Chapter 5
“Where’s Claudia?” Lauren missed her at the breakfast table. Mark was gone as well. Only Emily and Michael remained. No kid. They sat alone, yet in silence. It didn’t feel awkward. It also wasn’t filled with questions like Emily’s silence last night. It was simply…silence—silence with coffee mugs. Neither of them talking and neither one uncomfortable with that.
Lauren had risen with the sun, but the ranch hands had already eaten and cleared out. No sign of Patrick, but she wasn’t going to satisfy Emily’s knowing look by asking about his whereabouts.
“Claudia was called back in. Mark’s flying her to Great Falls airport right now.”
Lauren vaguely remembered the sounds of a departing helicopter as she’d woken. The little JetRanger was so quiet compared to a Black Hawk that it de
