Chapter 22

The knock came just before sunset.

I looked up from the manuscript spread across the kitchen table. Liam was sprawled on the living room floor nearby, meticulously painting the little birdhouse he and Garrison had finished together the day before.

"I'll get it," I called out, pushing my chair back.

A sleek black SUV idled next to our gravel driveway. Through the front window, I watched a woman step out, wrapping a tailored camel coat around herself—a coat that likely cost more than my cabin. Her dark hair framed a striking, composed face that sent an uncomfortable, oddly familiar chill skittering down my spine.

I pulled the door open, and she offered a warm, perfectly measured smile.

"You must be Kelsey Vance. I'm Genevieve, with Sterling Media." Her handshake was cool and firm.

"Oh." The expensive SUV made sense. "I wasn't expecting anyone."

"I apologize for the intrusion," sh