Time stood still when Amelia’s soft laugh floated from across the street, where a man walked her down the cobblestone sidewalk toward the boardinghouse. Rennick wanted Greta to attack him, but the owl held firm. The man walked Amelia to her porch, kissed her cheek, and waved goodbye. She smoothed her hair, giving him a smile that men went to war for. A smile Rennick would do far worse for. He drank in everything about her down to the rosy hue of her cheeks until she disappeared inside.
