The drive into the mountains did little to make Daphne feel any better about her entire situation.

How was isolating her and Maya in a mountain cabin supposed to make them safer?

So, they could see a vehicle coming before it reached them. They’d be stuck in the mountains, away from civilization. Just like before—and that hadn’t been much of a solution. Granted, they’d had time to escape on the four-wheelers.

Daphne nodded toward the two snowmobiles loaded onto the trailer in front of them. “Why do we need snowmobiles? Don’t we have to have snow in order to use them?”

Boomer shot her a glance. “Hank assured us the weather’s going to get ugly. He predicts we’ll have snow tonight.”

“I would think, until the snow materializes, we’d have been better off with a couple of four-wheelers,” she said, directing her comment to Chuck, the man who’d orchestrated their daring mountain escape out of Utah.

Chuck shrugged. “Hank knows Montana. If he says it’ll snow, it probably will. If there’s snow on the ground, I’d rather have snowmobiles up there than four-wheelers.”

In the truck ahead, Swede took the turns slowly enough not to lose their vehicles or put the trailer at risk of falling down the steepening slopes beside the narrow gravel road. By the time they reached the remote chalet, Daphne’s hands ached from the white-knuckled grip she’d kept on the armrest.

She could imagine the toll the drive had taken on Boomer. He had a lot riding on him. Not only did he have a trailer load of snowmobiles to maneuver through the mountains, he had a mother and child in the back seat. Losing control was not an option.

The chalet, as Hank had called it, was a beautiful, woodsy structure that complemented the mountain terrain and would have been a peaceful retreat for anyone else.

Boomer turned the truck around and backed it up to the side of the shed. Once he switched off the truck engine, he released a long, slow breath and uncurled his fingers from around the steering wheel.

The baby squeaked from the back seat.

Daphne turned to her baby girl and smiled. She’d slept through the worst of the bumpy roads and harrowing turns. “Hey, sweetie,” she cooed, unbuckling the restraints. She lifted Maya into her arms and caught Boomer staring at them in the reflection from the rearview mirror.

Was he as indifferent as he appeared?

Maya gurgled and cooed, grabbing a fistful of Daphne’s hair. “Hey, baby girl,” she said softly, prying the baby’s fingers loose from the strand. “We’re going to be okay up here.” She spoke the words of assurance as much for herself as for the baby. Being in the crosshairs of a murderer had never been her idea of how her life would go.

Now, she had to shore up her courage and find a way to break it to Boomer that Maya was his baby. Thus far, he didn’t seem to have a clue.

Chuck had been good enough to keep the information to himself. He knew exactly who Boomer was to Daphne and Maya, yet he’d held his counsel and refused to spill the beans until Daphne was good and ready.

Boomer slid out of the driver’s seat and dropped to the ground.

Swede was already out of his truck, removing the tie-downs from the snowmobiles on the trailer. Once he had them loose, he climbed aboard one, started the engine and backed it down the ramp and into the shed.

Boomer followed suit with the other machine, climbing onboard and attempting to start the engine. He hit the ignition button and nothing happened. Again. Nothing happened.

“Let’s just get it off the trailer,” Chuck said. “I can look at it later and see if I can get it going. Might be as simple as a loose wire.”

Between Chuck and Boomer, they put the vehicle in neutral and pushed it down the ramp, parking it beside the first snowmobile inside the shed. Both faced the door for quick and easy deployment. Assuming they both would start.

Daphne made a mental note of where the machines were. Chuck had skills with mechanics. He’d have the cantankerous one fixed in no time. And, after having to make a quick escape from the safe house in Utah, she knew the value of prepositioning. If they had to use the snowmobiles in a hurry, they could. Hopefully, it wouldn’t come to that. Then again, their daring escape through the Wasatch Range had seemed like a farfetched plan, until they’d had to execute it.

As Daphne pushed open her door, a frigid gust of wind ruffled her hair, sending a chill rippling down the back of her neck. She stepped down from the truck, balancing Maya in her arms. She reached back into the cab, grabbed the blanket and wrapped it snugly around the baby.

Swede glanced up at the sky as the first snowflakes descended. “I’ll take the trailer back down the mountain. But I need to get going.” He tilted his head toward the northwest. “Those storm clouds are about to open up.”

Daphne paused beside Swede. “Thank you for helping us.”

He nodded and gave her half a smile. “My pleasure.”

Daphne didn’t stay out in the elements for long. She entered the chalet and closed the door, grateful the building blocked the wickedly cold wind. Though the interior of the structure wasn’t much warmer than outside, just moving out of the wind helped.

She lifted the blanket and checked on Maya.

The baby looked up at her with big blue eyes and a smile on her soft pink lips.

Daphne’s heart swelled with love for her child. “You’re such a happy baby.” She glanced around the room, locating a fireplace. The sooner they had a roaring fire burning in the grate, the sooner the room would warm. She hoped the men would unload the firewood first.

Daphne stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows and watched the three men working in the bitter cold. Once Swede left and they settled into the chalet, Daphne had to pull Boomer aside and break the news to him that Maya was his daughter.

Her chest tightened, and her palms grew clammy despite the chill air in the chalet.

Would he be shocked, happy or angry? No matter what, he had to know he was a father. For the past year, she’d wanted more than anything to contact him and let him know. Now that the time was near, Daphne’s courage faltered and her heartbeat skittered inside her chest.

Boomer helped Chuck move the trailer to Swede’s hitch. When they’d finished, Swede held out his hand. “As soon as I have a break in my current assignment, I’ll head up here to help out. In the meantime, good luck.”

“Thanks.” Boomer shook hands with Swede.

Chuck emerged from carrying supplies into the cabin and shook hands with the big blond SEAL. “Thanks for the help.”

“Anytime.” Swede frowned. “If I had more time, I’d set up the surveillance monitoring equipment.”

“That’ll have to wait until the electricity is turned on, anyway,” Chuck pointed out.

“Hopefully, that will only be a day or two.” A giant snowflake landed on Swede’s cheek. “That’s my cue. I’m out of here.”

Boomer and Chuck stood side by side as Swede maneuvered the trailer around the cabin and down the narrow road.

Once Swede was out of sight, Boomer grabbed supplies from the truck bed and hurried inside. By the time he returned to the truck, the snow was coming down in earnest, the flakes big and thick. Visibility had gone from miles to a few short feet.

Wind whipped the flakes against his cheeks, the tiny ice crystals stinging.

“Put this on.” Chuck shoved a ski jacket into Boomer’s arms and shrugged into the other one.

By the time they’d finished unloading the food, baby apparatus, gas, weapons, generator, firewood and skis, the ground was covered in a dusting of white. The road coming up the side of the mountain was completely covered.

Boomer hoped Swede made it down the mountain before the storm worsened.

Inside the chalet, Boomer had to admit it was more than just a mountain hunting cabin. Whoever had built it, had done so with a vacation destination in mind.

The structure was two stories, with a bedroom on each floor. The kitchen and living room were on the first floor with a walkout deck that overlooked the mountain and the valley below. Before the clouds and snow blanketed the sky, Boomer could see down the road into the valley below.

The chalet was in an easily defensible position, with clear fields of fire. With the .300 Winchester Magnum rifle, he could take out any threat before they could get anywhere close to the cabin and its occupants.

In the living area, Daphne had stoked the fireplace with the firewood they’d brought with them from Hank’s. Using tinder and old newspapers, she was able to get a fire going, but the logs had yet to catch and fill the room with much-needed warmth.

She’d set up a portable playpen in the center of the room where Maya lay wrapped in thick blankets, only her face peeking out. Her bright eyes were open and curious. She squirmed, but couldn’t work her way out of the blankets.

Boomer set a box of blankets and towels on the floor beside the playpen and stared down at the baby with the soft blue eyes and dark hair. She didn’t look much like Daphne, but she was Daphne’s baby, no doubt.

“She’s a good baby. She sleeps through most nights now, and she only fusses when she’s hungry or wet.” Daphne stepped up beside Boomer.

He nodded. “She’s beautiful,” he said, and meant it. He straightened. “I’m going to see about setting up the generator.”

“I’ll help.” Daphne offered.

“I’ll keep an eye on Maya and see what I can scrounge up for dinner,” Chuck said. “You two go ahead.”

“I can manage on my own.” Boomer left the room and stepped out onto the deck where they’d left the heavy generator. He checked the oil and gas levels then pulled the cord. The engine turned over, but didn’t fully engage.

The door opened, and Daphne stepped out, wrapped in a black puffy ski jacket. She pulled the collar up around her neck and blew steam with every breath she took. “I can’t get over how much the temperature has dropped. When we left Utah, we were still in the high nineties.”

Boomer didn’t respond, hoping he could get the generator going. With the loud noise of the engine, he wouldn’t have to engage in small talk with Daphne. He pulled the cord. Again the engine turned over but didn’t engage. It putted to a stop.

“Boomer,” Daphne touched his shoulder. “We need to talk.”

He shrugged off her hand and straightened. “We have nothing to talk about.” He stared into her gaze, briefly, and then bent to grab the cord’s pull handle.

He pulled so hard he broke the handle off the cord, and still the engine wouldn’t start.

Daphne crossed her arms over her chest and raised her eyebrows. “I get the feeling you’re angry with me.”

“I’m not angry,” he denied, though his response sounded terse, even to his own ears.

Her eyes narrowed. “What I don’t understand is why you’re mad at me.”

He threw the handle on deck. “I know why you left Cozumel. I know you didn’t have a choice. I know what happened. You don’t have to give me the detailed explanation. I get it. Just don’t expect me to be happy about it.”

Her brows rose higher. “You know?”

“I know.” He bent to retrieve the handle, tied it back to the cord and yanked with a little less force. The engine turned over, chugged a couple of times and then roared to life.

Over the roar of the motor, Boomer heard Daphne’s words, “Then you don’t want anything to do with your baby girl?”

Boomer’s pulse raced, his stomach clenched and the snow swirling around his head made him strangely dizzy to the point he thought he was hearing things that couldn’t be possible. “What did you say?”

She shook her head, her brows furrowing. “It’s okay. I don’t expect anything from you. What we had in Cozumel was a fling. Neither one of us had any expectations. We didn’t discuss life after the island. We certainly didn’t discuss children. Maya and I can make it on our own once this murder thing is cleared up.” Daphne spun toward the door, her eyes glistening. “I’ve done my part. At least, now you know.”

Boomer grabbed her arm and yanked her back around. “Woman, what are you talking about?” He bent and switched the generator off. The engine rumbled to a stop, leaving nothing but the wind howling through the trees for noise.

“You heard me,” Daphne said. A tear rolled down her cheek. She reached up to swipe it away. “You had the right to know. Now that you do, I don’t expect anything from you. Maya is my responsibility. She and I will be fine.”

Boomer shook his head, his eyes narrowing. “Back it up about four paragraphs.”

Her brows dipped. “Why?”

“I want to be sure I’m hearing this right. You said your baby girl.”

She nodded. “I did. Again, you don’t have to do a thing. I’m perfectly capable of raising our daughter on my own. I don’t need your help.”

“Our daughter?” Boomer felt as if he’d been punched in the gut. “As in yours and mine.” He touched a finger to her chest and then to his. “Not yours and Chuck’s?”

She looked at him as if he’d grown a set of horns. “What are you talking about? Maya is your daughter, not Chuck’s.”

Boomer’s head spun. Maya was his child? The baby in the chalet was his flesh and blood?

Daphne’s brows dipped lower and then raised into her hairline. “You thought Chuck and I…that Maya is Chuck’s daughter?” She laughed, the sound strained and tight.

Boomer stood straight, unable to move, not a single word coming to his lips. The truth swirled around him like a tornado, sucking the air from his lungs.

“Do you think I would hop from your bed into Chuck’s so quickly?” Daphne pushed away from him. “You bastard.” She yanked her arm free of his grip and stepped back. “I thought we had something going on in Cozumel. That we had a special connection.” She snorted. “I guess it was only on my side. I was just another girl in a sailor’s port.” Another tear slipped from the corner of her eye. She swiped it away and squared her shoulders. “Well, to hell with you. You had the right to know you have a child, but now that you do, you can stay the hell away from both of us. That suits you, doesn’t it? Maya and I would hate to cramp your lifestyle.” She marched toward the door.

Before she could reach for the handle, Boomer jerked her around and slammed her against his chest. “You were not just another woman in a port. When I woke up the next morning and you weren’t there, I didn’t know what to think. I looked for you, but you were gone, everything about you seemed to be wiped clean. I didn’t know how to contact you, and the airport didn’t have any evidence of your departure. You were gone, as if you never existed.” That empty feeling of despair washed over Boomer like it had been yesterday when he’d woken up to find his bed empty, the woman he’d fallen for so completely missing.

“I had to disappear,” Daphne whispered. “Otherwise, I would have been gone for real.”

“I get that.” Boomer brushed the next tear away with the pad of his thumb. “But you had a baby.” He shook his head to clear the cobwebs and confusion. “Why didn’t you let me know sooner? I could have been there for you.”

She shook her head. “You were deployed. I had to stay in hiding. I couldn’t contact you. They were watching, waiting for me to make a move. Hell, I didn’t even have to make a move. They found us anyway.”

Boomer shoved a hand through his hair as the enormity of her words sank in. “Maya isn’t Chuck’s baby.”

Daphne snorted. “If you knew anything about me and if you’d have quit thinking the worst of me, you’d have known.” She wrapped her arms around her middle, tucking her hands into the fabric of her jacket. “I love Chuck…like a father or big brother. In fact, I don’t know what I would have done without him over the past year. But the father of Maya is the rat-bastard standing in front of me, thinking I could be fickle enough to hop from one bed to another.” She turned to walk back into the house. “I don’t need this aggravation. I have a life, and it began with Maya.”

When Boomer tried to stop her by placing a hand on her arm, she glared down at his fingers curled into her jacket. “I need you to protect me and my daughter. Other than that, leave me alone.”

Boomer’s chest tightened and words rose up from his throat. Before he could utter them and put his other foot squarely in his mouth, he swallowed hard. The angry, determined look on Daphne’s face stopped him cold.

The door opened from the inside, and Chuck poked out his head. “Daphne, Maya’s hungry. I can change diapers and rock her, but I can’t feed her.” He stared from Daphne to Boomer and back. “I take it you told him?”

Daphne nodded. “I did.” She pushed past Chuck and entered the chalet without another word to either man.

Chuck shrugged into his jacket and stepped out onto the porch. He nodded toward the generator. “Need help?”

Boomer nodded. Boy did he. The woman he’d fantasized over for the past year had figuratively slammed the door in his face. She wanted nothing to do with him. But she’d have to get over it. Baby Maya was his little girl. He bent over and braced his hands on his knees, his stomach swirling, his head spinning. “Holy hell, I’m a father.”

Chuck placed a hand on his back. “Breathe, buddy,” he said, his tone wry. “It’s not that hard. At this age, all they do is eat, sleep and poop. Save your panic attacks for when Maya starts dating.”