The morning sun didn’t slant through the windows so much as it flooded the empty master bedroom, turning the lingering dust from the previous night’s passion into dancing motes of gold. For the first time since the countdown began, the world outside the gravel driveway ceased to exist. There were no sourdough starters screaming for attention at Knead To Know, and there were no high-level briefings at the base.
Today, there was only the smell of fresh primer, the crinkle of plastic drop cloths, and the man standing beside Briar in a pair of gray sweatpants and a worn-out Army tee that stretched dangerously thin across his shoulders.
"You're sure about the green?" Victor asked, stirring a large tin of paint with a wooden stick. He looked at the swatch, then back at Briar, who was busy t
