“The hurricane currently pounding on the shores of Antigua and the surrounding islands has been upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane with wind speeds approaching a hundred and ten miles per hour. The storm is dissipating as it moves further South, but conditions are still considered to be dangerous. Residents are advised to stay indoors in a safe location. Power outages and flooding are expected in many areas...”

I stared at the TV screen, not really hearing the reporter's words or even seeing the map. The room was dark except for the glowing screen, and I was simply focused on the light. I wasn't sure how long I had been sitting here, staring at nothing and hating myself, but enough time had passed that the gray light was gone from the windows.

I kept seeing Logan's crumple, seeing the ache and betrayal in his eyes, seeing his broad shoulders slumping as he broke. All I could hear were the tightness in his voice and the loss and pain that echoed through in the pauses between his words. I had hurt him. I had given him hope that we could be happy, and then stripped it all away from him. Having hurt him was what killed me most.

I reached for another Kleenex, but the box was empty. I didn't have the energy to move to find another one or to even get a roll of toilet paper from the bathroom. I just wanted to curl up in a tiny ball and let the storm swallow me whole. It was what I deserved.

Worst. Vacation. Ever.

A frantic banging on my door finally roused me from my stupor. I staggered to my feet and opened it to see a very pale Maddy.

“Have you seen Tyler?” she asked, peeking around me to see if he was in my room. Her hair was a mess and her voice wrought with anxiety. A jolt of fear woke me up from my own problems.

“No, I haven't,” I told her, opening the door wider to let her in. “Is everything okay? What's going on?”

She paced the living room nervously, the clunk of her walking boot only adding to my anxiety. Her hands twisted a bracelet around her wrist in a quick motion. She only did that when she was extremely distressed. “I took a nap this afternoon, and when I woke up, Tyler wasn't in the room. I went down to check on him and Spock, but neither one of them was there.”

“I'm sure they're around here somewhere, Maddy,” I consoled her. “They must have just gone for a walk or something.”

“None of the staff has seen them.” She stopped mid-pace and looked up at me with eyes as wide as saucers. “Keiko said she saw the door to Spock's area open earlier.”

“They can't have gone far. Tyler knows not to go out in the storm,” I told her, but I was already putting on my shoes to go look for him.

“But Spock doesn't,” Maddy countered, worry dripping off of every syllable. “That dog hated being in that room and with the door open... I'm scared Tyler went after him. What if they found a way out into the storm?”

I stood from putting my shoes on and put my hands on her shoulders. She was shaking. “It's going to be okay. We'll find him. I promise. They're probably just in one of the kitchens stealing cookies or something.”

She followed me out into the hallway and down to the main lobby. Dr. James was talking to the concierge, Keiko. Both their expressions were troubled.

“Ms. Sawyer,” Keiko addressed her as she saw us approach. “Have you found him yet?”

Maddy shook her head. She was struggling to hold it together. Dr. James and Keiko glanced at one another. Dr. James pressed his lips into a thin line that communicated all too well what he was thinking.

Keiko picked up the phone. “Security?” she clarified in her calming voice. “Yes. We have a missing boy. Eleven years old. Light brown hair, brown eyes. Thin build. Last seen wearing...?” she asked, looking at Maddy.

“A blue t-shirt and gray cargo shorts,” Maddy supplied quickly. Keiko nodded and repeated Maddy's words into the phone.

“Can either of you think of where he might have gone?” Dr. James asked, drawing our attention to him. “Has he made any friends his own age here? Could he be in someone else's room?”

“No,” Maddy said, shaking her head. “The only friend he has is that dog. He'll be wherever the dog is.”

I put my hand on Maddy's shoulder as she leaned against the desk. A shriek of wind rattled the boards holding the storm at bay. I swallowed hard and prayed that security found him quickly.

“What's going on?” Logan asked, walking up to the concierge desk. I hadn't even heard him approach. He looked remarkably put together. I was sure I looked like a mess. I hadn't even bothered to brush my hair before coming down. He refused to look at me, focusing instead on Dr. James.

“Ms, Sawyer's son is missing,” Dr. James supplied. “You haven't happened to see an eleven-year-old boy running around, by any chance?”

“Tyler's missing?” Logan froze. “Where's Spock?”

“Maddy can't find him or the dog anywhere,” I answered. Logan didn't look at me, but he paled.

Keiko set down the phone. She glanced at the faces around the desk before delivering her news. “Security just did a sweep of the bathrooms, kitchens, and maintenance hallways and didn't find him. One of the guards remembers seeing a dog running through the maintenance hallway a little after lunch, though. He says strays get in there occasionally and didn't think much of it until now. They're going to start checking the rest of the buildings.”

“Could they be lost in the maintenance hallway?” Maddy asked, fear and hope thrumming in her voice. Lost was bad, but at least they were safe from the storm.

“No. Security checked them all.” Keiko hesitated, her eyes going to Dr. James before continuing. “But that hallway leads to the other buildings. Ones that aren’t as secure against the storm. If they went in there, they could have gotten outside.”

Everyone fell silent for a moment. The wind howled and shook the doors. The lights flickered slightly as the storm demonstrated its power.

“We have to find them,” I whispered, more to myself than to anyone else. I looked at the boarded-up doors, starting to think of ways to search out in the storm.

“You said the dog is missing too?” Logan asked quietly. His eyes were on me now for the first time since his arrival, watching me contemplate the entrance. I could practically see the gears in his brain turning.

“He wasn't in the room that we were keeping him in,” Maddy answered. She was twisting her bracelet at a rate I was sure was going to give her friction burns. “He must have escaped.”

“I have an idea where they might be. “Logan stood taller. “Somewhere the dog would go to feel safe. Where's that maintenance hallway?”

Keiko pointed to the doorway behind and to her left. “He was in storage room three. There's diagrams at each junction.”

Logan moved quickly toward the door and I caught his arm. He froze at my touch, his muscles tense and hard. “Where are you going?” I asked.

He gently extracted his arm from my grip but didn't look at me. “When we first met Spock, he was sleeping in the shed with the jet-ski equipment. I'm guessing that's where Spock went and where Tyler followed him.”

“The hallway doesn't extend that far. You'd have to go out in the storm,” Dr. James informed us. He looked to Maddy. “Would Tyler have done that?”

Maddy thought for a moment and her face crumpled. “Yes. He loves that dog. He would have followed him through fire.”

“It's amazing the things you'll do for the ones you love,” Logan said quietly. He glanced at me for a moment before shifting his gaze. A lump formed in my throat that threatened to strangle me.

“I'm going to that shed,” Maddy announced.

“No,” Logan said firmly. “If I'm wrong, and he's still in the building, you need to be here. Besides, you have a cast. I'll go.”

“I'm going with you,” Dr. James informed him. “You don't know where you're going, but I do. There's raincoats in the service entrance.”

Keiko opened the door for Logan and handed Dr. James a flashlight and walkie talkie from beneath the desk. I followed behind them, glancing back at Maddy before disappearing into the hallway. She nodded at me. She wanted someone to go with them who knew Tyler.

The sound of rain and wind echoed into infinity against the concrete walls as we hurried inside. Neither man said anything to me as we pushed down the corridor. Dr. James led with his flashlight ready in case the power went out. In these enclosed hallways, it would be pitch black the second the lights failed.

We passed the room where Spock had been staying. The light was still on inside, illuminating the fact that the boy and his dog were missing. I swallowed hard, fighting to stay calm against the panic growing in my chest. Tyler had to be okay. He had to be.

We walked quickly and silently. The howl of the storm filled our ears like constant thunder the closer we got to the exit. Finally we came to a heavy door at the end of the hallway. Dr. James went to a panel and pulled out three raincoats. Mine was too big, but I put the yellow plastic jacket on anyway.

“This is as close as we can get to the storage shed,” he told us and then checked in with his walkie talkie. I could hear Keiko on the other end. Dr. James looked at the two of us and then turned and opened the door.

The sky was molten lead. Rain was pouring down and bouncing off the already saturated ground and then hurrying back to the sea to do it again. The trees on either side of the door struggled against the wind as their roots barely held them in place. Leaves, rocks, and pieces of wood littered the ground in haphazard piles that fluttered in the wind and then flew into the air. Every fiber of my being told me not to go out in this storm. The fury of the storm terrified me. The last time I had been out in the storm, it had been a delicate spring shower compared to this.

The walkie talkie squawked just as Dr. James was about to step out. He held it to his ear and then cursed. “Shit. There's been an accident. Window broke and someone's been cut. I have to go back.”

“Go,” Logan told him. “I know the way.”

Dr. James evaluated him for a moment and then nodded solemnly. He pressed the speak button on the walkie talkie and held it to his mouth. “On my way. Giving the walkie to our searchers.” He handed me the heavy plastic device and flashlight. “Good luck, you two.”

I watched him speed back down the flickering hallway. We were alone now. I didn't dare look at Logan. As Dr. James disappeared around a corner, a little more fear crept into my heart.

Logan didn't hesitate. The moment Dr. James was gone from sight, Logan struck out to find Tyler. He squared his broad shoulders against the wind and tucked his head, moving forward with purpose toward the storage shed. Luckily it wasn't far. I took a deep breath, stuffed the walkie and flashlight into my pocket, and stepped out into the storm to follow him.

The strength of the wind took my breath away. It was as if the air were moving too fast and was filled with too much water for me to be able to breathe. The rain pelted my raincoat with tiny, angry hammers. A gust of wind caught me, and I felt my feet slide out from under me. I wondered for a moment if I would simply fly away like a kite, but instead I fell into a puddle with a thud.

Logan reached down and picked me up. “Hold onto me,” he shouted. I clung to his waist, using his weight and size to stay anchored against the wind. He pushed relentlessly on toward the shack.

The wind whipped at my too-big raincoat, alternating between turning it into a second skin and trying to tear it from my body. I was tiny and powerless against this storm. Without Logan to protect me, I felt like I was going to be ripped up into the air at any moment.

He stopped and pointed to the shed. It was still there, but it didn't look like it was going to stay that way for long. Most of the roof was missing with the broken pieces scattered around the ground. My heart was pounding in my throat. I prayed that Tyler wasn't in there. I needed him to be safe and sound somewhere far from the rain and wind.

Together we crept forward, finally coming to the door. Logan pushed it open, and I shined the flashlight inside.

“Tyler?” Logan boomed, but his voice only lasted a second before the wind stole it. “Tyler!”

A small movement caught the edge of the light. “Tyler!” I screamed, launching myself forward to get to him. Logan stopped me in my tracks with his arm and shook his head.

“It isn't stable,” he shouted into the wind. I looked at him and realized I could hear the building creaking and groaning. I peered into the shed, moving the flashlight back and forth, desperate to save Tyler somehow.

Debris was scattered randomly among upturned jet-skis and miscellaneous water-sport equipment. My flashlight bounced off two glowing eyes. Spock woofed gently, his tail wagging in greeting as he recognized us.

“Come here, boy,” I called, kneeling down and patting my leg. Spock took a single step forward before sitting down next to an upturned jet-ski and pile of plywood. I gasped as I recognized Tyler's shoe poking out from under the wreckage.

Logan saw it, too. “Wait here and give me light,” he commanded. I barely heard him over the wind, but I nodded and focused the yellow beam of light on Tyler's shoe. Logan stepped gingerly over the threshold, glancing nervously at the creaking building.

My heart was simultaneously in my throat and stomach. I wanted to follow him, to do something helpful, but I knew providing the light and not getting in the way was the best thing I could do. I bit my lip, nearly drawing blood.

Logan lifted a broken piece of wood from on top of Tyler and hurled it to the side. A toppled jet-ski had pinned Tyler's leg to the ground. Logan raised it, struggling with its awkward weight for a moment before righting it. He picked up Tyler's small form and cradled him to his chest. Tyler's hand dangled limply to the side.

“Tyler...” I whispered to the wind. A sob caught in my throat. He was so small and fragile in Logan's arms. The limp hand moved and balled into the coat at Logan's chest. My heart decided to beat again as Logan exited the shed, Spock right at his heels.

I led the way this time. Holding onto the makeshift bandana collar Tyler had given Spock and the flashlight, I took us back down the beach to the heavy hallway door. Spock pressed into my leg, as if he knew that if I let go he would fly away. Logan held onto me while he shielded Tyler with his body as sand and water peppered our backs. At least it was easier going this way.

I pushed open the heavy door to the maintenance hallway for Logan and Spock to enter. Stumbling in behind them, I looked down the beach toward the shack as I pulled the door shut. The storage shed was gone. A low, sick feeling filled the pit of my stomach. If Logan hadn't thought of where they might be...

I slammed the door shut against the storm. The rain and wind stopped pelting us, but the sounds of both filled the hallway. Tyler was pressed into Logan's chest, but he was breathing and awake. I pulled the walkie talkie from my pocket. “This is Olivia. We've got him. He's injured, but we've got him.”

“Roger that, Olivia.” Dr. James' voice crackled over the connection. I could hear Maddy crying in the background. “I'm in the lobby. Bring him home.”

“Spock?” Tyler's feeble voice asked, his head lifting to search for his beloved dog.

“He's here. We got him, too,” Logan told him. “We got you both. You're safe now.”

Tyler relaxed his head onto Logan's shoulder, but he kept his death grip on Logan's raincoat. Logan's eyes met mine for a brief moment. Their depths reflected the simultaneous relief and urgency I knew were in mine. Without another word, Logan turned and moved quickly back down the hallway toward the main lobby. Spock was right behind them, eyes up on Tyler's feet. One of his ankles didn't hang correctly and was already swelling. I swallowed down the lump in my throat as I scrambled after them, hoping that the obviously broken ankle was the worst of Tyler's injuries.

The storm howled against the tunnel and the lights flickered, but we didn't stop. Logan followed the path as if he had walked it a thousand times and before I knew it, we were to the lobby. Spock whined softly at Logan's heels, frustrated that he couldn't touch his master. I petted his head, unsure if the gesture was meant to soothe the dog or me, but it had a calming effect on both of us as we hastened after the man and boy.

Keiko was waiting for us and holding the door open. Warm yellow light from the lobby spilled onto the gray cement floor, beckoning us onward. Logan's pace increased, and I hurried my own to keep up. Safety lay in the direction of the lobby.

Maddy cried out Tyler's name as Logan emerged from the doorway and into the light of the lobby. She was at Tyler's side in a heartbeat, brushing the hair from his forehead and kissing his cheeks. Tears of relief ran down Maddy's face as she took in her son and thanked Logan profusely in a language that had been English before her emotion choked her words.

“Set him down here so I can check him out,” Dr. James instructed Logan, pointing to a chaise lounge in the lobby. Logan gently set the boy down on the green cushioned chair, careful to protect his ankle. Tyler clung to Logan's raincoat for a moment before finally letting his rescuer go. Spock lay obediently down on the floor at Tyler's feet, his eyes fixed firmly on his master.

Dr. James dropped his medical bag to the ground and quickly started checking Tyler out, moving efficiently and smoothly as he made sure the ankle was the worst of Tyler's problems. Tyler's brown hair was plastered to his head from the rain, contrasting with the paleness of his skin. Maddy stroked his head, gazing at her baby boy, her eyes brimming with tears of love.

Logan backed away slowly from the chaise lounge, and was slowly drifting from the group. I could tell he was trying to escape before anyone noticed. I blocked his path.

“You didn't have to do that,” I said, crossing my arms.

“Do what?” he asked, innocence painted on every word.

“Go out in a hurricane for a kid you barely know.” I searched his face trying to figure out why he had risked his life for Tyler. I was willing to go out there because I loved Tyler like he was my own and Dr. James was willing because it was his job to help people. But Logan? He was a billionaire playboy who, without me, had no connection to Tyler. Since our connection was no longer intact, he had no obligation to do anything.

Logan's dark eyes searched my face for a moment. “Then you don't know me very well.” He stepped to the side and walked around me, heading toward the elevators. I wanted to chase him down and hold him close, thank him for saving Tyler, and tell him how much I cared for him. But I couldn't. Not after this morning. Instead, I watched him walk away, feeling the hole in my heart growing larger with his every step.

I looked back at Tyler. He was smiling at something the doctor had said. His mother was holding onto him, tears running down her cheeks. I stood and let myself feel relief and gratitude that Tyler was safe. When Tyler's eyes found mine, I went to him.

“It looks like it's just a broken ankle, but we'll still need x-rays. That pain medication should last a few hours,” Dr. James said as I approached. “He's still in shock, so we'll need to keep an eye on him, but he should be fine. Let's get him dried off, warmed up, and rehydrated. I'll go get something to immobilize this.”

Dr. James ruffled Tyler's hair and stepped away. I went to my knees in front of the couch, putting myself at Tyler's eye level. I thanked the heavens that he had more color in his cheeks and was sitting up by himself. I had been terrified that he had been injured far worse than just a broken ankle.

“Hi, Aunt Liv,” he greeted me. I could see the stress of pain around his eyes, but he smiled anyway. Maddy had his hand firmly in hers. It looked as though she wasn't going to let go of it until he was in his thirties.

“You gave us a pretty good scare,” I said, putting my hand on his shoulder. Touching him made everything suddenly very real. Something inside me broke, and a tear trickled down my face. I quickly wiped it away.

“I'm really sorry about that.” He looked up at his mother and gave us both an apologetic smile. “I had to find Spock, though.”

“Next time, let someone know where you're going,” Maddy said gently. Her face fluctuated between being anger and relief. “I can't believe you just went off into the storm like that.”

“I didn't mean to!” Tyler explained, sitting up further. Maddy pressed his shoulders back down and he didn't fight her. “I thought he might be in that hallway and then I found an open door and I realized that Spock was probably at the shack. I didn't think it was going to be that windy. I got to the shack and tried to drag him out, but he was scared. And then the wind picked up again and that jet-ski flipped.” He paused, and he looked down at his knees. “I'm sorry, Mom.”

“I'm just so glad you're okay.” Maddy kissed his forehead. “You scared me.”

Tyler took the hand that wasn't trapped in his mother's grip and reached for the floor. Spock wiggled up to try and reach him, and almost all the way into my lap in the process. His pink tongue kissed Tyler's fingers and his tail thumped against the floor.

“Mom, can we keep Spock? I don't want to leave him here.” Tyler's voice cracked.

“Considering you went out in a hurricane to find him, we have to,” Maddy conceded. “I'd hate to see what you'd do if I left him here.”

I laughed softly. Tyler would be on a plane out here so fast he'd be here before his mom even knew the credit card was missing.

“How did you find me?” Tyler asked, his eyes looking up at me from Spock. “I thought we were goners.”

“Logan figured it out,” I told him. “He remembered seeing Spock at that storage shed when we went jet-skiing.”

Tyler nodded slowly, his eyes glancing around the room for Logan. His smile dimmed a little when he realized that his hero wasn't there. “Thank you for coming to get me, Aunt Liv. You and Logan.” He paled slightly. “I was really scared.”

I rose up higher on my knees and kissed his forehead. “Me, too,” I whispered before settling back into my original spot.

Tyler petted Spock's head. His mother started doing the same thing to him and the parallel of love and care made me smile. Tyler thought for a moment and then looked up at me with serious, big brown eyes. “Aunt Liv?”

“Yeah?” I answered with a soft smile.

“Will you find Logan for me?” he asked. “I didn't get to thank him.”

“I'll do my best,” I promised.

“And Aunt Liv?” Tyler caught me in his eyes. The pain medication was kicking in and he struggled to focus on me, but he looked serious. “Logan loves you. He can't tell you that, but he does. I was supposed to keep it a secret, but I thought you should know.”

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Maddy judiciously avoided my gaze. “What?”

“I asked him why you hated him. He said it was because he hurt you.” Tyler frowned. “I think you should forgive him. He's a good person.”

“It's not quite that simple, Tyler...” I rubbed my forehead, trying to figure out what I could say to make him understand.

“Yes, it is,” Tyler contradicted me. “Love is always simple. It's just our brains that make it complicated.” He smiled down at Spock. “If you love someone, you find ways to stay with them. Spock taught me that.”

I didn't have a good response for that. I could see Dr. James headed our direction with Keiko right behind him carrying blankets and towels, so I stood to give them space to work. Dr. James took my place as I stepped back. Tyler looked up at me, silently asking for me to get Logan while they worked on him. I sighed and nodded, turning to go look for him. The things we would do for the people we loved...