Davis put another log on the fire and stoked it until embers flew toward the night sky. “Dallas called and said most folks have moved on. Your story will be old news in no time. Someone else will do something slightly more interesting, and they’ll be chasing that story. Then you can get on with your life. I’m sure you’ll have stuff to sort out.”

“I have to go back and close up my apartment, but other than that I’m free and clear. I have my credit cards now and access to all my savings. I can do anything I need to do.” She pulled the blanket tighter over her shoulders as the wind picked up.

“Should we go back inside?” Davis asked. “Is it getting too cold for you?”

“I’m fine,” she assured him, patting the sand next to her so he would sit. “You can keep me warm.”

“A job I’d sign up for every day.” He sat, wrapped his arm around her, and kissed the crown of her head. “Are you sure you’re not going to miss any of it? Indigo Bay is about as different from your old life as it gets. Don’t you think you should give it all more thought? You went through a lot, and maybe you’re just having a gut reaction to the stress. I don’t want to be too influential if you have regrets.”

“You’ll just have to make sure I never regret it,” she said, laying her head on his shoulder. “Sounds like a lot of work but I bet you’re up to the challenge.”

“I’m being serious, Elaine,” Davis replied, the thought that had been snaking through his mind all afternoon finally slithering out. “Obviously, I’ve already told you how I feel about you. But more important than anything is that you find exactly what you need to be happy. Feeling trapped in Indigo Bay isn’t any better than feeling stressed in New York. I want you to be sure about your choices. We can figure everything else out afterward.”

“A long distance relationship between Indigo Bay and Alaska maybe?” she teased, her pearl white teeth lighting her face. “I like it here, Davis. I like the people. I can be happy here.”

“You won’t miss anything about New York?” he pressed, and he could feel her body growing rigid. It was either a sign he was pushing the topic too far or he was right.

“That’s not really fair. Of course I’ll miss things there. I lived there my whole life. Anyone moving away would feel that way. But that doesn’t mean I’m not capable of making a sound choice for what I do next. I’m not closing my eyes and diving in. I’ve given it a lot of thought. I guess I have to take responsibility that you might doubt me. The way I arrived doesn’t give me much credibility. You’ll just have to trust that I’m thinking clearly now.”

“I do,” he said, rubbing a hand up and down her back gently. “I’m sorry. I do trust that. I’m just a bit jumpy when it comes to girls I love and the big cities that lure them away.”

“The girls you love?” she asked, pulling away and glaring nervously at him. “You can’t be saying that you—”

He cut her off. “Easy bolt, don’t go making a break for it. I wasn’t trying to spook you. You don’t have to say it back. I was just letting you know. When I feel like this for someone, and there is another world they can easily run off to, it’s a challenge for me. I’m asking you to give me a little grace.”

“Davis?” A voice from atop the dunes was shouting frantically. “Davis, are you down there? Is Elaine with you?”

“Caroline?” Davis asked, jumping to his feet and pulling Elaine up. “What’s the matter?”

“It’s Dallas, he’s been detained by the police. He told me to come here and warn you and Elaine.” Caroline’s voice was a jumble of high and even higher octaves as she waved for them to hurry.

Davis was charging up the dunes, practically dragging Elaine behind him. He knew both Dallas and Caroline well enough to know this urgency shouldn’t be ignored. “Warn us about what?”

“It’s Elaine’s ex, Mick, he’s here. He was banging on every door in town looking for her. When he got to some of the cabins, Dallas didn’t want him on his property and told him to move on. But he was insisting. He kept banging on every door, and Dallas called the sheriff.”

“Then how did he get detained?” Davis asked, fumbling for his car keys. “Shouldn’t Mick be locked up right now for disturbing the peace?”

“They took too long to get there. That’s what happens in a town with only a couple of deputies on duty. There were some media guys still hanging around, and they were trying to get them to move along. They were busy. Dallas took matters into his own hands.”

“Did he hit the guy?” Davis asked, doing a terrible job of hiding his excitement.

“Worse,” Caroline groaned. “He rammed his truck into the guy’s sports car. He says it was an accident. This Mick guy says it was intentional. I think they’ll sort it out just fine, but Dallas wanted me to tell you guys to go to the cabin in the woods he was originally going to set Elaine up in. The roof’s been repaired, and you can stay there until this guy moves on.”

“I’m not worried about him at all,” Davis said, puffing up his chest. He was itching for a fight. “If he’s got a problem I’m happy to solve it for him and send him on his way.”

“I don’t think Dallas was worried about you handling yourself,” Caroline corrected. “I think he was far more concerned with you becoming his cell mate. You don’t need any trouble. Just steer clear.”

“Does that sound like me?” Davis asked, reaching for the door handle of his truck. “It’s like you don’t know me at all.”

“I do know you,” Caroline said, planting a hand on the hood of the truck. “Which is why I’m going to make you run me over before I let you go down there.”

“Davis,” Elaine interrupted, catching her breath. “I want to go down and talk to Mick alone. I don’t want you getting involved.”

“I’m already involved. He messed with you, and that makes it my problem too. Now Dallas could be caught up in this. I’m going to go straighten it out right now.”

“When I first got here,” she reminded him, a challenging brow raised, “you told me I didn’t need a knight to come fight my battles. I needed a sword. I was rattled. I was hurt, but I’m seeing clearly now. I need to do this on my own. If you swoop in and try to save me, it’ll only get worse. A couple of guys fighting over a woman who isn’t even torn between them. Mick means nothing to me. Let me go tell him that.”

“The guy sounds unstable. He’s walking around town, banging on doors looking for you.” Davis wasn’t sure how much he believed his own warning. He pictured Mick as a beady eyed rat-faced kind of guy with slim shoulders and slicked back hair. Probably on the short side too. The guy probably never dressed in anything more casual than a suit and flashed wads of money the way Davis carried his old worn thin leather wallet with a couple twenties in it for emergencies. Unstable or not, he believed Elaine could handle herself. Hearing about her job, her fight to gain her spot in the world, surely she could kick one slimeball to the curb on her own. So why was he still insisting? Realizing, his cheeks grew hot. It was the worry that she might not dismiss him at all.

“Dallas smashed his truck into his car, and we’re worried Mick is the unstable one? We’re giving out a lot of passes tonight.” Elaine tried to soften her words with a touch to his arm and a tiny smile. Although they both knew there was no humor in this situation.

“You want to talk to him alone, fine. I won’t say a word, but I’m still going with you. I won’t interfere unless he pulls something stupid.” Davis was a good guy but even he was hoping Mick tried something stupid. All he could picture was the vision of Mick snickering in the corner while Elaine’s world fell in around her.

“I think he might have been drunk,” Caroline warned, looking reluctant to fuel the fire. “He was definitely agitated, and that was before Dallas wrecked his car.”

“He’s harmless,” Elaine sighed, tipping her head to the side and giving Davis a knowing look. “You have to trust me.”

“Caroline,” Davis said, hopping in the driver’s seat, “I’m going to stay out of the way, you’ve got my word. Now don’t make me run you over.”

“Boy”—she laughed waggling her finger at him—“you know I’m tougher than nails. I’d turn this truck over with my bare hands. Then I’d tie you to that porch swing.”

Elaine laughed as she slid into the passenger seat of his truck.

“I wouldn’t laugh,” Davis corrected. “I’ve seen her do some wild things.”

“And I’m not above punishing you if you break your word,” she said as she stepped back and let him pass.

“Thanks for coming up here,” Davis said warmly as Caroline circled around to his window and touched his shoulder.

“You handle your business now, girl,” she said, pointing at Elaine, “and make sure this guy doesn’t wind up in a bunk bed with my son in a holding cell.”

“Yes ma’am,” Elaine promised as they pulled away.

“He does one thing,” Davis ground out, his grip on the steering wheel growing tighter by the second. “Why would he chase you down here if he was just using you? It doesn’t make sense. How can someone be so complicit in you getting hurt, so dead set on taking advantage of you, and in the next breath be looking all over the place for you? Is there something you aren’t telling me?”

“In a little while it won’t matter. He’ll be gone. You and I will be back at your house. I can start putting this behind me.” She ran her fingers over his banged up knuckles. “Just promise me you won’t get yourself in trouble doing something silly like defending my honor.”

“Don’t make me promise something like that,” Davis said, pulling her hand up to his lips and kissing it gently. “I’d hate to have to lie to you so soon after saying I love you.”