After the helicopter’s skids touched down, everything happened very quickly. Matthew Dearborn was still unconscious. The police bundled him into a squad car, but before they left, Cassie told them everything he’d said about Aiden.

“I don’t know if it’s true, he could have been bluffing.”

Will was already on his phone, calling Aiden’s cell. He got no answer. “Aiden, it’s Will, give me a call as soon as you get this,” he said. Grim-faced, he headed back to his car.

“Wait,” said Kevin, right by her side. Ever since they’d stepped out of the chopper, he’d kept his arm tightly around her shoulders. “I saw something the other day during a bear-spotting flight. Smoke coming from a cabin. It’s not hunting season yet, and it’s still pretty cold up in the mountains. It seemed out of place. Does Dearborn have a cabin?”

“He does. We checked it out once but we’ll do it again. Right away.”

“Be careful,” Cassie called after him. “He’s crazy but he plans everything out. He might have set up traps out there.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take Tobias and Ben with me. Kevin, you want to come too? Honorary Knight brother?” Will gave him a fleeting smile.

“I think you guys got it. I’m good here.” He hugged her a little tighter to him. She snuggled into his side, knowing there was no place in the world she’d rather be.

“One thing,” Will added before he got into his truck. “Someone should tell Mom.”

“I will,” Cassie said instantly. “I’m the one who bonked Dearborn on the head. She’ll love that.”

“You sure? She might get upset that he went after you. You might have a Mom meltdown on your hands, and you’re already pretty shaken up.”

“Actually, I feel great.” As if she could fly even without a helicopter. Because Kevin loved her. “Keep us posted, Will.”

A paramedic came over to clean her cut, so Kevin released her. As he got on the phone—calling Holly, maybe?—she thought about their future. She and Kevin still had a few things to work out—like how this new family of theirs was going to work. Was she really stepmother material?

Finished, the paramedic offered her a Band-Aid. Adorably, it had a pink baby unicorn on it. It made her smile…and also it reminded her of something.

Holly was a teenager. Nearly grown. That made it easier, right? She didn’t have to be a stepmother, in the traditional sense. She could be more of a friend. Another concerned adult.

“Kevin,” she said after the paramedic and everyone else had left. “I should apologize. I should have called you about Holly. I shouldn't have let you be blindsided like that. I was trying to respect her wishes, but she’s your daughter. You had a right to know.”

He met her gaze levelly. “Maybe, but I shouldn’t have lashed out the way I did. You were being so kind to Holly, and I should have trusted you. I won’t make that mistake again.” He took the Band-Aid from her and peeled off the backing. “We’ll probably both make mistakes, and that’s okay. We’ll figure it out, one crisis at a time.”

As he smoothed the Band-Aid tenderly onto her cut, her heart cracked wide open again. God, she loved him.

“Another thing. You can’t go around doing things that might get you killed, like taunting Dearborn. Where would that leave Holly?”

He gathered her into his arms, his strength and warmth flowing into her. “Holly knows I can’t stand by and let someone get hurt. Why do you think she was so afraid of how I’d react to…you know. Her very bad decision.”

Apparently he still had a hard time saying it out loud. “Someday I’ll tell you about all the ridiculously stupid things I did at her age. Maybe I’ll even let you read my journals.” She pulled back and smiled up at him. “Think you could handle that?”

“I just took out an armed maniac while flying a chopper,” he pointed out with righteous indignation.

“Yes, but you have no idea how much angst goes into a teenage girl’s diary.”

He laughed, shaking his head. “Okay, you talked me out of it. I’ll stick with my own teenage drama queen.”

“You know, you should be really proud of how Holly’s trying to handle this. It was brave of her to tell you. She could have kept her head down and let it all disappear.”

“I know.” A muscle ticked in his jaw. “I am trying to see it that way. But God, the observatory…that’s her happy place, and she took a dump all over it. They might never trust her again.”

“And that’s something she has to deal with.”

“With your help.” His lips touched hers in a kiss filled with love and life and hope. “Because you’re amazing, and I’m so lucky you’re still speaking to me.”

“We don’t have to speak. We can just kiss.”

“Okay.” He kissed her again, and they clung to each other for a long moment. The sun beat down on their heads and a breeze whispered through the long grass near the airstrip. Joy sang through her heart and soul.

“I need to talk to Mom,” she said, finally, reluctantly pulling away.

“I’ll come with you,” he said instantly.

“No. I have to do this alone. But I’ll see you later?”

He kissed her again, a brief brush of his lips against her forehead. “Man, it’s hard to let you go. Come to my place tonight. We’ll tell Holly there’s a wedding in our future. That you’re joining our family. That I took her advice, basically. That will probably be her favorite part.”

“By the way, you guys are joining my family too. She’s about to inherit a lot of Knight uncles.” Kevin laughed, but the reminder about her brothers made her sober. “Do you think Aiden’s okay?”

“I do. Dearborn wasn’t out to hurt him, just use him as leverage. You go talk to your mom. I love you. And I really look forward to proving that in every way under the sun.”