Chapter 6

At six in the evening, Mara's phone buzzed with Daniel's name.

Across the street, the streetlights were flickering to life against the weathered brick of the old library wall. Owen was coiling the measuring tape nearby, quietly giving her space. Mara let the phone ring twice before pressing it to her ear.

"Elise lost the house," Daniel said without greeting. His voice held the clipped, urgent sympathy he usually reserved for major crises. "The seller accepted another offer. She was devastated, Mara. She couldn't stop crying, so I took her to dinner because she hadn't eaten all day."

He spoke…