By the time JT made it back to the island, he had figured out what he was going to do with Cora. Seeing Kayla standing on the dock waiting for him shook his plans a little.

“I’m going,” Kayla said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“How did you…” He sighed and shook his head. “Emma?”

“She texted me before her flight took off. I would have liked to say goodbye to her.” Kayla shrugged. “But, something tells me I’ll be seeing her again.” His sister smiled. “Rowan has CJ for the day, so, let’s go.” She jumped into his boat.

“Kayla, it’s…” One look from his sister and he shut his mouth.

They rode to the island in silence. “When are you going to LA?”

“I’m scheduled to arrive three days before the premiere. There are… parties.” He sighed when he remembered the full schedule he’d have once he arrived. The only consolation was that Emma would be there as well.”

“You love her.” Kayla smiled as they pulled into the boathouse.

“What?” He jerked the wheel and almost sent the boat into the sea wall. Correcting the move quickly, Kayla laughed.

“You didn’t even know it yet.” She shook her head. “Why is it that men are always clueless with this kind of stuff.”

JT’s eyes narrowed. “I didn’t see you…” He thought quickly about how Kayla and Rowan had both fended love off, but shut his mouth instead. “Leave it,” he said as he jumped onto the dock and tied the boat up.

When he turned around, Cora and Bo were standing on the dock, looking at Kayla. Cora looked pale and her eyes were huge. He assumed it was because she was meeting her sister for the first time.

“You must be Cora, ” Kayla said as JT helped her onto the docks. She surprised them both by rushing forward and hugging Cora. “I’m Kayla, we’re sisters.”

JT was shocked to see tears fill Cora’s eyes and then the girl burst out, “Someone was in the house.”

“What?” He went on guard. “Bo bit them.” The young girl bent down and hugged the dog. “It was a man. He tried…” She closed her eyes.

“Stay here.” JT quickly walked past the pair.

“He’s gone. I locked myself in the laundry room,” she said at his back. “JT…” She called after him.

“Stay here. Kayla, if I don’t come back in ten minutes, head to the mainland.”

Kayla nodded and put her hands on Cora.

He made his way to the house and checked every room as he logged into the system on his phone. He stopped in the kitchen and watched the screen on his phone.

Cora came down the stairs and had pulled out a carton of eggs. Bo was sitting at her feet, begging, as she made scrambled eggs.

He sped up the images and watched as she moved around his house, cleaning up her mess in the kitchen. Then she went into the living room and browsed his bookshelves. Taking one of his books off the shelves, she sat down and read for a while.

Then the pair of them went outside and walked the island. He was a little shocked to see that she had taken some milk and eggs from breakfast out to the cats. They both came immediately up to her and sat on her lap, even with Bo sitting beside her.

When they went back in the house, he watched in horror as a dark figure entered the back door, hovering behind the door, waiting. As they entered, the man pounced, grabbing her from behind.

JT had to admit, his half sister knew how to fight. But it was Bo who had finally caused the man to drop his arms from Cora. The dog sank his teeth into the figure’s leg.

He watched as Cora fled to the laundry room and barred the door as Bo fought. When the man ran out the back door, he followed him on the screen until he disappeared beyond a small woodshed near the cliff side of the island.

“Is everything okay?” Kayla asked from the doorway.

“Damn it, I told you to…” He stopped when he noticed both of them standing at the door, Bo by their side. “Yeah, the one place I didn’t put cameras up.” He groaned as he showed them the screen. “How did he know?”

“It’s not that hard,” Cora chimed in. “All one would have to do is wait until after dark. There are red blinking lights on each camera. You should really put some tape or something over the lights, so you can’t see them in the dark.”

He thought about it, then nodded. “Want to help me move some cameras around?” he asked the pair of them. “I’ve got some black duct tape.”

He pulled the roll out of the drawer.

“Not exactly how you expected the meeting to go?” he asked Kayla.

“No.” She smiled as she looked at Cora. “I think this is much better than I could have planned. I’m glad you’re safe,” she said to the girl. “Looks like Bo earned his dinner.”

He chuckled. “I’d say a whole steak is in his future.”

For the next two hours, the three of them moved around the island together. He carried the ladder, and Cora climbed up and removed and replaced the cameras. He’d shown her how to work the drill, and she’d begged him to give it a try. She seemed to love the work and was very good at it. He even thought about seeing if she wanted to help around the house, if she was planning on sticking around for a while.

The sun was setting by the time they got everything in place. Cora and Bo went with him to take Kayla back to the mainland. Kayla hugged both of them and got into the car when Rowan pulled up.

“She likes you,” JT said as they pulled away from the dock.

Cora was quiet for a moment. “Why are you guys being nice to me?” She tucked some of that wild red hair of hers deeper into her dark hoodie.

He thought about it for a second. “You’re family.”

“I’m not. Not really.” She shook her head.

“You may not know this, but I was eighteen when our sister Lori died. I’m six years older than Kayla. I never was close to either of them. Until recently, Kayla and I have had… a strained relationship.”

“What changed?” Cora broke in.

“Life. Things change.” He shrugged thinking back. It wasn’t one thing that had really changed them. His mind cleared on an image of Connor James and he smiled. “She had a kid.”

“I saw him in the car. Was that her husband that picked her up?”

“Rowan?” He shook his head. “They’re getting married in a few months.”

“What happened to the boy’s father?”

“He killed himself a few months back.” It still made him sick to his stomach knowing what the man had put Kayla and Connor through when he’d been alive. Connor’s arm may have healed months ago, but the kid was still jumpy around strange men.

“I’m sorry,” she said after a moment.

“I did a little research into your mother.” Cora’s back straightened. “She’s been in and out of a few facilities outside Columbus. Twin Valley Behavioral?”

Cora’s eyes moved to her hands as she nodded. “I usually stay with my aunt, Patty, when my mother is gone. That was… until my father…”

“Divorced my mother and moved there full time?” She nodded again.

“Medical records are sealed, so I couldn’t see why…” He left the question open. His island came into view and he smiled, as he usually did when he saw the lights flickering over the water.

“My mother has struggled with bipolar disorder her entire life. The first time she was admitted into Twin Valley, she was nine.” He was silent, waiting for her to continue. When she didn’t, he jumped in.

“It must have been hard for you, growing up with her.”

“There were ups and downs. There was a time when she would just go off and leave me alone. That’s when Aunt Pattie moved in full time.”

“Your aunt…”

“She’s wonderful. Well, was. She died a few years back during a bad snow storm.” Cora looked off over the water. “She was more like a mother to me than Mom. Things didn’t get better until Dad moved in. Then, at least for a while, Mom seemed… normal.”

“What changed?” he asked as he slowed the boat and maneuvered into the boathouse.

“Dad contacted you,” she said quietly.

* * *

For the next few days, Emma spent what little time she had trying to avoid cameras. There were a few promo spots she had to do, including interviews. She was flown out to New York for Good Morning America, along with a few favorite night shows. She spent two nights in the big city and crossed the idea of moving there off her list of possibilities.

The noise, the smells—she didn’t know how some loved it. For her, it was all so… overwhelming. Not that LA was any better, but after spending a week and a half on a quiet, peaceful island… nothing could stack up.

She dreamed almost every night of being back on JT’s island. She missed Bo’s snoring in bed next to her. She missed the feel of JT’s hands and mouth on her. She missed the way he made her laugh or just the way he brushed the hair away from her face. She counted the days until they could see one another again.

Adding to her irritation was the fact that Mark was everywhere she was. Her nerves were shot.

Mark knew just how to pull her strings. Since they were supposed to coordinate their outfits, along with Liam’s, they had all decided long ago to wear emerald green, which matched the movie’s promo images. However, at the last minute, Mark changed to a brighter green, claiming it would show better. This meant she had to find a new dress, heels, and a clutch.

She spent the day prior to JT arriving in LA getting fitted and getting her hair and nails done. She had spent fewer hours in makeup for one of the final scenes where half of her face was gone than she had changing her outfit for Mark.

She had hoped to meet JT at the airport, but he called the night before and convinced her to meet him at his hotel instead.

They’d had many long conversations at night. Once, they had spent the entire night Facetiming. She’d talked to Cora a few times. The girl seemed to be happy with JT and Bo.

JT had given her the room above his office. She’d bragged about helping him fix the guest room and the possibilities of turning the attic into his new office.

“He’s letting me stay in Whistler Manor,” Cora had joked. “He’s even moved his computer and desk out. He wants to add a small kitchen area so I’ll stop raiding his hidden stash of Oreos.”

She’d enjoyed talking to the girl, but enjoyed it even more when JT would call her later at night, alone.

She had to admit, she was more nervous about seeing him again than she let on. She’d changed outfits three times before finally settling on a cream flair skirt with a burgundy blouse. She’d left her long hair down, but spent almost two hours curling it and making it look perfect.

She glanced at her watch as she entered the lobby of JT’s hotel and almost bumped into a row of fans who were being pushed out of the building by the seriously underpaid hotel staff.

She’d bumped into one girl who had turned on her and opened her mouth to yell at her, but then instantly snapped it shut. She let out a high-pitched scream a moment later.

“Hannah!” she shouted, gaining the attention of everyone in the crowd. Soon, she was completely surrounded. Hands grabbed at her, pulled at her clothes, and tugged on her hair. She briefly panicked when she saw a flash of silver, but the girl with the scissors was quickly yanked away by a security guard who had been trying to get to her.

Then, strong hands took hold of her and tucked her tight against a body she knew very well.

He pushed and shoved until finally they were free from the crowed and rushed into a private elevator.

Her breathing was labored as she closed her eyes and rested her head back on the wood walls.

“You okay?” He asked. Looking up, she felt her heart kick in her chest as JT looked back at her with concern.

“How…” She didn’t get anything else out, since his mouth covered hers in a passionate kiss that seared her entire body.

She didn’t remember leaving the elevator or JT fumbling with unlocking his door. The next thing she knew, her clothes were gone, and she was pushed up against the wall. She wrapped her legs around JT’s hips and held on as he plunged into her.