Harlan hadn’t packed correctly. That was the problem with surprises; they didn’t allow for meticulous checking and rechecking of every detail. As Dallas’s truck climbed the steep hills toward their destination Harlan went through the checklist of everything she should have brought.

“Are we camping?” she asked nervously. “Because I didn’t bring anything for that. It’s cold. We’ll need special gear.”

“What kind of special gear?” Dallas teased. “Have you done much camping?”

“Once,” she admitted. “We were in a RV though. But we had sleeping bags. So that counts.”

“We aren’t camping,” he assured her, navigating the narrow road. Branches tapped on each side of the truck as the opening through the woods grew smaller.

“Are you sure you know where you’re going? This seems like the middle of nowhere. Is there cell service? I don’t want to be anywhere the girls can’t reach me.”

“Trust,” Dallas explained, “is not that I will take you somewhere you won’t hate; it’s that I will take you somewhere that has everything you need to feel happy. That includes being reachable, being warm enough, feeling safe, and being able to get back to civilization if needed. When I asked you to trust me I meant trust that I know what you need.”

“Figuring out what I need and finding a way to give it to me, that would make a total of one of us in this car who’s good at that.”

“One’s enough,” Dallas said as he pointed to a light in the distance. “We’ll have a roof over our head, food, firewood, Wi-Fi, and great cell service. It was set up that way.”

“What is this place?” Harlan asked with a bit of exhilaration in her voice. The trees cleared in front of them and a tall and narrow dark wood cabin stood in front of them. Light poured from the window as night began to close in around them. Trees that seemed as tall as mountains hugged tight around the truck as Dallas put it in park.

“This was a safe house, emphasis on the word safe. It has a top-of-the-line security system I can operate from my phone. See,” he hit a few buttons and turned the lights on and off in the cabin. “It’s got a great vantage point up here on the hill; no one could sneak up. We used it during a few cases, but when the department was done with it they auctioned it off. I know the guy who bought it. He lends it to me when I need to clear my head.”

“This place seems plenty secure,” she said, leading the conversation to the one place she wanted it. “I don’t think I’ll be needing your particular kind of services then. I’ll fire you for the next couple of days.”

“Normally I would disagree,” he said, stepping out of the truck and rounding it quickly to open her door. “I would argue that a house cannot replace a competent and trained professional, but in this case I think you’ll be fine without me on duty. This house, in this location—I think I could clock out for a while.”

“That would make things interesting.” She stepped out into the cold night air and stood very still, his hand in hers. It was an effort to support her as she came down from the truck, but his hand lingered, and she let it. “It’s so peaceful,” she whispered, her eyes turned toward the sky. “There are so many stars.”

“Start wishing.” His other hand shot up and pointed out the trail of a falling star.

“I haven’t seen one of those in ages,” she sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder. “You did so good.”

“You haven’t even seen inside yet.”

“Do we have to go inside? I just want to stand here and watch for another shooting star.” They didn’t have to wait long as a second streak of light whizzed across the cloudless purple-black sky.

“Over the bed in the room you’re staying in there is an enormous skylight. It’s got to be at least half of the ceiling. If you turn off the lights and look up, it’s amazing.”

“The room I’m staying in?” she asked, fixing her eyes on his face, waiting for a reaction. He was too good for that. Too well trained and with an excellent poker face.

“Yes,” he nodded coolly. “You’ve got a great room in the back of the house. You’ll love it, it’s right near mine.”

“Convenient.”

“I guess we won’t know how convenient until later,” Dallas said, rubbing a hand across his beard and finally turning his eyes to her. “There’re some warm pajamas in your size on the bed. There should be a cheese and fruit tray in the fridge. I’ll start the fire, and you open the wine.”

“This is a tired woman’s dream come true,” she cooed, looping her arm in his as the little bit of lingering snow and ice crunched below their feet. “If there’s a bathtub in there I may never leave.”

“There’s a bathtub in there,” Dallas laughed, “and if you get in it, I may not ever let you leave.”