“You don’t have to babysit me,” Natalie said to Caleb. “The nurses will help me with anything I need.”

“I told Gabe I’d stay with you while he slept.”

Natalie sighed. Apart from when the nurse had helped her shower and she’d gone to the bathroom, Caleb hadn’t left her room. “Why are you and Gabe so stubborn?”

“Comes with being a male.” He looked at the crossword puzzle in front of him. “What’s a five-letter word that means dangerous?”

Brooke stood in the doorway. “Risky.”

Caleb’s eyebrows rose. “You’re right. What about an eleven-letter word that means premeditated?”

Brooke frowned. “What does it start with?”

“I don’t know. But the third letter is a ‘T’.”

“Intentional.” She grinned at Caleb’s disbelieving face. “You’re looking at the winner of the Queen Bee Spelling Competition at Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School. Three years in a row.”

Natalie started to smile, until the pain in her face brought tears to her eyes. “It’s not fair,” she moaned. “I didn’t know until now that I smile too much. Why can’t I be grumpy all the time?”

“If you were grumpy, I wouldn’t have brought my super-delicious, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate fudge with me.”

Caleb’s eyes lit up. “That sounds like the perfect way to start the day.”

Brooke handed Caleb a box, then rolled a suitcase into the room. “I heard about your bacon and egg muffins. It was nice of you to look after Gabe.”

“How did you know I brought Gabe breakfast?”

“The walls have ears,” Brooke whispered. “And a certain someone texted me this morning. I was going to bring everyone breakfast, but you beat me to it.”

Caleb glanced at his watch. “It’s nearly eight o’clock. We could still have a mid-morning snack.”

“Are you sure we’re not related?” Brooke asked. “Wait here.” She walked outside the room, then reappeared a few minutes later with another box in her hands.

Caleb opened the flaps and sighed. “If you weren’t my friend, I’d marry you tomorrow.” Out of the box came the deepest pie Natalie had ever seen.

“It’s my mom’s favorite apple pie recipe. The apples make it a healthy hospital choice.”

The grin on Brooke’s face told Natalie there were a lot of not-so-healthy ingredients in the pie as well.

Caleb licked his lips. “Anything that looks this good has to be good for you. Would you like a slice now or later, Natalie?”

She looked at Caleb, then across at Brooke. “I’ve got an idea.”

“Oh, no,” Caleb moaned. “Just because Brooke is here it doesn’t mean you can gang up on me. I have a reputation to maintain.”

“Your rough-and-tough image is safe with us,” Natalie assured him. “This is more of a compromise. What if you eat a slice of pie, while Brooke helps me get changed? If I have to wear this green hospital gown for a moment longer, I’m going to have a tantrum.”

Caleb tilted his head sideways. “It has a certain jail-bird quality that I find appealing.”

“Until I stand to go to the bathroom. I can’t wrap it around my waist far enough to close the gap at the back. It’s practically indecent.”

Brooke reached into the box and gave Caleb a plate, knife, and fork. “Happy eating.”

Without uttering one single word, Caleb jumped from the chair and slid a slice of pie onto his plate. “I’ll be in the family room if you need me.”

“I don’t believe it,” Natalie said. “If I’d known all it took was food to move Caleb, I would have ordered takeout.”

Brooke grinned and lifted the suitcase onto the end of the bed. “He’s a man of simple tastes. What would you like to wear today?”

Natalie watched Brooke lift half a dozen T-shirts out of the case. “You don’t know how much I appreciate this.”

“I think I do. It’s amazing how much your spirit can be lifted by a colorful shirt, a toothbrush, and a clean pair of panties.”

Brooke handed her a pretty pink T-shirt. “What about this one? The color will look lovely on you.”

It might have looked lovely two days ago, but smashing into a wooden door had left its mark. At the moment, her bruises were a mix of violent red, yellow, and black.

“The pink shirt will be great. Thank you.”

“And here’s four new pairs of panties. You can’t go wrong with black cotton briefs. And to finish our hospital fashion extravaganza, I chose a couple of skirts that I think will work. They’ve got elastic sewn into the waists, so they’re easy to pull on and off.”

Tears filled Natalie’s eyes. “I don’t know what to say.”

Brooke sighed and wrapped Natalie in a gentle hug. “You don’t have to say anything. It’s hard being in the hospital without having some nice clothes and toiletries with you. Would you like to get changed now or later?”

Natalie didn’t hesitate. “Now. But I’ll need to ask the nurse to unhook me from the monitor.”

“I can do that. Don’t move. I’ll be back in a minute.”

There wasn’t much chance of Natalie going anywhere in a hurry. At least she wasn’t hooked up to the IV drip anymore. Hopefully, by the time the doctors did their rounds, she would be able to leave the hospital and go home to her own bed.

“Is this G.I. Jane’s room?”

Natalie dropped her magazine onto the bed. “Mom? I thought you weren’t arriving for another half hour.”

“We had a tail wind and the flight landed ahead of time.” She walked across the room and gave Natalie a hug. “How are you feeling?”

Hot tears rolled down Natalie’s cheeks. “Not too good at the moment.”

Her mom kissed her gently on her unbruised cheek, then sat on the edge of the bed. “Gabe said you were very brave.”

“If granddad’s hideout wasn’t there, I don’t know what would have happened.”

Tears filled her mom’s eyes. “He was keeping you safe. I’ve been so worried about you.”

They sat in silence, holding each other’s hands. All Natalie could think about was how lucky she’d been, how fortunate she was to have so many people who loved her.

“Have you talked to the police about what happened?”

“They left a little while ago.”

Someone knocked on the door. “Is it all right if I come in?”

As soon as she saw Gabe, Natalie’s heart squeezed tight. Each time she woke during the night, Gabe was beside her. He’d held her hand when she couldn’t get Chapman’s evil face out of her dreams. When her arm throbbed, he’d told her stories about his family, and when she was thirsty he brought ice cubes for her to suck.

“Did you find a parking space?” Kathleen asked.

“I did. As it turned out, there was one fairly close to the hospital’s entrance.” He smiled at Natalie. “I like your T-shirt.”

She tried to smile but gave up. “It’s Brooke’s. It feels wonderful to be in real clothes.”

“Has the doctor said anything about discharging you?”

“Not yet,” she sighed. “The nurses don’t think he’ll see me until after lunch.”

Kathleen glanced at her watch. “That’s not too far away. Are you tired?”

Natalie shook her head. “I had some sleep before the police came to see me.” She studied Gabe’s exhausted face. “Did you get some sleep this morning?”

“A couple of hours. I’ll sleep better tonight knowing you’re okay. Do you mind if I come back in an hour? I need to call my agent and then check that Sherlock is okay.”

“Of course, I don’t mind,” Natalie said quickly. “You’ve been amazing. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

A sad smile settled on Gabe’s face. “We make a good team. I’ll see you later.”

Kathleen gave Gabe a hug.

After he’d left the room, Natalie’s mom frowned. “Is he okay?” she asked.

“I don’t know. I’m worried about him, too.”

“Maybe he’s still processing everything. It was bad enough when I heard what happened over the phone. But to be here…”—tears filled Kathleen’s eyes— “…I don’t know how Gabe did it.”

Neither did Natalie.

Kathleen smiled. “I brought you a gift.” She opened her suitcase and pulled out a book bound in dark red leather. “I’ve been thinking about Sapphire Bay. Your granddad and grandma had so many wonderful photos and stories about what it used to be like. I wanted to keep those stories alive, so I made you a book.” She handed Natalie the album. “What do you think?”

Natalie opened the album to the first page. “Oh, mom.” She wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. Sitting in the middle of the page was a photo of Natalie with her mom, dad, and grandparents. The caption under the photograph read, ‘Forever in our hearts. With love always to Natalie, our beautiful daughter and granddaughter.’

She turned to the next page. A picture of her granddad standing in front of a steamboat made her sigh. He would have been about twenty years old, single, and from what her grandma had said, the most handsome man in all of Montana.

“Thank you for making this for me.”

Her mom kissed her cheek. “I thought you’d appreciate seeing it now. So many good things have happened in Sapphire Bay. You’ve had a horrible experience. This might help to put everything into perspective.”

Natalie studied the photo of her grandfather. Even in his early twenties, he had the kind of smile that made you feel like were the most important person in the world. Her mouth dropped open when she saw the logo on the boat. “It’s the Hummingbird.”

Her mom nodded. “He used to help maintain the engine. When I was little, he told me it was his dream job.”

“The branch in the forest, the one shaped like a bird. Did granddad make that?”

Kathleen moved closer to the album. “He did. When the steamboat owner was searching for a picture to go on the logo, your granddad showed him a drawing of the sculpture. The owner liked it so much that he used it. Somewhere on the next few pages is a photo of your granddad carving the wood. I’m not sure why, but it was the only sculpture he ever made.”

Natalie found the picture and fresh tears filled her eyes. “When I was running through the forest, I didn’t know where to go. As soon as I saw granddad’s sculpture, I knew the safest place was his hideout.”

Tears welled in her mom’s eyes. “He really was keeping you safe.”

Natalie touched the photo of her granddad. He proudly stood beside the half-finished sculpture, smiling into the camera as if he knew something no one else did.

And perhaps he had.

Four hours and thirty-nine minutes later, Natalie stepped out of Gabe’s truck and sighed. She was finally home.

“Don’t move,” Gabe warned. “I’ll help you into the cottage.”

Natalie looked at the short journey from the truck to the back door. Gabe had almost parked on her verandah. “I’ll be okay.”

“No, you won’t.”

He wrapped his arm around her waist while her mom stood beside her, smiling.

“It’s not funny,” Natalie whispered.

“One day it will be.”

Gabe looked from Natalie to her mom. “Are you ready?”

Kathleen pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and rushed ahead to unlock the door.

For some reason, Gabe had gone over their arrival like a general rallying his troops. As long as her mom didn’t push the wrong code into the alarm pad, they’d be fine.

“All clear,” Kathleen yelled from the doorway.

Natalie had taken only a few painful steps when Gabe swept her into his arms. “Hey. This wasn’t part of the plan.”

“It is now.”

“You’ll hurt your back.”

The only reply she got was a grunt.

“I told you I’m heavy,” she muttered. “If you slip a disc, you won’t be able to sit at your desk and finish your book.”

“You’re not that heavy.” Gabe climbed one stair at a time. “Are you okay? I’m not hurting you, am I?”

“The only thing you’re hurting is my pride.”

“Bring Natalie in here,” her mom said as she disappeared inside. “The sofa will make a nice resting place while I tidy her room.”

“My bedroom’s fine, mom.”

“It won’t take long. A tidy house is a tidy mind.”

The rumble of laughter coming from Gabe’s chest was good to hear.

“It’s all right for you,” she whispered. “You’re living on the other side of the cottage.”

Gabe gently placed her on the sofa. “Lucky me.”

She wasn’t sure what he meant and, in all honesty, she was too exhausted to ask. The journey home had tired her more than she thought it would. Every bump in the road had jarred her arm and her leg had throbbed something fierce.

“Stay here. I’ll get the table out of the truck.”

Natalie leaned against the cushions her mom had rearranged. The doctor had discharged her from the hospital on one condition. When she wasn’t moving she had to keep her right arm elevated.

On the way to the cottage, they’d stopped at the general store. Her mom had bought a small, high table that she could use to elevate her arm.

She looked around the living room. The tension in her shoulders unraveled, her mind relaxed, and she managed to smile without too much pain.

Her mom bustled out of Natalie’s bedroom. “Your room is ready. Where’s Gabe?”

“He’s bringing the table inside.”

“Can I get you a cup of tea or coffee?”

Natalie shook her head. “It’s okay mom. Sit down and relax.”

“I’ll sit as soon as I’ve brought our bags inside.” A smile lit her face. “It looks like we’ve got a visitor.”

Sherlock padded into the living room, his brown eyes looking at Natalie and then her mom. From the moment he’d seen her sitting inside Gabe’s truck, he’d been super quiet.

“It’s okay, boy,” Natalie said softly. “I’m not going anywhere.”

He stopped beside the sofa and sat on the floor, resting his head on Natalie’s lap.

She rubbed between his ears, trying to soothe whatever memories were making him sad.

His big brown eyes stared up at her through his lashes and he let out a heartfelt sigh.

“Sherlock was worried about you,” Kathleen said with more than a little awe in her voice. “The poor baby. He must have remembered what happened to Michelle.”

Natalie’s eyebrows rose. “You know about Michelle?”

“Gabe told me. It was such a terrible loss.” She patted Sherlock before heading to the back door. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

Before her mom left, Gabe stumbled through the door. He had a table in one hand and a suitcase and carry-on in the other. “This is your luggage, Kathleen. Where would you like it?”

“Here will be fine. I’ll get Brooke’s suitcase.”

While her mom was outside, Gabe frowned at Sherlock.

“I think he’s worried about me,” Natalie said. “I’m not sure how to reassure him that I’m not going anywhere.”

Gabe knelt on the ground beside the big German Shepherd. He stroked his back, sighing when Sherlock stayed where he was. “Time is probably the only thing that will heal him. He wanted to go to the hospital with you.”

“I didn’t know.”

“You were out cold. Sherlock didn’t see you again until this afternoon.”

Natalie bit her bottom lip. “Did he think I’d died?”

Gabe’s slow nod tore at her heart. “I should have realized what was happening. He was quiet at the kennel, too.”

Kathleen came inside with Brooke’s suitcase. “That’s everything out of the truck. Can I get you a hot drink, Gabe?”

He looked at Sherlock. “Thanks for the offer, but I need to get Sherlock home.” He placed an orange polka dot cushion on top of the table. “Would you be able to move the table beside Natalie once we’re gone?”

“Of course, I can,” Kathleen said. “You know you can always spend time with us. It’s been a traumatic time for everyone.”

Natalie could have sworn she saw tears in Gabe’s eyes. “Thank you. I’ve got some writing to do, but I’ll stop by before I go to bed. If you need anything, let me know. Come on, boy.”

Sherlock’s head swiveled toward Gabe. For a moment, Natalie didn’t think he was going to obey. But years of training overrode what he really wanted to do. For all his size and sharp teeth, Sherlock was the biggest softie Natalie had ever met.

“Bring Sherlock to see us tonight. It might make him feel better.”

This time, she knew she saw tears in Gabe’s eyes. She didn’t want to embarrass him by asking if he was okay in front of her mom. But she’d make sure she asked him tonight.

Two nights later, Natalie sat on the top stair of the veranda. It was her favorite time of the evening, the window between day and night, when nature showcased all its majesty in a tapestry of vibrant color.

She smiled as she remembered how long it had taken to find the right shade of pink for her last landscape. If it weren’t for some creative mixing of colors, her painting would have been flat and lifeless, a mere shadow of what nature intended.

Carefully, she stretched her injured arm, repeating the exercises the hospital’s physical therapist had shown her. It was going to take a long time for her injury to heal, but it would happen. At least Chapman’s bullet had hit her right arm. If it had been her left, she wouldn’t have been painting for weeks.

Since she’d been home, Gabe had kept mostly to himself. She’d wanted to talk to him, to see if he was okay. But each time he came over, he made sure her mom was in the room. To say she was worried about him was an understatement. She knew he was busy writing and editing but, even so, it was unusual for him not to join them for lunch or dinner, or at least spend more than five minutes in the cottage.

Sherlock, on the other hand, never left her side. Her mom had found an old blanket in the back of the linen closet. That was all the encouragement he needed to set up his daytime routine opposite Natalie.

While she rested, he kept a careful eye on her. He snoozed when she slept, then leaped to attention as soon as she went for a short walk. By the end of the second day, he was more relaxed, but he still had a long way to go.

“Would you like a cup of peppermint tea?” Kathleen asked from the doorway.

She turned to her mom and smiled. “That would be lovely.”

Kathleen tilted her head to the side. “You know, you could go and speak to him.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

“If he’s okay, there’s no point worrying about him.”

Her mom had a point. Except Natalie knew he wasn’t okay. But if she asked him what was wrong, she’d have to deal with what he said. And she wasn’t sure if she was ready for that.

“I had a call from our lawyer today.”

“What did she want?”

“Someone is interested in buying the cottage. They’ve approached our neighbors as well.”

“Why would they want…” Natalie frowned. “Don’t tell me they want to build a resort or an apartment complex?”

“Nearly. A retirement village. Our lawyer emailed me the plans. It would have croquet lawns, an indoor pool, restaurants, and an events center.”

“You’re not seriously considering it, are you?”

Kathleen sat beside Natalie. “It’s not only my decision to make. Your grandma and granddad left the cottage to both of us.” She stared across the back yard. “It would be a huge boost for the local economy.”

“But what about all the things that have happened here? The cottage is more than a house, it’s part of who we are.”

“Those memories will still be with us, regardless of where we live. The money they’re offering is four times what we would get on the open market.”

“Money isn’t everything.”

Kathleen nodded. “You’re right. But it does help. I’ll forward the plans to you so that you can see what the developers want to do.” She stood and smiled. “I’ll be back soon with your tea.”

“Mom?”

Kathleen looked over her shoulder.

“Do you want to sell the cottage?”

“I’ll tell you after you’re ready to share your final decision. The lawyer needs an answer by the end of next week.”

Natalie leaned against the wooden post. Why did life have to be so complicated?

“That’s a big sigh.”

Gabe walked toward her. The rings under his eyes weren’t quite so dark, but the frown lines around his mouth and forehead were still there.

“Mom just told me that someone wants to buy the cottage. They want to build a retirement village on our property and our neighbors’.”

Gabe’s eyebrows rose. “How do you feel about that?”

“If it were just me making the decision, I’d say no. But mom and I are joint owners. If she wants to sell, I don’t know what we’ll do.”

“Did you ask her?”

“She’s not going to tell me until I’ve told her my decision.”

“What would you do if you did sell?”

Natalie studied his face. Would Gabe be happy if she wanted to leave or would he be disappointed? “I’d buy another property in Sapphire Bay.”

A flicker of relief appeared in his eyes.

She cleared her throat. Nerves fluttered in her stomach and made her wary of asking him what was really on his mind. “Have you finished the last chapter of your book?”

“Not quite, but I’m getting there. I should be editing by tomorrow afternoon.”

“Congratulations.”

Gabe looked at the stairs. “Do you mind if I join you?”

“I’d like that. We haven’t seen very much of you.” She bit her lip as Gabe sat beside her. Did that sound too desperate? Too clingy? She hoped not.

The back door opened and Natalie’s mom appeared. “I thought I heard another voice.” She handed Natalie a cup of tea and smiled at Gabe. “Would you like a cup of coffee?”

“No, thanks. I’ve had my caffeine quota for the day.”

“I wish I was that strong. One whiff of a coffee bean and I’m dreaming of cappuccinos.” Kathleen looked at Natalie. “I know it’s early, but I’m heading to bed. Is there anything you need?”

“No, I’ll be fine. Thanks for looking after me.”

Kathleen kissed Natalie on the forehead. “You’re welcome. Being able to spend so much time together is a blessing. Goodnight, Gabe.”

“Goodnight.”

After her mom left, Natalie sipped her drink and listened to the sound of the forest. “This is my favorite time of the day.”

“I thought it might be. You spend most evenings out here or by the lake.”

Natalie smiled. “You noticed?”

“It was hard not to. Sherlock has a sixth sense when it comes to where you are.” Gabe searched her face. “Did I say something wrong?”

She pushed away the images that were crowding her mind. “Jaydon Chapman said he had a sixth sense when it came to his victims.”

“It will get better.”

“Will it?” She looked at Gabe, hoping he understood what she was going through. “I had another nightmare last night. I thought someone was chasing me through the forest. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get away from them.”

“Did the police offer you some counseling?”

Natalie nodded. “I’m not sure it will do much good.”

“I used to think the same thing. I spent three months going to weekly meetings with a counselor after Michelle died. At the time, I thought it wasn’t working. But looking back, I learned some coping skills that helped me. I’m not doing so well now.”

“What do you mean?”

Gabe wiped his hands down the sides of his jeans. “It was my fault the Chapman brothers came here. If I hadn’t rented the cottage, you would have been blissfully unaware of what was happening.”

Natalie wanted to wrap her arm around Gabe and tell him everything would be all right. But she wasn’t sure it would be. “Jaydon Chapman would have hurt you or anyone else who spent time with you. He was pure evil, Gabe. At least I could defend myself enough to get away from him. I couldn’t have done that without the self-defense moves you showed me.”

“You would have found a way,” he muttered.

“Maybe. But I remembered what you said about running away and thinking through the panic. It helped.”

Gabe dropped his head to his chest. “You nearly died.”

“And I’m pleased to report that I didn’t. How have you been? It couldn’t have been easy standing close to Jaydon and not knowing what would happen.”

“That’s just it,” Gabe said heavily. “I knew what he was going to do. He would have shot you dead without blinking an eye. I don’t want you in the same situation ever again.”

“That makes two of us.” She looked up at the sky and sighed. “When I was younger, I used to worry about a giant asteroid hitting the earth and killing everyone. Granddad told me the chance of that happening was so low that it wasn’t worth losing sleep over. I didn’t believe him, so I went to the library and looked in a book. He was right. A large asteroid hits the earth about once in every 100 million years. So, then I thought, what if this is the year? What if we were the unlucky ones? Do you know what Granddad said?”

Gabe shook his head.

“He told me that sometimes you need a little faith. Life will work out how it’s supposed to—with or without my doom and gloom predictions.”

“My parents would have liked your granddad. They told me something similar after Michelle died.”

“Did it help?”

Gabe took a deep breath. “Not straight away. I had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It took over my life for a while. After you were shot, it felt as though I were reliving what happened to Michelle. My PTSD is back.”

Natalie wrapped her hand around his. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Be patient. Give me some time to work through what’s happening.”

She squeezed his fingers. “I can do that.”

Gabe searched her face. “I can’t promise you anything at the moment. But you need to know that I love you. I’d give my life to keep you safe and to never have anything like this happen again.”

“I know you would. Just remember what granddad said. Have a little faith. Our lives will take the path they’re supposed to.”

“What if that path doesn’t lead to where we think it will?”

Sadness filled Natalie’s heart. “Then we make the most of where we are and be the best people we can.”

Gabe lifted her hand to his mouth. The gentle kiss he placed on her knuckles brought tears to her eyes.

“I’m glad I met you.”

She held his hand tight. “I’m glad I met you, too.”

As they watched the sun set together, Natalie realized how deeply she meant those words. No matter what happened, she would never regret falling in love with Gabe.