But Rowan did not.
He held Ava for less than five minutes before handing her gently back to Willow.
His hands were shaking.
Ava fussed at first, reaching for the silver button on his coat, then settled against Willow’s chest.
Rowan looked at both of them like he was memorizing how close he had come to losing everything.
“I’m staying in town,” he said quietly.
Willow looked past him at the helicopter, the suited men, the dust still hanging over the grass.
“In Briar Creek?”
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