Across the Vanishing Sky

That evening, the Archer brothers and Waylon arrive at Braedyn’s cabin with a large dinner of comfort food. Dex’s brother Orion, who rarely leaves his ranch, has a chocolate cake delivered, an act Wylder explains is Orion’s equivalent of a hug. Touched by their support, Braedyn admits she was afraid to be alone. Dex announces he will sleep on her couch until the person threatening her is caught. She is surprised but agrees. The gestures of the Archer family make Braedyn wonder if this is what having a real family feels like.

Later that night, Braedyn struggles to open a skylight in her bedroom and falls. A shirtless Dex, having just showered, rushes in after hearing sounds of a struggle. The close proximity creates intense sexual tension. Dex tries to push Braedyn away, admitting he is intensely attracted to her but insisting his internal “darkness” and troubled mind make him a poor choice for a partner. He says he can only be her friend. The next morning, Braedyn finds Yeti sleeping on top of a disgruntled Dex. The three share a comfortable breakfast, during which Owen peppers Dex with questions about computers.

Dex and Kol visit the trailhead where Nova disappeared a year ago. They are surprised to find Sheriff Miller there. Miller admits that he was wrong to dismiss the case and claims to be starting his investigation over from the beginning. Later, Dex calls his profiler friend, Anson, who has been reviewing the case files. Anson notes that there are no commonalities among local missing persons cases, which complicates the profile. He suggests involving Dex’s contact Ridley Sawyer, a true-crime podcaster, to publicize the case, in the hopes that this measure will pressure the perpetrator into making a mistake. Dex is wary of the risk this publicity could pose to Braedyn. After the call, he realizes that Braedyn is late coming home from work and panics when she doesn’t answer her phone.

Braedyn spends the afternoon at a local farmers’ market with Holly, deliberately choosing to ignore her phone so that she can temporarily avoid seeing Vincent’s harassing social media comments and emails. (Vinent has already posted a comment hinting that he knows she is in Starlight Grove.) When she returns home, Dex is furious with her, scared for her safety because she was unreachable. Their confrontation quickly escalates, transforming into a physically passionate encounter. Dex carries her inside, and as they have sex on the couch, he is tender and reassuring, labeling her pregnancy-induced stretch marks as “phoenix wings.” The experience is intense and emotionally charged for both of them.

Immediately following their sexual encounter, Dex confesses to Braedyn that he was terrified something had happened to her; he admits to having been angry that she made him care about her so much. The intensity of his emotions triggers a panic attack, and Braedyn calmly talks him through it, having him breathe with her. They go on to discuss their mutual fears about relationships. Braedyn reveals her inability to trust after being abandoned by everyone in her life, and Dex explains his fear of becoming like his abusive father. Their moment is interrupted when Aster arrives to drop Owen off after a playdate with her nephew Eli. Owen comically points out that Dex’s shirt is on inside out, and Aster gives them a knowing look.

The next morning, Dex drives Braedyn to work for the sake of safety. They agree to take their new relationship one day at a time, keeping it private from Owen for now. At The Boot, they run into Ever Devereux, a childhood friend of the Archer brothers and Orion’s high school sweetheart; she now works as a doctor for a humanitarian aid organization. Dex later explains to Braedyn that after Orion killed their father, he broke up with Ever and has refused to see her since. Even so, she still visits Starlight Grove to check on him whenever she is home from her latest assignment. 

Later that day, as Braedyn leaves work, Vincent suddenly confronts her in the parking lot.

Vincent reveals that a newspaper article about Nova’s disappearance was reprinted in The Harbor Gazette, where his brother read it and realized that Vincent must be Owen’s biological father: a fact that Vincent has sought to hide from his family. His wealthy parents, now aware of their grandson’s existence, want custody of Owen. Vincent first offers Braedyn money to sign Owen over to them, but when she refuses, he becomes violent, grabbing her wrist and threatening her. Braedyn uses pepper spray and knees him in the groin, then flees in her car. Terrified, she drives back to the cabins. As she arrives, she finds a frantic Dex on his porch, and her thoughts of the run-in with Vincent are pushed aside as Dex tells her that Skylar has gone missing from her summer camp.

Dex and Braedyn race to the camp. Owen, crying, explains that a bully named Max broke his glasses, and Skylar chased Max into the woods. Braedyn puts Yeti onto Skylar’s scent. They follow Yeti deep into the forest, where they find Skylar unharmed, holding Max in a chokehold and demanding that he apologize to Owen. Relieved, Dex and Braedyn defuse the situation. Dex privately threatens Max, ensuring that the boy will never bother Owen again. Braedyn amused and moved that Dex would threaten a mere boy in order to protect her son’s well-being.

As they return from the woods, Kol has an emotional reunion with Skylar, sobbing with relief as he holds her. Dex explains to Braedyn that Kol still carries immense guilt for not having been home the day that Owen was forced to kill their father. The 17-year-old Kol came home to find Orion in cuffs, Dex traumatized, Wylder handling police, and Maverick having been rushed to the ER. This traumatic experience has stayed with him, making the fear of losing his daughter even deeper. Dex then comforts Owen, who is upset about being bullied over his glasses. He tells Owen that being different is a superpower and offers to help him pick out a cool new pair of glasses. Max and his mother appear, and a chastened Max apologizes to Owen while his mother promises that they will replace Owen’s glasses. Owen is left in awe of Dex and Skylar’s willingness to defend him.