It was a typical Tuesday morning when my husband Jack came to me with an unusual proposition. He had an important meeting at his office that he hoped would secure him a long-awaited promotion. But the competition was fierce, and…

The mountain air was thick with summer; woodsmoke curled from Jack’s outdoor firepit, dancing between the trees like ghosts of past lovers. Inside the cabin, the air was even hotter. Evelyn and Elena hadn’t spoken much after the earlier confrontation…

The house was quiet. Too quiet. Maddie lay on her back in the center of her massive bed, arms above her head, golden hair spilling like liquid sunlight across the silk pillows. A light summer breeze whispered through the open…

It had been two full days since Lucien spent the night at Jack’s cabin. Since then, Jack had gone back to his usual routine — splitting logs with his bare arms in the misty mornings, sanding the edge of a…

The cabin was quiet again, the evening sun casting long golden rays through the tall pine trees. Jack stood shirtless at the workbench, arms flexing as he planed a fresh slab of cedar. The scent of sawdust mixed with his…