The flight home was a million times more pleasant than his flight to Rome. Emma lay next to him on the long sofa as they watched movies and ate the in-flight meals.

“Whose jet is this?” she’d asked as he’d helped her up the stairs.

“Sarah and Ben’s.”

“Right.” She smiled and rested back as she looked at him.

“Sarah and Ben just had their first kid, Aurora Lilly.” He smiled remembering how the little girl had smiled at him when he’d seen the family at the diner in town.

“You like kids.” It was a statement. Emma was looking up at him, smiling.

“I’m not an ogre.” He laughed.

“No, you’re a softy.” She reached up and touched his face. “I miss the beard.” She ran her hands over his smooth face.

“It itched.” He placed his hand over hers. “But for you, I’ll grow it back.”

“No, not right now. I like this too.” She sighed and closed her eyes. “Meds are kicking in.”

“Rest. We have a long trip home.”

“M-kay,” she said on a sigh and was fast asleep.

When they landed, it was full dark. Rowan met them at the airport. He helped Emma into the front seat before climbing in the back seat of the sports car.

“You need a bigger car,” he mumbled when his knees hit the seat.

“Yeah, your sister keeps telling me the same thing,” he said before a yawn.

“How’s the kid doing?” JT asked.

“CJ’s fine. Kayla got his cold. She kept me up last night.”

“I thought they were staying at my place.”

“They were, until Kayla ended up with the flu. Then Cora convinced her to go home. That girl likes living out there all by herself. She’s getting pretty good at driving your boat too.”

“Cora’s driving your boat?” Emma glanced back at him. “I’m jealous.”

“I’ll teach you.” He nodded to her cast. “As soon as that heals.”

Rowan parked at the end of the dock and helped him carry their bags to the boat.

“I take it there were no other… incidents?” he asked after Emma was settled in the boat.

“No, nothing but silence,” Rowan answered.

“Good.” He shook Rowan’s hand. “Thanks again for looking out.”

“No problem. If you keep the travel up, maybe you should think about getting Bo a friend. One who doesn’t roll over for everyone.”

He chuckled at the idea, but as he drove in the dark towards his land, the idea grew on him.

He left their bags in the boat and carried Emma up to the house. She looked too tired to walk and with the hurt ankle, he knew she wouldn’t be able to make it that far.

“I should get a golf cart,” he said out of the blue.

She laughed. “I don’t need—”

He silenced her by kissing her lips.

“It would help me cart stuff from the dock up to the house. I’ve been thinking about getting one for a while.”

She smiled and tightened her arms around his neck. “Oh,” she said when they stopped at the back door. “The cats.” She wiggled until he put her down.

She knelt down and spent a few minutes petting the seven cats on his back porch. The kittens had grown quickly. He had vet appointments scheduled to get them all shots and have them fixed as soon as they were big enough.

He could hear Bo barking inside and turned just as Cora opened the door. His sister rushed past him and hugged Emma.

“You’re okay,” she said, holding Emma tightly.

“Yes.” Emma smiled over Cora’s head at him. “I’m okay.”

“We were so worried.” Cora helped Emma inside the house, then whistled for Bo to stop chasing the kittens and follow her.

The dog did her bidding, causing Emma’s eyebrows to raise slightly.

“He’s no longer my dog,” JT joked.

“He knows who the smartest person on the island is,” Cora teased.

“Yeah, Emma’s just returned,” JT added as Cora stuck out her tongue at him.

“You two seem to be getting along much better,” Emma said, sitting down at the table.

“Why not? JT’s given me a place to live, food, security like I’ve never had before.” Cora smiled as she sat across from Emma. “So, tell me everything. I’m sorry about your friend.” He saw the sadness behind his sister’s eyes and his heart melted a little.

“Thank you.” Emma sighed. “I still can’t remember much, just the last few seconds. Rich shoved me back, shielding me from the blow. That’s it.”

“I would’ve like to meet him. I’ve read up on him. He seems like he was nice.”

“He was. He was the first person I met in Hollywood,” Emma added. “He called me out of the blue after an audition and told me he was going to make me a star.”

“He did.” Cora sighed.

“Yes, he did.” Emma smiled.

“You made yourself. Rich saw what was already there,” JT added. He turned to Cora. “You’ve got that appointment tomorrow morning.” He glanced down at his watch. “Unless I have my days mixed up.”

Cora jumped up and clapped her hands. “Emma, you have to see my studio. I’m heading into town for an audition.”

Emma stilled. “You want to be an actress?”

“God no!” Cora laughed. “I can’t act.”

“She can dance,” JT explained. “She’s meeting with someone from the Broadway Art Center.”

“Ballet.” Cora smiled. “My aunt signed me up when I was five. The first time my mother…” Cora shook her head. “Ever since then, I’ve wanted to go to Broadway and dance. I didn’t think it was possible, but JT pulled some strings. Rowan’s flying me down there tomorrow morning. I’m staying in a real hotel.” She squealed and jumped up and down.

“Rowan’s going to be here at seven,” he warned. “Go get some sleep.”

She leaned in and kissed his cheek, then gently did the same with Emma.

“I’m so happy you’re okay,” she said before Bo followed her out the door.

“She loves you,” Emma said as he carried her up the stairs.

“What’s there not to love about me?” he joked. He laid her down on the bed and she smiled up at him. “I love her back. It’s funny how the kid has grown on me so fast.”

“She’s family,” Emma said.

“Yes, she is.” He thought about protecting his family.

The fact that Emma was now included in that mix felt more right than anything else in his life had ever felt.

* * *

The following days were filled with a lot of rest. It was driving Emma crazy. JT kept a close eye on her while he finished his projects around the house.

She stayed in bed while Cora and Rowan flew to New York. She could tell that JT missed the girl. He moved around the house like there was something missing. When she returned, they worked as a pair on finishing the final touches of his back deck. She wanted to help them paint, but instead, she propped herself up in a chair with a glass of ice tea and fell asleep, thanks to the pills JT had insisted she take.

A few days later, she finally got to meet his mother, Mary. The woman was soft-spoken and kind, but Emma could see a hint of fear in the woman’s eyes. She knew that his mother had hidden herself away for the past decade and wondered if it was her first trip to JT’s place, since she seemed unfamiliar with the surroundings. Of course, Kayla, Rowan, and Connor James were there.

The look of pure love in the older woman’s eyes as she held onto her grandson outweighed everything Emma had heard about the woman. She was obviously totally and madly in love with the little boy.

“It was a pleasure to finally meet you,” she said just before leaving. “I’ve heard so much about you from my children. I know they were both relieved to hear that you were okay after your accident.”

“Thank you, it was so nice to meet you, too. You’ve raised wonderful kids.” Her eyes moved to JT who was hugging Kayla. Cora was tucked away in what used to be JT’s office on the edge of the island. They’d talked about it before his mother had arrived and everyone agreed that it was better for Mary if she didn’t find out about the girl just yet.

She waved her good hand as the boat disappeared with the guests. JT wrapped his arm around her. She’d gotten use to the weight of the cast on her left wrist, but the incessant itching underneath still bothered her.

“Want me to cut it off?” JT said, watching her struggle to scratch her wrist.

“Could you?” she asked. She wanted to beat the thing on the stone wall behind them.

He sighed and nodded. “But I won’t. You have a few more weeks, according to Rowan.”

“Can I come out now?” Cora said from behind a bush.

“Yes.” JT sighed. “Sorry, I just think—”

“I understand.” Cora sat on the brick wall. “So…” The girl dipped her head and looked down at her hands. “I just got a call…”

“From?” JT asked after a moment of silence.

“Broadway Art Center,” she answered. The girl was wearing a large pair of JT’s sweats that hung on her tiny waist. Emma knew that the girl’s legs were long and skinny, packed with a dancer’s muscles. The girl’s long red hair was currently freed and blowing freely in the night air.

The silence was deafening.

“And?” JT finally asked.

“I got in!” The girl jumped off the wall and right into her brother’s arms. She kept repeating, “I got in,” over and over.

“This calls for a celebration,” JT said once Cora’s feet were back on the ground. “How about we break open that carton of ice cream I’ve been saving.”

Just then, JT’s phone rang and he frowned down at the screen.

“Why don’t you two head up. I’ll be there in a minute.” He nodded towards the brightly lit house as he answered the phone and walked towards the water’s edge.

Cora took Emma’s good hand and started walking up the lit pathway. She chatted about her future and the possibilities at the dance center.

Emma asked questions about what kind of roles she was hoping to get and where she was thinking of staying, all of which, Cora answered cheerfully.

Apparently, the center helped pair up students and find them places to stay. She wasn’t sure how she was going to front the cost of rent or her classes yet, but had several ideas about taking odd jobs on the side.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted.” Cora sighed. “New York.”

Emma thought back to her two recent trips to the city. The first one made her cringe, while the other was only enjoyable because JT had been there.

“I’m sure you’re going to make it big.” Cora had shown her several videos of her dancing. Most of them were audition videos for studios. Some were actual performances. “You’re an amazing dancer,” she said truthfully. “Raw talent like that gets noticed quickly.”

“I hope you’re right.” She sighed and opened the back door. Bo rushed into the house before them.

“What about him?” Emma asked. “The dog has clung to you from the moment you set foot on the island.”

Cora frowned down at Bo. “I… he’s better off here.” She turned and picked up one of the smallest kittens from the porch. “But I bet I can sneak Mist here in my backpack.”

Emma smiled, and they both turned as JT came around the corner. The look on his face told them both that something was wrong.

“What is it?” Cora asked, setting the kitten back down.

“Inside.” He motioned them towards the door. Once he had shut the door behind him, he closed his eyes and leaned against the door. “I… put out feelers for your mother’s whereabouts the week you arrived.”

The room was silent as Cora walked over and sat down hard on a kitchen chair. “And?” she asked when she was sitting.

“Nothing had come up, until now.” He sat beside his sister. “It appears that the day she went missing, her bank account was emptied.”

“Yes,” Cora agreed. She closed her eyes. “Dad told me that Mom must have taken it all, but somehow he had enough money to pay rent the following week. When I asked, he told me you gave it to him.”

“I never gave him any money,” JT said.

“Then, where did he get it?” Emma broke in.

JT glanced over at her. “That’s not important now. What is, is that your mother’s credit card was used recently.”

“It was?” Cora sat up slightly.

“Yes, she purchased some airline tickets.” He raised his hand, motioning for Emma to come over and sit next to him. When she sat down, he finished. “It appears someone flew from Columbus to Portland, Maine.”

“Dad!” Cora jumped up. “He’s here?”

“We don’t know that.” JT stood and held Cora by the shoulders. “That was Brock. He’s going to up the times they swing by here, starting tonight. He suggested you stay in the main house, until…”

Just then, the lights flickered and went black. Cora let out a scream that caused Emma’s ears to ring.

“Sorry,” she said once JT turned on his cell phone light.

“It’s okay, it’s probably a fuse.” He gave Emma a look. “Stay put.”

“You’re not going out there!” Cora demanded, looking between them. “Seriously! You write mystery and horror novels for a living and you’re thinking of going out there alone, in the dark, when the power’s just been cut?”

JT chuckled. “I’m a realist. I know this island better than anyone. Besides, the power box is just five steps outside that door.” He nodded to the back door. “And I’ll have Bo to protect me.”

“He’s a softy,” Emma added, crossing her good arm over her chest. “What about calling Brock and staying inside with the two very frightened women?”

He sighed. “I’ll call Brock, then go outside and check the breaker box.” After trying his phone, he said, “Damn” under his breath. “It appears the power took out the repeater.”

“The what?” Cora asked, her arms going around Emma’s waist.

“The repeater… It boosts the cell phone signal so we get calls on the island. The nearest tower is miles away.” He shook his head. “It’s how we can use our cell phones out here, in the middle of nowhere.”

“So, we can’t call for help?” Cora asked. Emma could hear the fear in the girl’s voice.

“I have a landline.” He walked over and picked up the phone and frowned. “It’s dead, too.”

“He’s come for me.” Tears streamed down Cora’s face. “I shouldn’t have left. He killed my mother and now he’s after me.”