Six weeks later, Tobias, Carolyn and Sarah set out on the most important mission of their new life. Sarah was so excited she kept spinning around like a top. Everyone they passed in Jupiter Point's quaint little historic downtown district smiled at the sight of the three of them. The story, of course, had spread through town like wildfire, especially after Merry's big exposé had been published and picked up by the national media.

A fringe throwback militia group, children held prisoner, some kidnapped, a big explosive standoff averted…it was astonishing that something like that had happened within a few hundred miles of Jupiter Point. And then the fact that the Knight brothers had been so key to rescuing the kids, and that Carolyn was raised in the group…it was all anyone had talked about for weeks.

The group itself was splintering under the pressure of the spotlight. The leader, Ray, had been arrested and charged with kidnapping. Some members had left, especially those parents who wanted to get their kids back.

That didn’t include Levi Moore. He had enough legal issues on his hands without worrying about Sarah. He'd agreed to the adoption without argument.

"Wait at the corner for us, Sarah!" Carolyn called to the little girl. Having lived her entire life off the grid, Sarah required close attention. She knew nothing about traffic or intersections or even strangers. Carolyn had taken the semester off from JPCC to help her get settled in.

Mark and the other kidnapped children had been reunited with their families. The rest had found temporary foster homes, a good number of them local. Carolyn had taken the lead on forming a support group to keep the kids in touch with each other. They'd gone through such an intense experience together. Every month, they planned to get together for a picnic, or for a potluck at someone's house. Carolyn and Tobias had hosted the first one at Will's farmhouse.

Which was now their farmhouse.

Will and Merry had decided they needed a smaller place that required less attention, since they were both such workaholics. They wanted to focus on their work and their relationship, not lawn mowing. So they'd bought a brand new duplex and turned one side into Will's new office. Jupiter Point's only private investigator needed his own office. He was also getting an intern—Chase Merriweather, Merry's half-brother, was moving to Jupiter Point to work with Will.

So Carolyn and Sarah moved into the farmhouse with Tobias. Even though they urged Ben to stay on with them, he refused, with many loud complaints about the epidemic of love breaking out all around him. He found his own bachelor pad in an apartment complex on the edge of town, as close as possible to Knight and Day Flight Tours.

And as far as possible from Julie, his ex-girlfriend, everyone noticed. But didn't mention out loud. Something was definitely going on with Ben and Julie, but any hint of a mention of her made Ben storm out of the room. So they all held their tongues and hoped for the best.

Carolyn and Tobias insisted that Aiden continue to stay at the farm when he was in town. Tobias and his youngest brother were closer than ever, and they all occasionally laughed their heads off about the angel tattoo and the smoking.

Sarah loved it when they laughed. While they chuckled, she'd bounce around the living room, dancing and hooting. Then she'd jump into Tobias's lap and tickle him until he cried. Sarah was a joy and an imp and a force of nature. Carolyn could barely remember life before her.

A sister, a husband, and now…

"We're here, we're here!" Sarah called, skipping to the entrance of Jupiter Point's pet shelter. The shelter had called this morning with the news that a Newfoundland puppy was up for adoption.

For weeks, Carolyn had been regaling Sarah with bedtime stories about her big guardian angel dog named Dragon. Now they were getting a Dragon of their own.

Carolyn's heart felt so full, she had to stop to take a deep breath before following Tobias and Sarah inside. She glanced at the simple gold ring on her left hand, the commitment she'd made to Tobias in a brief but tender ceremony at City Hall. In the end, marrying Tobias’s was one of the easiest decisions she'd ever made. She wanted to be with him, that was that. She trusted him with all the secrets and fault lines of her innermost self. And he trusted her with that other side of himself, the vulnerable part that even years as a special forces Night Stalker hadn't erased.

She loved him for that. She loved him for so many things. All parts of him, shadows and light. And soon—amazingly, astonishingly—she was going to meet his mother and sister.

Will had found Cassie and Janine Knight. Soon, maybe even within a few weeks, a family reunion would take place.

In the meantime…her own little family—so new, so miraculous—was about to get bigger. Sarah burst out of the door before Carolyn even had a chance to step inside. A giant puppy almost as big as her capered behind her. The baby Newfie was fuzzy, long-eared, eager-eyed, the deep rich brown of hot cocoa.

"We got him! We got a dog! We have a dog! We have the best dog in the world!" Sarah jumped up and down, her pigtails shining in the sun. The dog ran circles around her, panting and awkward.

"That was so fast! I love him already." Carolyn laughed as the two youngsters, dog and kid, cavorted on the sidewalk. Tobias emerged from the shelter, putting his wallet back in his pocket. Even though he was dressed in black as he had been the first time she saw him, his expression was pure lighthearted joy. He grinned as he came to Carolyn's side and wrapped one arm around her.

"It was love at first sight. Couldn't stop her."

"Well, we are sisters." She leaned her head against his chest. "Count on us to know a good thing when we see one. Count on us to fight for it, too."

"Amen for that."

Carolyn expelled a long, happy sigh. Careful of Tobias’s still-healing arm, she leaned against his solid warmth. Some moments were so perfect, they ought to live forever, preserved in indelible strokes of wonder. Wrapped up in their love, the two of them watched the girl and the puppy dance in the timeless winter sunlight, and rejoiced.

Watch for the next Jupiter Point (The Knight Brothers) book, Ben and Julie’s story, coming in early 2018!

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