She held back tears and simply nodded against Renee’s shoulder, which smelled faintly and delightfully of pie dough.

The front door opened and then slammed shut with a fury, likely having been propelled forward by the angry wind. Renee and Sadie jumped, locking eyes.

“Do you think it’s—”

“Ethan,” Sadie murmured, before rushing for the foyer. “Ethan! Thank God you’re—”

But it was Dan Hanlon standing in the hallway with Moe pacing at his feet. Was his dog always this anxious? Or was it some sort of ominous animal sixth sense? Judging by the deep crease in Dr. Hanlon’s forehead, Sadie guessed the latter.

“No luck getting in touch with Ethan?” he asked.

Sadie shook her head. “To be honest, I’m more worried than ever.”

“So you heard the latest weather bulletin then?” Renee and Sadie shook their heads. “It’s officially a category one hurricane, and we’re sitting directly in its path. We only have ninety minutes before the storm hits.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

Oh my God.” It was actually happening, and the reality socked Renee in the stomach. She’d been anxious and a little scared up until this point, but now she was terrified. “Do you think the cottages are going to be okay?”

“We’ve done what we can.” Dan rubbed Moe’s head, trying to console the sweet dog. “It’s time to take shelter.”

“Let’s go to Bree’s then. Immediately,” Renee said, jumping into action. “I’ve packed a bag for Lincoln; it’s just at the bottom of the steps. Anything the rest of us need, Bree will have it. Sound good?”

Sadie looked pale. “But what about Ethan?”

“Send him a message. Tell him where we’ve gone.” Dan was already moving toward the front door. “We can’t waste a single second. Time to roll.”

Renee watched as Sadie lifted Lincoln into her arms and kissed his head, rubbing her face against his soft baby skin. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling his sweet, innocent smell. Oh, how Renee missed that smell.

Sadie paused there in the living room, now staring at the family portrait they’d taken in the fall. Ethan and Lincoln were wearing matching flannel shirts while Sadie wore a white chambray dress paired with red cowboy boots. With the lush fall foliage behind them and the sun streaming into their squinted eyes, the Landry family looked nothing short of contented.

“Do you know what Annette says about this picture?” Sadie murmured. “She calls it ‘The American Dream.’”

Renee touched her back. “Sadie? We have to go.”

An awful look spread across Sadie’s face. “The pie shop!” she exclaimed. “What if something happens to the Old Red Mill? If that goes down the tubes we can kiss Hester’s goodbye before we even get started.”

“Does that mean…?” Renee looked questioningly at Sadie.

“Yes,” Sadie confirmed. “I want to do it.”