,” she said. “Roads were bad?”
“Storm delayed us a night,” Troy answered. “We’re fine.”
Bridget’s eyes moved to Alex and stayed there a second longer. “You sure?”
Alex nodded. “Just tired.”
She let it go, but not without another glance. “There’s food if you want it. Silas is in the study.”
Troy steered Alex toward the stairs with a light pressure at his back. Upstairs, he followed Alex into his room and closed the door.
“Phone,” Troy said.
Alex unlocked it and held it out. Troy scrolled through the recent messages, paused
