Inside the state park’s rental cabin, the place was nice. Not overly homey since it was a rental, but it would do. Nina helped her settle into the small but clean bathroom.

The hot water felt so good. When she was at the grocery store earlier, she’d bought lavender bath oil and Nina had poured in half the bottle. It was pure heaven. She stretched out and let the heat slowly replace the chill in her bones.

For the second time that day, she realized that she could’ve been dead. She was lying in the same position as she was after the first attempt on her life. Except it was a tub of hot water instead of a hospital bed.

God, was that only this morning? It felt like months ago.

Opening her eyes, she heard Nina moving around in the room on the other side of the bathroom door. Soon after, the aroma of food made her stomach growl. She’d fallen asleep and her skin now resembled a prune, so she grabbed the towel and got out.

“Hey, girl,” Nina hollered out. “It’s about time. Thought you drowned.”

“Not funny,” Alex said. “Too close to home.”

“You’re right. Sorry,” she replied. “I put your stuff in the bedroom. Get comfy. Supper will be ready when you come out.”

Alex sucked in a deep breath. Food smelled so good, she almost said screw the clothes—she could eat in a towel. The image of Andrew in the hall outside his office this morning came to mind. Too bad she had been mad at him at that time. He was a feast for the eyes.

Slipping on her kitty pj’s, she pinned her hair up and headed for the kitchen. The scents were divine. Could she pick the best comfort food or what?

Nina had loaded plates with creamy mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and bowls of chicken noodle soup. From the oven, she was pulling out a pan of sweet pastries and rolls.

“Oh my god, Nina,” Alex drawled, “you are my savior.” She grabbed a plate and bowl from the counter and sat at the small table tucked into a corner. With gusto like she’d never had, she dug in.

Nina laughed. “Slow down, lady. Don’t make me have to do the Heimlich on you. Third time would not be the charm.”

Caught off guard, Alex nearly spit soup across the table before she belted out a laugh. Finally calming down from slight hysterics, she said, “You know, that’s not funny. I could be dead.”

Nina snorted. “You laughed pretty damn hard for it not being funny.”

Alex brushed it off. “I’m still in shock. I’d laugh at a rock right now.”

“That’s not shock, my friend,” her cousin said. “That’s called being drunk.” With that she set a glass on the table and filled it with wine Alex had purchased at the Piggly.

Alex gasped. “Have I told you lately you’re a goddess?”

“A what?” Nina said.

“A goddess.”

“One more time. I like the sound of that.” Nina smiled. Alex rolled her eyes.

Finally seated, Nina joined in the meal. “It’s been so long since I’ve had mashed potatoes. God, they’re so good.”

“Did you put all the butter and garlic packet in?” Alex asked.

“You bet I did.” The ladies ate in quiet for a few moments, each in their own thoughts on the unprecedented day. Alex had so much jumbled with Andrew, the bomb, the shooter, Leslie. Her brain didn’t know where to stop spinning.

After a sip of wine and a glance at her watch, Nina sat back. “We have to talk about two things tonight.”

“Two,” Alex verified. “Which two?”

“While you were passed out at the ranger station—”

“I was not passed out,” Alex grumped. “I was sleeping.”

“Yeah, passed out,” Nina continued, “the ranger asked me to get some information from you when you were better.”

“Why didn’t she ask me then?” Alex questioned.

Nina replied, “She said she tried but you zoned out on her.”

“What?” Alex said, “I did not.”

“Then why didn’t you hear about the big manhunt they were starting up?”

She thought about that. Does someone know when they “zone out” or was that part of zoning out? “Okay. Maybe I was out of it. I’d rather talk about something else anyway.”

Nina glanced at her watch. “Hmm. I wonder what that would be. Or should I say who?”

“No,” Alex blurted, “I don’t want to even think about him.”

Nina gave her a sly look. “Even if I told you I talked to him before I came here?”

Alex gasped. “You did not!” She launched a crescent roll at her across the table. “What did he say?”

“Why should I tell you?” Nina sat back with a smug smile. What was her game?

“Don’t be a ninny,” Alex said, using the nickname they teased her cousin with when they were young. Nina threw the roll back at her.

“For that, I’m not answering the door,” her cousin said.

Alex glanced at the front door then back to her cousin. “What are you—” A knock came from the kitchen door, surprising them both. The knock came again.

Nina hurried into the kitchen and opened the door a crack. Alex heard her talking to someone in hushed voices. What the hell? Nina ran to the front window overlooking the porch to the entry.

“Oh my god. You’re right!” she cried out. Alex jumped from her chair, going to the window.

“What?”

“There’s a bear blocking the front door,” Nina blurted.

“No way,” Alex replied, leaning over her cousin’s shoulder. “Holy shit. There’s a bear blocking the front door.” In the waning light, a huge black bear stretched out on the front porch, head laying on its paws. “Why is it here?”

Nina scoffed. “Like I told you earlier. Tourists feed the bears. The wild animals come to where the food is. I’m sure it smells what we cooked.” The bear lifted its head and turned toward them. They both jumped back, “eeps” coming from their throats.

A deep voice sounded behind them. “No worries, ladies,” Andrew said. “I’ll save you from the big bad bear.”

Alex swiveled around with another “eep.” The voice lightened her heart until she remembered why she was pissed at him.

“What do you want?” She hoped he didn’t hear the strain in her voice.

“I didn’t take you for a coward.” His eyes pierced hers, the low light enough to show the anger on his face.

“What? What the hell are you talking about?” Was he crazy? Had he forgotten what she’d seen?

Nina headed toward the back door. “I forgot something in my car. Be right back. Well, maybe not ‘right’ back. I’ll wait for all clear signal.” The kitchen door closed, leaving Alex alone with Andrew.

He picked up where they’d left off. “You left. Didn’t give me a chance to explain, deciding without asking if I was guilty of whatever it was you thought was going on.”

“Oh, it was clear to me what was going on. I don’t need to hear this.” She should just walk away and not waste her time with him. She turned but stopped when he spoke again.

“Yes, you do. Don’t you want to know what happened? What really happened? Know if you were wrong for leaving?” He took a step closer as he spoke.

“No.” Her sad attempt at confidence failed miserably; her voice came out a shaky whisper. Sounding certain was difficult when she’d been questioning everything the past few hours. She stepped back and tried to put space between them.

“Liar! You want to know.” He sounded so sure, she wanted to slap his confident smirk away.

She folded her arms across her chest and snorted. “Yeah? Why would I?”

“Because you care.” Voice gone soft, he stepped closer. “Just as I care.”

Her stomach churned, and her heart thudded in her ears. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“It’s okay to be scared or insecure. It’s not okay to allow those feelings to dictate your life.” It frightened her, the way he looked at her, as though he were able to see her deepest, darkest secrets.

“Fine, talk. Say what you need to and go.” She widened her stance, shoving her hands in the back pockets of her pj’s.

“I’m not sure why Leslie did what she did. Never in the time we dated did she try anything like that. She was always very put together, very proper.” Disbelief appeared in her eyes. “Look, she caught me off guard when she took off the coat. I was in shock. No woman has ever done that, not in my office.”

Anger exploded through her. Instead of yelling as she wanted to, her voice softened and hitched when she spoke. “Do you take me for an idiot? Oh, yes, poor Andrew. I feel so bad for the poor rich man. It’s just so terrible, women throwing themselves at him all the time. It’s a wonder you don’t go into hiding. If you’re here to feed me crap, get the hell out. I know a plate of bullshit when I see it.”

“It’s not like that.” He started to pace in front of her while he spoke. “I’ve been feeling restless for a while. When you moved in to the office across the alley, I was instantly attracted to you. I asked about you. I found out you were in a relationship, so I let my attraction sit on the back burner. When I saw you at the club, something pushed me toward you. After that—” He stopped, turned, and looked at her. The pained but serious look he gave her made her breath catch. He tunneled his fingers through his hair all the while staring at her.

“After that?” She prompted and held her breath, heart galloping in her chest.

“After that, I knew you were it for me.” He went back to pacing. “I suck at big romantic gestures; the best I can do is flowers, cards, dinner, and jewelry. If it weren’t for my assistant and my calendar, I’d forget my own birthday. When involved with a new project, I turn into a workaholic, but I can try to slow that down. I need to dominate in the bedroom. I can’t change that part of me.”

He sounded as if he wanted to warn her away. Did he say he wasn’t romantic? He’d cooked for her, sent her two exotic flowers with his own handwritten notes, taken her to see a musical, and given her a purple Buddha charm on a bracelet. Plus, they’d done so much snuggling, she melted into a puddle of goo whenever she remembered. More than romantic, he was a naturally caring person. And if she was right, he cared for her.

“Why are you telling me this?”

He moved closer until he was right in front of her. He cupped her jaw with a shaky hand. “Because I need you. I’m not going away. My life, it’s empty without you.” He took a deep breath.

She clenched her hands into fists. “So, what will you do if I say no?”

“Never leave you alone until you agree to come back to me. You’re mine; you know it, and I know it.” His voice trembled with alarm.

“For how long?” Licking at her dry lips, she watched his eyes zero in on her tongue.

“Forever.” His voice took on a firm tone.

“Why?”

“Because I love you. Yes, I love you. I know you probably think it’s too soon, but you slipped in and settled into my heart.”

Her look showed disbelief. He sighed, lowered his head, and then jerked it back up to look at her with determination. He got down on his knees, and her eyes widened.

“What are you doing?”

His hands gripped her hips, and he looked up into her eyes. Concern was on his face. “I love you. I’m not leaving until you say you believe me.”

“Andrew—”

“Alexandra, I love you. Please, please, don’t break my heart. Say you want to be with me as much as I want to be with you.”

Heart so full she was sure it was going to burst, she stared at him for a moment. “Yes. I’ll give us another chance; I love you, too.” Her voice softened. “My life would be miserable without you in it.”

He claimed her lips in a kiss. It was slow and sensual, full of promise and sweet surrender. After a moment, he pulled back and gave her a hungry look.

She said, “I love that you’re dominant. I wouldn’t change that in you. For everything else, there’s always compromise.” She gave him a teasing grin.

He sighed, climbing back to his feet. “Thank God. I was afraid I was going to have to bribe you into taking me back.”

Her brows lifted in curiosity. “How in the world would you have done that?”

He gave a sheepish grin and pointed to the SUV out the window. “I brought chocolate cheesecake and another chick flick.”

She laughed at his grimace and hugged him tightly. Yeah. He’d do just fine. She pulled his head down for another kiss and was immediately consumed in the fire of his touch.

Then the sound of a shotgun and the world coming to an end rattled the windows.