Phebe stared out the cabin window. She’d been looking toward the empty road leading to the ranch ever since Martha had insisted that she lie down and get some rest. But sleep had eluded her. She wasn’t about to lie in that brand-new bed for the first time without her husband. And putting her head down on the table had only given her an easy way to hide her face and cry. As hard as she tried to stay calm, fear held her firmly in its grasp. She couldn’t live here without Henry. He had to be all right and come home to her. He simply had to.

When the first streak of light spread slowly over the sky, Phebe went out to the porch and watched Charlie saddle his horse and ride off. Since then, nothing had stirred on the road. Even as the rest of the camp came to life, Phebe kept her eyes on the empty space cutting through the trees, willing Henry to suddenly appear.

As the hours dragged on, Phebe refused to leave the cabin. It had been their home, and that was where she was determined to wait for Henry. As the sun rose to its midday position overhead, Phebe felt her defenses against the black pit that had opened inside her begin to crumble.

She walked over to the table, where several books were stacked neatly on one end. She ran a finger down the spines, stopping at the one at the bottom. She pulled it out, cradled it between her hands, and stared at the cover. The Gentleman’s Guide to Domestic Tranquility. Tears formed at the corners of Phebe’s red-rimmed eyes. She would have sworn she didn’t have even one left in her, but clearly, when it came to worrying about Henry Frommer, she had an endless supply of them.

She was still standing by the table, tears dripping onto the cover of the book, when a loud shout blasted through the window.

“Mister Henry? Where have you been?”

Phebe reached out and braced herself against the table, breathing in air in huge gulps, praying that she had really heard Henry’s name and hadn’t imagined it.

“Where’s Phebe?”

She gave a small shriek and lifted her skirts high in the air as she flew out the door. He was climbing down off a horse, looking healthy and whole. Not seeing anything but her husband, Phebe didn’t notice when everyone else in the yard stepped back, each face wreathed in a huge smile. All she saw was her husband, standing near the barn, adjusting his glasses on his nose before holding his arms wide open.

When she was within five feet of him, Phebe took a flying leap, trusting him to catch her in midair as she wrapped her arms around his neck and held on for dear life.

“Henry.” It was all she could do to get his name out on a deep sob. “You’re safe. You’re really safe.”

Her husband held her close, one arm wrapped securely around her, the other stroking the length of her hair. His lips were next to her ear as he kept repeating that he was fine, just fine. He finally leaned his head back far enough he could look into her face.

“You’re all right? You weren’t hurt?”

“No. I’m—” Phebe’s words were cut off as Henry’s mouth settled on hers for a long, passionate kiss.

“Ew.” The disgust in Squealer’s voice had the whole company laughing. Keeping Phebe securely in his arms, Henry turned his head and smiled at them.

“Thank you for taking good care of my wife while I was gone.”

Martha slapped a hand against her upper thigh. “Gone? That what you call bein’ kidnapped?”

“Did you shoot the bad men?”

Phebe lifted her head from her husband’s shoulder and frowned at Jonah. “That’s enough for now. Mister Henry needs to rest.”

He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “That’s all right, sweetheart. I’m sure everyone wants to know what happened.”

Jake stepped forward and held out his hand. The foreman heartily shook the one Henry offered before giving him a hard slap on the back. “I’d like to hear it. We sent Charlie out lookin’ fer you.”

Henry frowned. “Why Charlie?”

“Your brother sent him along with us,” Phebe said softly. “Charlie’s a tracker. Like Ethan Mayes.”

“Trust Adam to prepare for the worst.” Henry chuckled. “But I’m glad Charlie is following the trail those two men left. He’ll be able to see them safely to Reno and justice.” He glanced at Jake. “And I hope that will include Janson, who I assume is waiting there for his men to show up with me in tow.”

“Which they ain’t goin’ to be doin’,” Martha pointed out. “Why is that?”

“I would like to talk to my wife first.” Henry held up a hand at the round of protests. “Then we’ll both be back to tell you everything that happened.” Not waiting for any agreement, Henry kept an arm around Phebe’s waist and ushered her toward the old mill.

Happy to feel his warmth next to her, Phebe walked along in an ecstatic fog. Whatever Henry had done to get away from those men, she didn’t care. Having him here with her was all that mattered.

Once they were inside the classroom, Henry led her to one of the benches, and they both sat down. He immediately asked her how long she’d been tied up, and made a point of examining her wrists, frowning at the purple and red bruises blooming there. After she’d assured him for the fifth or sixth time that no permanent damage had been done, Phebe leaned in and cupped his face between her hands.

“Enough, Henry. The worst of it was lying on the cold ground for a few hours with a piece of cloth in my mouth. I want to know what happened to you, and how you got away from those awful men.”

He turned his face and placed a kiss in the palm of her hand before grinning at her. “They might have been awful, Phebe, but more importantly, they weren’t very smart.”

Phebe shook her head at him. “They had guns, Henry.”

“I had science, sweetheart, and a little luck. A combination far more powerful than any gun.”

“What happened?”

Henry launched into how he’d managed to untie his legs. Then all he’d had to do was wait. While the two men were busy with the horses, he’d simply walked over and dropped the crushed-up mushroom in his hand into the boiling pot of beans.

“Mushroom?” Phebe frowned. “What mushroom?”

“Do you remember the one I showed you during my class in the woods?” Henry asked.

Searching her memory, Phebe came up with a name. “The jack o’ lantern? The one that glows in the dark?”

Her husband laughed. “It will also make you sick. By the time morning came around, those two men were in so much pain, they couldn’t do a thing about me cutting myself loose and leaving on one of their horses.”

Phebe’s eyes shone with admiration. “Henry! That was brilliant of you.”

“Thank you,” he said with a touch of modesty before his gaze grew serious. “The whole time I was riding away, leaving you tied up and helpless, I could only think of one thing.”

She laid a gentle hand along the side of his face. “What’s that, Henry?”

“How I can’t live in a world without you. I love you, Phebe Frommer. And I will love you every day for the rest of our lives. I should have told you that when you agreed to marry me after we left Kate’s Tea Shop.”

Those tears that she’d thought she’d run out of suddenly welled up again in Phebe’s eyes. “I love you too, Henry.”

He leaned down and gave her a soft kiss on the lips before touching his forehead to hers. “You’re the right woman, Phebe. The right one for me.”

She smiled when he stood up, bringing her with him. No matter what the future held, they would face it together. Happy beyond any words she could possibly say, Phebe walked out of the mill, her hand securely in her husband’s. As soon as they appeared, a happy cheer rose from all the men, Martha, and the children.

Smiling her gratitude, Phebe said a silent thanks to Madam Wigg. Because of her mentor and stand-in mother’s wisdom, she was not only truly home at last, but had found her forever family.