Chapter 8 - The Door County Sanctuary
Six months later. Spring in Door County, Wisconsin.
The air was fresh and cool, carrying the sweet scent of blooming cherry blossoms and the crisp, clean breeze off the blue waters of Lake Michigan.
Standing on a high bluff overlooking the water was a beautiful, two-story timber-frame house with a wrap-around porch, wide stone fireplaces, and sprawling green lawns stretching down toward a private wooden dock.
This was the Vance Sanctuary.
I stood on the wide wooden porch, wearing a comfortable sweater instead of my usual tailored suits, holding a warm cup of coffee in my hand.
Out on the lawn, the scene was full of life and joy.
Julian was pushing ten-month-old Mason and Noah in a double lawn swing, the infants babbling happily, their chubby legs kicking in the spring air. Hannah was sitting at a wooden picnic table, her cheeks healthy and flushed with color, laughing as she sketched a drawing of the lake in a leather notebook.
And running across the grass with my two black German Shepherd guard dogs—who had retired from estate duty to become domestic pets—was seven-year-old Sophie, wearing a yellow sundress, her laughter echoing clear and bright over the water.
"They look good, don't they?"
I turned to see Detective Marcus Kane walking out onto the porch, wearing jeans and a flannel shirt. Kane had retired from the Milwaukee Police Department two months ago, having successfully overseen the federal indictments of Agent Miller's corrupt syndicate.
"They look whole, Marcus," I replied, sipping my coffee. "That's all I ever wanted."
"And you, Andrew?" Kane asked, leaning against the porch railing. "How does retirement suit the most feared man in Milwaukee?"
"My shipping logistics company is entirely legal now," I smiled gently. "I handed the day-to-day management over to Harrison. I spend my time buying land, building schools, and playing uncle."
"Uncle Andrew," Kane chuckled. "It has a nice ring to it."
Sophie suddenly spotted us on the porch. She stopped her game with the dogs, tucked her hair behind her ears, and sprinted up the wooden steps, throwing herself directly into my arms.
"Uncle Andrew! Look!" she shouted excitedly, holding up a small, polished glass stone she had found on the beach. "It's blue! Like the lake!"
"It's beautiful, Sophie," I said, taking the stone carefully and admiring it under the sunlight. "A rare find."
"I have a secret," she whispered, leaning close to my ear.
I bent down. "What's the secret?"
"Mommy said we're going to name the new puppy we're getting next week 'Andrew,'" she giggled softly. "So I can have two Andrews to protect me!"
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I laughed out loud—a rich, deep sound that echoed across the lawn, bringing a warm smile to Hannah and Julian’s faces as they looked up at us from the grass.
"One Andrew will be plenty, little one," I told her, kissing her forehead. "One Andrew will always be enough."
