BABYME

LACEYSILKS

MYLITPUBLISHING

BabyMe©LaceySilks2017

PublishedbyMyLitPublishing.

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Allsexuallyactivecharactersinthisworkare18yearsofageorolder.

ThisbookisintendedforADULTAUDIENCESonly.Itcontainssexuallyexplicitsceneswhichmaybeconsidered
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ISBN:978-1-927715-54-3

FormyFamily

“Learnfromyesterday,Livefortoday,andHopefortomorrow.”-AlbertEinstein

CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter1

Chapter2

Chapter3

Chapter4

Chapter5

Chapter6

Chapter7

Chapter8

Chapter9

Chapter10

Chapter11

Chapter12

Chapter13

Chapter14

Afterword

AlsobyLaceySilks

ThisandThat…

AbouttheAuthor

FallinginlovewithCameronMaddenwastheeasypart.

Keepingthatlove…well,that’sbeenachallenge.

See,everythingwastakenawayfromme.Myfaithhasbeentested.I’vegrieved,I’ve

cried,andI’vescreamedinanger.Cameronwastheonlyonebymyside,andnowthat

I’vehealed,it’stimeformetogivehimallthatloveback.

ButinspiteofCameron’slove,thepaststillhauntsme.

Itgivesmenightmares.

Itsendsfearcoursingthroughmyveins.

Whenthetimecomestofacethatfear,I’llhavetodoitalone.

AndifIdon’tsucceed,I’llloseeverythingalloveragain.

Note:BabyMeisaSinWithMeshortnovel.Itcanbereadasastandalone,orfollowing

SinWithMe.ContainsspoilerstoSinWithMe.

T

C H A P T E R 1

K A T E

here’s no sound more gut-wrenching than the sound of your bones
breaking. It’s somewhere between the grinding of stone against stone and
scratchingyournailsoverachalkboard,butalotmorepainful.It’sthekind

ofsoundthatdrawsouteverylastgoosebumponyourarmsandmakesyouwanttovomit
atthesametime.Exceptaddtothatpain.Alotofpain.Apainthat’snotquiteexplicable
tosomeonewho’sneverhadabrokenbone.Imaginepeeingacidfortherestofyourlife.
Everysingletimeyouletgoofyourbladder,yoururethraburnslikeyou’veeatenagallon
orsoofghostpeppers.That’sprettymuchwhatbreakingthreebonesatthesametimefelt
like,andwell,itwasprettyfuckingpainful.Onecrackafteranother,crack…

Crack…

Crack…

I’ve dreamt about the night I almost died every night since the incident. I’ve dreamt

aboutAaronCortezpreppinghisbatlikeaprofessionalbatter—no,makethatascum-
eating maggot shithead of an asshole batter. Each time in my dream he’d aim the same
wayhedidthatnight,withprecision,givingmyshinatasteofhisstrengthfirst.Thebone
shatteredassoonasitcameintocontactwiththebat.Ifelldowntomyhandsandknees.
AsIcrouched,barelyholdingmyselfup,heaimedformyarm.Ididn’tevengetachance
topreparemyselfforthehit.Thatsecondswingbroughtmyentirebodytotheground.I
grazedmyfacealongthegravelandcurledintoafetalposition,thenwaitedforthepainof
boththefirstandthatsecondblowtotravelthroughmybodyandoutmylimbs.Itfeltlike
italllastedforever.Thencamethethirdonetomyribcage,repeatingtheachingcycleall
overagain.Thatlastoneknockedthewindoutofme.Iwasbarelyholdingon.

Leg,arm,ribs,leg,arm,ribs.

The eager vibrations in every tensed muscle turned into sharp pinches as their pain

radiated from the surface of my skin and then softened to a unified ache which traveled
frommyheadallthewaydowntomytoesattheslowestspeedpossible.Iwaitedformy
body to get accustomed to the pain before I completely gave in, but it didn’t work. My
bodyhadfinallybeenpushedpastitslimits,andIfainted.

I could have survived the additional broken nose, fractured pelvis, internal bleeding,

andnearlycompleteorganfailurefromdehydration.IknewIcouldhavepulledthrough
anything,andIneverthoughtthey’dfindawaytoactuallybreakme.Buttheydid,andI
wasafraidthedamagewouldbepermanent.Thistime,thepainoflosshurtmesomuch

that I wanted to die, but my body wouldn’t let me. My body kept me alive through the
terror of being told that I miscarried a child. My and Cameron’s little baby, conceived
abouteightweeksearlier.AaronCorteztookawaytheonethingintheworldIdidn’teven
getachancetolovewhileitwasinsidemebecauseIdidn’tknow.AndnowthatIknew
thebabyhadbeenthereandIcouldn’thaveitback,Iwantedtodie.

Theybrokemybonesandbruisedmyskin,slappedme,kickedmeandpulledmyhair,

then spat at me. All that did nothing to my soul. It wasn’t until I realized the abuse
attributedtomyultimatelossthatIfeltlikeAaronCortezactuallybrokeme.Hereached
deepintomychestandtoremyheartout.HetookawaythatlastpartofmethatIneeded
toholdonto.

So yeah, since that day, that nauseating sound of breaking bone had been playing in

mymindoverandover,remindingmethatamonthandahalfagoIstillhadababyinmy
body.

That sound became my anthem for failure. It became the sound of insufficiency and

inadequacy.Ifailedherorhim.Icouldn’tsavemybaby.

“Hey,sweetheart.Kate?”

The voice I heard through my dream was low and soothing. It carried a ton of

compassionwithahintofautumnwarmth,andIimmediatelyfeltbetter.Thewindowin
ourbedroommusthavebeenopenlastnightbecauseIfeltthemorningbreeze.Thesun’s
warm rays shone on the lower part of the bed, making my feet feel nice and toasty.
Hearinghisvoiceandfeelingsafeandsecurewasusuallymyfavoritepartofthemorning.

Cameron hadn’t left my side since we arrived at his family’s secluded cabin in the

mountains, somewhere in the forests and valleys of Michigan. I had no clue where we
were. There were no cell phones; no phones period. No television and barely enough
electricity generated and stored through the solar panels to ensure we’d have a working
refrigerator. Everything else ran on burning wood. I loved the smell, but the amount of
workwasexhausting,especiallysinceCameronorganizedthequaintcabinallbyhimself
andwouldn’tallowmetohelp.I’dsitonthebackporchandwatchhimpreparethewood.
He had become quite the lumberjack, chopping at the trees and splitting them into
burnablesizes.Turningandtwisting,forcinghismusclestobunchup.Itwasabeautiful
sight,onethatdefinitelytookmymindoffmywoes.

“Kate?”Iheardhisvoiceagain.“Areyouawake?”

Asuddenurgetostretchmyarmsoutflewthroughmybody,butIquicklyrealizedthat

I could barely move. Feeling somewhere between my dream and a woken state, I heard
myselfgaspandIopenedmyeyes.Themanwho’driskedhislifetosavemewassittingat
my bedside. I’d ruined his entire family when I blew up a warehouse with millions of
dollarsworthofMafianarcotics.TheultimateblamefellonCameron,whohappenedto
bethereatthetime,andplacedhisentirefamilyontheMafia’sradar.YetCameronstill
choseme.HereturnedtoPaceandsavedmefromcertaindeath.

“Didyouhaveanothernightmare?”Cameronasked,gentlyrunninghishandovermy

arm.Itwaswarmandtender.

“Yeah,thesameone.It’salwaysthesameone.”

Hehelpedmetositupandrestagainsttheheadboard.“I’msorry.”

“I’mfine.Really.Anynews?”

Heshookhishead,andIsighed.Ihadafeelingitwouldbeawhilebeforewehearda

singlewordaboutCortez’scapture.AaronCortezhadescapedprison,andnowwewere
blindly counting on the authorities to find him and put him back behind bars, while we
werehidingoutinthedeepforest.Howhadhebeenabletoescapefromjail?Ithadtobe
an inside job. The cop in me had a gut feeling, except no one wanted to listen to my
opinionbecauseIwasavictim.Iwasacrippledcopondisability,unabletodoanything
formyselfbecausemyarm,leg,andtorsowereinacast.

Stupidassholes.

MenwithtoomuchpoweracquiredwhatIcalledthekingsyndrome.Theyactedlike

know-it-all royalty. They became inconsiderate jerks and traitors. Like my ex-fucking-
boss,thecaptainatmyprecinct,whoturnedouttobemyhalf-brotherandtriedtokillme
becauseofsomevengeanceforhisdeadfather,AaronCortez’sbrother.Theythoughtthe
law could never touch him. Well, it touched him – except Mike was serving time in a
MarthaStewart-typeofjail.

Bastard.

AaronCortezescapedfromjailinthefirsttwenty-fourhoursafterhewassentthere,

and I’d been wanting to scream “I told you so” at the top of my lungs every day since
then. People like Aaron Cortez were a special breed. Their movements were calculated,
andifIwereabettingwoman,I’dbetthatAaronCortezwouldultimatelycomeafterme
tofinishthejob.Thistimewhenheswungthatbat,he’densurethatitconnectedwithmy
head.

Dweebs.

They’d never find him. Not unless someone like Cameron hunted him down.

Unfortunately,Cameron’snumberonepriorityatthemomentwastakingcareofme,andI
loved him for that from the bottom of my heart. I loved him more than I’d ever loved
anyone,andIhopedhe’dfinallyshedtheguilthe’dbeencarryingwithhim.Ihopedhe’d
finallyforgivehimself.Mykidnappingwasn’thisfault.Losingourbabywasn’thisfault.
It was Cortez’s. But Cameron wanted vengeance. He wanted to put his fist down that
bastard’sthroatuntilhecouldreachhisheartandripitout.

Ormaybethatwasjustmyownwishfulthinking.

Unfortunately, he wouldn’t get a chance — not yet, at least. We were under strict

orderstonotinterferewiththeinvestigation.CamerontookmeuptotheMaddenfamily
cabinsothatIcouldrecover.Givenitssecludedlocation,itwastheperfectspotinwhich
tohideoutwhileCortezwasontherun.

IthadbeenalmosttwomonthssinceCameron,Lola,andBrookrescuedme,andIwas

still waiting for that phone call from the FBI telling me that Aaron Cortez had been
recaptured. Well, I wasn’t counting my blessings or holding my breath because I knew,
thatsoonerorlaterAaronCortezwouldshowhisuglyfaceagain.

“Howareyoufeeling?”Cameronasked.

“Good.Stillalittletired,butgood.”

“Whydon’tyousleepinsomemore?It’sSaturday.”

Excepteverydayrestingandrecoveringatthecabinfeltlikeaweekend,andheknew

it. I was ready to finally get out. I was ready to face the world again, even if it meant
takingachanceatlife.IfIdidn’t,thenwhatwasthepointofliving?

“Are you kidding me? Do you know what day it is?” I suddenly shot up in the bed,

eyeswideopen,excitementrunningthroughmeasifitwereChristmasmorning.Exceptit
wasn’tChristmasmorningyet,thoughitsoonwouldbe.OnceIwashealthy,I’dmakeit
mymissiontouseanyresourcesIhadtofindthoseresponsibleforlettingAaronCortez
escape.

Scum-eating-prongs!

ToppingthelistofassholesthatIowedavisittowasthedirectoroftheFBI,whohad

assuredCameronthatCortezwouldremainbehindbars.Sincethathadonlylastedabout
twenty-four hours, I didn’t trust him and didn’t believe him. The entire incarceration
systeminAmericawasajoke;butthatwasanotherstory.Itwasmydreamatthemoment
towalkintoeverydistrictattorney’sofficeinthecountrytotellthemallabouttheirlittle
corruptsystemthatallowedthechiefheadofacrimefamilytoescapebeforehehadeven
spentonenightinjail.

Well,thatFBIdirectorwassimplyanasshole.Hedidn’tlistentomewhenItriedto

explainthatAaronCortezwouldhavesomeonebreakhimoutofjail,andIwasright.But
no!Noonewantedtolistentothemorphine-sedatedwomanscreamingatthetopofher
lungsfromahospitalbedthatCortezwouldeventuallyfindme.Theythoughttheywere
allsmarterthanhewas.

Theywereallwrong.

“O

C H A P T E R 2

K A T E

fcourse,Iknowwhatdayitis.Inafewhours,thiswillbegone.”Igrinned.

Cameronplayfullytappedthecastonmyarm,cominginforakiss,“There’sonlyone

reasonwhyIwantthesecastsremoved.”

“Becauseyou’rehorny.”

“Doyoublameme?”

I kissed him once, then a second time. “No. What if I told you that I was just as

horny?”

He rewarded me with a longer kiss, but I couldn’t keep the seal because my mouth

curvedlikeaclown’sasIgrinnedfromeartoear.

“Oh,myGod!Ican’twaittogetthisthingoffme.”Ipulledaway,floppingbackdown

to the bed sideways. I yawned languorously, once again longing for the moment when I
couldliftmyarmabovemyhead,twistmid-section,andbendovertotouchmytoeswith
my fingertips as I stretched my spine. I’d never thought I’d feel this confined in a cast.
Cameronslowlyhelpedmetositbackupinthebed.Myhairfeltlikeanestanddefinitely
neededawash.

“Arewegoingtotowntogetitremoved?”Iasked,hopingthatI’dfinallygettoleave

theconfinesoftheMaddenfamilycabin.Don’tgetmewrong,itwascozyandsecluded
—anearlyfive-miletrekdownthehilltothenearestvillageoftwenty-five—butIhadto
get out. I wanted to see people, talk to people, watch the news, and definitely use my
every last skill to find information on Aaron Cortez, even if it was in a small town of
twenty-five.Gossiptendedtotravelfarthequickest.Ididn’tknowhow,butitdid.

Ibelievethepropertermforasettlementthatsmallwasahamlet.I’dreadthatinan

encyclopedia stashed on the top shelf in the upstairs library. The reading had kept me
occupiedatthecabinthepastmonthandahalf.Thelibrarywaslovely;veryluxurious,in
fact,andthemoretimeIspentatthecabininthemiddleofnowhere,themoreIenjoyed
thequietatmosphere.

“Actually,thedoctor’scomingheretoday.”

“What?Butwhy?”Igrumbled.

“Because it’s safer. But I promise to get your favorite cream-filled pastry from Mrs.

Lockheart’sbeforethedayisover.”

That did make me a little more excited. Not as excited as meeting the nice woman

Cameronspokeaboutsofondly,butdefinitelyoverjoyedthathe’dspoilmeagainwithher
pastries.“Thankyou.Andtheapplestrudelaswell,please.”

“Applestrudel.Gotit.”

“Andajarofpickles.”

He leaned his head to the side and gave me a questioning look. I shrugged it off. I

knewitwasanoddrequest,butI’dbeenhavingthosealotlately.EversinceI’dcomeoff
the hospital diet, I’d stuffed my mouth with the oddest of things. Everything except
Cameron’sdick,thatis.Imean,Iwasn’tneedyoranything—okay,maybealittle—but
Cameron always found a way to take my mind off those needs. He’d pick fresh flowers
fromtheforestorsitmeinacomfortablearmchairsothatIcouldwatchhimbakeafresh
batchofchocolate-chipcookies.Themanseemedtoknowallthebestwaystooccupymy
time.Thelackofsexhadn’tbotheredme,asCameronhadclearlytoldmethathewanted
towaituntilIhadhealed.Tome,thatmeantrightnow.Tohim,itmeantwhenthecasts
wereremoved–whichwastoday.

MaybetodaywillbebetterthanChristmasmorning?

My thighs quivered at the thought of him diving underneath the covers. His every

touch and lingering kiss spread across my entire body would feel deliciously torturous.
He’dfondlemeandcaressmeuntilIwasmeltingathistouch.Butterflynervestingledin
mystomach.Wasitrighttowanthimthisbadly?Wasittoofast?WasIevenready?

We’dlostachildandmyheartbroke,butIhadtokeepliving.Evenifthathadn’tbeen

mychoice,Ihadbeengivenanotherchance,andalittleselfishpartofmedidn’twantto
wasteit.AlittleselfishpartofmewantedtoshowCameronhowgratefulIwasforhim
savingmylife,andifthatwasthroughsex,whowasItoquestionit?

Yeah,Iwasdefinitelyneedy.

“Allright,anythingelse?”heasked.

“Frenchfries?TheNewYorkkind?”

Ihaven’thadthecouragetoaskwhetherhewouldtakemetotownafterthecastswere

removed,butIhopedhewouldmaketheoffer.Upuntiltoday,Cameronsaiditwassafer
toremainatthecabin,butIcouldn’timaginethatthesmalltownwasdangerous,letalone
onAaronCortez’sradar.Ifitwere,hewouldhavefoundmebynow,sountilIsawhimon
mydoorstep,IknewthatIwassafe.

“I’msureMrs.Lockheartwillbegladtomakeafreshbatchforyou.”

“Thankyou.”

Istillcouldn’tunderstandwhyCameronthoughtitwasbettertohideoutherethanin

NewYork,wherewebothhadlivedbefore.Ialwaysthoughtitwaseasiertoblendinwith
morepeople,butsinceIhadn’tbeenabletomakeanydecisionswhenIwasdruggedupat
the hospital, we’d ended up here. At first, I could barely move, dress, or feed and wash
myself.Cameronwasgreatathelping.He’dprettymuchsavedmysanitythepastmonth
andahalf,butnowthatI’dhealed,Iwasdesperateforsomeme time. You know, when

youcanfreelyburpormakeotherbodilynoiseswithoutbeingafraidthatsomeoneelseis
goingtohearthem,orpickatascabonmyarmthatwashealinganditchinglikecrazy—
thatkindofalone.

Upuntilnow,Ihadnochoice.CompletelydependentonCameron,Iknewthatheheld

thereigns,andsinceIseemedtohavebeenabadjudgeofcharacterinthepast,Ilethim.
HemadeourdecisionsforthebothofusandforthefirsttimeinmylifeIwasokaywith
that. For the first time in my life I actually wanted that burden to be removed from my
mind. I didn’t want to worry about where to go, what to eat, who to speak to, or even
worrywhetherAaronCortezwaslurkingnearby.Actually,I’dalwaysworryaboutthat;I
justwouldn’tletCameronknow.Hehadenoughonhismindwhiletryingtoprotectme.

LettinggoofeverythinghadhelpedmehealandIwasreadytotakethatnextstepin

mylife.Iwasreadytostartlivingagain.

“Are you ready for your shower?” His throaty voice floated on the thick air and

vibrated pleasurably along my skin. If there was one perk about being immobile, it was
Cameron’s willingness to do everything for me — well, almost everything. I knew he
wantedmore.Iwaswellawarethatwebothneededmore,butafternearlylosingmyown
life,itwasdifficulttoreturntothisnewrealityofanormallife.Itwasdifficulttoletgoof
apastthatwasstillpartofyourpresentandcouldleadtoadevastatingfuture.Hopefully,
thefeelingwouldn’tlastlong.Iftherewasanyoneuptherelisteningtomyprayers,they’d
leadthepolicestraighttoAaronCortezandletusmoveonwithourlives.

Ilookedoutthewindowattheorangemorningsunrisethatglowedthroughthesheer

curtains.Thepastweekthetemperatureshadrisentowellaboveaverageand,withoutair
conditioning,thesweatseemedtocollecteverywhere.Whointheirrightminddidn’thave
air-conditioning?Itturnedouttobethisoff-the-gridfamilycabininthemountains,where
electricity wasn’t easily accessible. According to Cameron, the lack of electricity had
manybenefits–whichIhadyettodiscover,butIdidn’twanttoappeargrumpy.Besides,I
couldn’targuewiththefactthatifwe’dlivedthroughArizonaheat,wecouldlivethrough
thisIndiansummer.

“Kate,whereareyou?Iaskedyouifyouwerereadyforashower.”

“Yes,I’msorry.I’mready.Let’sgetwet.”Ipaused,themeaningofmywordsnotlost

onme,orbythelookofCameron’sbemusedsmile,onhim.Atthethoughtofhimmaking
mewet,Ifeltmypantiesdampen.“Thecastsdon’tneedtostaydry.Youcangetthosewet
becauseI’mgettingthemofftoday,”Istuttered.

Shit.

Mymindwasdefinitelyplayingwithme,andjudgingbythatmysterioussmirkonhis

face,Camerondidn’tmind.Hehelpedmeoutofbed,passedmemycrutches,andguided
metowardthebathroom,saying,“TodayIcangetanythingyou’dlikewet.It’sagoodday
forit,don’tyouthink?”

Each time I stepped through the bathroom door and saw the clawfoot tub in the

middle,IdreamtaboutthedayI’dbeabletobathe.Withthecastsonmybody,thathadn’t
been an option. Next to the floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out into the back yard
andtheforest,thetubwasmyfavoritefeatureinthiscabin.Honestly,allweneededwasa

fireplace here and I’d never leave the bathroom. I was afraid that if I mentioned it to
Cameron,he’dhaveoneinstalledthenextday,andsoIdidn’t.

AsIsteppedinsidetheshower,Ifelthisfingertipsatmypanties.Ifrozemomentarily,

thenloweredmygaze,andmywholebodystilledatthegentletouchofhishandsovermy
hips.Wouldhegofurther?

“I can’t wait to snuggle next to you. I can’t wait to hold you in my arms again, this

time without any barriers.” He was standing behind me, his mouth at my ear, my back
pressedtohischest.Hisfingerssnuckintothesidesofmypantiesandheloweredhimself
totheground,hisnoseskimmingrightovermybareass,ticklingandarousingmeatthe
sametime.

“CameronMadden,whatareyoudoing?”Iaskedonaheavyexhaleandturnedaround

tofacehim,thenlookeddownashestoodup,eversoslowly,andtossedthesmallpieceof
fabrictothehamperattheside.

“WhatdoesitlooklikeI’mdoing?I’mundressingyou.”

Hegraspedthehemofmyshirtanddidn’tevenbotherliftingitovermyhead.Instead,

hemanifested a pairof scissors fromthin air and cutthrough the middleright up to my
neck and along the shoulders until the fabric swooshed to the ground. He pushed the
piecesoutoftheshowerandturnedonthefaucet.

“Putmypantiesbackonrightthismoment,”Idemanded,thoughIwasn’tsurewhy.It

wasthelastthingIwanted,buthe’dcaughtmeoffguard.Nowthatmyheartwasbeating
hardinmychestandmybreathsquickened,Ifelttheroomspinoutofcontrol.

Coldwaterstreamedoverthebackofmyheadandneck,downmyspine,andIdidn’t

flinch.Itwouldhavenormallybeenaperfectdistraction,butIwassohotandangryand
turned on at the same time that I could barely breathe, never mind think. Over the past
monthandahalf,I’ddeniedjusthowmuchIneededhistouchandintimacy.

“Orwhat?You’regoingtowhackmeovertheheadwithyourcast?”

“That’srude.”

“Idon’tcare.”

“Butyou’rejusttakingwhatwasn’toffered.”

“Ididn’tknowIhadtoask.Andbaby,doIreallyhavetoask?AllIwanttodoiskiss

you.Everywhere.”

“Ijust…itfeelssosudden.”

“No.Itfeelsright.ItfeelslikeIshouldhavedonethisalongtimeago.”

Myvisionblurred.Everythinghewassayingsoundedperfect,exceptIdidn’twantto

givein.Afterthelossofourbaby,Iwasn’tsureifIwasreadyforthatpartofourlife—
theonethatcouldpotentiallygiveusanotherlife.

“Letmekissyou,Kate.Letmekissyourneck.”

Hislipstouchedmyskinatthenookbetweenmyshoulderandmyear,andIshivered.

“Letmekissyourlips.”

He skimmed over my mouth, and I blindly followed for more as he moved his head

lowertomyothershoulder.

“LetmekissyoueverywhereI’vebeenwantingtosincethelasttimeIhadmymouth

onyou.”

Oh,boy!

Thewaterwasnolongerenoughtodistractme.Theheatradiatingfrombetweenmy

legswasagonizing.

“I’vemissedtouchingyou.I’vemissedkissingyou,andmostofall,I’vemissedbeing

insideyou,andIpromiseyouthatbytheendofthenightIwilleasethatneedIcanfeel
drippingdownyourthigh.”

That’swhenInoticedthathishandwasdownthere,eversoclosetoallthatpent-up

desireIhadforthisman.Hehadn’tevengonedownonhisknees,andIfeltmyasstense
atthethoughtofwhatwouldhappenifhedid.

Heleanedinclosertome,hisnakedchestagainstmybarebreastsandhardnipples.It

wasalmosttoopainfultotouchhim.

“IwanttohearyouscreammynamewhenIsuckonyou.Iwanttohearthemoansof

pleasureechothroughthewoodswhenthatorgasmleavesyourbody.”

Hisotherhandweaveddownmybarearmontheleftside,thenslidbetweenusuntil

hereachedmybelly.Hethenloweredittomysexandguidedhisfingersinbetweenmy
folds.Iletoutahigh-pitchedgaspofsurpriseathowtenderhistouchfeltthere.

“Relax, Kate. Before the end of the night, I promise you that you will feel like a

newborn.No,wait–you’regoingtofeellikeyouwanttoliveagain.Ipromisetogiveyou
thehopeyousodesperatelyneed.”

I looked at him from underneath my hooded eyelids, half-dazed, horny, high on

hormones, and oh so confused. I wanted him like I’d never wanted a man before, but
somethingstoppedme.Somuchhadbeentakenfromme—fromus—Iwasn’tsurethat
IwanteditallbackjustyetbecauseIwasafraiditwouldallberippedfrommeagain.

“You’llcomeoutofthisstrongerthanever.Itrulybelieveinthat,Kate.Doyouhear

me?Wewillbefine.AaronCortezwillneverhurtyouagain.”

Ididbelievehim.Ibelievedeverywordhesaid.HewastheonlymanthatItrusted

now.Hemighthavebrokenthattrustoncewhenhe’dpretendedtobeapriest,butIknew
thathewouldneverhurtmelikethatagain.

“Butmyheart.Ithurts.”Iloweredmyhandtomystomachthatwassupposedtohave

abump.Waterdrippedoffmylashesanddownmyface.Heliftedhishandandskimmed
histhumbovermytremblinglip.

“That’swhyyou’vegotme.Letmehelpyouheal.Letmebethatrockforyou.”

“Whataboutyou?”

“Whataboutme?”

“Willyoueverforgiveyourself?”

“Todayisallaboutyou,sweetheart.”

Hewasevadingmyquestionandheknewit.Hewastryingtochangethesubject,and

IworriedthatitwouldbealongtimebeforeCamerontrustedtheworldagain.Itwouldbe
a long time before he truly believed in life and love. I would have to be there for him,
then.Iwouldhavetostepinandtakecareofhimthewayhehadtakencareofme.When
you’d been stripped of love and when you knew that your love could be snatched from
youatanymoment,itwaseasytonolongerbelieveinit.Itwaseasiertopretendthatlove
wassomefigmentoftheimaginationoragoodromancenovel.Butitwasn’tlikethatwith
meandCameron.LoveforushadbeenrealfromthefirstmomentI’dpickedhimupata
bar.

Hereachedforasponge,soapeditup,andproceededtowashalltheexposedpartsof

my body. It took only a few seconds for me to get lost to his touch. I parted my legs,
hoping he’d venture lower, to where my need was almost burning. He took his time
washing me, stroking the sensitive parts, rubbing over my mound. He drew the sponge
underneathmybreastsandovertheirswell,aroundmyshoulders,andacrossmyback.It
feltsogood,yetitwasn’tenough.

“Tonight,”hewhisperedinmyear.“Whenthesecastscomeoff,you’remine,Kate.I

won’thaveitanyotherway.”

I nodded, wishing that it could all happen now. I wished he could find that spot and

rubitoverandoveragain,sothatIcouldfeeltherelief.Instead,hesetthespongeaside
andrinsedmybodywiththeshowerhead.

Buthewasright.Ifthiswasgoingtohappen,Iwantedtoenjoyhimwithmywhole

body.Thecastswerecomingofftoday,andIcouldn’tbehappier.MaybeIcouldfinally
socializealittle.NotthatIentirelywantedto,butInolongerwantedtobeconfinedtothe
house. I wanted to go outside to pick mushrooms, to walk around barefoot across the
grass, dampening my feet with the morning dew. I was ready to get back to life, or get
backtoasmuchofitaspossible.

A sudden image of a dark shadow behind trees flashed in my mind and I froze.

“Cameron?Canyoudomeafavorwhenyougototowntoday?”

“Sure,whatisit?”

“Canyougetmesomepepperspray?”

“Ofcourse.”

“Also,Ineedasedative.”

“Awhat?”

“Asedative.”

“Why?”

“Becauseeveryonealwayssedatesme,andI’mtiredofit.”

“Noone’sgoingtosedateyou,Kate.”

“NotifIsedatethemfirst.”

Helookedatmewithskepticismbutdidn’tquestionmymotives.Iwasprettysuremy

motiveswereclear.Ifanyonefuckedwithme,Iwouldn’thesitatetotakethemout.

“Allright.Ifitmakesyouhappy,Iwill,”hereplied,andresumedwashingme,taking

histime.

“HowsoondoyouthinkitwillbebeforeIcanwalktotown?”

“Isitsobadaroundhere?”

“No,butnowthatI’llbemoremobile,Ishouldchecktheareaout.”

“That’sthecopinyoutalking.”

Maybeitwas.Maybethecopinmewasfinallytryingtogainbacksomeofthecontrol

thatI’dlostwhenIwaskidnapped.Thethoughtexcitedme,andIhadanurgetojumpout
ofthatshowerandthenexplorethelittletownCameronhadspokensofondlyabout.

“Whatifyoudidgototownwithmetoday?”heasked,andIfeltmyeyesgrowwide.

“Areyouserious?”

“Iwouldn’tmakesuchanofferifIwaskidding.”

Ithrewmyoneworkingarmaroundhisneckandyankedhimtocomeforwarduntil

hislipswerepressedagainstmine.

“Iloveyousomuch,”Isaid,betweenkisses.

“Iloveyouaswell.”

HowIhopedthatallthelovewehadinthemorningwouldlastforawhile.LittledidI

knowthatlovewouldblossomintoalifelongcommitmentbythatevening.

T

C H A P T E R 3

C A M E R O N

he sound of a saw cutting plaster sliced through the air. The high-pitched
noisefrightenedallthebirdsaway.TheyreturnedminutesafterDr.Charles
Lockheart set the saw aside. The dust settled, and Kate’s mouth stretched

intoagrin.

“Howdoyoufeel?”Iaskedher,assheexaminedthepartsofherbodythathadbeen

hiddenoverthepasttwomonths.

“Likeanewborn.”

Sheliftedherarminhasteandwinced.

“Youneedtostilltakeiteasy,Kate.Usethecrutcheswisely,”Dr.Lockheartadvised,

andKateflawlesslybattedherlashesathim.Therewasnodoubtthathedeservedevery
oglethewomangavehim.Stillaveryeligiblebachelor,Charlie,asI’dknownhimsince
wewerekids,hadn’tfound“theone.”Whenweusedtocomeupherewithmyparents,we
always dined at his mom’s. Tonight, I was taking Kate to the Lockheart Diner, and I
couldn’twaitforhertomeetwhatIcalledourextendedfamily.

“Youheardthedoctor,Kate.Takeiteasy.Thelastthingyouwanttodoisoverwork

yourselfandtakelongertoheal.”

“Iamhealed.Look.”Shewiggledherfoot,thenslowlystoodup.Sheplacedmostof

herweightonthesidewhereshe’dhadthecastandtookthreebravestepsbeforesitting
down.Herleftlegwasvisiblyweaker,andassoonasshecaughtourglares,sherolledher
eyes.“Crutches.Igotit.Don’tworry.I’llbefine.Ican’twaittocallMomassoonaswe
haveasignal.”

Havingasignalwascodeforgoingtotownbecausethatwastheclosestplacewithan

actualconnectiontotheoutsideworld.WhileIcouldhavetoldKatethatweactuallyhada
signalatthecabin,Ihadn’t.Whenwefirstcamehereandshebeganrecoveringfromher
injuries,IneverturnedonthewifiinJax’sbedroom.SeeinghowniceithadbeenforKate
torestandrelaxoverthepastmonth,Ihadfirstdecidednottomentionitforawhile,and
thenforgotaboutit.ButnowImadeamentalnotetodosobeforeshewenttobedtonight
soIcouldsurpriseherwiththenewsinthemorning.

“I’msureshe’dlovetohearfromyou,”Isaid.

“Useyourcrutchesforafewdays.Don’toverdoit,andletCameronhelpyou.Iknow

howkeenyouaretogetbacktoyourregularlife,butgiveyourbodyandmindthetime

they need to recuperate.” Dr. Lockheart handed her a small booklet, which I assumed
containedherexerciseroutinethatwe’dspokenabout.MygoodfriendwastheonlyoneI
trusted to come up to the cabin. “Your muscles need time to strengthen, so don’t be too
hasty.”

“Got it.” Kate gave him an over-enthusiastic thumbs-up, grinning from ear to ear. If

shethoughtshewashappynow,Icouldn’twaituntilshesawwhatIhadplannedforthe
day.

“Callmeforanythingelseyouneed.”

“Thankyou,Dr.Lockheart.”

“You’rewelcome.”

Just as we said our goodbyes, I heard an odd noise outside. “Why don’t I walk you

out,Charlie?Kate,stayin.I’llberightback.”

Ifsheheardtheworryinmyvoice,shedidn’tsayanything.Iputonmyjacket,walked

Charlie to the car, waited until he left and then went around the back. A quarter of the
trees’leaveshadfallentotheground,litteringitinorange,yellow,andredtones.Itwasa
beautifulsight,butwhenIheardthesameshufflingnoiseagain,Ipaused.Iquietlypaced
totheshedwheremyfather’soldhuntingriflewassecured.Idusteditoff,loadedit,and
went back outside. The noise was likely made by an animal, but the last thing I wanted
wastostumbleuponalostbear.Theydidn’tcomenearthecabinoften,butwithwinter
aroundthecorner,Iwouldn’thavebeentoosurprisedtofindone.

Back at the house, Kate was standing behind the sliding glass door with her arms

crossed over her chest, as if she knew I was looking for something. I stood still in the
middleoftheclearing,listeningtotheforest.Ihadclosedmyeyesandwasconcentrating
onthe sounds thatdid not belongthere when I heardthe noise again.I opened my eyes
andstrainedmygazetotheleft.Adarkershadowmovedbehindthetree,andIprepped
myrifleandaimed.Ifabearwasthisclose,I’donlygetoneshotifitdecidedtocharge.

But the shadow moved quickly to the right and then disappeared into the forest. I

loweredtherifleandwentbacktothehouse.

“Didyouseethat?”IaskedKate.

“Yeah,butwhatwasit?”

“Idon’tknow.”

“Itwastoosmallforabear.”Shetwistedthecornerofhershirt.WhileIwasout,she’d

managedtochangeintoapairofleggings,andtheyfithertoperfection.

“Awolf?”Iwonderedoutloud.

“No,tootall.Notbig,buttall.Icouldhaveswornitmovedlikeahuman.”

“Allright.Thatsealsit.I’mnotleavingyoursidefromnowon.”

“Aw, come on. I thought today was the first day of me getting some freedom.” Kate

pouted,andIpulledhergentlytometoplaceakissonherlips.

“Ipromiseyouwillstillhaveyourownspace,butnotuntilI’msurethearea’ssecure.

AllIwantisforyoutobesafe.”

“Cameron,IthinkyoumayhaveforgottenthatI’mnotababy,andIcantakecareof

myself.Youhavenothingtoworryabout.We’llgototown,andwe’regoingtohavethe
best time ever. I won’t have it any other way.” When I didn’t argue and sighed with
reluctanceshealmostsquealedwithhappiness.I’dmissedthatsmile.

“Now,Kate.WhenIsaytown,it’smoreliketwentyhousesscatteredhereandthere,

withonestreetthatleadsstraightintothemountainsandabsolutelynoentertainment.”

“Don’tworry.I’velivedinasmalltownbefore.”

“Notthissmall.”

“Good.Thatmeanstherewon’tbetoomuchwalking,right?”Shegrabbedherphone

andherpurse,andaimedforthecrutchesnext.“Italsomeanslesspeopletoworryabout,
right?”

“Hey,youheardthedoctor.Nostrainingyourmuscles.Theyneedtorecover.”

“My muscles have been recovering for the past two months. Now they need to be

worked. They really need to be worked.” She lowered her voice and looked at me from
underneathherhalf-hoodedlids.Ifeltmydicktwitchthemomentshementionedworking
hermuscles,andpromisedmyselfthatIwoulddefinitelyworkthemtonight.

“Now are you going to stand there and baby me some more or are you going to get

dressed?Wehaveatowntovisit.”

Jesus,shewastalkingasifsheweregoingonatriptoParis.WhenIsawasparkofthe

feistyKateI’dmetearlierintheyearreturn,itmademyheartdrumharderinmychest.If
itweren’tforthefactthatImadeplansincaseKateinsistedongoingout,I’dtryoutthe
strength of those muscles right there and then. She could scream as loud as she wanted,
andIwouldn’tstopheruntilshefelllimpinmyarms.

I’d been wondering when Kate’s mood would finally pick up. She’d been worried

abouthermother,fearingCortez’sreturn,andmourningourbaby.She’dlostsomuchin
thepastfewmonthsIknewitwouldtakealottogetherback.I’dgiveanythingtoseejust
ahintofhopereturntohersoul.Maybetodaywasthatday?WithalltheplansIhadmade,
ItoohadmorehopethanI’dhadinweeks.

“Arewegoing,orarewewaitinghereforthatwolftoreturn?”Shetappedherfoot.

“Letmechange.Don’twalkoutthatdoorwithoutme,”Iwarned.

“Iwouldn’tdare.”

I quickly changed out of my jogging pants and into a pair of jeans and a warmer

sweater.Katewassittingonthewoodenbenchatthebottomofthestaircasebythedoor
withawidesmile,swinginghercast-freefootbackandforth.Yeah,todaywasdefinitely
thedaywegotourhopeback.

The drive downhill through the woods took less than fifteen minutes. When I was a

kid, we used to hike across, cutting through the dense forest and the valley with a river
flowinginitscenter,butKateneededmuchmorephysicaltherapybeforewetackledthe
shortcut.Itwasn’tfar,buttheterrainwasdefinitelychallenging.

MaybeonedayaftertheauthoritiesfoundAaronCortez,I’dbringherbackhereand

wecouldpicksomemushrooms.Itwastheperfecttimeoftheyeartodoso.Perhapsone
dayI’dhearthehigh-pitchedlaughterofourchildrenastheycollectedheapsoffallleaves
and jumped into their centers. At the thought of our future, I pictured Kate with her
swollen belly and felt an ache in my chest. I shook off the sudden sorrow and made
anotherpromisetomyselftoprotecther.

IglancedatKateasIparkedalongthestonestreetinfrontoftheLockheartDinerand

turnedofftheignition.Herkneeswerebouncingupanddown,andIloweredmyhandto
oneofthem.“Ready?”

Shelookededupatthetwolockedheartscarvedoutofwoodabovethediner’sfront

door.

“Yeah, it already looks perfect.” She examined the wooden hut the Lockhearts had

builtoverthirtyyearsagoandmadeintoahomediner.Theirintentionatfirsthadbeento
live there, but with few supplies nearby and a small community, they decided to turn it
into a diner. Almost everyone came here for dinner. It was much more cost-effective to
haveahome-cookedmealreadythantogoouttoanothertown,anhourorsoeachway,
bringthegrocerieshome,andthencook.Thisplacehadbecomelikeasecondhometoall
ofthenearbyresidentshere.TheLockheartshadsincebuiltahousetheylivedinbeside
thediner.Charliecametovisithisparentsoften,andifitweren’tforhisdemandingjob,I
wassurehe’dprefertomovebackhome.

We went inside and sat down at a corner table, and Mr. Lockheart greeted us with a

wave.“I’llberightwithyou.”

“Thankyou,”Icalledout.

“Well,thisisprettyhomey,isn’tit?”

“It’sveryhomey.Mrs.Lockheartisn’tusuallythisbusy,butCharlie…”Istoppedas

soonasIrealizedwhatIalmostsaid.

“Charliewhat?”

“Nevermind.”

“No,youstartedasentence,nowfinishit.”

Isighed.“Charliebroughthissonalong,andMrs.Lockheartisspendingtimewithher

grandson.”

Iwatchedassheswallowedhard.“Cameron,I’mfine.Yes,ithurtswhenIthinkabout

whatwe’velost,butitwillalwayshurt.Youdon’thavetotiptoearoundme.”

“I’msorry.”Ishookmyhead.

“Imeanit,I’mfine.”Kategrabbedthemenuandbeganscanningit.“Allright.What

doyourecommend?”

“Anythingyouorderwillbedelicious.”

“Well,wehaveaproblem,then.HowdoIknowwhattoorder?Oh,thislooksgood.”

She paused, and then must have read another item because she licked her lips, saying,

“Thisoneaswell.Oh,andthisone.”

And all I could concentrate on was that tongue that moved across her lips. Nothing

else.Ifshecontinuedteasingmethisway,we’dskipthetourofthetownandgobackto
thecabin.

“Why don’t you let me order for you today? And you can try something else

tomorrow.”

“We’recomingbackheretomorrow?”

“Andthedayafteraswellifyou’dlike.”

She squealed, nearly jumping up on her seat like a little kid. “You’re so going to go

bankruptbecauseofme.”

I leaned my head to the side. Kate should have known better than to question our

finances.WiththemoneyI’dsavedfrombountyhuntingandtherealestateinvestments
I’dmadebackinNewYork,weweresetforlife.

“I’dgiveallourmoneyawayjusttoseeyouhappy.”

“It’snotourmoney.We’renotevenmarried.”

Shegaspedasifshe’dsaidsomethingsheshouldn’thave.Yetthethoughtofmarrying

Katehadcrossedmymindmanytimes.Shewasperfectforme.ButIwouldn’ttakethe
step until I knew that she was ready. Her emotions were still all over the place after the
ordealwe’dbeenthrough.Shemightnothaveagreed,butsheneededmoretimetoheal,
notonlyphysicallybutalsoemotionally.

“Sureitis,anddoesitmatterifwe’renotmarried?We’recommitted.”

Bythelookofhersmile,shemusthavelikedwhatsheheard.

“Thank you, Cameron. Thank you for taking such good care of me the past two

months.Idon’tknowwhatIwouldhavedonewithoutyou.”

“You have nothing to thank me for. I’m just happy that you’re getting better, and I

promisethatbythetimewegobackhome,you’llbefullyhealed.”

“DoyouthinkitwillbebeforeChristmas?”

“Itshouldn’ttakelong.”

Ialsodidn’twanttotellherthatIwasafraidAaronCortezcouldfinduswaybefore

theendoftheyear.

“Whatareyouthinking?”sheasked,catchingmeoffguard.

“Nothing.Now,howdoesaHungariangoulashsound?”

“You’retryingtochangethesubject.I’llletitgofornow,butyouwilltellmewhat’s

botheringyouonewayoranother.”

“Oh,yeah?AndhowdoyousupposeIwill?”

“Ihavemyways.Now,isthegoulashtheonewithpotatolatkes?”

“Yes,”Ilaughed.“That’stheone.You’llloveit.”

“I’ll have one of those, then,” she confirmed, as if it had been her idea in the first

place.

Fifteenminuteslater,MarianneLockheartbroughtoutourfood.Sheseemedsobusy

with her grandson that we barely got a chance to exchange more than two sentences,
which was good because that only meant a quicker return to the cabin where I could
finallyhavemywaywithKate.Nowthathercastshadbeenremoveditwastimetomake
upforeverythingwe’dlost.

Kateatelikeshehadn’teateninmonths,andthesoundscomingoutofhermouthwere

makingmeharderbytheminute.Iwaswillingtocuttoday’stourshortandgobacktothe
cabinwherehopefullyIcouldsatisfyallherotherappetites,butIwassureKatewouldn’t
wanttomissournexttourstop.

“Are you enjoying yourself?” I asked, selfishly hoping she’d say no and we’d head

backtothecabin.

“Ilovethis.It’s…it’s…Ijustreallyneededthis.Howdidyouknow?”

“Well,you’vebeenclosedofffromtheworldfortwomonths.I’mactuallysurprised

thatyouhaven’tkilledmeyet.”

“You’rekidding,right?”Shereachedacrossthetableandtookmyhand.“Youknow

howmuchyoumeantome,Cameron,don’tyou?”

“OfcourseIdo.Andyoutomeaswell.”

Ahigh-pitchedsounddrewourattentiontoMrs.Lockheartbehindthecounterwhere

she was holding her grandson in her arms, teasing the little boy with a freshly baked
cookie.IwatchedasKate’sfacefellwhenshesawthem.Herhandimmediatelyflewto
herstomachandhereyeswelledup.

“Kate,I’msorry.”

“No,it’sallright.”

But I knew it wasn’t because deep in my chest I felt her loss. I felt that ache of

emptinessthatfilledherfromherheadallthewaydowntohertoes.Iwouldhavegiven
anythingtowatchKate’sbellyswellandtosmoothmyhandoverthebumpthatsecured
ourbaby.

“Onedaywhenyou’reready,wecouldtryagain,”Isaid.

“It’snotlikeitwasplanned.There’snopointinrushingthings.”

BythelookonherfaceIknewshedidn’tmeanawordshe’dsaid,andIknewthatit

wastimetotakehermindoffthatday.“Kate,youknowthatIwoulddoanythingforyou,
don’tyou?Ifyouneedtotalktosomeone—”

“Seriously,Cam.I’mfine.Really.Gettingthesecastsoffandcomingheretodaywas

exactlywhatIneeded.Now,howareyoudoing?You’vebeencoopedupatthecabinwith
me, tending to my every need. I can’t imagine that to be easy. You must miss your
family.”

“Let’sgetonethingstraight.Idefinitelyhaven’ttendedtoallyourneeds.”

Iwatchedashercheeksflushedwithabeautifulpinkshadebeforecontinuing.“Ido

missthem,butIalsolovespendingtimewithyou.”

“Whataboutyourwork?”

“Bountyhunting?”

“Areyouthinkingofgoingback?”

“Not at the moment. I’m pretty sure that ship has sailed. Everyone knows I’m in

troublewithCortez.Hiringmewouldbelikehiringadoctorwhodidn’twashhishands
before surgery. I’m pretty sure I couldn’t get a job even if I wanted to. Besides, after
Arizonamyperspectiveonlifechanged,andI’vebeenbusywithMom’spaperwork.”

“I’massumingthat’sagoodsign?”

“It’skeptmebusy,andI’malmostdone.”

Mymotherhademailedmesomeofherpaperworkforhermanservantbusiness.She’d

been wanting me to interview a few new candidates, but with me being away, that plan
hadbeenputonhold,soshe’ddecidedtomakemehersecondaccountant.

“Oh,myGod!Mom!Iwassupposedtocallher.”

“Goahead.I’llorderdessertforlater,andwecanstopbythegeneralstoreafterward.”

AsKatetookhercrutchesandwentoutsidetositonthebenchwhereI’dtoldhershe’d

get the best signal, I ordered two portions of apple crisp and cream-filled pastries and
thankedMrs.Lockheartforthewonderfuldinner.

“Youraisedquitetheman.CharliecameuptoremoveKate’scasts,”Icomplimented.

“Thankyou.You’renottooshabbyyourself,Cameron.Nowwhat’sthisIhearabout

yourparentsgettingbacktogether?”

“Apparentlyyou’veheardmorethanIhave.”

“Charliewasataconferencetwoweeksagowhereheranintoyourfather,whosaid

thathe’sbacklivingwithMary.”

“Really?SoundslikeIshouldcallthem.”

“Justdon’ttellthemItoldyou.”

“Yoursecretissafewithme.”ItickledNateonhisstomachandhegiggled.“Youtake

careofthislittleone,Mrs.Lockheart.Andthankyouforthedeliciousfoodandtheapple
crisp.”

“You’rewelcome.Makesuretolockupallthedoorsandwindowstonight.There’sa

stormcoming.”

Bythelookoftheclearsky,Iwouldn’thaveguessedit,butthenagain,Mrs.Lockheart

hadsomethingsIdidn’thaveyet—anInternetconnection,electricity,andcablenews.It
waswisetolistentoher.

“Thankyou.Iwill.”IkissedMrs.LockheartonhercheekandwentouttoseeKate.

Shewassittingonabench,hercrutchesrestingagainstthesideofthediner.Sheappeared

tobelostdeepinthoughtandstartledwhenItouchedhershoulder.

“Hey,areyouokay?”Iasked.

“Yeah,I’mfine.Therewasawomanherelookingforyou.Itoldhershe’dfindyou

insidebutshejustleft.”

“Whatwoman?”

“Idon’tknow.Tall,blondehair.Shelookedprettysophisticated.”

Shit.“Whichwaydidshego?”

“Totheleft.Shesaidshehadanerrandtorunbutthatshe’dstopbylater.”

She’dbetternot.

“IsthissomeoneIshouldknowabout?”Kateasked.

Definitelynot.Notyetatleast.WhenIleftforArizona,IhadhopedthatEviewould

giveuponme.Mybrother’sex-wifehadathingforusboth.Itonlymadesensethatsince
mybrother,Brook,hadanewwomaninhislife,Eviewouldonceagaintryherluckwith
me. I took in a deep breath before releasing it, saying a silent prayer that she wouldn’t
bringtoomuchtroubleourway.Eviewaslikethattropicaldepressionthatunexpectedly
turnsintoahurricaneandbecomescompletelyunpredictable.

“Of course not. If it’s who I think it is, she won’t stay long. Evie can’t handle the

outdoors.”

“Good. Did you see this?” Kate pointed to the sign in front of the diner that listed

tomorrow’ssoupoftheday.

“Picklesoup?”

“Iwanttotryit.Canwetrytomorrow?”

For the first time in weeks, Kate’s excitement reached new levels. It was as if she’d

receivedafreshbreathofairandwantedtogetbacktolife.

“Yes,ofcoursewecan.How’syourmom?”

“Icouldn’treachher.I’lltryagainlater.”

The sound of giggles resonated from inside the diner, and Kate froze for the second

timethatday.

“Howareyoufeeling,Kate?Doyouwanttogohome?”Iaskedwithconcern.

“I think I do, but not yet.” Instead of the sorrow I expected, her eyes held a new

sparkleofhope.Theflashofenergythatcoursedthroughherbodyremindedmeofwhen
Katewasneedy.Wasshe?

“Aw,comehere.”Ihelpedherstandupandtookherintomyarms,whispering,“Even

this shall pass. You’ll heal, and we’ll be able to make new plans when you’re ready.” I
kissedher,tuckinginthestraylockofhairbehindherear.

“No,Cameron.I’mfine.Ipromise.”

“Whatisit,then?”

“Ithinkweshouldmakeababy.”

C

C H A P T E R 4

K A T E

ameron’sexpressionwaspriceless andeverythingI couldhaveever hopeditto
be.Wouldheagree?Whatifhedidn’t?Thatwouldbreakmyheart,butIdidn’t
wanthimtoagreebecauseofpity.IneededhimtowantababyasmuchasIdid.

I wasn’t sure where my suggestion came from. I wasn’t even sure whether I was truly
ready,butIdidknowthatIwantedtobeready.Ididn’twanttogrievedailyfortherestof
mylife.Iwantedtoputthepastbehindmeandmakespaceinmyheartforahappyfuture.

“IsthisbecauseyousawMrs.Lockheart’sgrandson?”heasked.

“Iknewyou’daskthat,butIdon’tthinkthat’sit.I’mnothormonal,Ipromise.”

Maybe I was a little because seeing those puffy cheeks and cute heart-shaped lips

seemedtohaveturnedonallofmymaternalsensors.

“Kate,youjustsufferedamiscarriagetwomonthsago.Idon’twantyourushinginto

anythingyou’renotreadyfor.”

“Cameron, that child… our child… I would have loved him or her with my whole

heart.Ididn’twantittodie.”

“Noneofusdid,andIknowthatheorshewouldhavebeensoluckytohaveyouasa

mother.Kate,thisisn’tyourfault;youknowthat.”

“OfcourseIdo,butIreallythinkthatI’mreadytomoveforward.I’mreadytotake

controlofmylife.Somuchhasbeenstolenfrommethepastyear…Twomonthsago,I
wasn’tevensurewhetherIcouldgetanythingback.Ididn’tknowthatIwantedlifeback,
but I do. I want to feel like me again. This decision doesn’t even feel like a decision. It
feels…right.”

“I’ll be honest with you, the idea of taking you back home right now and spending

daysandnightswithmyarmsaroundyousoundslikethebestthingIcouldhavewished
for,butafterwhatyou’vebeenthrough…Ijustthinkweneedmoretime.”

“Youdon’twantto?”

“Oh, believe me, I want to, and I’m not sure where this voice of reason is coming

from.IwishIcouldshutitdown.Ijustdon’twantyoutorushthis.Youmayfeelstrong,
butyou’restillrecovering.”

“Fine–justpromisemethatyouwon’tcrossitoffyourtodolist.”

“To-dolist?”hechuckled.

“Yeah.Keepanopenmind,youknow?”

“Kate,ifthere’sonewomaninthisworldI’dwanttodo,it’syou.Butwe’retalking

aboutmakingachild.Alittlehumanbeingwe’llbothberesponsibleforwhileamadman
isontheloosetryingtomurderus.”

“Idon’tlikeitwhenyoumakesense,”Ipouted.

“NeitherdoI.Especiallyaboutsomethingthatshouldbeaneasydecision.Howabout

wethinkaboutit?”

He wrapped me into his loving arms and just held me there against his chest. The

drumming of his heartbeats eased the anxiety I’d just realized was there. We stayed
connected until the strain on my leg pinched at a nerve and I had to reach back for my
crutches.

“Okay, I can live with that. What’s next on your to-do list?” I looked back over my

shoulder, sticking my hip out to the side as much as I could. He eyed me, shaking his
head.

“Isthishowyou’regoingtoplay?”

“Hey,youdidn’tsayanythingaboutanyrules.”

ThecoquetteinmeloweredmyhandtomyhipasItriedtoupmysass.

“NextonthelistisasurpriseIthinkyou’regoingtolovemuchmorethansex.”

Thatwasimpossible,butfromthesmileonCameron’sface,Icouldhavebeenwrong.

“Allright,let’sgo!”Istartedheadingforthecar,butCameronstoppedme,guidingme

intheoppositedirection.

“We’rewalking.”

I liked walking. This way I could prove to him just how strong I was. I could show

himthatIfullyrecoveredbothphysicallyandmentally,andtherewasnothingthatwould
stop me from living. Not even Aaron Cortez. I grabbed my crutches and followed
Cameronacrossthedirtroadtothenexthouseover.

“That’sthegeneralstoreItoldyouabout.”

Thetwo-storycabin-likehomedidn’tlookanythinglikeastore.Heopenedthedoorto

letmein.Thesmellofearthandpinefilledmynose,andItookinanotherbreath.Itwas
almost as good as the real thing, except stronger. A scented candle was lit on the front
counter,itsearthyaromapermeatingtheair.

“Hey, Gary.” Cameron greeted the older gentleman before turning to me. “Gary is

Mrs.Lockheart’sbrother.”

Supporting my weight on one crutch, I reached out my right hand toward the man.

“Hi,I’mKate.”

“Aha,IwaswonderingwhenI’dmeetthelittlerascal.”

Rascal?

“I’vegotsomethingspecialforyou,Ms.Kate.”

Hedid?

Curious,Istrainedmygaze,tryingtocatchaglimpseasGaryfumbledunderneaththe

counter.Aquicksmilelater,heremovedaplasticbagthatheemptiedonthefrontcounter.
Tubes, syringes, small cans of what I thought was pepper spray, and a Taser spilled out,
andIfeltmyeyesgrowwide.

“Holyshit!Isthisforme?”

“Itis.”CameronhelpedGarylineuptheitemsonthecounterinaneatrow.

“Which one do I choose?” A Taser could come in handy anywhere. That would

definitelybemyfirstchoice.Notasgoodasagun,butitwouldsuffice.Iwonderedabout
the potency of the sedative in the syringe and about another unlabeled black container
withawhiteskullmarking.Feelingsuddenlyoverwhelmed,IfeltmyheadspinandIlost
mybalance.Cameroncaughtmebymyarmandpulledupawoodenchair.

“Whydon’tyouhaveaseat,Kate?”

“Thankyou.I…I’mjustnottoosurewhichoneIshouldchoose.”

“Whychoose?”

“Whatdoyoumean?”

“Imeanwhydon’tyoutakethemallanddecideathome?”

“Really?”

CameronturnedbacktoGary.“Doyouhavethatothersurprise?”

The old man grinned from ear to ear as if Cameron were underestimating him, and

thenremovedasquareboxfromunderneaththecounter.

“What’sthat?”Iasked.

“It’sforyou.Stayseated,please.”Cameronliftedtheboxoffthecounterandcrouched

infrontofme.Heloweredittomylapandunlockedthehingeatthefront.Iopenedthe
lid.Insidewasabrand-newgunwithwhatlookedlikeabuilt-insilencer.Ithadtobeone
oftheneweronesoutonthemarket.

“It’sforme?”

“Iknowyouwereadetective,butIalsoknowthatyouworkedasacopbeforethat.

We can practice in the back to make sure your aim is still good, but I thought it would
makeyoufeelbetter.”

“Doesitmakeyoufeelbetter?”Iasked,checkingthefitofthehandlebeforetaking

bullet-lessaimtothebackofthestorewhereablackdotinthecenterofapaintingofa
fieldofpoppiescaughtmyattention.

“Definitely.”

I wasn’t sure how I felt about his answer. This gun only meant that Cameron was

worriedaboutAaronCortezcomingbackforme.EvenworsewasthefearthatIactually

believedAaronCortezwouldcomebackforme.Islowlyloweredthegun,weighingthe
truemeaningofhiswordsandmythoughts.I’dalmostdiedonce,andIwasn’tplanning
ondoingsoagain.IknewthatifIweregoingtopullanytriggerinmylife,itwouldbeto
killthebastardwhostolethelifegrowinginsideme.

“Well,let’shopeIdon’thavetoputthisbabytouse;andifIdo,let’shopeit’susedto

putabulletinAaronCortez.”Iloweredtheguntothecompartmentandgentlyclosedits
lid.

“NotexactlywhatIwouldhavehopedfor.”Cameronremovedtheboxfrommylap,

andourgazesconnected.Oursilentcommunicationwasclear:hewasworriedaswell.He
got me and wanted me to remain protected. This man would forever have my back and
wouldalwaysrespectme,andIwascertainthatIwouldlovehimforitfortherestofmy
life.HewasthebestlifepartnerinthisworldthatIcouldeverhave.

“AaronCortez?”Theoldmancoughed,andbothourheadsturnedtowardhim.“That

namesoundsfamiliar.”

“Wherehaveyouheardit,Gary?”Cameronasked,andforthefirsttimesincearriving

inthistown,Ifeltmyhandsshake.Igraspedthesidesofthechair,clenchingmyhands
arounditsedges.Luckily,Camerondidn’tnotice.

“Oh,Idon’tknow,butthenamesoundsfamiliar.”

“As in he introduced himself to you familiar, or you heard his name on the news

familiar?”Iasked.

“LikehewasatopicofadiscussionIoverheardatMarianne’sdiner.Aboutaweekor

soago.It’sjustanameIoverheard,butIreallydon’trememberwhattheconversationwas
about.”

MygazeconnectedwithCameron’soncemore,andIknewthatwewereboththinking

thesamething:ifAaronCortez’snamewasfloatingaround,hecouldn’tbefaraway.

“Gary?Ifanyoneevermentionshimagain,tellthemthathe’saloser.Tellthemthathe

gaveuptwenty-fivemillionbecauseawomanconvincedhimthatallfiftydeterioratedina
crypt.”

Garychuckledandwentbehindthestripedcurtaintotheback.

“Kate,whatareyoudoing?”Cameronturnedmetofacehim.

“He’scomingformeanyways,right?ThiswayI’mmakingsurehehasareason.”

“Whyareyoutryingtotraphim,Kate?”

“Becauseit’dbenicetodoitbeforehetrapsus.”

“Nooneknowsaboutourplaceorthislittletown.He’snotgoingtofindyou.We’re

prettymuchoffthemap.Right,Gary?”

“Right.” Gary called out from the back before swooshing the curtain the side and

returning.“It’swhyourfamilieshavestayedherefordecades.Awayfromconcretecities,
politics,andpossiblenuclearattacks.”Gary’seyesgrewwideathismentionofnukes,and
for a quick moment I got the feeling that Gary could be suffering from a mild form of

dementia.

“Allthemorereasonwhyyoucanneverbetoocareful.I’mnotworriednow,though.

Thankstoyou,Ihaveanarsenalofshittohelpmewithanyunwantedbastardswhotryto
stirup…shit.”Iliftedmyheadwithconfidence.

“Well,youdidchoosethisoneright,Cameron.”GarypattedhisbackwhileIgrabbed

mycrutchesandthebagfullofmynewsupplies.

I placed the bag near the handlebar, saying, “Thank you, Gary. I’m sure we’ll be in

touch,”andthenheadedoutthedoor.Ididn’tmeantoberude,butIjustcouldn’twaitto
organizemynewarsenal.BythetimeCameroncaughtuptome,Iwasstandinginfrontof
thecar.

“Whatjusthappenedinthere,Kate?”

“Whatdoyoumean?”

“Areyouafraid?”

“Not afraid. I’m just expecting what I know is going to happen, and the last thing I

want is to not be ready for it. I’m not going to let Aaron Cortez surprise me again. My
stupid brother is behind bars, so he can’t sell me out, but there are others on Cortez’s
payroll who will. One way or another, I know that Aaron Cortez is coming for me, and
whenhedoes,I’llbeready.”

IfIhaditmyway,Iwouldoutsmartandoutplayhimbeforehegottome.Ijusthadto

findtheopportunitytodoso.

“You’regoingtokillhim?”

“Allhehastodoisgivemethechance.”

“I’mgivingthatgunasecondthoughtnow;butthenagain,ifIfuckup,thenit’sbetter

that you have it. In the meantime, let’s find you a hobby to keep your mind off that
asshole.”

Somewhere in the distance I heard a wolf howl, and I whipped my body toward

Cameron.“Didyouhearthat?”

“Yes,Idid.Wanttogoseewhatitis?”heaskedmysteriously.

I gave him a questioning look, and he continued, “Just trust me on this. I promise

you’ll like it.” He removed the bag from my hand, and sporting a mysterious grin, he
motionedwithhishand.“Comewithme.Ourdayisonlybeginning.”

IfollowedCameronasheopenedthecar,depositedthebagofmygoodiesinside,and

then headed a little down the hill and further into the woods. We arrived at a similar-
lookinghousetotheonewe’dseenbefore,butthebeautifullyscatteredovergrownshrubs
made it look like a witch’s hut. Yet I immediately felt peaceful. The energy here was
alluring.Maybeitwasawitch’shouse?

At the front, the garden of orange shrubs and climbing vines took my breath away.

Tendrils of ivy draped down the front fence and climbed the light post and two of the
supportingcolumnsattheporch.Someoftheleaveshadalreadyturnedred,andthescene

wasbreathtaking.

Asmallpuppygreetedusasanolderwomancameoutside.Thedogwaggeditstail,

tryingtobiteplayfullyatmyshoelaces.

“Cameron!It’ssogoodtoseeyouagain.You’reherejustintime.Andyoumustbe

Kate.MynameisnameSilvia.”

“Hi,it’snicetomeetyou.”Itriedtoextendmyhand.

“Oh,there’snoneedforformalities.Comeonintomycrazyworld.Betteryet,let’sgo

tothebackfromthesideentrance.Thebabiesarewaiting.”

Babies?

When I looked to Cameron, he had a coy smile on his face. As we followed Silvia

throughthesidegateandaroundthehouse,heleanedintome,saying,“Youcanthankme
forthislater.”

Whatever he had planned had to be big. I’d never seen him this confident. Silvia

turnedtotheside,herwidehipsswayingbackandforth.Herfloor-lengthskirtbrushedthe
grass and lifted dust as she walked. She had a thick gray braid at the side, and if I did
believeinwitches,she’dmakeaperfectone.AsweroundedthecornerIfelthimleaninto
me again and a shiver of unexpected pleasure tickled over my skin. “And there are so
manywaysinwhichyoucanthankme,youhavenoidea.”

Oh,Ihadanidea,allright,andIwasprettysureitinvolvedsex.Alotofsex.Ifelta

suddentrembleofneedbetweenmythighs,andsoIsqueezedthemtogether.

Whenweenteredthebackyard,ahalf-rustedclaw-foottubrestingtothesidestolemy

attention.Itseemedtohavebeenconvertedintoamakeshiftpond.Aduckwasswimming
backandforth,ripplingthewater.

“That’sMerrill.Hismateissittingoneighteggs.He’sbeenswimmingbackandforth

twodaysinarow.Ithinkhe’snervousaboutbeingafirst-timefather.”

“It’sthesametubasatyourcabin,”IsaidtoCameron.

“Oh,IrememberGarygoingtothecitywithJacktoshopforatub.Theycameback

withfourofthesameonesbecausetheygotabetterdeal.MarianneandDeandownthe
roadhavethesameone.”

I wasn’t sure I was in the right mind to ask who Dean was, as I hadn’t met him. So

muchhadhappenedsincethatmorning,thedayseemedtostretchlongerandlonger.

A parrot whistled and squawked. It was difficult to keep my focus on one animal

because the further into the never-ending garden we walked, the more I saw, and the
animalsgotwilderbytheminute.

A pair of rabbits were munching on lettuce, and three raccoons were rummaging in

their enclosed homes a foot away from the squirrels. To the left, birds chirped as they
pickedatthedozenorsofeeders.

“Iheardawolfhowl.”

“That’s Denis. He’s further in the back and he’s the only wolf we have. He’d never

surviveoutinthewildonhisownashe’sblind.”

“This can’t be a zoo,” I said in awe. “These animals… did they come here from the

forest?”

“Theydid.Theywereallinjuredinsomeway.Mostofthemwillberehabilitatedand

released. Not all of them can go back, though, and some choose to remain permanent
residents,likeMerrillandhislady.”

The duck quacked as if it recognized its name. Max, the german shepherd pup that

greetedusearlierburshedbymyleg,takingthelead.

“Thisisananimalsanctuary.Whatyou’redoing…I…Ijustcan’tbelieveit.There’sa

specialplaceinheavenforpeoplelikeyou.”

“Oh,honey,I’mjustdoingthisbecauseIlovethem.”

Exactly.

She had no idea how much doing her part told me about this woman’s character.

Anyone who loved animals this much had to be a good person at heart. My gaze was
drawnfurtherupthehill,wheretwolynxeswerehumping.

“That’s Goldie and Fox. You can tell them apart by the gray shadow across Fox’s

goldencoat.Wefoundthemneartheroadonehotsummer.Poorthingsweredehydrated
to the bone. They’ll be released next spring if they don’t have offspring by then.” She
pointed to the jerking couple. “Gary says they’re trying for a baby, but I think they just
likehavingsex.”

IfeltmycheeksheatasIwatchedFoxmountGoldieandpushintoherfromtheback

likeaspeedylittlejackhammer.

“Don’tmindthem.”Silviawavedherhand,andIcaughtCameronwatchingme.Was

hethinkingwhatIwasthinking?Didhehavethoughtsofustangledupinthesheets,with
himpushingintomefrombehind?Ihadanurgetogobacktothecabin,andIwouldhave
ifitweren’tforthecutestcryingnoiseI’dheardinmylife.

I whipped my body around at the sound. The moment I saw them, I knew I was in

love.Twotinyfawnswerehoppingaroundtheyardchasingeachother.Silviareachedfor
atubontopofacupboardandretrievedtwobottlesfullofmilk.

“Ts,ts,ts,ts,ts,”shecalledout,andthefawnschangeddirectionandrushedtoward

her.Theyhadthecutestlittleblacknosesandlookedlikedtheywereenjoyingourlasthint
ofwarmfallweather.Silviapassedmeoneofthemilkbottles,andafawnwiggleditslips
towardme,bumpingmyhandwithitshead,searchingforitsfood.Hefinallyfoundthetip
andsuckedthesiliconenippleintohismouth.Iwatchedhimsuckle,andwhenthosetiny
little noises of appreciation from his throat reached my ears, my heart swelled. It felt
absolutelyamazing.

“Willtheybegoingbackintothewild?”Iasked.

“I hope so. They seem healthy enough, but they’ll stay here until at least the spring.

Garyjustfinishedtheirnewnightenclosure,butthey’vebeenenjoyingtheyardsomuchI
haven’thadachancetogettheirhayintheshedjustyet.Besides,there’sastormcoming,

andIdon’twantitallblowingaround.”

Iloweredmygazetothefawn’shalf-hoodedeyesashenearedtheendofhisbottle,

andforthefirsttimeinalongwhile,Ifeltwhole.

“There’snothingthatwillfillyourheartwithmorehopethantheselittleguys.Itnever

ceasestoamazemehowmuchtheseanimalstrustus.”

“Whathappenedtotheirmother?”Iasked.

“Shewaskilledcrossingtheroad.Garyfoundthesetwoinaditchwhenhesawher

carcass.”

Thatwassosad.Theselittlethingsneededlove.Lotsoflove.Whenthefawnfinished

and I looked up, I saw Cameron staring at me and I smiled, saying, “Babies are my
favoritekindofthings.”

Helaughed.“Things?”

“Yeah.Imean,lookatthesetwo.They’resocuteandsoadorable.I’vejustmetthem

andIlovethemalready.”

“Becauseyouhaveagoodheart.”

“Howcanyounotlovethis?”Iaskedrhetorically.

“Ireallydon’tknowhow.”

The fawn was searching for the empty bottle I’d set aside, and when he found my

thumb,hesuckleditasifitwereanipple.Ifeltmyheartmeltforthesecondtimethatday.
Itwasabsolutelybeautiful.Mythroatconstricted,andIcouldbarelygetawordpastthe
tightness. “They’re amazing. Thank you for this, Cameron. Thank you so much. I really
neededthis.You’vepulledoffalltherighttrickstoday,sir.”

“I’m just glad you enjoyed yourself. You’ve been cooped up in the cabin long

enough.”

Hewasright,butI’dalsoneededthetimetoputmyselfbacktogether.I’dneededthe

timetohealandfindnewhope.ItseemedlikeCameronhadthesamegoals.Somewhere
inthedistance,thunderrolledacrossthesky.

“Idon’twanttostoplivingbecauseofhim,”Iwhispered.

“Youdon’thaveto.”Cameronsatonachairbesidemine.

“Promisemethat?”

Hetightenedhisgriponmyhandinassurance.

“Ipromise.”

Justincase,ImadeanotetogobackandseeGaryaboutthelittleblackbottlewitha

whiteskullonitslabel.IfIwasgoingtobeusinglethalchemicals,Iwantedtoknowwhat
theywere.

B

C H A P T E R 5

C A M E R O N

y the time we returned to the cabin, the rain was falling steadily. The clouds
broughtincoolerandstrongerwinds,displacingalltheleaves,funnelingand
tumblingthemthroughtheyard.

“Ihavetopee.”AssoonasIopenedthedoor,Katerushedintothebathroomonthe

mainfloor.Iusedtheopportunityandhurriedupstairs,filledthebathtubwithwaterand
bath soap, lit a few candles, and went back downstairs just as she returned from the
bathroom.

“Ialmostmissedthetoiletinthedarkness.”ShethenstoppedandlistenedasIshined

the single flashlight we’d used to hang my coat. “Is that water I hear?” she asked,
followingmeasIstrolledintothekitchen.Ithadbecomealmostsecondnaturetofollow
eachotherwhenweonlyhadoneflashlightandthecandleshadn’tbeenlit,whichagain
remindedmetoturnontheInternetbeforeshewokeuptomorrow.

“Itis.”Iopenedthefridgeandremovedabottleofchampagne.

“What’sthat?”sheasked,withacurioussmile.

ThatwaswhatIcalled“closure,”butIwasn’tabouttotellherthat.

“It’stimetocelebrateyourcasts.”

“Idon’thavethemonanylonger.”

I grabbed two flutes for the champagne from a cupboard and lowered my mouth to

hers,sealingapromisingkiss.

“Exactly. Let me rephrase it, then. It’s time to celebrate the fact that your casts are

gone.”

Shechuckled.“You’vegotthiseveningallfiguredout,haven’tyou?”

“Isurehopeso.”

“Okay.I’mgame,butIhavetosaythatI’mtired.”

“Well,then…”Iplacedtheflashlightbetweenmyteeth,loweredmyself,andholding

thechampagneinonehandandtheglassesintheother,Iscoopedherintomyarms.She
let out a high-pitched squee of delight and removed the flashlight from my mouth. “I
guessIneedtocarryyouupstairs.”

Her laughter echoed through the cabin. It was one of the best sounds I’d heard in a

while.

By the time we came up, the tub was full. Kate lit a few more candles and double-

checkedthelockonthebathroomwindowjustasastraytwigsnappedagainsttheglass
fromoutside.Shejumpedbackwithafearfulgasp.

“I’mgoingtochopthatbirchtreefirstthinginthemorning,”Isaid.

“Thatscaredtheshitoutofme.”

“Ishouldhavecutitdownlastyear,butmyfathergotsick,andplanschanged.”

Shewalkedovertothesideofthetub.Shetuggedatthebuttononherjeans,andmy

gazedroppedtoherfingers.Ifollowedthedownwardpathassheunfastenedherzipper.

“YoumeantheonesafterIblewuptheMafia’swarehouseandyouwereblamed?”

“What?”Shebroughtmyattentiontemporarilybacktohereyesbecausenowthatshe

was shimmying her ass out of her jeans, wiggling that behind like a pro and slowly
exposingherthighs,Icouldn’thelpbutlookdownagain.Hercheckeredshirtdrapedover
herlegs.Mymouthwateredandmydickhardened.

Shewavedherhand.“Nevermind.”Hervoicewassultryandfulloflust.

“Sorry.Ididn’thearyou.”

Howdidsheexpectmetogiveheracoherentanswerwhenshewasnowinthemiddle

of removing her bra from underneath the button-up shirt? One hand snaked inside her
sleeve,caughtthestrap,andpulleditthrough;thensherepeatedthemotionwiththeother
strapuntilshecouldremovethebrathroughhercollar.

That was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen in my life. Two naturally standing breasts

curvedunderneaththeshirt,andIwonderedwhetherIcouldgetanyharder.Asshestood
therewithnothingonbutthatshirt,Icouldn’tbelievehowluckyIwas.Oneday,onceshe
healedandwasready,itwouldbemyhonortogiveherthechildandfamilyshe’dalways
wanted.

“It’s just that you’re making it a little difficult to concentrate. The past follows us,

Kate,andwecan’tescapeit;butIcanassureyouthattheonlypartofmypastIlove,is
you.”

Shebitherlipandthenlickedit.

“Kate,whatareyoudoing?”

“IthoughtmyintentionswereclearwhenItookmypantsoff,butIguesstheyweren’t

clearenough,”sheteased,andhookedherfingersintoherpanties.Sheremovedthemin
slowmotion,andwhentheywereatherankles,flickedthemawaywiththetipofhertoe.
They flew onto the counter by the sink, but Kate lost her balance and I caught her just
beforeshefellbackintothetubfullofsuds.

“Gotya.”Iheldherinmyarms.Oneofherfreebreastspressedagainstmychestand

theotheroneagainstmyarm,andIwassureIdidn’thaveenoughpatiencetocontrolthe
situationmuchlonger.“Andwhatmayyourintentionsbe?”

“Totakeabubblebath?”

“Youdon’tseemtobesureaboutthat.”

“Shutupandkissme.”

I lowered my mouth to hers at the request. She was soft and tasted like the best

fucking thing that had ever touched my lips. I cupped her face between my hands and
pressed harder against her, savoring all the tiny noises and pleas that came out of her
mouth. She not only tasted delicious but also smelled like a fond memory. It did
somethingcrazyinmyhead,somethingIcouldn’tunderstand.Isweptmytongueagainst
hers,backandforth,allthewhilefeelingmydickgrowinmypants.Theconfinementof
myclotheswasbecomingmoreuncomfortablebytheminute.Iclaspedmylipsaroundher
upperone,suckingonit.

Iwasreadytoliftherintomyarmsandsitheronthebathcountersowecouldtake

this further when something crashed downstairs. We both jumped, our attention flying
towardthedoor.Kategraspedmyarm,squeezingit.HerheartwasbeatingsofastthatI
couldseeitsrhythmunderneathhershirt.

Thewindhowledoutside,andheavydropsofrainassaultedtheroof.

“Youstayhere,”Iwhispered.“Donotmove,Kate.”

“Whatifit’shim?”Hereyeswerewideandfulloffear.

“Impossible.”

I knew I wasn’t convincing anyone with that tone of voice, but there was no way

Cortezcouldhavefoundus.Itouchedmyfingertomylipsandtiptoedtowardthedoor,
grabbingthefirstthingthatwasonthecounterneartheedge.

Icreptdownthestairsthroughthedarkness,listeningforanykindofsound.Withthe

amountofrainweweregetting,itwasalmostimpossibletohearmyselfthink.Bracingmy
back against the wall, I closed my eyes and dug deep inside, trusting my instincts, and
thenopenedthemagain.AssoonasmyfoottouchedoneofKate’scrutchesatthebottom
ofthestaircase,IrealizedI’dfoundtheculpritofourscare.Bothcaneswereonthefloor.

“Whatwereyougoingtodowiththat?”Kateaskedfromthestaircase,pointingtomy

raisedhand–whichwasholdingaboxofcondoms.

“Youcan’tgowrongwhenyoushieldyourdong?”

Sheburstoutinlaughter.Well,atleastoneofuswaslaughing.

“IthoughtIaskedyoutostayupstairs,”Isaid.

“AndI’mneverleavingyoutofightmybattles.”

“They’renotyourbattles.”

“Ours?”

“Yes,ours.”

Iloweredmyhandandwatchedhersaunterdownthelastfewsteps.Theshirt’shem

shifted to the left and right as she walked toward my guiding flashlight, offering me a
glimpseofhercrotch,andmygazefocusedonthosetemptingthighs.Shedidn’tstopuntil

shewasstandingrightinfrontofme.Ifeltherdeepbreathsonmyfaceandagainstmy
chest.

“Kate.”

“Cameron.”

Ourvoiceswerebarelyaudible,partlybecauseofthehowlingwindoutsideandpartly

becauseallIcoulddowasconcentrateonthetouchofherbody.

“The water’s getting cold.” She turned around and blindly headed back upstairs. I

followedherwiththeflashlightandcaughtapieceofherassinthelightasshemadeher
way up. By the time I recovered from the daze of watching her tempting curves move
higherandhigher,shewasgone.

“Kate!”Icalledafterher.“Istillneedtocheckthehouse.”

“Thencheckit!”sherepliedfromupstairs.

“Fuck!”

Imusthavetrippedovereverypieceoffurniture,goingfromwindowtowindowand

door to door. I examined all the locks, turned on the alarm, and ran up the stairs taking
everysecondstep.WhenIpushedthedooropenandsawhercheckeredshirtonthefloor,
Ifeltmykneesbuckle.IsettheboxofcondomsIwasstillholdingbackonthecounterby
thesinkandrestedagainstit,watchingher.Kate’slegswerestretchedoutinthebathtub.
Bubbleswerefloatinguptotherim,coveringherjustabovethebreastline,andshewas
holdingthetwoglassflutesfilledwithchampagne.Morecandleshadbeenlit,theirvanilla
scentwaftingintheair.

HowlonghaveIbeendownstairs?

“You’reatemptress,”Isaid.

“Thankyou.”

“Now get out of that tub.” I grasped the hem of my sweater and pulled it over my

head.Theshirtcameoffnext.

“Nah-ah.”Sheshookherhead.“I’mactuallyenjoyingthis.Whydon’tyougetin?The

water’sgonnagetcold.”

“Fuckthewater.”

I hurried with my zipper and pants, regretting that I was wearing so many

undergarments, but I guessed socks and underwear were sometimes necessary to appear
civilized.

“Ithoughtyouwantedtofucksomethingelse.”Shepulledhertongueacrossherlips,

andIsprangupandoutofmyboxerbriefs,whichwerecomingoffnext.

“Iwouldhaveifyoudidn’tgobackup.”

“Ididn’twantthewatertogetcoldorgotowaste.Now,comeandcelebrate.Wehave

allnight.”

That we certainly did. I finally managed to get Kate to shut up when I completely

removedmyboxerbriefs.Withmydickstandinguphigh,Iloweredmyselfinattheother
endofthetub,bringingthewaterleveluptotherimandthesudsuptoKate’schin.

“Youweresaying?”

“Ithinkwemayneedabiggerboat.”Shepassedmemyglassofchampagne.

“Jawsfan?Ididn’tknowthat.”

“There’slotsyoudon’tknowaboutme.”

“Likewhat?”

“LikeI’maverydeterminedwoman.”

“ThatIknew.”

“AndwhenIsetmymindonsomething,Iusuallygetit.”

“Undoubtedly.”

AssoonasIwonderedwhereshewasgoingwiththis,Iknewwhatshewanted,andI

knewthatIwastheonlyonestandinginthewayofherhappiness.Shewouldn’tgiveup
onthisuntilshehadherway.

“Didyouenjoythedaytoday?”Itriedanywaytodistractherthoughts.

“Morethananydayrecently.Thankyou.”

“Well, the day is not over yet. Cheers!” I reached forward, clanging our glasses

together,andtookasip.

“Cheers!”Katemimickedmewithoutmissingabeat.IthoughtIhaditinthebag.I

thoughtI’dsteeredherinadifferentdirection.Iwaswrong.

“I loved the baby deer today. They were my favorite. And I loved meeting Mrs.

Lockheart’sgrandson.He’sacutie,isn’the?”

“Areyoutryingtobringupthesubjectofababyonpurpose?”Iasked.

Instead of replying, her foot slid up my leg until it reached my dick, and I stilled. I

loweredmygazetowhereherbigtoerestednearmyballs,andthenslidhigherandhigher
upthehardshaft.

That’swhenIrealizedthatKatewasmorethanatemptress.Shewasawickedwitch

whoknewexactlywhattodotocontrolme,andshedidn’tneedanymagictricks.Allshe
neededwerehertoes.Shewasmywitch.

“Kate?”

“Cameron?”

Mygazeflewtothepackofcondoms.“AreyougoingtoseducemeuntilIgivein?”

“Idon’twantyoutogivein.IwantyoutowantthisasmuchasIdo.”

“Thenwhatarewestilldoinghere?”

Shejuststaredatmeasahintofuncertaintyfloatedintheair.OfcourseIwanteda

baby as much as she did. Combining the best parts of her and me – maybe more of her

wouldbenice–itwouldmakemethehappiestmanalive,butIneededtobesurethatshe
wasokay.IhadtobesurethatKatecouldgothroughherpregnancywithoutanyfears.I
wanted to take away all that fear she had of Cortez, but I didn’t know how to do so. I
wanted to convince her that our future was bright. She didn’t seem disturbed when she
waswithme,soperhapstherewasawaywecouldmakethiswork.IfIcouldonlyensure
thatshe’dremainatmysideallthetime,Icouldkeephercomfortablehere.Andthecabin
wasthesafestplaceforher.Witheachpassingthought,Ibecamemorecertainthanever
thatIcouldmakeherhappy;andtherewasonlyonewaytodoso.IfIcouldgethertofall
inlovewiththecabinandagreetostayhereforever,wecouldallbesafe.

“Whatdoyousaywedon’tusethose?”Iasked,whenIsawherfocusontherubbers

aswell.

“What?”Hergazeflewrightbacktome.

“Imean,ifithappens,ithappens.Whatifweletfatedecide?”

“Doyoumeanit?”

“Iwouldn’tsayitunlessIdid.”

I removed the half-empty glass from Kate’s hand and set it on the ground before

stepping out of the tub and reaching for her hand. Once she was standing on the tiles, I
wrappedherinatowelandcarriedheroutofthebathroomandintothebedroom.Ittook
everylastounceofmystrengthnottoturnheraround,braceheragainstthetub,andtake
herfromtheback,butIwantedthistobespecial.

Isetheronthebedandyankedthecornerofthetowelopen.Outside,therainabused

thewindows,patteringlikeitwantedtobreakthrough.

“Don’tmove,”Isaid,lightingthefewcandleswehadintheroom.

“Wait–you’renotdrippingthewaxonme,areyou?”

“No,Ijustwanttoseeyou.Iwanttoseeallofyou.”

Assoonasthelastcandlewaslit,Isawthatshewasbitingherlip,waitingformewith

asmileonherface.Anorangeglowcoveredherbody,shadingonesideofherbreasts.

“Youknow,it’sbeensolong,I’mnotsureIrememberwhattodo.”

“Letmeremindyou,then.”

I lowered myself to her side and circled my finger around her nipple, enjoying the

sightofeverynewgoosebumpthatappearedonherskin.Ipressedmymouthtotheother,
savoringitswarmthandhardness.Shetastedevenmoredeliciousthanshehadbefore,or
maybeI’djustforgottenhowgoodshetasted.IpromisedmyselfthatIwouldneverforget
again.

ShemoanedwhenInippedher,andherhipsshiftedtotheside.AsmuchasIwanted

totakemytimewithher,IwasafraidthatIcouldn’t.Igraspedherchinandbroughther
mouth to mine. My tongue darted inside her mouth and my arms snaked around her,
bringingherclosertomybody,andIwaslost.Iwaslostinher,andIcouldfeelthatshe
waslostinmeaswell.Shepushedhersexintomythigh,andIgentlyliftedherlegover
myhip.Assoonasshewasopen,mydickproddedherentrance.Katedidn’twaittomove

forward.ShepushedherhipsupandgaspedasIdroveinsideher,fillingherasdeepasI
could.

Feelinghersqueezearoundme,Igroanedbeforewithdrawingandplungingbackin.

Somewherebetweenmythrusts,sheflippedherbodyontopofmineandbeganridingme.
In the dim candlelight, I watched her breasts bounce above me, the faint orange glow
illuminatingonesideofherbody.Shelookedbeautiful,andforthefirsttimesinceshe’d
been kidnapped, I believed that maybe Kate would be all right. Maybe moving forward
wasthebestremedyforusboth.

With each roll of her hips, she rubbed herself against me. I reached up to feel the

weight of her breasts before one of my hands instinctively lowered to her pussy, and I
flickedherclitwithmythumb.WhenIfeltitgrow,Irubbeditwithmyindexandmiddle
finger.Hereyeswereclosed,hermouthopen,andherhairthathadearlierbeentiedina
bunnowdecidedtodoitsowndance,flowingoverhershoulders.Sweatbeatdownmy
chestasItightenedmyasswitheachthrust.

KnowingthatKatewasstillrecoveringandshouldn’tremaininthesamepositionfor

toolong,Iquickenedmystrokesandthrusts.AssoonasIfeltherfirsttrembleofpleasure,
Ishutmyeyesandlostit,emptyingmyselfinsideher.Shesatontopofmewithherknees
bent, shaking as I rubbed my finger harder and faster over her nub, drawing out her
orgasm for as long as I could. When she finally settled, I withdrew, and Kate lowered
herselftothebed.

“Well, I’m pretty sure I’ve reached my physical therapy quota for the day.” She

stretchedherarmsaboveherhead,smiling.Shehadthatbeautifulafter-sexglowonher
facethatmadeherlooklikethehappiestwomanintheworld.

“Charliedidn’tmentionanythingaboutthenight,andthenightisstillnotover.”

“No,hedidn’t,butIfeelspent.”Astiredasshewas,Katestillmanagedtotwisther

bodyaroundandliftherlegs,restingthemagainsttheheadboard.

“Areyoutryingtokeepmysperminsideyou?”

“Yes.”

“There’splentymorewherethatcamefrom.”

She chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’m planning on using you for much more than your

sperm.”

“Good.Iwasbeginningtoworryalittle.Here.”Imaneuveredtojoinherandcovered

usbothwithaduvet.Katesnuggledtomyside,shiveringatthesoundofrollingthunder.

“Cameron?”

“Yeah?”

“I’mprettysurefatehasdecidedforustohaveababy.”

Iheardasmileinhervoicethatmademehappy.ThatwasallIwanted.

“Youpromisetonotbedisappointedifitdoesn’thappen?”

“Ipromise.”

From the look of the glowing smile on her face and the way she was smoothing her

hand over her flat tummy, I was afraid that Kate was setting herself up for failure.
Hopefully my swimmers were strong enough to score on their first try, but if not on the
firstone,maybeIcouldgivethemalittlehelpinthemorningaswell.

Unfortunatelyforus,thenightwouldbeoversoonerthanwethought.

T

C H A P T E R 6

K A T E

heearthshookunderneathme,andanear-crushingbangrattledthroughthe
bedroom. It was that day all over again, except it was real. It wasn’t a
nightmare. I was still at the cabin, in our bed, and the crunching noise

wouldn’tend.Itremindedmeofwhenmyboneswerebreaking;crack,crack,crack,andI
wantedtothrowup.

This isn’t happening, this isn’t happening, I repeated in my mind, and I heard

somethingelsecrashnearby.Igrippedthesheets,screaming.“Cameron!”

“Kate!”

Hegrabbedmefromthesideandputhisarmsaroundme,shieldingmeasdebrisfell

somewhereintheroom.

“Whatthehellwasthat?What’sgoingon?”AssoonasIaskedthequestion,Ifelta

chillingbreezestreamintotheroomandIshivered.Outside,thedawnwasjustmakingits
appearance,andthewindwasblowingevenharderthanwhenwe’dfallenasleep.

“Idon’tknow.Here,putthison.”Hereachedforhissweatshirtfromadrawerbythe

bedsideandpulleditovermynakedbody.Therewasacutonhisforeheadandhisarm.

“What’sgoingon?”

“Ithinkthetreefellonthehouse.Comeon,”heyelled,overthehowlingwind.

“You’rehurt.”Ipointedtohiscuts.

Hewipedhishandacrosshisforehead,saying,“It’snotbad.Let’sgetoutofhere.”

Wedressedinahurry.CameronheldmebymyarmasIhoppeddownstairstowhere

we’dleftmycrutcheslastnight.Whenwemadeitoutside,thewindhadsettled,andinthe
morning’s first light we saw the damage to the cabin. The birch tree at the back of the
housewasbroken,anditstophalfhadcrashedintotheroofandthebathroom,breaking
thebedroomwindowsintheprocess.

“Oh,myGod!”

“It’s okay; we’re okay.” Cameron kept his arm around me. “Come on, let’s get

someplacewarm.Ineedtohaveanengineerassessthedamagebeforewecangobackin.”

Icrankeduptheheatinsidethecartothemax.“Thisisgoingtotakeforevertofix.

Lookslikethebathroomtookmostofthehit.”

ItwistedinmyseattolookbackatthehouseasCameronpulledaway,andIshivered.

Mychillswerenotonlytheresultofcoldweather,butalsobecauseIknewthatthetree
couldhavedonemuchmoredamagethanitdid.Itcouldhavekilledus.

“I’m sure it’s nothing that can’t be repaired, but with winter coming, I don’t have

muchtimetodoit.”

“You’regoingtodoit?”

“Withsomehelp,yeah.”

“Thanksgiving’sendofnextweek.”

“Don’tworryaboutthat.Weweregoingtocelebrateitintownanyway.”

“Ithoughtyourfamilywascomingovertothecabin.”

“TheywouldhaveifCortezwascaught.HopefullybyChristmastime.”

I didn’t understand what that had to do with Thanksgiving, and I frowned. Cameron

must have noticed my confusion and explained. “The family can’t come until we know
he’sbehindbars.Ican’taffordtotakeachancethathe’llfollowanyonehere.”

“Wherearewegonnastayinthemeantime?”

Heglancedatmefromthesidewithacockysmileonhisface.“You’regoingtolove

this.”

IimmediatelyknewthathewasdrivingtoSilvia’s,andIshuffledmyfeetinonespot

likeanoverexcitedgirl.“Ishouldbegratefulforthetree,butthatwouldbemean.”

“No, it wouldn’t. Maybe it’s a sign. It will do you some good to take your mind off

things.”

Camerontwisteduncomfortablyinhisseatandgraspedtherightsideofhisabdomen.

“Areyouokay?”Iasked.

“Yes,all’sgood.Justalittlecramp.”

Moments later we pulled up to Silvia’s animal sanctuary. The same little pup, Max,

greetedusatthefront,andSilviacamewithherarmswideopen.AsCamerontoldSilvia
whathadhappenedtothecabin,Istrolledaroundtotheback.Itappearedthattheanimal
sanctuaryhadsustainedsomedamageaswell.AssoonasIsteppedthroughthegate,the
two fawns came rushing toward me. I peeked into the tub where Silvia had previously
heldtheirfeedingbottles,butIcouldn’tfindany.

The back door opened, and a blonde bombshell wearing five-inch heels stepped

outside.Herperfectcurlsswayedfromsidetosideassheflutteredherextendedeyelashes.
ItwasthesamewomanwhohadaskedforCameronoutsidethediner.

“Are you looking for these?” she asked, passing me one of the two bottles she was

holding.

“Yes,thankyou.”

The fawns were stumping their little legs over the wooden porch, begging for

breakfast.

“Iwasabouttofeedthem.They’regorgeous,aren’tthey?”

“Yes,theyare.I’mKate.”Iwasgoingtoextendmyhand,butoneofthetwobabies

nudgedmeforthebottle,andsoIaimedthenozzleatitsmouth.Hewassucklingonthe
nippleinseconds.

“Oh,Iknowallaboutyou,Kate.Youcouldsaythatwe’realmostlikefamily.”

“I’msorry,butwhoareyou?”

Andhowdidyougetthatmakeupdonesoearlyinthemorning?

“I’mEvie.It’snicetoofficiallymeetyou.I’manoldfriendofCameron’s.”

Her tone of voice told me exactly the kind of old friend she was, and I wondered

whethershelivednearby.Lookingatherlongnails,trimmedbrows,andenlargedboobs,I
hadmydoubts.

“Yousaidfamily?Areyouacousin?”

Wasthattoomuchtohopefor?Icouldn’tjustaskherhowlongithadbeensinceshe’d

fuckedmyboyfriend.

“No, definitely not a cousin, silly,” she laughed, adjusting the bottle of milk in her

grip.Itcouldn’thavebeencomfortabletoholditwiththoselongclaws.“Iwasmarriedto
Brook.Wehaveadaughter.”

“Oh,Sophie?”

“Yes. I so needed a break from life. There’s so much hassle in the big city. Her

grandparentsarebabysittingrightnow.Sometimesweneedtogowherethewindtakesus,
youknow.”

And the wind just so happened to bring her here. She didn’t strike me as the

spontaneous type, but I’d been judged wrongly before, and so I decided not to pass
judgmentmyself.

“Iwasgoingtocomeuptothecabin,butthenthestormhitanditwastoodangerous

todriveuptheroadatnight,soIstayedatSilvia’s.”

“Well, you should be glad you didn’t make it up last night because the cabin’s been

damaged.Oneofthetreesfellontopoftheroofandbrokethrough.Ithoughtitwasan
earthquake.”

“Oh,no!I’msosorry.IsCameronallright?”

“Yeah,he’satthefront.”

“ThankGod!Icouldn’tliveifsomethinghappenedtohim.”

Myheadjoltedupattheoddcomment.Itwasn’tevenwhatshesaid,butthewayshe

saiditthatmademefeelawkward.

“Yeah, me too,” I said. “So, it looks like we may be crashing at Silvia’s until the

cabin’sfixed.”

“Yay!We’regoingtobebunkbuddies.”

Bunkbuddies?

IquicklysaidasilentprayerthatSilviahadatleastasinglebedinaseparateroom.As

Ifinished,Cameronwalkedaroundthecorner.Hestoppedmid-stepassoonashesawmy
newfriend.

“Evie,whatareyoudoinghere?”

“Oh, Cameron. Thank God you’re here!” She yanked the bottle out of the fawn’s

mouthandrantoCameron,throwingherarmsaroundhisneck,bendingoneofherknees
to lift her foot over-dramatically. For an ex-sister-in-law, she certainly seemed to feel
comfortableinhisarms.Ipickedupthehalfemptybottleshe’ddroppedandgaveittothe
otherfawn,whowastryingtostealhissibling’sfood.

“IhadanargumentwithBrookbeforeheleftonhissecretmission.Sophiewantedto

gowithhim,buthesaidnoandshewascryingandheleftmeallaloneagain.”

“Is Sophie with you?” He ignored her laments and uncoiled her tentacle arms from

aroundhisneck.

“No,she’swithyourparents.Ijustneededsometimetothinkthingsover,youknow.”

Cameronsighed.“IguessthingsareseriouswithLolaandyoudon’tlikeit?”

“Howcanhelikesomeonelikeher?She’snothinglikeme.”

I wanted to roll my eyes but thought that would be a little rude. I could see exactly

whysomeonelikeCameron’sbrotherwouldn’twanttobewithher.Infact,Iquestioned
how in the world they’d ended up together in the first place. Evie didn’t seem to have
muchincommonwithmyfriendLola.

“Did you ever think he likes her because she’s nothing like you?” Cameron replied

withoutmissingabeat,andIchuckledinside.

“Sure, Cameron. Why don’t you stab me in my heart again? I don’t think it’s bled

enough.”

“Didyoucomealone?”Hisbrowsnarrowed.

“OfcourseIcamealone.”

“Didn’t Brook explain to you how dangerous the family situation is? No one’s

supposedtocomeuphere.Thatincludesyou,Evie.”

“Hedid,butIwascareful.Noonefollowedme,andwhenIwasonmywayuptothe

cabin,thewindwassostrongIthoughtthecarwouldflipover.”

HadsheevenheardawordCameronsaid?

“Youpoorthing.Katieheretoldmewhathappened.Areyouhurt?Doyouneedmeto

getyousomemedicine?”

Somethingtoldmethatshe’dbethelastpersonI’dwantgivingmefirstaidduringany

kindofcrisis.

“It’s Kate,” I said, though I was sure she didn’t hear me. Either that or she was

ignoringme.

Cameron shook his head. “I’m going to have to check if you covered your tracks

sufficiently.”

“Whattracks?”

“Theonesyoudon’tevenknowyoumade,Evie.Willthereeverbeatimewhenyou

actuallylistenanddoasyou’retold?”

“Don’tgetsnippywithme,CameronMadden.Youlostthatrightwhenyoudumped

me.”

I caught his uncomfortable glance, and I wondered how in the world someone like

CameronhadgoneforsomeonelikeEvie.Ourhostesscameoutthebackdoor.

“Lookslikeyou’regoingtohaveafullhouse,Silvia,”hesaidapologetically.

“Myhomeisyourhome.”Shesmiledkindly.

“Howlongbeforethecabinwillbefixed?”Evieasked.

Notsoonenough.

Iwantedtolikeher,buteachtimeshespokeandbattedherlonglashesatCameron,I

founditmoredifficult.

“I’vebeenlookingforwardtotakingadecentshower,”sheadded.

“The cabin will take a while. I’m going to try to assess the damage today, but

definitelyaweekorso.Whydon’tyougohome,Evie?I’msureyoumissyourking-sized
pillow-topbed.”

“Oh,no.Ifthere’sdamage,Icanhelp.Iknowyou’regoodwithyourhands,butthere’s

nothingbetterthanmydesignereye.”Shetwirledoneofhercurlsaroundherfingerand
againflutteredherlashesasiftheybelongedtothebutterflyfamily.Jesus,thatgirlhadno
limits.Ibetifwetookheruponheroffer,thecabinwouldenduplookinglikeaDisney
castleswallowedbyapinkglittermonster.

“Sure,butyou’llneedtogetaconstructionhat,apairofsafetyboots,andclothesthat

canberuined.”

Shefrowned,andthenreachedforCameron’sbicepandsqueezeditwhilebitingher

lip.Heonceagainremovedherhand.Shewasclingingtohimlikeasuctioncup.

“Whydon’tIleaveaman’sworkforarealman,then?IthinkIwouldbemorehelp

aroundhere.YouknowhowmuchIloveanimals.”

IhadafeelingthatCameronwantedtorollhiseyesashardasIdid.

“Imean,lookatthisplace.It’samess.”Shepointedtotheback,whereatarpIhadn’t

seenbeforewascoveringpartoftheenclosure.

“Thewindtorethroughthefence.IwasgoingtogetGarytofixittoday,buthisroofis

leaking.”Silviapulledherfingersthroughherhair.Shelookedlikeshehadsomuchon
herplatethatthelastthingsheneededwereunexpectedguests.

“I’llhelpyouwiththefence,Silvia.I’mgoingtogogetourclothesfromthecabinand

pick up some supplies from Gary, and then I’ll have the rest of the day to work on the
fence.”

“Thankyou,Cameron.”

“Isn’theamazing?”EviesnakedherhandsupCameron’sarmagain.

“Boundaries,Evie.Remember?”

“Don’tbesilly,Cameron.IknowexactlywhereIbelong.”

Evie’sideaofbelongingwaswaydifferentthanminebecauseifitwereme,she’dbe

ontheothersideofthecountry,onabeachworkingonherCaliforniatan.

Bothfawnsfinishedtheirmilkandhoppedofftothepatchofgreengrassintheback

wheretheybeganchasingoneanother.

“Silvia,areyousureit’sokayforustoinvadeyourhome?”

“Absolutely, love. As long as you can come up with a shower schedule, I’m always

happytohaveguests.Weonlyhaveasmalltankofwater,sounlessyou’rethefirstonein,
you’reoutofluck.”

“Oh,I’msurewecanworksomethingout.”Eviehookedherarmintomineandgave

meherfullBarbiesmile.“Come,I’llshowyouwhereyourroomis.”

“I’llseeyousoon?”IaskedCameron.

Insteadofreplying,hetookthreelongstepstowardmeandkissedmehardonthelips,

asifhewantedtomakeapointinfrontofEvie,whohadneverletgoofmyarm.WhileI
appreciatedhisgesture,IhopedthatEviedidn’tneedareminderthathewastaken.WasI
wrong?Heletgoofmylips,andIfeltlight-headed.

Cameron glanced to the side and gave our friend a knowing look. “Evie, remember

whenwetalkedaboutpersonalspace?”

Sheletgoofmyarmandsteppedtotheside.

“Willyoubeokayhereonyourown?”heasked,smoothinghisthumblovinglyover

mycheek.

“OfcourseIwill.”

“Areyousure?”

“I’mprettysurethatifIsurvivedCortez,IcansurviveEvie,”Isaidinalowvoice.

Hechuckled.“Areyousuresure?Shecanbeahandful.”

“Icanhandlemyself.Ipromise.”

“Ifyougoacrossthestreettothediner,theyhavedeliciousbreakfastpancakes.Ask

fortheCanadianmaplesyrup.Ishouldbebackbeforelunch.”

Thelossofhistouchbroughtimmediatechillstomybody.

“I’llbringyourfluffysweateraswell.”

“Iwaskindofgettingusedtoyoursweatshirt,”Iwhispered.

“Thenkeepit.”

“Hurryback.”

IkissedhimoncemoreandthenfollowedSilviainsidethehouse,wheresheshowed

me our bedroom. Fortunately, there weren’t any bunk beds, and Evie’s bedroom was on
theothersideofthehouse.Nowitwasuptometoensurethatshedidn’tforgetthat.

O

VER

THE

NEXT

week and a half, we settled into a routine at Silvia’s. Every morning,

Cameronleftforafewhourstooverseetheconstructionatthecabin,andIhelpedSilvia
withthefeeding,cleaning,cooking,andlaundry.Ineverthoughttherecouldbesomany
towelsandragsthatneededtobewasheddaily.Eviestayedoutofthewayforthemost
part,especiallyinthemorningsandeveningswhenmostoftheworkhadtobecompleted.
Itwaslikeshehadasixthsenseaboutchores,andshedisappearedbeforeweevenhada
chancetoaskforherhelp.

Iwasn’tsurewhereshewentanddecidednottoworry.Instead,Itooktheopportunity

to appreciate the quiet because when Evie was around, peace was a rare commodity. It
wasn’t that I didn’t like her; in fact, I liked her more than I’d expected to, but her
attention-seeking nature threw me off guard. When Evie was around, she was not only
loudandconstantlychit-chatting,butalsoverydistracting.Anditseemedthateveryday
shefoundanewwaytogetundermyskin.

FeelingmoreirritablethanusualthemorningofourThanksgivingdinner,Idecidedto

take a pregnancy test. I hadn’t missed my period, but something was off with my body,
and I wasn’t sure what it was. My boobs hurt, my appetite had dwindled, and I could
barelyfunctionwithouttakingamid-daynap.

I sat on the closed toilet seat, waiting for the slow second-hand to tick through the

three-minutemarkbeforeIlookedatthetest.

“Whyareyousonervous?”Cameronwassittingonthebathroomfloorwithhisback

againstthedoor.

“Idon’tknowhowtofeelaboutthis.”

“Youdon’twantit?”

“No, I do want it. I’ll be disappointed if it’s negative, but if it’s positive… I don’t

know…I’veneverbeenatthismomentinmylifebefore.Idon’tknowwhattoexpect.”

“Forwhatit’sworth,Ithinkyou’llmakeagreatmother.”

Outside,weheardthetwofawnsbeggingfortheirbreakfast.

“I’llbeoutthereinfiveminutes,”Isaidundermynose,asiftheycouldactuallyhear

orunderstandme.Animalshadasixthsenseaboutfood,justlikeEviedidaboutchores.
They knew when to appear and when to make themselves invisible. I once tried to find
them in the bushes at the back when I went to check for holes in the fence, but they’d
camouflagedthemselvessowellthatIcouldn’tfindthemuntilitwasdinnertime.

“Maybe this baby thing is not a good idea. Maybe we should wait until Cortez is

found.”

“Baby,you’repanicking.Cortezcan’tgethere.There’snoway.”

“Eviegothere.I’msureCortezcanaswell.”

“Evie’sfamily, but she’snot listed assuch. It would takea lot ofdigging for him to

associateherwiththeMaddens.”

“You’re wrong, Cameron. As much as I don’t want you to be, you are wrong. She

sharesachildwithBrook.”

“It’snotassimpleasyouthink.”

Asuddennoisedrewmyattentiontotheoutside.Cameronstoodupandoffthefloor

andpeekedoutthewindow.“They’reattheporchalready.”

“Silviasaystheyneedtostartfeedingonmorehay,buttheyreallylovethebottle.”

“Thefencelookslikeit’sholdingupfornow.”Isawhimconcentratehisgazeashe

focusedonthebackyard.

“It’sliketheyknowthat’stheirwaytofreedom,don’tthey?”

Cameronsatdownonthetub.Hisgazeshiftedtothecounterwherethepregnancytest

wasresting.

“Thirtymoreseconds.”Ismiled,feelinganewglintofhopesparkleinmyheart.He

wasright.Iwantedthisbabymorethananything.

“You’vebeenoverworkingyourself,Kate.Ithinkyouneedmorerest.”

“No, I’m really enjoying this place. Time goes by more quickly, you know. Is there

anynewsonCortezormyfather?”

Heshookhishead,andIwonderedhowlongitwouldtakebeforewecouldreturnto

ournormallifebackinNewYork.DidIreallywantthat?

“On the bright side, the cabin is almost done. Two more days and we’ll be able to

moveback.IhopeEviehasn’tbeengivingyoutoomuchtrouble.”

“Actually,she’sbeenverynice.”

“Aha.”

“Iknowshe’sbeencominguptothecabintobewithyou.”

He stilled. Each time Cameron went to work on the cabin, Evie found an excuse to

leaveaswell.

“Andyouhaven’tsaidanything?”

“Itrustyou.Besides,she’snotyourtype.I’mnotquitesurehowyoutwoevendated

inthepast.”

“Iwouldn’tcallitdating…shewasjustawarmbodyIneededatthetime.”

“NotexactlywhatIwantedtohear.”

“I’msorry.She’sthepast.You’remypresentandmyfuture.”

Icheckedmywatchandmyheadflewupwithagasp.“It’stime.”

CamerongraspedmywristbeforeIhadachancetoliftthepieceofpapercoveringthe

pregnancytest.

“Kate, please remember that sometimes it takes a few tries. I will never complain

aboutthat.”

“All right. Here goes nothing.” I lifted the paper and focused on the small window

withoneclearlyvisiblepinkline.

“It’snegative.”

“Areyousure?”

“Yeah.It’sjustoneline.”Islouchedonthetoiletseat.

“Hey,weknewthiswouldtakeawhile.Thedoctorsaidyourbodywilltaketimeto

heal,especiallyafterwhatyou’vebeenthrough.”

“Iknow.Iwasjustsosure.”

“Thegoodnewsisthatwecankeeptrying,right?”

“Right.”

“What’sthebadnews?”

“Thereisnobadnews.”Hesmiledandreleasedtheclipthatkeptmyhairup.“Would

youlikemetojoinyou?”

“Ifyoudo,we’llwasteallthewater.”

“Allright.I’mgoingtoshavethen.”

Isighed.“Ican’twaittoseewhatyou’vedonewiththebathroomatthecabin.”

Cameronhadbeenbraggingabouttherenovationeveryday,andIcouldn’twaittosee

thefinaldesign.Iundressed,turnedontheshower,andsteppedinside.Thewarmstream
thatIwasexpectingtoturnevenwarmershockedmyskin.Iscreamedandjumpedoutof
theshower.“Ahh!”

Camerongrabbedmytowelandwrappeditaroundmybody.“What’swrong?”

“Thewater.It’sfreezing.”

“Evie!”

“E

C H A P T E R 7

C A M E R O N

vie,howmanytimesdoIhavetotellyou?Youcan’tbehere.”Iclimbeddownthe

ladderandremovedthehammerfromEvie’shand.

“Well,Ican’tbeatSilvia’shouse,either.Doyouknowhowmuchworkthereistobe

done?”

Of course I knew, and I had a lot of work to do at the cabin as well, but with Evie

comingaroundeveryday,thatworkwasbeingdelayed.

“Whydon’tyoujustgobackhome,Evie?”

Hergazefelltoherperfectlymanicuredtoes.“Thewaydownhillismuchharderthan

up.”

ImeanthomeasinNewYork.

“Thentakeofftheheelsandenjoythenaturalfootmassage.Theysaythesoilinthese

partsofthewoodsisfilledwithminerals.”

She crossed her hands over her chest and nearly banged herself in the head with the

hammershewasholdinginherhand.Icarefullyremoveditfromhergripandsetitona
toolbox.

“Ifyouwanttoknowthetruth,Idon’twanttospendThanksgivingonmyown.Your

parentsarealwaysgoingonaboutmebeingthisandmebeingthatandohsonotrightfor
theirsonandgranddaughteranddon’tthinkIdon’tknowy’allcallmeBarbiebehindmy
back.”

I sighed. My brother might not have realized it, but Lola, his current girlfriend, and

Evie, his ex, had way more in common than I’d originally thought – specifically their
chattynature.

“Don’tyoumissSophie?”

“OfcourseImissher.Howcouldyouevenaskmethat?YouknowhowmuchIlove

her.Shemeanseverythingtome.”

“Iknow,Iknow.It’sjustthat—“

“Look, I don’t have many friends. I just need someone to talk to, and after Brook,

you’retheonlypersonwhoreallyknowsme.Imean,you’vegotKate,andBrookhasLo-
what’s-her-name, and I don’t have anyone. And” – she raised her finger to keep my

attention–“he’ssomewhereonasecretmissionanddoesn’tevenhavethecourtesytocall
me. Can you believe that? Not even one phone call. But don’t worry. I’m not lonely or
anything. I agreed for Sophie to spend Thanksgiving with your parents and that’s where
she’llremain,andI’llbeoutofyourhairfirstthinginthemorning.Ipromise.”

“I’mnotkickingyouout,Evie.YouknowIrespectyou,butyoualsohaveawayof

clinging to things and people you shouldn’t. You shouldn’t be clinging to me either. It’s
timeyoufoundyourownperson.”

Iliftedhersaddenedandcrumpledchinwithmyfingertomeetmygaze,knowingI’d

haveherattentionlongerifshedidn’tbreakdownonmeintoafull-onBarbie-stylecry.

“Imeanthat,Evie,”Iaddedsoftly.

Sheshriveledhernoseandherforeheadcreased,whichmeantthatEviehadjusthada

deepthought,whichwasrare.“IlikeKate.She’snice.”

“Yetyou’restilltryingtopullpranksonher.Comeon,Evie.Can’tyouworktogether

withsomeoneforachange?Iknowyou’vegotitinyou.It’sjustlikeoneofyourbeauty
appointments.ThinkofKateasanotherbeauticianwho’stheretohelpyou,exceptshe’ll
behelpingyouontheinside.”

“I’m not trying to be mean. The shower was an accident. One of the Bambi fawns

peedonmyfootwhenIwascheckingthegates.Icouldn’tjustleaveitalldirty.”

IgavehermyIwon’tfallforyourtricksface,andsheadded,“Itwasanemergency,

okay?Doyouknowhowbadfawnpeestinks?It’swayworsethanaskunk.”

IdoubtedthatbecauseI’dbeensprayedbyaskunkbefore,yetEviealwaysmanaged

tosmelllikeamixtureofcolorfulroses.

“Youcouldhavewashedyourfootinthetub.Youdidn’tneedtotakeatwenty-minute

showerandwasteallthewarmwater,whichwasmeantforKate.”

“DidKatetellonme?Becausethatwouldmakeherawitch,notabeautician.”

Ichuckledontheinside–thewayshecouldtormentmeinbed,I’doftenthoughtof

Kate as a witch. Besides, she didn’t have to tell on Evie. Kate’s scream had been loud
enoughtoalerttheothersideofthecountry,andI’dbeenrightthere.

“Shewantedtotakeashower,andallshegotwasastreamoficywater.”

“Oopsies.”

“Evie,you’vebeenthroughalotinyourlife,andIhaven’tbeenmuchhelp,Iknow.

JustpleaseconsiderthatthereissomeoneelseoutthereforyouotherthanBrook.”

“Likewho?”

Shelookedupatmefromunderneathherthicklashes,pleadingformetoanswerthat

itwasme.Iwouldn’t.

“It’snotme,butI’msureyou’llmeetyourmatchoneday.You’reawonderfulmother,

and…you’reverydedicated.”

“Howso?”

“Howmanywomendoyouknowwhosleepincurlerseverynightjusttohavetheir

hairbounce?”

“Well,that’sbecausetheydon’tknowabouttheflexiblecurlers,”shesaidsoftly,like

thatwasoneofhertoptenbeautysecrets.

“It’smorethanthat,Evie.Youhaveyourownstyle,andIrespectthat.It’sjustnotmy

styleorBrook’s.”

Shepoutedagain.Ihadyettofindatricktostopherfromdoingthatallthetime.

“Comehere.Don’tbesad.Lifeistooshorttobesad.”

I took her into my arms and held her there. She grasped at me in the same way she

usually did when I hugged her, with her arms acting like fish hooks. The last thing I
wanted was to give the girl the wrong impression; I was sure she already had plenty of
those.

“Iknow.Ijustwishitwaseasier.AllIwantistobeloved,youknow.”

“I know. I can see it in the way you love Sophie. The girl adores you. And you are

family,soweautomaticallyhavetoloveyou.”

“Hey.”Shepunchedmeplayfullyonmyarm.Herhandfelllimplytohersideasifin

despair,andshegavemethatguppylook.“SophielikesLola,too.”

“Whichmeansmynieceisluckyenoughtohavetwobeautifulandstrongwomenas

rolemodels.”

Shepulledinaninvisiblesniffle.ItwasanotheroneofEvie’strickstogainempathy.

“I never thought of it that way.” And right now, she was doing that thing with her face
whereshewasthinkingagain.Itsortofremindedmeofapersonwhowasconcentrating
onabathroomritual.

“Thank you, Cameron. That actually makes so much sense. I need to be more like

Lola.”

“That’snotwhatIsaid.Youneedtobeyou.YougiveSophiethatfemalesparklethat

sheneeds.Ifitweren’tforyou,shewouldn’tknowaboutballetor…oraboutblending.”

I wasn’t sure how I knew what blending was, but I’d spent enough time around my

six-year-oldniecethatI’dprobablylearneditfromher.

“Youshouldgetgoing,Evie.Thanksgivingdinnerstartsinlessthaneighthours,and

fromwhatIhear,blendingrequireslotsoftime.”

Sheglancedatherwatchjustasweheardaforcefulknockonthefrontdoorthatput

meonguard.

“Areyouexpectinganyone?”Iasked.

“No,definitelynot.”Isawahintoffearinhereyes.

“Standbackbehindthatwall.”

She took about a dozen or so quick Barbie steps that measured three of my regular

ones,graspedthecornerofthewall,andpeekedfrombehindit.

Iopenedthedoorandbreathedoutinrelief.“Charlie.Hey,howareyou?”

“Good.Iwastoldyoucutyourself,soIstoppedbytocheckitout.”

“Youcutyourself?”Eviecameoutfromaroundthecorner,actinglikeshewashereto

comfortme,butwhenshesawCharlie,shestopped.Iwatchedashermouthdroppedopen
andshesuckedinaquickgasp.

Charlieglancedfrommetoherandbacktomeagain,asifquestioningthesituation.

“Charles?”sheasked.

“Hello,Evelyn.It’snicetoseeyouagain.You…lookgreat.”

Shereachedoutherhand,andhetouchedthetipsofherfingerslikeagentlemanand

broughtherhandtohislipsforasoftkiss.Jesus,thisguywasevenbetterthanIwas.

“That’sastrongknockyouhad.Letmeseethosehands.”Evietookhispalmintohers

andgrazedherfingersacrosshisskin.Heshiftedfromonefoottotheother,andIprayed
thatsomeonewouldjustputmeoutofmymiseryormakethesetwodisappearsoIcould
finishmywork.

“Yes,thesearedefinitelyadoctor’shands.Confidentandprecise.Skilled.Ibetyou’re

soskilled.ShouldIcallyouDr.Lockheartnow?Iheardyouwerepracticingaroundhere.”

Charliemovedtowardher,onecornerofhisfaceliftingwithanassertivesmirk,and

thatwaswhenIsawKatestandingbehindhimholdingwhatlookedlikealunchbag.Ileft
thetwolovebirdsaloneandtookKate’shand,pullingherintomybody.

“IseverythingokayatSilvia’s?”

“Yeah,everything’sgood.”

“Whatareyoudoinghere?”

“Oh,Idon’tknow.MaybethesamethingEvie’sdoinghere?Lookingoutfortheman

I’minto.”

“Comeon,Kate.It’snotlikethat.”

“Iknow.I’mteasing.Mrs.Lockheartsaidshehastheentiredinnerpreppedalready,so

shedidn’tneedanyhelp.IsawCharlieatthedinerandthoughtIwouldaskhimtocheck
onyourwound.Itlookslikeit’sgettinginfected.AndIbroughtyousomebiscuits.”

“Biscuits, you say? There’s only one biscuit on my mind right now.” I grasped her

aroundthewaistandbroughtherevencloser.Kate’sbodywastheperfectremedyforany
ailment.“YouthinkwehavetimebeforeyouhavetogetreadyforThanksgiving?”

Sheloweredhergazetoherwatch.“IthinkIhaveafewsparehours.”

My attention temporarily flew to Evie, who had stumbled on her high heels, falling

rightintoCharlie’sarms.

Niceone.

“I’mgoingtocheckoutCameron’swoundandthenridebacktotownifyou’dliketo

comewithme,Evelyn,”hesaid.

“I’dloveto.Iwasabouttoleaveanyway.”

Right.

Charliewashedoutthenewcutonmyforeheadandappliedantibioticointment.Then

heofferedhisarmtoEvie,whotookitwithglee,smilingfromeartoear,andtheywalked
outthefrontdoor.Yeah,thosetwowoulddefinitelybelateforThanksgivingdinner.As
soonasthedoorclosed,Katewasbackinmyarmsagain.

“Idon’tknowhowLoladoesit,youknow.IhavenoideahowsheputsupwithEvie.”

Iwasprettysureshedidn’t.

“Lolacanhandleherself,anditlookslikeCharliecanhandleEvieaswell.”Ilowered

mylipstoKate’searandwhispered,“Now,whydon’tyouputthosebiscuitsyoubrought
aside and let me feel your hot biscuit?” My hand slid between us and down to Kate’s
crotch.Shejerkedupwardatmytouch,andIfeltherimmediateheatinmypalm.

“You’rebeingcheesyandactinglikeyourbrother,”shesaid,withhalf-closedeyes.

“Whichbrother?”

“Atthismoment,I’mnotsure.You’reallsortofalike.”

“Hey,that’saninsult.IthoughtIwasyourfavorite.”

“Youare.”Shesteppeduponhertoesandkissedme,saying,“Youalwayswillbe.”

Thelittlesoundthatcamefromthebackofherthroatmademeinstantlyhardforher.

“Feellikechristeningthenewplace?”

“Ithoughtitwasn’tdoneyet.”

“It’s done enough. There are only a few finishing touches left. I also bought a new

generatorandbatterywecanusetostoreelectricityfromthelightpanels.Thiswaywe’ll
havefullpower.”

Iliftedherupandsheletoutahappysqueal.

“Whatareyoudoing?”

“You’resmartenoughtofigurethatout,Kate.”Icarriedherupstairs,straightintothe

bathroom.“Ihaveasurpriseforyou.”

“Youdo?”

As soon as I set her down to the floor, she gasped. “What’s all this?” She twirled

around,takinginthebathroomfullofroses.“Cameron?Whyalltheflowers?”

“Iwantedthisplacetofeelspecial.There’smoreinthebedroom.”

“Itlooksbeautiful.Oh!Lookattheview.Thewindowsarelarger,too.Thisisperfect!

Imightwanttostayhereforever.”

“Iwashopingyou’dlikeit.Theshowerhasnewjetsandarainshowerhead.”

“Ican’tbelieveyoudidallthis.”

“Ihadsomehelp.Imovedyourpainkillerstoanewmedicinecabinet.”

She turned around, gawking, acting as if she hadn’t heard me. “You put a TV in the

bathroom?”

“Idid.Thisway,ifyouwanttorelaxinthetubwithyourfavoriteshow,youcan.Look

toyourleft.”

Iwatchedasshewhippedherbodyoncemore,anxiouslywaitingtoseeherreaction.

“Andafireplace?Isthatourbedroomontheotherside?Areyoutryingtogetmeto

stayhereforever?”

Wasitworking?Thethoughtofspendingouryearstogether,here,feltright.

“It’sadouble-sidedfireplace.Thisplaceneededanupdateanyway.”

“Cameron,Idon’tthinkI’lleverwanttoleavethisbathroom.”

“I was hoping you’d say that about the bedroom, but a bathroom works as well.” I

kissedherhardonthelips.Sheopenedhermouthwider,lettingmegetadeeptasteofher.
Ifitweren’tforthefactthatwehadtosoongetreadyforThanksgiving,I’dsweepheroff
herfeetagainandcarryhertothebedroom.ButIcouldn’tdothatjustyet.

Tonight.

“Iloveit.”

“I was thinking that maybe if all goes well and Cortez is caught by then, the whole

familycouldcomeupandwecouldcelebrateChristmashere.”

“Ithinkthat’sawonderfulidea.”

“Aslongasyou’vegothope,that’sallweneed.Youwanttoseethebestpart?”

“Idon’tthinkthiscangetanybetter.”

“Oh,itcanalwaysgetbetter.”

Ipickedtheremoteupoffthecounterandflickedonthetelevision.Avideoappeared

ofawomandownonherknees,suckingoffamanandmoaninginexaggeration.

“Porn?You’regoingtoputonporn?”Kate’sdelectablegiggleturnedmeon.

“Ithoughtwemightneedit,incasewegetboredaroundhere.”

“When have we ever been bored?” she asked, yet she kept her gaze on the screen. I

watched as her nipples hardened underneath her sweater. The woman on screen twirled
hertonguearoundtherimoftheman’scrownanddeep-throatedhimagain.OneofKate’s
thighstwitched.

“Won’tthisdrainalotofpower?”

Did she even realize how sultry her quiet voice sounded? Kate licked her lips, and I

feltthefirstdropofpre-cumreleasebeneathmypants.WhenIcaughtherglancingdown
at my cock, with her mouth partially open and her eyes begging to taste me, I stepped
towardher,butshestoppedmewithherpointedfingerrightinthemiddleofmychest.

“Nah,ah,ah.”

“What?”

“Don’t.Move.”

Shedraggedthatsamefingerlowerandloweruntilshereachedmypantsandflicked

thebuttonopen.Ilovedthissaucysideofher.Inoneswiftmovesheloweredmyzipper.
Herhandslidinsidemyboxerbriefs,andIfeltmyballscontractatthetouch.Iclosedmy
eyes,breathingouthername:“Kate.”

Shewrappedherfingersaroundmyshaftandremovedmyunderwearwiththeother

hand.Usingthatseductivevoiceagain,shewhispered,“Shh,relax.”

Shesankdowntoherkneesandlookedupatmefrombelowherlashes,lickingher

lips.Justimaginingherlittlemoutharoundmydickwaspracticallyenoughtomakeme
blowmyload.

Thecoolnessofherlipsshockedmyheatedcrown,andmyasstensed.Sherimmedme

the same way we’d just watched on the screen. Somewhere in the background, I heard
someonemoaning,butnothingcouldhaveturnedmeonmorethanthesoundsKatewas
making.Herteasingtastesbecameslurps,andthoseturnedintoarousingwhimpersasher
lipstookcontrolofme.Herhandslidupanddownjustbelowhermouth,lowerandlower,
untilthecupofherpalmwaswarmingmysackandIwashittingthebackofherthroat.

God!

Shewasrelentless.Katetensedherlipsaroundme,addingmorefriction.

“Putyourhandinyourpanties,Kate.Rubyourself.”

She didn’t miss a beat. Keeping me in her mouth, she lowered her hand inside her

panties. I watched as her shoulders relaxed, and I knew that she’d reached her heated
flesh.Hermoansbecametorturous,andthatfirstzapofanoncomingorgasmsnappedin
mylowerspine.

WhydidIjustaskhertotouchherself?

Iwanteditnow.Iwantedtocomeoverherface,butsomethingstoppedme.I’dnever

questionedcominginhermouthbefore,butnowthatIknewhowmuchKatewantedkids,
itwasmygoaltoensureallofherdreamswererealized.

“Standup.”Ireacheddownandhelpedherup.Asuddencoolbreezesweptovermy

dickwhenitslidoutofhermouth.

“ButI’mnotdone.”

“Believeme,Kate.You’redone,andifyoudon’tturnaroundrightnow,I’llbedoneas

well.Takethosepantsoff.”

Sheobliged,removingherskinnyjeansandwigglingherassintheprocess.Shedidn’t

evenhaveachancetolowerthemallthewaydown.Iturnedheraroundandyankedher
pantiestotheside,foundheropening,andwithonethrustIwasuptothehilt.

“Oh,my!”Sheflewforward,andIstayedinsideherasthatfinalcontractionI’dbeen

holding back forced my balls to tighten over and over, spilling inside her. I gritted my
teethasthepleasurespurtedoutofme,mylowerjawgrindingagainsttheupper,grunting
anddiggingmyfingersintoherhips,holdinghersteady.Onelastjoltflewthroughmeand

Ifinallyrelaxed;andthenIpanicked.

“Shit!”Isaidthroughmyteeth.

“What’sthematter?”

IslowlywithdrewandgrabbedmyjawbeforeKateturnedaround.

“Higha.”

“Hiwhat?”

Ipointedtomymouthrepeating,“Higha.”

“Yourjaw?”

Inodded.

“Highaishhocked.”

“It’slocked?Yourjawislocked?Isthatwhatyou’resaying?”

Yes!

IopenedmyeyesaswideasIcouldandsplayedoutmyhandstothesidesindespair.

“How?Iwastheoneblowingyou.”

Ishrugged.Don’tlaugh.Don’tyoudarelaugh,Kate!

“Okay, okay. I’m not laughing,” she replied, as if she’d read my mind – and then

laughed.

“Hothoney.”

“Isthatyournewnicknameforme?Hothoney?”

“Ho,hishothoney.”

“Igetit,butit’sstillprettyfunnytome.”

Atleastshewasgettinggoodatunderstandingme.Atthatpoint,IdidtheonlythingI

couldtogetanykindofempathyfrommywitch,andIpouted,begging,“Helph.”

“Okay,okay.Forstarters,weneedtogetyoudressed.”Shepointedtothejeansstill

aroundmythighsandmynow-limpdick.

Fuck!

IhadafeelingthatIwouldneverlivethisonedown.

“Ihopeyouknowthisisoneofthosestorieswe’regoingtotalkaboutfortherestof

our lives,” she confirmed, and I stilled. Surprisingly, the thought of spending the rest of
mylifewithKatesoundedprettygoodtome,evenifsheteasedmeaboutmylockedjaw
fortherestofourlives.

W

C H A P T E R 8

K A T E

earrivedattheLockheartDinerwithoutdelaybutwithonesorejaw.The
town of twenty-five, plus a few extra guests, were all seated around a U-
shapedwoodentable,clinkingtheirglassesofwinetomaketoasts.Imade

abeelineforCharlie,whowassittingbesideEvie.

“Dr.Lockheart—”

“Kate,iseverythingallright?”

“No, Cameron has a small problem. He needs your help. He’s in the hallway at the

front.”

Charliestoodupandexcusedhimselffromthetable.Iwasabouttofollowhim,but

Eviestoppedme.“What’swrongwithCameron?”

“Hehasalockedjaw,andI’vebeenteasinghimsomuchonthewaydownthehillthat

I’mprettysurehe’ssickofmetoo.”

I foresaw plenty more blowjobs on the horizon to make it up to him, but I couldn’t

helpit.Hesoundedfunnywhenhetriedtospeakbetweenhisteeth,thoughIcouldonly
imaginehispain.ThemoreIthoughtaboutit,theworseIfeltaboutteasinghim.

“Howdidhelockhisjaw?”sheasked.

“Ahm…itjusthappened.”

Iwasn’tabouttotellherthatitwasduringwhatappearedtobeastrongorgasm,and

so I ignored Evie’s question and followed Charlie out into the hallway, where he began
feelingCameron’sjawbonewithhisfingers.

“Ifthisdoesn’twork,you’regoingtohavetogotothehospital.”

Cameronnodded.

“Isitgoingtohurthim?”Iasked.

“It’snotgoingtobepleasant.Ready?”Charlieasked.

Cameronnoddedagain,butIsawdoubtinhiseyes.

“One,two,three…”

Cameronreleasedaloudandpainfullyhorridyelp,andmyheartbrokeinhalf.

Evieburrowedherlongnailsintomyarm.

“Ouch!”Igasped.

“Oopsies.Sorry.”

“Diditwork?”Iasked,watchingasCameronheldthetearsfullofpaininthecorners

ofhiseyes.

“No.HeneedsastrongermusclerelaxantthanwhatIhaveonme.I’llneedtotakehim

tothehospital.”

“I’mcomingwithyou.”

“Ho,”hereplied.

“Cameron—“

Hegavemeawarninglook,andIknewthatIhadnosayinthematter.Itwassaferto

stayhere.

“Allright.I’llstay.PleasecallSilviaorMariannewhenyouknowsomething.”

“Don’t worry, Kate. I’ll make sure they’re okay.” Evie hugged me tightly as if we’d

beenthebestoffriendssincebirth.

“You’regoing?”Iasked,butsheignoredmeasCameronyelpedoutinpainagain.We

alljumpedupatthesound.

“Isitthejaw?”Charlieasked.Cameronshookhisheadandpointedtohisstomach.

“Allright,ladies.I’mgoingtoneedsomespacetoexaminehim.Liedownonthefloor

forme.”

Concerned,IpulledEvieaside.“Evie,you’regoingwithDr.Lockheart?”

“Don’tworry,Kate.Iknowwhereyourmindisgoing,andIcanassureyouthatI’m

not interested in Cameron, if you know what I mean.” She wiggled her brows as if that
were our secret code. “We were going to leave in the morning, but now that Cameron’s
hurt,Iguessitmakessensetoheadouttonight.”

“‘We?So,youandCharlieareseeingeachother?”

“It’snothingofficialjustyet,butI’mhopingitwillbe.We’veknowneachotherfora

longtime,butthetiminghasalwaysbeenoff.”

“Evie,I’msohappyforyou.”

“Nowyou’renotjustsayingthatbecauseI’llbeoutofyourhair,areyou?”

“No,I’mnot.I’mtrulyhappyforyou.”

“Thank you. I love you, Katie, and I love Cameron and Brook as well. Cameron’s

right.Weareafamily,andI’msohappythathe’sfoundsomeoneaslovelyasyou.Tobe
honestwithyou,I’vealwaysthoughtofhimasabrother.”

“Wait…didn’tyoutwodate?”

“Yes,butthatwasbeforeIthoughtofhimasabrother.”

Right.

“Pleasetakecareofhim,andbecareful.”

“Iwill.Youaswell.”

WiththepaininCameron’sabdomenobviouslygrowingstronger,Iquicklykissedhim

goodbye,andtheywereontheirway.Assoonastheyleft,Irealizedthathehadn’teven
packedanything.Asuddenoverwhelminglossflewthroughme.Silviamusthavenoticed
becauseshecametositbymysideatthetable.Mariannecameovernextandsatonmy
otherside.Theyeachputanarmaroundme.

“Don’tworry,honey.Cameron’sresilient.He’llbeallright.Iknowhewasplanning

on taking you up the hill this evening. If it makes you feel better, don’t go back to the
cabin;staywithmeuntilhereturns.”

“Thankyou.IthinkImay.Ihavemyclotheshereanyway.”

“Silvia!”someoneyelledoutatthebackofthekitchen.“Silvia,yourduckswereinmy

gardenyesterday.”

I saw Silvia’s neighbor, George, whom I’d been told had a thing for her, walk in

throughtheback.

“That’s my cue to leave.” Marianne stood up and patted Silvia on her shoulder with

support,thenleft.

“George,they’renotmyducks.They’rewild,andthey’refreetocomeandgoasthey

please.Andyourgardenishalf-deadanyway.Summer’sover.”

HegrinnedandshamelesslyeyedSilviafrombehind,thenpulledoutafreechairand

satnearher.ForafellowwhoseemedtobeupsetatSilvia,hecertainlywantedtobeclose
toher.

“Ifthey’rewild,itmeansthey’refairgame.”

“Youwouldn’t,”sherepliedinshock.

“Asoftomorrow,nomorequack,quack.I’mgonnawringtheirnecks;freezeonefor

thewinterandbaketheotheronefordinner.”Georgelaughed,thenpatientlywaitedfor
herresponse.

I cleared my throat. “Mr. Connors, I’m sure we can come to an amicable agreement

withoutkillingtheducks.They’recuteandfriendly.”

“They’reorganicallyraisedanddelicious.Thatmakesthemfood.”

“Howdareyou!”Silviagasped,holdingontoherheart.

I placed my hand over her knee reassuringly and turned toward George. “They trust

humans.Killingthemwouldbeinhumane.”

“It’s because he doesn’t have a heart. George Connors is vicious like that.” Silvia

frowned,talkingasifheweren’tintheroom,andthenleanedovermetowardhim.“You
touchthoseducks,GeorgeConnors,andIwillneverspeaktoyouagain.”

“Well,thatwouldbeablessing,wouldn’tit?”

“Mr.Connors,howaboutIstopbytomorrowandseeifwecanaddsomethingtothe

garden to deter the ducks? That way you’ll be happy and you’ll have a very grateful
neighbor.Right,Silvia?”

“Iwilldoanythingtosparethelittleones.”

“Whatdoyousay,Mr.Connors?I’llseeyoufirstthingtomorrowmorning?”

“Allright,aslongasyou,younglady,willhaveacoffeewithmeaswell.”

“Soundsgoodtome.I’mgoingtoheadinside.It’sbeenalongday.”IkissedSilviaon

her cheek, said goodnight to the remaining guests, and headed for the door. On my way
out I heard Silvia say, “If you’re trying to make me jealous, George, it’s not going to
work.”

As I turned on the lights at Silvia’s house, I wished that Cameron were there. He’d

barelyleftandIalreadymissedhim.ImissedmymomandCameron’sfamilyaswell,and
IwoulddoanythingtohavethemalltogetheratChristmastime.HopefullySilviacould
keep me busy enough to make the time pass by until he returned. Earlier in the day she
hadvolunteersfromtownwhohadcleanedallthecages,fedtheanimals,andpreparedfor
tomorrow,soallIhadtodotonightwasshowerandheadtobed.

WhenIpulledthecoversovermybody,afeelingofemptinessoverwhelmedme,and

forthefirsttimeinawhile,Ihadthenightmare.

Crack…

Crack…

Crack…

T

HE

SOUND

ofbreakingbonewokemeatdawn,andIshotupinmybed.Ismoothedmy

handovertheemptyspotbesideme,putonmyrobe,andwenttobrushmyteeth.Onmy
wayoutofthebathroomIsawSilviapouringcoffeeinthekitchen,andIstopped.

“Goodmorning.Howdidlastnightgo?”Iaskedher.

“Georgecouldn’tstoptalkingaboutyoucomingovertohisplacethismorning.”

“Oh, he just needs a little attention, that’s all. But he doesn’t know how to go about

askingforit.”

“Well, he’s definitely asking for something if he touches one of my ducks.” She

pressed harder into the dough she was kneading with her fist. Silvia loved to bake fresh
cinnamonrolls.Thishousewouldsoonsmellmouth-watering.

“Don’t worry, Silvia. I’ll have a chat with him when I go over. Any news from

Cameron?”

“Charliecalledaboutanhourago.Thejawisfine,butCameron’sgotappendicitis.”

“What?”

“Hesaidnottoworryandthatthey’retakinggoodcareofhimatthehospital.Ihave

strictinstructionstoensurethatyoudon’tgoallcrazyandgotothehospitaltoseehim.”

She washed her hands under the faucet, dried them on her apron and came closer. As if
worriedthatsomeonewouldoverhearher,shesaidinaloweredvoice,“Becauseitcould
bedangerousforyouifyoudid.Cameronshouldbebackhomeinacoupleofdays.”

A couple of days sounded too long, but with the nightmare still fresh in my mind, I

wasreadytotakeallthesafetymeasuresnecessary.IthadbeenagoodcallonCharlie’s
parttotakehimtothehospitalafterall.

“Thank you. I shouldn’t be long at George’s. I already have an idea how to keep

Merrilloutofthegarden.”

I kissed her on her cheek, the same way I would have kissed my grandmother, and

wentoutside.Thoughtheskywasclear,themorningswerenippy.Thesmellofthawing
frosthungintheairasIwenttothebackofthepropertytocheckonthefence;andthenI
sawoneofthefawnsontheotherside.

“Oh,no.Ts,ts,ts.Comehere,sweetheart.”

Helookedupmomentarily,watchingmewithcaution,thenresumedshufflingthrough

theleavestouncoversomegrass.IwishedIhadhisbottleofmilktolurehimbackin.

Itookastepforward.

“Ts,ts,ts.Comehere,baby.”Thistimehedidn’tevenbudge.Iwonderedhowinthe

world I would get him to come back through the broken fence without a bottle. I
contemplatedgoingbacktothehousetogetone,butIdidn’twanttoleavethefawnonhis
own.WhatifIcamebackandhewasgone?

Asifreadingmymind,thefawnconnectedhisgazewithmineagainandtookoffinto

thewoods.

“No,no,no.You’renotoldenoughtomanagethroughthewinteryet!”

Iranafterhim.Theforestfloorwaslitteredwithdampleavesandmoss,andIslipped

a few times, losing my balance, but continued. The fawn would stop every once in a
while,lookup,andthentakeoffagain.Thelandslopeddownhill.Cameronhadtoldme
therewasavalleybetweenthecabinandthetown,andjudgingbythesteepterrainahead,
Imusthavebeennearthebottom.

WhenIspottedthefawnagain,hewasstandingstill,earsperked,lookingaheadatthe

stream.Agroupofdeerwithyounglingsweregrazingthegrassnearthewater.Iheldstill
asthedoe’sheadflewupandshestaredinthefawn’sdirection.Hetookahesitantstep
forward,andsheshowedsomemoreinterest,comingtowardhim.Notwantingtofrighten
them, I didn’t move a muscle. The fawn called out to her, and she stepped closer. He
repeatedhiscriesuntilshereachedhim,sniffedhim,andthenlickedaroundhismuzzle.
Shethenturnedandwalkedaway,lettinghimfollowher.Soon,theremainderoftheherd
circledthefawn,acceptinghimasoneoftheirown.

“Aww,youfoundanewmama.”Myheartdrummedharderatthesweetmoment,andI

wishedthatthefawn’sbrotherwastheretojointhefamily.Icouldn’twaittotellSilviathe
goodnews.Ifthefamilycameback,I’dtrytobringtheotherfawnbyaswell.

I waited until the herd crossed the stream, and then I hiked up the hill on the other

side.Itwassteeperthanthewayover,andIcaughtthefirstglimpseofCameron’scabin
near the top. But when I turned around to go back to Silvia’s, I tripped on a rock and
landednearafallentree.

“Shit!” I tumbled down into a trench concealed by overgrown ferns and shrubs. My

arms were scraped and I was sure I’d have a new bruise or two over my ribs. When I
gatheredmyselftogether,Ilookedupattheoldtrunkofanoakoverhead.

“No, no, no.” I tried to climb out of the steep bank, but the ground was loose. Tree

roots scraped the side of my face and fresh soil moved underneath my feet each time I
attempted to get out. I grasped at some twigs but only managed to tear those out in the
process.Thehollowtraparoundmewasdarkandcold.Chillsspreadovermybodyasthe
first thought of possibly having to wait until a search party was sent out became more
realistic.

“I’mstuck.”

Igrippedarootontheotherwallbuthadnoluckthereeither,asthatareawaseven

moreunstable.IfImovedtoomuchsoil,thetrunkabovemecoveredwithmossandvines
couldcollapse.

“Oh,thisisnotgood.”

SomewhereinthedistanceIheardtheleavesrustle.Ifroze,strainingmyears.Another

swishsounded,andIjumpedup.Withmyluckitwouldbeabearoralynx.Ibackedinto
acornerandthensawsomethingdropintotheenclosure.Moreleavesrustled,andthenit
wasquietagain.

“Please, God, let me live through this. Dying in a ditch would feel so wrong.” I

wouldn’tgiveup.Icouldn’t.Iwassparedforareasonanditcertainlywasn’ttodiealone
inaditch,solongasmyheartkeptbeatingIwouldtrytogetoutofthere.Itmusthave
beenatleastagoodfifteenminutesbeforeIwasbraveenoughtoseewhathaddropped
into the ditch. With my back against the wall, I shuffled my feet toward the opening.
WhenItouchedtherope,Icouldn’tbelieveit.Ituggeditonce,thenagain,anditheldin
place.

“Thankyou,God!”

I gripped the rope and climbed out. For the first time since the incident with Cortez

threemonthsago,Ifeltthelackofmusclestrengthinmylegandmyarm,andIwished
I’d exercised more. Exhausted, dirty, and cold, I crawled on all fours until I was a safe
distance from the trap. The rope was tied to a tree, but no one was around. “Hello? Is
anyoneoutthere?”Icalledoutafewtimes,butnoonereplied.

“Whoeveryouare,thankyou.”

I rushed back to Silvia’s, retracing my steps. My hands and jeans were soiled, and I

was certain that the sweater was ruined as well. Moments later I was back at the house
tellingSilviamystory.“Ihavenoideawhohelpedme.”

“Youknow,foryearsthere’vebeenrumorsthatthere’sasasquatchinthewoods.”

“Like…Bigfoot?”

“Idon’tbelieveinBigfoot.Thosewhohaveseenhimsayhe’sahairyoldmanliving

inthewoods.”

“That’ssad.Someoneshouldgooutthereandbringhimin.Winter’scoming.”

“Kate,noteveryonewantstobehelped.Ifhe’ssurvivedyearsoutthere,he’llbefine.

Youshouldkeepyourdistance.Godonlyknows,maybeit’sanex-con.”

IfeltshiversrundownmybackasthethoughtthatitcouldactuallybeCortezcrossed

mymind.ButCortezwouldn’thavehelpedme.Hewouldhavekilledmeandleftmein
thatholetorot.

“Maybe we can take the other deer out tomorrow to look for the herd? That mama

adoptedthefawnwithoutasecondthought.”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea. I don’t usually release them this early, but if the

mother took him in, that’s great news. I’m sure she can teach him how to live through
wintermuchbetterthanIcan.”

“Ialsodidn’tgetachancetoseeGeorge.He’sgoingtobeupset.”

“Oh,don’tworryaboutGeorge.Heactuallystoppedbywhenyoudidn’tshowupand

afterhesmelledmycinnamonrollsandIsawthathehadanappetiteforone,weshareda
coffee.”

“Oh,well.That’swonderful.”

“Ipromisedtobakeafreshbatchforhimandtobringitoverthisafternoon.I’mpretty

suremybunsmadeGeorgeforgetallaboutMerrill.”

I was pretty certain that Silvia’s buns – not only the cinnamon ones – had definitely

swayedGeorge’sdecision.

“That’sgreatnewsforMerrill.DidyouhearanythingelsefromCameron?”

“No,nothingnew,butIalwayssay,nonewsisgoodnews.”

I hoped so. As much as I was beginning to like living in this town, I wished I were

backwithCameronatthecabin.

I

C H A P T E R 9

C A M E R O N

wokeuptothesoundofapulsemonitor.

“Kate?Kate,areyouhere?”

Mywordswereslurredandmyjawached,butIcouldfinallymoveit.Therewasan

IVneedleinmyarm.Aboveme,Iwatchedastheliquidstreamedintothethintubedrop
bydrop.Thesmellofantisepticfilledtheair,andthat’swhenIrememberedthatlastnight
wehaddriventothehospitaltounlockmyjaw.Mystomachhadbeenhurtingontheway,
butI’dassumedtheywerehungerpains,eventhoughIcouldn’trememberbeinghungry.

“Kate?”Isaidmoreloudly,andthedoortomyroomopened.Eviesteppedin.Shewas

wearingthesameclothesshe’dhadonforThanksgiving,whichIfoundoddforher.

“Hi,sleepyhead.You’reawake.”

“Where’sKate?”

“She’ssafeintown.Charlieaskedmetostayhereuntilyouwokeup.”

That was when I remembered that I’d asked her to stay behind as well. Why in the

worldwasmyheadsofuzzy?

“WhyamIstillhere?Myjawisfine.”

“Your appendix burst on the way over to the hospital. Another few minutes and you

would have been gone. Charlie said you’re officially a lucky son-of-a-bitch. His words,
notmine.”

I growled in frustration, wondering how long it would be before I could leave. I

scanned the empty semi-private room. There were no flowers and no gifts, which was a
goodsign.Ididn’twantanyonetoknowIwashere.

“Who’sbehindcurtainnumberone?”

“Oh,somedudewhohadanaccident.Don’tworry.He’sinaninducedcoma.Andwe

didn’tuseyourrealnametoregisteryou.”

“Who’swe?”

“MeandCharlie.”

Right.ThetwolovebirdsIrecalledflirting,makingmycarridetothehospitalnearly

unbearable.Still,itlookedlikethey’dbroughtmehereintime.

“Thankyou.”

I tried to sit up, but it wasn’t easy, so I pushed the button on the bed frame and the

backrestbuzzedupward,bringingmetoasemi-sittingposition.

“Hey,takeiteasy.You’regoingtobehereafewdays.”

“Ican’t.Kate’swaitingforme.”

“You don’t have a choice: doctor’s orders.” I watched as Charlie closed the door

behindhim.Hewaswearinghiswhitedoctorlabcoatandhadastethoscopearoundhis
neck,makinghimlooklikearealdoctorforonce.

Eviegrinnedfromeartoearasifshe’djustbeentoldthatshe’dwonamilliondollars.

Cometothinkofit,datingCharlieLockheartwouldbethesameaswinningthelottery.

“What’sup,doc?”Iasked.

“Iseethemorphineisstillworking.I’llmakeanotetohaveitreducedforyou.”

Irealizedthathadtobethereasonwhyeverythingintheroomappearedpink.

“Oh, Charles, maybe you shouldn’t reduce it that quick. It’s the first time in a long

whilethatI’veseenCameronrelax.He’susuallyuptightlikehe’sgotapolestuckuphis
butt.”

Ilaughed.Hard.DidEviejustmakeajoke?

“Now,now,Evelyn.Whydon’tyouleavethedoctordutiestome?”Hewinkedather,

andEviebitherlip.Iwantedtohurl.MaybeitwasagoodthingthatI’dbeenunconscious
untilnow.

“HowlonghaveIbeenout?”

CharliemarkedsomethingonhisiPadandbegantocheckmyvitals.

“Forty-sixhours.Youhadaseriousbacterialinfectioninyourabdomen.HencetheIV

andtheantibiotics.”

“Jesus.Nextyou’regoingtotellmethatIcan’tleavetoday.”

CharliesethisiPaddownandbracedhishandsonthebedrail.“Yougotit.Fivedays

minimum.Doctor’sorders.”

“No,no,no.Thatcan’thappen.Ihavetogoback.”

“Kateisjustfine.IspoketoSilviayesterdaymorningandafternoon.Katewasoutin

thebackyardwhenIcalled.Youhavenothingtoworryabout.”

“AndIcalledJaxtotellhimthatyou’reokay,”Eviechirped.

“Youdidwhat?”

“IcalledJaxbecauseIcouldn’tgetaholdofBrook.”

“Evie,youshouldn’thave.Charlie,IthoughtyousaidIhadnothingtoworryabout.”

Myfriendlookedatmewithapologeticeyes,“Ididn’tknowaboutthephonecall.”

“Don’tbesoangry.It’sjustonecall.It’snotlikeIcalledyourparentsoranything.”

ThankGodshehadn’t.Anyofmyfamilymemberscouldhavehadtheirlinestapped

orbeenfollowedtogettoKate.

“Ifyouwantedtohelpyouwouldn’thavepickedupthephone.Eviehaveyoulistened

toanythingBrooktoldyouaboutoursituation?”

“Ididn’tmeananyharm.”Shepouted.“AndIusedthehospitalpayphone.”

I made a note to call my brother to ensure he’d destroyed that cell phone. If I knew

him well enough, then he already had. “Fine. But no more phone calls to anyone,
understand?”

“Ofcourse,Iunderstand.I’mnotasstupidasyou’dliketobelieve,andifIwereyou,

I’dbeconcernedaboutcreepydetectiveswhoshowupatthehospitalandoogleyoulike
you’reafive-mealcourse.”

Whatwasshetalkingabout?

“Ifyou’reworriedaboutanyonefollowingmefromNewYork,youdon’tneedtobe.

I’llbestayingatCharles’shome.”Frustrated,Eviestoodupandlefttheroom.

Onceshewasgone,Charliesatdownonthechairbesidemybed.“You’reprettyhard

onher,”hesaid.

“SometimesIfeellikeI’mtalkingtoawall.”

“You’renot.Shehearsyou.Shejustwishesyouheardheraswell.”

Washeright?WasIbeingtooharsh?

“Listen,whydon’tyouletmetakecareofEviefromnowon?I’llkeepheroutofyour

hair,andyoucanconcentrateongettingbetterandKate.”

WhydiditfeellikeCharliewasaskingmeforEvie’shandinmarriage?

“Yeah,sure.Haveyourgoather.Maybeyou’retheonewhocantalksomesenseinto

thatgirl.”

“It’s not as difficult as you think. You just have to understand where she’s coming

from.”

Oh,CharliehaditbadforEvie–whichcouldpossiblymeanthatEviewouldfinally

beoutofmyhair.

“Sorry,Iknowshemeanswell.It’sjustbeenaroughyearforme.It’sbeenroughfor

thewholefamily,”Isaid.

“Well,forwhatit’sworth,Ithinkshe’stheleastofyourworries.”

“Whatareyoutalkingabout?”

Charlie’sgazeflewtothedoorandthenbacktome.Heleanedoverme,whispering,

“The FBI director from New York has been waiting out in the hall since seven this
morning.Hewantstotalktoyou.”

“HowthehelldoesheknowI’mhere?”

“Idon’tknow.Wedidn’tuseyournameatregistration.”

“Kateneverlikedthatasshole.Whatdoesheseemliketoyou?”

“Definitely not someone I would give up my kidney for. You should listen to Kate.

Women’s instincts are usually right. If you want my advice, I would watch my back
aroundhim.”

“Thanks.Hey,youtakecareofEvie,willyou?”

“Yougotit.She’saveryspeciallady.”

I remembered a day in the past when I’d felt the same way about Evie, and for a

momentwonderedwhathappenedtodrivemeaway.Charliewasagoodman,andIhoped
thatthetwoofthemwouldbehappy.

“Allright.Letthesharkin.Inthemeantime,seewhatyoucandoaboutreleasingme

early.Anddon’ttellanyone.”

“Idon’tlikewhereyou’regoingwiththis,butI’llseewhatIcando.”

Moments after Charlie walked out the door, in came the FBI director who was

responsibleforkeepingCortezbehindbars.

“Howareyoufeeling?”heasked.

“Fine,nowthatmygut’sbeencleanedout.Whatareyoudoinghere?”

“Relax, Mr. Madden. No one knows you’re at this hospital. I was here on personal

businessandsawyoubeingwheeledoutofsurgery.”

Icalledbullshitonthatone.IfKatewasrightaboutthisguy,thenhewashighupon

Cortez’spayroll,whichalsomeantthatIwasintroubleandhewasclosertoKatethanI
everwantedhimtobe.

“Ihopeyou’refeelingbetter.”

“Almostdied,butthedoctellsmethatI’llbefine.”

“That’sgoodtohear.Areyouheadinghomeafteryou’rereleased?”

“No,backtotheonlysafeplaceIknow.”

“Good.Keepitthatway.Lookslikewinter’sgoingtobemildthisyear.”

Hewasfishingforinformation.

Dweeb.

Heshouldhavesavedthosegamesforamateurs.

“The weather is the least of my worries. How’s the investigation going? My father

hasn’theardanythingnewaboutCortez.”

“Mypeopleareworkingdayandnightonthecase.”

Somehow,Idoubtedthat,becauseaccordingtomysources,nothingwasgettingdone.

IhadafeelingitwastimetoputmyownplanintoplayandsetatrapforCortez.Ifthey
didn’tcuffhimbyChristmas,Ivowedtofinishtheirjobonmyown.

“Ifyou’restayingupinCanada,thewinterscangetnasty.”

“Thanksforthetip.I’llkeepthatinmind.”

Hisbrowsnarrowed.Ifhethoughthe’dgetanyinformationoutofme,hewaswrong.

“I’massumingthat’swhyyou’reatthishospital.It’stheclosestonetotheborder.”

“Assumptionscanbemisleading.”

Clearlyconfused,theassholefrowned,andI’dhadenoughofhim.

“Ifyoudon’tmind,Ihavetorestnow.Youknowwherethedooris.”

Therewasnoneedtobepolite.Webothknewwhosesidehewason,andafterIfound

CortezandDonaldson,hewasnextonmylistofscumtodealwith.

“Get well soon, Cameron. It would be a shame if Kate missed you for too long,

wouldn’tit?”

Thefuckerturnedonhisheelandwalkedoutthedoor.Ifithadn’tbeenfortheIVtied

to my arm and a nightgown that would probably expose me to an eighty-year-old
grandmother,Iwouldhavegoneafterhim.I’dpickhimupbythethroatanddraghimup
againstthewall,demandingtoknowwherehewashidingthemobster.

Fuck!Howmuchmorphinedidtheygiveme?

Notamomentafterthedirectorleft,Charliecamebackintotheroom.

“Iseverythingokay?”

“Yeah,Ithinkso.”

“Listen,Cameron.I’mnotjustyourdoctor,I’myourfriend.What’sgoingon?”

“IthinkImighthavebeentooharshwithEvieaboutthephonecalltoJax.Sheshould

betheleastofmyworries.LookslikeImayhaveaproblemonmyhands.Listen,isthere
anywayyoucangetmeoutofhereduringthenight?”

Iwaited,buthedidn’treply.Charliewashavingadifficulttimebeingmyfriendanda

doctor,soIdecidedtopullonhisheartstrings.“IfIstayhere,IcanguaranteeyouthatI
willbedeadinthenexttwenty-fourhours,andGodknowswhatwillhappentoKate.”

He sighed. “Cameron, you just had a serious surgery. As your doctor, I ask you to

please stay longer. Your wound is still closing and you need time to heal. If you leave,
you’reriskingyourlife.”

“Andasmyfriend?”

Iwatchedashesighedwithreluctance.Hewouldn’tsaynotome.Notasafriend.

“Asyourfriend,I’llmakesurethere’sacarwaitingforyouattwointhemorning.”

“Thankyou.”

“AndI’llgetyousomeoralantibiotics.”

“Iappreciateit,friend.”

“Justtakecareofyourself,willyou?Hugthatgirlofyoursformeandstaysafe.I’ll

stay out of town for a while, just in case someone makes a connection and follows me.

Besides,lookslikeI’llbepreoccupiedwithEvieanyway.”

“Thanks,andgoodluck.”

“You too. Now rest while you can. Your trip without much morphine won’t be

pleasant.”

“Gotit.”

Charlieleft,andIlaybackandclosedmyeyes.ButallIcouldseewhenIclosedthem

wasKate’sbloodiedbodythatIcarriedoutofacryptthreemonthsago.Shehadbeenso
frail that night that I’d been afraid she wouldn’t make it. I was afraid that I’d lost her
forever. Somehow, I’d been given a second chance. I’d been given another shot at
happiness with a woman who had more hope in her heart than anyone I’d ever met. I
woulddieforher.

Attwointhemorning,Iwalkedoutthehospitalbackdoortowhereablackbeat-up

van with a driver was waiting for me. I opened the door, and the man asked, “You
Cameron?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m Jonah. Get in. I had someone following me earlier, but I lost him. We’ll drive

withoutheadlightstogetoutoftown.”

WheredidCharliefindthisguy?

“Yeah,soundsgood.”Isatinthefrontseatandbuckledup.Amarijuanaairfreshener

hungfromtherear-viewmirror,andthecarstankofweed.Thedriver’seyeswerered,and
hehadthatmellowlookabouthim.

Jonahturnedleftonthemainstreet,andIfeltthefirstpinchofpaininmyabdomen.

Mydriverswervedfromlefttoright,forcingmygutstooneside,thentheother.Fifteen
minutes into the ride, my insides began to feel like scrambled eggs. My head was still
spinning from the last dose of morphine I’d received two hours ago, but I could slowly
feelitleavingmybody.BythetimeIarrivedatthecabin,itwouldbeoutofmysystem.
Luckily,IstillhadsomestrongpainkillersatthecabinfromwhenKatewasinjured.

Thedriverremovedabluntfromtheinsidepocketofhisjacketandlitit.Hetookabig

inhalationandreleasedthesmokeslowlyoutofhislungs.

“Youcandriveonthat?”Iasked.

“Noproblem,man.”

Iwincedinpain,remindingmethatthemorphinewasdilutinginmybody.

“Youwantahit?”heasked.

“Yeah,Ido.”

Itookthejointfromhishandandinhaledalongdrag.Itimmediatelywenttomyhead,

butitalsomademeforgetaboutthepain,soItookanotherlungful.

“Goodshit?”heasked,glancingintotherear-viewmirror.

“Perfect.”

We drove out of the city and headed uphill into the forests. On our fourth turn, I

noticedasetofheadlightsintherearviewmirror.

“Youthinksomeone’sfollowingusagain?”Iasked.

“Idunno.Butwecanfindout.”

Hetookasharpturntotheleftontoasideroad.Theheadlightsfollowedus.

Shit!

“Yougotanotheroneofthose?”Ipointedtothejointhewasfinishing.Weweren’tfar

fromtown,andifIwasactuallygoingtodowhatspontaneouslypoppedintomyhead,I
wouldneedthejointtokeepgoing.Hepassedmethefreshlyrolledupcigarette.

“Slowdownalittle,butwithoutthebrakes.”

Heslidhisfootoffthegas.

“You’regoingtostopafterthenextturn,andI’llgotherestofthewayonfoot.”

“Areyousureaboutthis,man?”

“Yeah,I’mnottakinganychances.I’dappreciateitifyoucouldgethimoffmyback,

anddoyourselfafavor–gobacktothecity.Youneversawme.”

“Yougotit.”

We gained some distance from the car behind us, and as soon as we turned, Jonah

stopped.Iopenedthecardoor,hurriedout,shutitfirmly,andhetookoff.Momentslater,
asIlayintheditch,Isawourstalkerpassby.Thewindowsweretinted,andjudgingfrom
the way he was revving the engine, he wanted to catch up to the van. Resting for a
moment,Ilayonmybackandthroughacanopyclearing,gazedatthestarsaboveme.Ilit
thejointhe’dgivenme,smokeditup,checkedthecoordinatesonmywatch,andstarted
headingnorthtoKate.

My journey blurred. The further north I trekked, the colder it became, and the slow

drizzleturnedintosnowflakes.Painlessatfirst,IfollowedtheguidingGPSonmywatch.
Up the hill, then down the hill, through a creek or two, between shrubs, dodging some
branchesandtakingahitinthefacefromanother.Aftereachslipandstumbleitwasmore
difficulttogetup.Asmyimaginationwandered,myworryaboutKatespiked,andIsped
upmywalk,thoughitstillfelttooslow.Whatifthedriverfiguredoutwherewehadbeen
heading?WhatifhewasalreadyknockingonKate’sdoor?WhatifitwasCortez?Whatif
Katewasn’tthere,butatSilvia’s?ShouldIhavecheckedherhousefirst?

As the image of Cortez pointing a gun at Kate became clearer, I saw the cabin. The

lightswereoff,astheyshouldhavebeeninthemorninghours,andIfeltmypulserace.
Along with the increased blood pressure came a massive headache and an excruciating
paininmystomach.I’dbeenupforabouttwenty-fourhoursnowandtheexhaustionwas
beginningtotakeitstoll.Thefreshforestairhadalsoclearedmylungsofthepainkiller
I’d finished smoking, and my abdomen hurt like a bitch. I lifted my shirt. Blood was
seepingfromthestitched-upsurgerywoundthathadtorn,butIcouldrestassoonasIsaw
thatKatewassafe.

ExceptwhenIopenedthefrontdoor,Isawabearcubrushatme.

Icollapsedandlostconsciousness.

I

C H A P T E R 1 0

K A T E

thadbeenforty-eighthourssinceCameronhadleftforthehospital.Eachhour
thatpassedwithoutnews,Ibecamemoreanxious.Missinghim,Idecidedto
spendthesecondnightatthecabininsteadofSilvia’s.Preparingforhisreturn,

I baked a pumpkin pie, a cheesecake, and finished off with a hearty stew, but still there
was no word. Before the sun set, I chose a book from the library and curled up on the
familyroomsofa.

Half an hour into my reading, I heard a quiet but quick knock on the window, and I

jumpedup.

“Hello?”

Isetthebookdownandlookedoutthewindow.Apairofchild’sfearfuleyesstared

backatme.

“Oh,myGod!”

Thegirl’shairwasshort–choppedoffandspiky.Thecuffsofherlong-sleevedhoodie

weretorn,andherleggingswerestainedwithdirtandsoakedthroughtothelastthread.
She knocked on the window again, a little louder this time, every few seconds looking
behindherasiftocheckwhetheranyonehadfollowedher.Shelookedfamiliar,thoughI
didn’trecognizeheruntilIopenedthebackdoor.

“Sophie?”Iasked.

Thiscan’tbeher.

Brook’s little girl was supposed to be back in New York, safe with her grandparents

whileBrookandLolawenttolookforXavier,myfather.

“Sophie!Whatareyoudoinghere?”Irantoherandcrouchedbesideher,checkingher

overforcutsandscrapes,ofwhichtherewereplenty.That’swhenInoticedwhatappeared
tobeayoungwildcatsittingnearby.

“Kate.”Herlipstrembled.“I’msoscared.”

Thecatpurredandskippedafewstepstositbesidemylegs.

“Whathappened?Whatareyoudoinghere?”Iliftedherupintomyarmsandfelther

snuggleagainstmybody.

“Therewasamanchasingus.Twoofthem.Theywerebigwithlongbeards,andthey

weremean,andIhadtokeepmyearsshutthewholeentiretimebecausetheyweresaying
allthebadwords,andifDaddywasherehe’dmakethemputalotofmoneyinmyswear
jar.”

“Wherearetheynow?”

“Ithinkwelostthem.”

“Whataboutyourdad?IsLolawithyou?”

Sheshookherhead.

“He’sprobablyveryworriedaboutme.”

Hereyeslookedsad,andIhuggedheragain.

“Yeah, he probably is, baby. How in the world did you end up here? Okay, let’s get

youinside,honeyandwecanfigureeverythingeleseout,okay?”

I didn’t have a working phone because Cameron was worried about a signal being

tracedtothecabin,sothatwasoutofthequestion.IhadtogetSophiewarmedup,and
afterIdecidedwewoulddrivetoSilvia’stouseherphone.

SomethingtouchedmylegandIjumpedup.Itwasthecat–exceptnowthatIgota

closer look at the creature – the ginormous size of its paws, the elongated legs, and the
tuftsofhaironthetopofitstallears–Iknewitwasalynx.

“Wheredidyoufindthisguy?”Iasked.

“He found me. Animals find me all the time. Boo should be here soon too. We got

separatedwhenhegotscaredandheardtheshots.Itwasloud,andtheechoscaredhimso,
so,somuch.”

Shots?

“Who’sBoo?”

“Mybear.”

“Abear?”

“Yes,helosthismommy.Themeanmenkilledher,andtheyskinnedher,andwhen

Boo saw it he cried so much, and I had to be a big girl and not cry with him, but I did
screamjustalittlebit.”Sheshowedmeasmallgapbetweenherthumbandherforefinger
andcontinued.“I’mgonnabehismommynow.Butwehavealargerchickentofry.”

Sophieeitherhadawildimaginationorshewasjustabundleofcutenessandtrouble.

“Awhat?Wait,haveyoubeenhangingoutwithLola?”

“Yes,butshe’snotthechicken.”

Sophie’s breaths were heavy and her eyes bulged. She clenched her fists around the

longsleevesofherhoodie,clingingtoitasifitwasgoingtosaveherlife.Sheappearedto
beinsurvivalmode.

“Myfriendneedshelp.He’shurt.”Shebreathed.

“Whatfriend?”

“He’s behind the shed, but he needs help. Daddy calls him Sasquatch. He’s a little

scary,buthesavedmeandheneedsmyhelprightnow.Herunsawayfrompeople.Ithink
he hasn’t seen people in a loooooong time because he eats these leaves and finds these
berries, and his teeth are crooked and his hair is like one of Mommy’s old rag dolls I
accidentallydraggedintomudwhenIwaslittle.Myfriendgotshot,andI’mscaredthat
he’sdead.”

OhmyGod!

Shewasserious.IreachedforCameron’sphoneand,forgettingthatwehadnoservice

uphere,triedtodialhisnumber.IhungupwhenIheardthecontinuousbusysignaland
realizedthatIwasdialingCameronfromhisownphone.Isearchedthecottage,tryingto
findagoodplacetohideher,allthewhileaskingherquestions.

What the hell happened to my detective’s instinct and being in control in stressful

situations?

Comeon,yougotthis,Kate.

“Yourfriendisbehindtheshed?”

Shenodded.

“Where’s your daddy? How did you find the cottage? How long have you been

running?”

She replied with, “I don’t know,” after each question I asked, and I decided to leave

thequestionsforlater.

OnceIreachedthebathroom,Iliftedherontotheclosedtoiletseatandsatherthere.

“Allright,youstayrighthere.Ifyouhearanythingoranyoneotherthanmecomingto

get you, you’re going to quietly climb in the tub, lie down, cover yourself with a large
towel,andnotmove.I’mgoingtolookforyourfriend.Afterwefindyourfriend,we’llgo
callyourgrandparents,okay?”

“Okay. You have to be careful, Kate. The bad men are still out there,” she said in a

loweredbutprotectivetone.

“Ipromisetobecarefulifyoudoaswell.”

“Whataboutthelynx?”sheasked.“He’llbescaredallonhisown.Canhestaywith

me?”

Thecatlookedfriendly,butIwasn’tsurethatwasagoodideatobringawildanimal

inside.Hecoulddefinitelydosomedamagewiththoseclaws.

“HowaboutIlockhiminacomfortablebedroomuntilwecomeback?”

Shepouted.

“He’sstillawildanimal,Sophie.”

“Booisawildanimaltoo,andhelovesme.”

“Ihavenodoubtthathedoes,sweetheart.I’mgoingtogolookforyourfriend,okay?

Doeshehaveaname?”

“IcallhimGrampsbecausehelookslikeGramps.”

“Okay.Stayhere,please.Lockthedoorbehindme.”

She squeezed her tiny arms around me once more, and I closed the door.

Remembering her warning about the two men, I quickly grabbed my gun as well as my
TaserandoneofthesyringesCameronhadboughtformeandwentoutside.Therainhad
turnedintoadrizzle,andtheairwascold.Anotherdegreeortwoandwe’dhavesnow.I
warilycrepttowardtheshed.

“Hello?”Icalledoutquietly.“MynameisKate.Sophiesaysyou’rehurt.I’mhereto

helpyou.”

Therewasnoresponse.

“Hello?”Icalledoutagain,andthenheardashuffleoffeetbehindme.Iwhippedmy

body toward the sound. Holding a machete in his hand, the bushman yelled out and
chargedatme.IpressedtheTaserbuttonandthespringsreleasedthechargerightintothe
man’schest.Hisshockedbodyshook,andhefelltotheground.

Onedown,onetogo.

Igrabbedthemachete,pressedmybackagainsttheshed,andshuffledmyfeetalong

thewalluntilIreachedtheback.

“Hello?”Icalledoutquietly,peekingaroundthecorner.Isawaman’sdirtyfeetfirst.

Therewerecutsandscrapesalloverhisshins,alongwithplentyofscars.Ifollowedthe
lengthofhisbodyupwarduntilInoticedhisbloodytorsoandrushedtowardhim.Hewas
unconscious.Ikneltathissideandbrushedawaythelonghaircoveringhisface,andthen
gasped.

“Dad?”Iasked.

Hiseyesopenedslowly,andIfeltmythroatconstrict.Despitethelossofweight;the

dirt, scabs, and scars; and the ten long years that I hadn’t seen him, his face was
recognizable. His eyes were underlined with dark shadows, tired and empty of emotion.
Thegraybeardwasfulloftwigsandbitsofleaves,hisnosewastwistedtothesideasifit
hadbeenbrokenmorethanonce,andhischeeksweresunken.Helookedlikeadifferent
person.

“Daddy,it’sme–Kate.”

Igentlytouchedhisarm,andheopenedhiseyes.

“Hey,thereyouare.I’mheretohelpyou.”

Ashestaredatme,hismouthslowlyopenedinawe.Aflashofrecognitionsparkedin

his eyes and then disappeared. Behind the thin coat of drizzle, something rustled in the
distance.Itwasn’tnearus,butitwasn’tfareither.

Iputmyfingertomylips.“Shhh.”Inaloweredtone,asIpointedtohistorso,Isaid,

“Youhaveagunshotwoundthroughtheside.”Iinspectedthearea,hopingthatthebullet
thatenteredhimwasout.Otherwisewehadtwobulletsinsideofhimtoworryabout.But

bythelookoftheentryandexit,Ididn’tthinkso.“Idon’tthinkwehavealotoftime.
Sophiecametogetme.”

Bloodwasoozingfromthewound.Iremovedmysweater,scruncheditintoaball,and

pressed it to the wound. His eyes were opened wide, so I continued. “She’s safe at the
cabin.It’sjustafewstepsaway.Shesaidthereweretwomen.”

HisheadwhippedfromrighttoleftandlefttorightoverandoveruntilIplacedmy

hand on his shoulder. He calmed in an instant and lowered his focus to my hand, then
looked back at me as I said, “I Tasered one of them, but I think the other one has to be
nearby,soweneedtogetoutofhere.Doyouthinkyoucandothat?Canyouwalk?I’ll
helpyou.”

“Hhh…Hope.”

Atthesoundofmyfirstname,theoneIusedtogoby,alltheemotionsI’dheldinside

ofmeoverthepasttenyearstookoverandcameoutintheformoftears.Iwassobbing
whilehishandcameupandcuppedmycheek.MyfirstnamewasHope,buteversinceI’d
met Cameron while trying to hide from Aaron Cortez, I’d gone by Kate. My father,
missingforthepasttenyears,wouldn’thaveknownthat.

“Yeah,it’sme,Daddy.It’sHope.”Ikeptmyvoicelow,everyfewsecondslookingup

andstrainingtohearwhetheranyonewasnearby.

“Anna,”hesaidnext.

“Anna is okay too. Mom’s back home. We have to go inside, Dad. It’s not safe out

here.”

“Anna.”Hepointedtowardtheforest.

I reached for his right arm and placed it on the sweater. “We’ll call mom as soon as

we’re safe. Hold here and press if you can.” I pushed his hand over the sweater, then
drapedhisotherarmovermyshoulderandhelpedhimup.

“Weneedtogoasfastaswecan,Dad,doyouunderstand?”Iasked,andhenodded.

Aswepassedtheotherman’sbodyIsawhimtwitch.He’dbeawakesoon,andIdidn’t

have time to deal with him at the moment. I reached inside my pocket, removed the
syringeandjabbeditintohisthigh,releasingthecontents.Hisbodycalmedandhislimbs
relaxed.

Anothersoundfromtheforestalertedme.Itwascloserthanthelastone.Muchcloser.

“Run,”Isaidthroughmygrittedteeth,onlyloudenoughforhimtohear.Whoeverwas

behind us was about to breach the backyard’s line. As my father picked up his pace I
reachedfortheguntuckedbehindmybackandwhippedmybodyaround,pointingitin
thedirectionofthenoise.

“Nooo!” A deep scream and a blast from my left shot my body sideways. I heard a

gunshotgooff,andIwasprettysureitwasmyown,andthenanothergunshotsounded.
Maybe that was an echo? I wasn’t too sure. It buzzed in my ears for a few seconds as I
clutchedatthegrassandslowlypushedmyselfofftheground.WhenIlookedtotheside,
Isawmyfatherlyingonthegrass,holdinghishandonhisshoulder.

Myfatherhadsavedmewhenhepushedmetotheside.Hetookabulletforme.

Thesecondthug’sbodywaslyingflatontheothersideofthefield.Therainincreased

inintensity,andIcrawledonallfourstowardmyfather.Mygunwasrightbesidehim.I
quicklycheckeditscompartmentandcountedthebullets.Onewasmissing.

Ishothim.

“Comeon,Dad.Let’sgoinside.”

I opened the back door and guided my father to the couch, calling out, “Sophie, can

youcomeout?Ineedyourhelp.”

When I looked up, my bathroom door opened and she hurried to the family room,

saying,“It’sokay.Icalled911.”Shehaltedbythecouch,swayingonherfeet,shockedby
allthebloodspewingfromunderneaththesweater.

“What?How?”

“Uncle’scellphone.Gramps,areyouokay?”sheasked.

“Sophie,don’tpanic.Wecan’tpanic.”

“It’sokay.ItoldyouIcalled911.”

“Thecell’snotworking.There’snosignal.”

“It’sokay.Iturnedonthewifiintheoffice.”

There’s wifi here? I didn’t have time to think about that. My father was bleeding

heavily,andIwasn’tsureifhehadmuchtime.Ipressedmyhandoverthesoakedsweater
andthewound.

“Sophie,I’mgoingtoneedatowel.”

Shequicklyrushedtothebathroomandcamebackwithatowel.

“Good girl. Wait, did you give the ambulance the address?” For goodness sake, I

didn’tevenknowwherewewere.Howcouldshe?

“There was a label on a magazine. It was in uncle Jax’s room. He used to get

magazinesinblackpackagingdeliveredtoourhouseaswell.Grandpasaysit’sbecausehe
can’tgetany,butIdon’tknowwhatthatmeans.”

“Okay,IthinkI’llneedafewmoretowels.Inthemainbedroomcloset.”

“Iknow,Kate.I’vebeenherebefore.”

Ofcourseshehas.

Thelynxwassittingbythecouch,gentlylickingmyfather’shand.ThatwaswhenI

realizedthattheanimalmusthavebeenhispet.

I nearly let go of my bowels when the backyard door opened and Brook broke

through.

“Jesus,youalmostgavemeaheartattack,”Isaid.

“Where’sSophie?”

“Inthebedroom.”

Herushedpastusstraightforthebedroom.Lolafollowedonhisheelsasheskidded

across the family room, nearly knocking over a chair on the way. I thought I heard her
whisper,“ThankGod.”

When I looked back at my father he was covering himself with a blanket, and I

realizedtheymusthavenotseenhim.Helookedlikehewassmellingtheblanket,andwas
payingnoattentiontohissurroundings.Whattheheckwaswrongwithhim?

“Dad?”Ididn’texpecthisgazetostoponminewhenIcalledout,butitdid.“Itwas

youwhothrewtheropedowntheholeformewasn’tit?”

Hisheadtiltedtotheside.Heblinkedthreetimes,butdidn’treply.

A gasp sounded from the back door, and when I turned around, I saw a woman I

almostthoughtwasmymother,thoughshedidn’tlookanythinglikeher.Shewaswearing
a camouflage outfit complete with a helmet and pilot’s goggles along with a gas mask
hangingfromherbelt.

“Mom?”Iasked.

“Hope?Xavier?Oh,Xavier,darling.Iknewyouwerealive.Iknewit.”

Shecame to thecouch and kneltat his side. Shetook his handinto hers. Dirty tears

streameddownhercheeks,leavingwhitestreaksbehind.Herhandswereshakingandher
bodytrembledasshefellintoasob.

“It’sokay,Anna,”Iheardmyfathersay.“Everythingisokaynow.”

My father snapped out of his state. His voice was hoarse and barely audible. It

soundedasifhewerespeakingforthefirsttimeinalltheyearsthathe’dbeengone.When
hereachedformymother’sfaceandsmoothedhishandoverhercheek,Ikneweverything
wouldbeokay.LittledidIknowthiswasjustthebeginningofmyadventure.

T

C H A P T E R 1 1

K A T E

heambulancewhiskedmyfatheraway,alongwithmymother.

Not wanting to alert the police, my best friend Lola and I dragged the

twothugsintotheshedinthebackyardandtiedthemup.Weagreedtokeepthemthere
until Cameron returned from the hospital. Then Brook and Lola packed Sophie into
Cameron’scaranddrovebacktoNewYork.

NowasIsatonthefamilyroomsofa,armedandstaringatthepatchofcarpetsoaked

withblood,wonderingwhatwasnext,thebearcubnudgedmeatmyfoot,yawning.

“Areyoutired?It’sbeenalongday,hasn’tit?AllIcansayisthankgoodnessfornew

showers and warm water or I’m not sure I could have survived. Come on. I don’t have
much,butI’msurethiswillhelp.”

Igavehimandthelynxafewhotdogsfromthefridgeandpouredtwobowlsofmilk.

I wasn’t sure whether I had the time to blink before the food was gone, so I gave them
anotherportion.Thelynxstretcheditspawsoutandthecubrolledoveronthefloor.Then
theybothtookofftowardJax’sdownstairsbedroom.

“Wait,whatareyoudoing?”

IfollowedthemthereandfoundthemsplayedoutontopofJax’sbed.

“Oh,no,youtwo.”Itookastepcloser,butwhentheirheadspoppedupandtheireyes

glittered in the light from the hallway, I realized that these were still wild animals, so I
decidedtoletthemhaveanightofrest.

Feelingrestlessaboutthetied-upmenintheshed,Isleptonthedownstairscouchwith

mygunatmyside.Tomorrowwouldbealongday.I’dcallSilviasoshecouldtakethe
animalsdowntothesanctuary,andthenI’dgetGarytohelpmedecidewhattodowith
the two thugs. I didn’t know how long it would be before Cameron returned, and I
couldn’tjustkeepthemlockedupfordays.

ItwasatthepointinmynightmarewhenmyfirstbonecrackedthatIheardtheurgent

knocking on my door. It startled me awake. I opened my eyes and double-checked the
time.Itwasjustpastmidnightandthecabinhadgottencold.

The knock sounded again, and I removed the blanket from my body. Chills swept

throughme.

“Kate?Kate,it’sme.”

Evie?

IaddedafewmorelogstotheembersinthefirepitbeforeIheadedforthedoor.

Evierepeatedherurgentknock.“Kate,Ineedyourhelp.Openup.”

Ipulledthedooropen.“Whatareyoudoinghere?Doyouknowwhattimeitis?”

Eviewasstandingonthefrontporch.Shewassoakedandshaking.Herlowerlipwas

purple,andthemascarawasrunningdownhercheeks.

“Evie,what’sthematter?”Iasked.

“I’msosorry,Kate.I…Ididn’thaveachoice.”

“Shut the fuck up.” I heard the familiar voice and gasped as my brother, Mike

Donaldson, who was supposed to be in prison, appeared from the side of the house,
pointingagunatEvie.

“Hello,sis,”hesaid,pushingthegunatEvie’sbacktoforceherinside.

What the hell was happening here? Was I still dreaming? Was this the beginning of

anothernightmare?

“Whatareyoudoinghere?”Ibackedintothefamilyroom.

“Whatdoyouthink?”HepushedEvietothesideandflungthedoorshutbehindhim.

“You’resupposedtobeinjail.”

“Wrong answer. I’m supposed to be on an exotic island, counting the fifty million

dollarsyourmotherstole.”

“Comeon,Mike.Sheneverdidanythingtoyou.Shelovedyou.”

“Shegavemeupandhidwhatwasrightfullymine.Sheleftthatmoneytorotinthe

cryptwithourancestors’corpses.”

Iwasactuallyquiteproudofmymother.Whenshe’dtoldmethestoryofhowshe’d

metmyfather,Xavier,andfledanoppressivelittletowntogivemeafairchanceinlife,I
knewitwasexactlythekindofstrengthIwantedtohave.

“So what? You’re going to kill us? You realize that’s not going to bring that money

back,don’tyou?”

“You’re right. It’s not. But nothing would give my uncle more pleasure than to have

your mother watch you die before she does. It’s kind of poetic, don’t you think? She
claimsshewatchedmedieinherarmsandnowgetstoactuallywatchherdaughterstop
breathing.Doyouknowwhatthatmeansforme?”

If I were to bet, it meant money. I could already see the dollar signs flip in my

brother’seyes.Hehadbeenraisedbyhisuncle,AaronCortez.

Even though he was my step-brother, he didn’t know me at all. There was no way I

would ever take him to my mother. I no longer even thought of him as my brother. We
mighthavesharedsomesimilarDNA,butthatwasall.

“Turnaround,”heordered,pointinghisguntotheside.

Shit.

HegrabbedthepieceIhadbehindmyjeans,andIfrowned.Maybehedidknowmea

littlebetterthanIhadhoped.Afterall,wedidworktogetherfortwoyears.

“You’regoingtocalmlywalkoutthefrontdoorandgetinthebackofmycar,where

you’llfindapairofhandcuffs.”

AloudgrumblesoundedfromJax’sbedroom.

“Whatwasthatnoise?Whoelseishere?”

“There’sabearandalynxinthebedroom.That’sall.”

“YouthinkI’mgoingtofallforthat?”heasked,slowlybackingtowardthebedroom

door, keeping the gun pointed in our direction. I squeezed Evie’s hand in signal to pay
attention.Thelynxmusthavescratchedthedoornext,andassoonasMike’sheadturned
towardthenoise,Iflippedthelightswitchoffandduckedbehindthecouch,pullingEvie
downwithme.Heshothisgun,once,thenagain.Onthethirdtimehemusthavehitthe
back door because the glass shattered, and I decided to take the opportunity before he
foundthelightswitch.IgrabbedEvie’shandandonallfoursguidedherwithmeuntilwe
made it outside. Mike fired shot after shot, but we were fortunate that he missed us. I
didn’tevenhearapeepoutofEvie,butIheardMikeswearjustaswecrossedthelineof
ourbackyardandintotheforest.

Thenightwascold,butIhadenoughadrenalinerunningthroughmybodytokeepme

goingfordays.Iwouldn’tstopuntilweweresafe;andthenIwouldn’tstopuntilIknew
that Mike Donaldson was behind bars. The first snowflakes started falling from the sky.
Their light coating would soon cover the ground and make Mike’s search for us much
easier. We didn’t have much time. I didn’t stop until Evie was clearly out of breath.
Listeningforhissteps,Iletherrestagainstastump.

“Whatjusthappened?Whatthehelljusthappened?”sheasked.

“Evie,calmdown.Youneedtostayquiet.Everything’sokay.I’mgonnagetusoutof

this,okay?”

“Okay?Okay?Yourfucked-upbrotherischasinguswithagun.Iwouldn’tsaythat’s

okay.Andtotopitoff,hehasSophie.”

I’dneverheardsomuchfearinawoman’svoicebefore,butshecouldn’tberight.

“Evie,that’simpossible.”

“No, it’s true because when I called Jack and Mary, they said that Sophie and Anna

were missing, and when I went to the police station, your brother was sitting in the
parkinglotandtoldmethathehadSophie.That’swhyIhadtobringhimhere,Kate.He
hasmybabygirl,andhe’sgoingtokillher.Wehavetogoback.”

“No,Evie.Listen!Sophieisokay,andsoismymother.Idon’tknowhoworwhy,but

Isawthemearlierthismorning.BrookandLolatookSophiebacktoNewYork,andmy
motherwentwithmyfather.”

“What?”

“Iknow.Iwassurprisedaswell,butit’strue.They’resafe!Butwe’renot.”

“Really?Really?”

Iheardhersnifflesandgrabbedherhandsothatwe’dstayconnectedandnotloseeach

other.

“Yeah, really. Sophie is okay – I promise. Now I need you to listen to me carefully,

okay?We’regoingtogetoutofthismess,youhearme?”

“Butwe’reanobody.I’manobody.”

“You’re definitely somebody. You’re somebody confident and strong who’s going to

doexactlyasIsaybecauseshewantstogetbacktoherdaughter,okay?”

“Okay,butI’mnotsurehowlongIcanruninthese.”

Evieliftedherleg.Inthedimmorninglight,Inoticedthatshewaswearingherhigh

heels.

“Givemethose.”Islippedthemfromherfeetandbroketheheelsoffandhandedthem

backtoher.“Nowputthembackon.”

“Thosearenine-hundreddollarshoes.”

“Howmuchwilltheybeworthwhenyou’rewearingtheminyourcoffin?”

“Okay,okay.Igetthepoint.Nowarewegoingtochatsomemoreorgetoutofhere?”

Somewhereinthedistanceweheardmybrotherpushingthroughtheshrubs,calling,

“Comeout,comeoutwhereveryouare.”

Fuckingturd.Howcliché!

“Okay.Icandothis,”shesaidinaloweredvoice.“Buthe’sanex-cop,andhe’sgota

gun.He’sreallygood,Kate.”

“Iknow,butI’mjustasgood,andhedoesn’tknowtheterrain.”

“Justgetusoutofhere.”

Isqueezedherhandinreassurance.“Followme.Donotveeroffthepath,andtryto

makeaslittlenoiseaspossible.”

IpickeduparockandthrewitasfarasIcouldtotheright.Mikefiredtheguninthe

directionoftherock’snoise.Astheechooftheshotcarried,Ijumpedafewstepsdown
thehill.Eviefollowedmelikeamime.Whentheechosettled,Iputmyfingertomylips
and Evie nodded. Dawn was approaching quickly, and we’d soon lose the night’s cover.
Moreimportantly,Iwouldsoonlosemyonlychancetotrapmybrother.

Judgingfromthedistance,Ihadthree,maybefourmoretriestolureMikedowninto

the valley, so I threw another rock, this time down the hill. He fired again, and we took
another opportunity to head down. I did it once more and he fired again, but this time
waitedabitlongertodoso.

Weboltedtowardthedenserpartoftheforestandstoppedbeforetheechofinished.

“Evie,youstayherebehindthistreenow.DonotmoveuntilIsayso,okay?”

“Okay.”

I threw another rock. Mike didn’t fire this time, but I took off anyway. The motion

caught Mike’s attention this time, and as soon as he could make me out, Mike fired
gunshotaftergunshot.TheechocarriedoverandoverandallIcoulddowaspraythatI
wouldn’tbehitandthatthetreeswereenoughtokeepmecovered.WhenIreachedmy
spot,Ihidbehindatreeandlistenedtohisdescendingsteps.“Ihaveenoughammunition,
Kate.”

Ibelievedthathedid.

“Ifyou’retryingtogetmetowastethebullets,it’snotgoingtowork.”

Yeah, that wasn’t what I was trying to do. I gauged where he was standing and

tumbleddownthehilltothenexttreeover.Asexpected,Mikemovedtohisleft,whereI
wantedhimto,andthenIheardhimscream.

“Ahhh!”

IhurriedtowardthetrenchI’dfallenintothedaybeforeandpulleduptheropebefore

he realized he could use it to escape. He fired some shots blindly, but none came close.
Although I was certain he couldn’t get out, I still crouched down to the forest floor. He
gruntedinfrustrationashetriedtoclimboutofthetrench,andIcouldn’thelpbutlaugh.
Therewasnowayinhellthathewasgettingout.

“Fireallyouwant,asshole!”Iyelled.“Ifyou’relucky,you’llrotinthathole.”

“Thisisn’tover,Kate!”

“Likehellitisn’t.”

IwasdonelookingovermyshoulderwonderingwhetherCortezoranyoneelsewould

come and find me. I was done running away. It was time to take control of my life.
WhetherthatwasinNewYorkorbackhere,Iwantedtohavethechoicewithoutfearing
formylife.ItwastimetousemyskillstofindAaronCortezbeforehefoundme.

“Youcancomeout,Evie.We’refine.”

Mikefiredhisgunoverandover.EvieremainedhiddenuntilIcametogether.

“Areyousure?”sheasked.

“Trustme.Thosebulletswon’treachus.”

Mybrotherfinallystoppedfiring.Weignoredhisthreatsasweheadedbackupthehill

tothehouse.

“Areyoujustgoingtoleavehimthere?”

Itwasatemptingthoughttodoso.Iwasdonewaitingsothatsomeonecouldripmy

happinessaway.Itwastimetoensurenoonecouldevertouchitagain.

“No.We’regoingtotakehimtothepolicestation.”

“We?”

“Yeah.You’llbesaferwithmethanonyourown.”

“Okay.”

Westeppedoverthebrokenglassonthepatioandinsidethefamilyroom.Theplace

hadbeenflippedupsidedown.Itookintherippedpillows,torncurtains…andtwowild
animalssittingbyanunconsciousbodyatthefrontdoor.

“Oh,myGod!Cameron!”Irushedtohisside.“Evie,call911,rightnow.Cameron’s

phoneis—”

“Igotmyown.”Shedialedthenumber,andItookCameron’spulse.Hewasbreathing

on his own, but his pulse was weak. I checked underneath his soaked shirt. Half of his
surgicalwoundhadbeenrippedopen.

“Evie,helpmegethimtothecouch.”

“What’swrongwithhim?”sheasked.

“Idon’tknow.Idon’tevenknowhowhegothere.”

“Ishegoingtobeokay?”

“Ihopeso.”WecarriedCamerontothecouchandwaitedfortheambulance.Iheldhis

handandstrokedhishairasEviekeptlookoutbythefrontdoor.Welockedthebearand
thelynxinthebathroom,andIcalledSilviaonEvie’sphonetotellherabouttheanimals.

“Evie,I’mgoingtoneedyoutogotothehospitalwithCameron.”

“Kate,but—”

“I can’t do anything for him at the moment except to ease his worry that Mike and

AaronCortezwon’tfollowusanylonger.Ihaveafeelingthathecameupherebecausehe
wantedtoprotectme.Heriskedhislifeforme,andIdon’teverwanthimtohavetoriskit
again. You’re his close friend, and I trust that you’ll look out for him. I’ll come to the
hospitalassoonasI’mableto.CallJaxandBrookandtellthemabouttheirbrother.Can
youdothatforme?”

“Yeah,ofcourseIcan.”

“Okay.”

Ileftthehousebeforetheambulancearrivedandhikeddownthehill.ThereIwaited

behind a tree to watch them wheel Cameron into the ambulance. Once Evie gave me a
thumbs-upthathisvitalswerestable,Ihikedintotowntoseemysupplier,Gary.Leaving
Camerononhisown,notknowingwhetherhewouldactuallysurvive,wasoneofthemost
difficultdecisionsI’devermade,butitwastherightone.Iwouldn’tletanyonebabyme
again.

P

C H A P T E R 1 2

K A T E

ulling an armed man out of a hole without being shot could be tricky unless
youhadtherighthelp,whichIdid;andunlessyouknewyoucouldoutsmarta
verysmartsonofabitch,whichIdidaswell.

“Whatareyoudoingupthere,Kate?Readytogiveup?”Mikecalledoutfromwithin

thetrench,andImotionedforGaryandGeorgetostayasafedistanceaway.

“I’dratherseeyourotinthatholethanajailcell,butIthinkthere’sawaywecanboth

getoutofthisunscathed,”Ireplied.

“Ifyouthinkyou’regettingoutofherealive,you’rewrong,”hecalledout.

Hemusthavemistakenhissituationformine.

“We’llseeaboutthat,”Isaidundermybreath,andthenadded,“Listen,wecansitout

hereaslongasyouwant.Actually,ifyoudon’tmind,I’llgobacktomycabinandwarm
upeverynowandthen.They’resayingit’ssupposedtodropbelowfreezingagaintonight.
Anyway, what were you saying about not wanting to get out of here alive? Because I
certainly don’t have a problem with that. It doesn’t take long to freeze. It’s definitely a
quickerwaytogothanstarvingtodeath.So,thewayIseeit,youhavetwochoices,Mike.
Stayinthatholewithyourgunandbulletsandfreezetodeath,oryoucanhelpme,andwe
canbothgetwhatwewant.”

Hewaited,thinkingovermyoffer.“Whatisitthatyouwant,Kate?”

Iwastiredofrunning.Iwastiredofconstantlylookingovermyshoulder,wondering

whethersomeonewascomingtogetme.EvenifIwantedtoremaininthislittletownof
nowhere,Iwantedtodosowithoutfear.IwantedtohaveCameron’schildwithoutstress.
IfIallowedmypasttochaseme,thenIwasriskingnotonlymylifebutCameron’s.He
wasunconsciouswhenIlefthim.Ididn’tevenknowwhetherhe’dmakeit,andIcould
only hope that the paramedics had arrived in time. From the looks of it, Cameron had a
longrecoveryaheadofhim.ItwastimethatIwashisrock,thewayuptonow,thathehad
beenmine.

“IwantCortez.Helpmegethim.LurehiminformeandI’llputinagoodwordfor

youwhenyou’refacingjailtime.”

“Fuckyou.Iwantnojailtime,”hecalledout.

“Listen,we’refamily.”

Asif.

“I’llaskforallchargestobedropped.”

IfIdon’tforget.

Icouldbarelygetthat“family”partpastmythroat.EventhoughMikeDonaldsonwas

my half-brother, I’d never considered him to be such. He didn’t know the concept of
family;otherwise,hewouldn’thavesoldmeouttoCortez.

“IfCortezfindsoutIbetrayedhim,I’mdead.”

Hewasconsideringtheidea,though,whichmeantthatmyplanactuallyhadachance

towork.

“Not necessarily. There must be something that he wants more than my head, isn’t

there?”

IwaiteduntilMikerealizedthathecoulduseme.Iwouldn’tlethim,butI’dallowhim

tothinkhecould.

“Hetalksabouttwenty-fivemillionthatwasmissingfromthecrypt.”

“Youmeanthetwenty-fivemillionthatmymotherneverputinthecrypt?”Iasked.

“It’struethen?Themoney’sreal?”Hecalledout.

“Ofcourse,themoney’sreal.Youthinkwe’dgothroughallthistroublefornothing?

TellmehowtofindAaronCortez,andI’llmakesureyou’reunconsciousbeforehegetsto
you. From his point of view, there would be no point in killing you when you’re
unconscious,right?Don’tyousee,Mike?You’retheperfectbaittolurehimoutandI’m
yourkeytodoso.I’mtheonehewantsdead,notyou.It’szeroriskforyou.InCortez’s
mind,IfI’mdead,youinheritallthemoney.”

Iwaited.Hehadtoseeitmyway.Atleast,hehadtobelieveenoughofmyridiculous

theorytocomeoutofthatdamnhole.

“Do the right thing for once, Mike. Do what’s right for you, and not for some uncle

whoneverreallylovedyou.Heusedyou,Mike.Let’stakehimout–together.Thatmoney
belongstomeandyou.You’remybrother.”

Iwaited,wonderingwhethermyofferwasstrongenough.

Agentlebreezesweptacrosstheforest,usheringinagustofcolderair.Ifollowedmy

gazealongtheleavesastheywereliftedupallthewaytowardthetrenchandwaiteduntil
thewindhithim.Thiswasjustthebeginningofhistortureifhedidn’ttakemyoffer.

“Allright.Iagree.I’llhelpyou.You’re…you’refamilytoo,right?”

Comeon,youfucker,sayit.Begforit.

Withperfecttiming,anothercoldbreezesweptthrough.

“Kate?Areyouthere?Kate,IsaidI’llhelpyou.Whateveryouwant,justgetmeoutof

here,okay?”

“Throwthegunup,”Iordered.

A moment later, the gun flew out of the hole and landed opposite where I was

standing.Wasitagun?Ididn’tgetagoodlook,becauseitlandedinapileofleaves,butI
hopedhewasscaredenoughnottocrossme.

“I’mgoingtothrowdownarope.Youneedtoclimbup.”InoddedtoGarybehindthe

tree,whoadjustedforaperfectaim.Isteppedclosertotheholeandthrewtheropedown,
thenbackeduptoasafespotasitunrolledintothedeeptrench.Momentslater,therope
tightenedunderMike’sweightashepulledhimselfup.IlookedbacktoGary,whonodded
frombehindthetree,holdinghishuntinggunsteadyinhishands.

AssoonasMikesteppedawayfromtheopening,Garyshotthedartintohisshoulder.

Stunned,Mikegrabbedhisarmandtookanotherstepforward,frowning.“Whatthehell
didyoudo,Kate?”

A moment later he tumbled to the ground. I took five solid steps toward him, and

standingoverhislimpbody,justbeforeheclosedhiseyes,Isaid,“Don’ttrustamother-
fuckerwhotriedtokillyou.”

Hehadn’tbeenmybrotherbeforeandhewasn’tnowandwouldn’tbeanytimesoon.

SomeDNAmighthaveconnectedus,butthatwasall.Beyondthat,hewasastranger.He
wasanassassinandevenworsethanCortezhimself.I’dnevertrustanypromisehemade
to me nor honor one I made to him because he didn’t deserve anything from me. His
familybetrayedmine.Theyforcedmybiologicalparentsapart,whichresultedinmyreal
fatherjoiningthepriesthood.Andmystepfatherhadbeenlivinginthewoodsforthepast
tenyears.Iwouldn’tputitpastCorteztohavemeddledinXavier’sdisappearanceaswell.
IlookeddownatMike’ssorryassonelasttime,thenwenttountietheropewe’dneedto
keephimsecureforourjourney.

“Gary,George–therearetwomeninmyshedwhoweneedtogetridofandit’stime

tospreadthewordthatKateBlackcapturedMikeDonaldsonandshe’stakinghiminto
makeanarrestinhisowngoddamnprecinct.”

“Consider it done.” Gary used his cell phone to call Marianne, who would call

everyonesheknew,includingtheMaddens.Theywouldlettherightpeopleknowabout
Mike’scapture.ItiedMikeup,andGeorgehoistedhimoverhisback.Weclimbedupthe
hilltowardwhereGaryhadparkedhistruck.

WespentthenexteighthoursdrivingthatsametrucktoNewYork,stoppingtwicefor

gas and once more so that I could make sure that Brook and Lola had received my
message.Ifanyonewouldlookoutformeifthingswentsour,itwouldbethosetwo.

The afternoon in New York was sunny and easily mistaken for a spring morning

instead of fall. I stopped a few blocks away from the station and removed Mike’s gag.
He’dbeenawakeforthepastfourhours,andwedidn’twanthimscreaming.Mikesatin
thebackbetweenGaryandGeorge,hisfacesomberandhisexpressionstillmellowfrom
thesleepingaid.

“It’stimetoplay,Mikey.Apromiseisapromise.”Ijabbedtheneedleintohisthigh

andemptiedthesyringeintothemuscle.“Seeyouontheotherside.”

He didn’t even get a chance to reply as the sedative began to work its way into his

body.Hisheadfloppedtotheside,andforthefirsttimesinceweleftMichigan,Itookina

nervousbreath.

Thisisit.

“Don’tworry,Kate.You’vegotthis,andwehaveyourback.Theofferstillstands:we

cancomewithyou.”

“Thank you, but I have to do this on my own. Anything else and Cortez will get

suspicious. I only have one chance to get him where I want him, and I’m not going to
makeamistake.”

IdroppedGaryandGeorgearoundthecornerfromtheprecinctanddroverighttothe

frontdoorandparked.“Herewego,brother.”

IyankedMikeoutofthecaranddraggedhimoutbyhisarmbeforedrapinghimover

my shoulder and marching up the steps to the front door. It slid open. Armed, the new
directoroftheprecinctwaswaitingthereformewithapairofhandcuffsathisbeltand
twobodyguardsateachside.

“Kate.”

“Director.ThisisMikeDonaldson.He’swantedonmultiplecounts,oneofthembeing

prisonbreak.”

“Sithimdownandcompletethepaperworksowecanbookhim.”Hepointedtothe

counter with the stack of waiting papers. I acknowledged his request and had just
proceededtothecounterwhenthefrontdoorslidopen.IwatchedasAaronCortezcrossed
thethresholdandpulledouthisgun,allinslowmotion.Iwasready,though,andpressed
thetriggerI’dbeenholdingbetweenmeandthecounter,shootinghimdeadcenterinhis
chest.Hefellbackinshock,reachingforthegunthatfelloutofhishand,andIshotagain,
this time into his shoulder. The old man didn’t give up and tried to get to his gun once
more,butIdidn’tlethim,andshothimforthethirdtime.

AaronCortezdroppedtothefloor,thetensecondcommotionsettledandtheprecinct

fell quiet. Blood spewed from underneath him. For the first time in a long while, I felt
free.

It was moments later that I realized another fight ensued outside where Cortez’s

backup tried to barge through the front door. They failed. The echo of gunshots settled
quicklyandbothGaryandGeorge,alongwithBrookandLola,allcomeinside.Someone
removedthegunfrommyhandandhelpedmetosit.Itallfeltsurreal,butitwasfinally
over.

Slowclapsbegantoresonateinmyearsasmycolleaguescongratulatedmeononeof

thebiggestcatchesofalifetime—foranyone.

When I looked up at Brook, though, and found despair in his eyes, my heart sank.

“How’sCameron?”Iasked.

Heshookhishead.“Notgood.He’sbeingtransferredtotheNewYorkhospitalnow.

Youshouldcomewithus.”

T

C H A P T E R 1 3

C A M E R O N

hesoundofapulsemonitorbeepedinmyears.Theairwascold,andmy
mouthfeltdry.Itriedtosaysomething,butthewordsjustwouldn’tcome
out.

“He’s coming around.” I heard one familiar voice and then another. They made my

headhurt.

“Shh,bequiet.Gogetthedoctor.”Someoneelse’svoicereverberatedinmyears.

Tooloud.You’restilltooloud.

Awarmhandtouchedmine,andasenseofpeaceoverwhelmedme.

Kate?Isthatyou?

“Hey,Cameron.Howareyoufeeling?It’sprobablyhardtotalknow,sowaituntilthe

doctorclearsyou.Trynottomovetooquickly.”

I finally managed to open my eyes. Kate was the first one I saw, and she looked

absolutelystunning.Shesmiledatmewithhergorgeouseyes,andIknewthatithadbeen
toolongsinceI’dseenher.

“Youlook…beautiful,”Isaid.

“Ilookbeautiful?Ithoughtyou’dcomeupwithabetteronethanthat.”

Sincewhenhadbeinghonestbecomewrong?

Ilookedheroveragain.Herhairseemedthicker,hereyeswerehappier,andthatsmile

– God, I’d never seen her smile with so much joy before. She was wearing pearl drop
earringsandatouchofmakeupthatmadeherrosycheeksstandoutevenmore.Iglanced
around the room full of twinkling lights. In the corner was a Christmas tree. It seemed
familiar,butmyheadstillhurttoomuchtoconcentrate.AlowmedleyofChristmascarols
wasplayinginthebackground.

“WhereamI?Whathappened?”

“What’sthelastthingyouremember?”

Isearchedthroughmymemorybutcouldn’tfindarecentthought.

“Don’tworry.Itwillcometoyou.Themostimportantthingisthatyou’reokay.We’re

allokay.”

Charliewalkedintotheroom.HeworetheugliestChristmassweaterI’deverseen.As

Iglancedsomemorearoundmynowfamiliarbedroom,hetookmyvitalsandaskedme
someobviousquestions.Hetoldmetherewasnodamagetomylong-termmemory,butI
mightstillhaveadifficulttimerecallingwhathappenedafterIleftthehospitalthatnight.
Therehadbeenlotsofweedsomewhere—toomuchperhaps–andthenitallwentblank.

WhytheChristmasdecorations?

CharliegavemeanI-told-you-solookandwarnedthatthistimehe’dkeepmetiedtoa

bedifheneededto,thenwishedeveryoneontheothersideofthebedroomdooraMerry
Christmasandleft.Itsoundedlikeacrowdwaswaitingoutside.

Wait,it’sChristmas?

“Isthatmywholefamilyoutthere?”Ipointedtothedoor.

“Itis.They’reallheretocelebrateChristmastogether.EvenFatherJohn–youknow,

my biological dad – is here. I’ve been hoping you’d decide to open those eyes before
Christmas, and you did. My wish already came true, and it’s not even Christmas
morning.”

Kate’seyesshonethroughthetearsshewasholdingback,andanothermemorystruck

me.

“Iwalkedthroughtheforesttogettoyou.TheFBIdirector…wecan’ttrusthim.”

“Iknow.It’sokay.”

IfeltmyforeheadcreaseasItriedtothinkaboutthepast,exceptitwasallmixedand

mashed.Agiantpulseexpandedinthebackofmyhead,intensifyingtheache.

“Ihadabaddream.”

“Aww, I’m sorry. I know nightmares can be rough. I was hoping that all the nice

storiesI’vebeentellingyouthepastfewweekswouldbehelpful.”

Weeks?

Amemoryyetagainappearedinmymind’seye,ormaybethatwasn’tamemoryatall.

ItwasoneofmyentirefamilyatthecabincelebratingChristmas.Itwouldbeabeautiful
whiteChristmas,onethathadtheperfectwhitemorningscenerybehindthewindoweach
day.Butthenthedreamturnedbloody.

“Idreamtthatyourbrotherwashereandhehadagun.Hewantedtokillyou.”

“Actually—”

“Wait,there’smore.Idreamtthatyoutookhimtothepolicestationtomakeanarrest

andCortezcameby.”

“Well—“

“Andyouwerepregnant.Youhadalargebelly.”

“Okay, you were good for a while there. It’s true, Mike did come to get me, but I

escapedwithEvie,andItrappedhim.”

“WhydoIrememberthat?”

“MaybebecauseI’vetoldyouthestoryafewtimeswhileyouweresleeping.You’ve

beeninacoma,Cameron.”

Acoma?

“YoucaughtDonaldson?”Iasked,andKatenoddedinconfirmation.

“TheFBIdirectorhasbeensuspendedtoo.MikeDonaldsonagreedtotestifyagainst

him.He’llstilldosomeprisontime,butwithgoodbehaviortheymightlethimoutafter
thirtyyearsorso.Idoubthe’llbeabletodomuchasanoldman.”

“AndCortezisdead?Isthattrue?IthinkIrememberyoutellingmethathe’sdead.”

“Yes,heis.Ishothim.Iwantedtocapturehim,buthegavemenochoice.”

“Holyshit!You’relikeasuper-woman.”

Katelaughed,anditwasoneofthosesoundsyouwouldneverforgetbecauseitwas

oneofthebestonesyou’deverheardinyourlife.

Kate found Cortez before he found us and killed him. She lured him in. She risked

everythingtobefinallyfree.ShewasthebravestwomanIknew.

Icouldn’ttakemyeyesofftheglowonherface.

“Butyou’renotpregnant.Iswearyoulook…wow…youlookstunning.”

“No,I’mnot.Ihaven’tmissedacycle,butthankyouforthecompliments.Maybethe

medicinehasn’twornoffjustyet.Takeiteasy,Cameron.Okay?Everythingisgoingtobe
okayfromnowon.”

Ibreathedheavilyandquickly.

“You.Shot.Cortez.”

She laughed again, and this time I got goosebumps over my arms. My breathing

calmedatthesoundofhergentlelaughter.

“And Brook and Lola found my father, and your niece has a bear. Both fawns have

found a new family, Silvia is considering building an addition that I have a feeling will
extendallthewayGeroge’shouseandMerrillisaproudfatherofeighthealthyducklings.
NowyouseewhyIdidn’twanttooverwhelmyouwithtoomuchinformation?”

“Abear?Wait.Irememberabear!Atthecabin.”Despitetheconstantpulsinginmy

head,Ilookedaroundthefamiliarroomoncemore.“Wait–we’reatthecabinrightnow,
aren’twe?AndyouupgrateditIsee.”Insteadofthedouble-sidedgasfireplace,therewas
awood-burningonewherethreelogshadbeenlitandflickeredwithattitude.Outsidethe
festivelydecoratedwindow,snowcoveredthetallsprucetreesthatborderedthebackyard
andtheforest.

“AsyoucanseeImadeafewupgradestothecabin,includingbulletproofglass.”

“Youchangedthefireplace?”Iaskedandhercheeksflushedred.

“There’s something sexy about a man chopping wood so that he can heat his home.

YoucouldsayitwasabucketlistitemIhad.Ilovelivinghere,Cameron.”

She took my breath away. There was so much love around this woman, that it was

difficulttocontain.

“Christmasisinlessthanthreedays.”

“Howisthatpossibleagain?”

“You had an abdominal infection and internal bleeding. You lost a lot of blood, and

Eviesavedyourlife.She’shere,bytheway,intown,butshe’sstayingwithCharlie.”

Shegiggledagain.Iwasn’tsurewhy,butIlikedthatsoundevenmorethantheearlier

laughter.

“You’reglowing.Whydoyoulooksobeautiful?”Iasked.

“Maybeit’sbecauseyouhaven’tseenmeinalongtime?”

“Maybe.It’sdefinitelygoodtoseeyouagain.”Ireachedforherface.Sheclosedher

eyeswhenIcuppedhercheek,andshelookedlikethemostbeautifulwomanintheworld.

“Why don’t you rest, Cameron? Now that my Christmas wish came early and you

openedyoureyes,I’mnotgoingtoletanyonebotheryousothatyoucanfinallygetwell
thewayyoushouldhaveinthebeginning.”

She was too good for me. I wondered what I’d done in my life that was so great to

havedeservedher.ButIclosedmyeyesasshehadaskedanddreamtaboutthetwoofus
celebratingamiracle.IknewIhadtoberightaboutKate.NowIjusthadtoproveit.

F

OR

THE

NEXT

forty-eighthoursIfocusedlikeI’dneverfocusedinmylifebeforebecause

thebestthingIcouldgiveKatethisChristmaswassomethingshewasn’texpecting.They
saythatwomenhavefierceinstincts,andtheymayberightforthemostpart,butKate’s
wasoff.ShewastoofocusedonmetohavenoticedthechangesinherthatI’dseen.

Sheadjustedhernightgownandgrinnedbeforeslippingintobed.

“WhyareyouwearingaSantahat?”sheasked.

Iputmyarmaroundherandbroughtherclosertomybody.“IwashopingthatSanta

couldcomeearlythisyear.”

“Lookslikeyou’regettingbacktoyournormalselfquickly.”

“Thankstoyou,Iam.Imissedyou,Kate.”Ikissedhershoulderandmaneuveredmy

wayuptothatnookinherneck,theonethatwhenkissedmadehersquirminmyarms.

“Are you coming on to me?” She giggled. How come I’d never noticed before how

wonderfullycheerfulhergigglesounded?Itcarriedpurehappinesswitheachnote.

“WhatifIamcomingontoyou?”

“Idon’twantyoutoexertyourself,Santa.ChristmasEveistomorrow,andfromwhat

Ihear,yourfamilylikestocelebrateitintheeveninginsteadofChristmasDaymorning.”

“IthinkI’vehadenoughtimetorest.HaveItoldyouhowmuchinaweIamofyou?”

“Maybeahundredtimesorso.”SheshruggedwithinnocenceasiftakingdownAaron

Cortez,MikeDonaldson,andtheFBIdirectorwassomesortofaneverydaytask.

“Kate, what you did… I mean, here I was coming to save you, and you not only

managed to help my niece and your father, but you also took down one of the biggest
crimelordsinthecountry.Andthebestpartisthatthemediadidn’tevenmentionyou.I
don’tknowhowyoumanagedit,butyou’reofficiallymyhero.”

“Now that’s a proper way of coming on, Cam. Looks like you’re getting your mojo

back.”

Shedraggedhernightgownupward,exposinghersexythighs,andliftedherbodyto

straddlemeonthebed.

“IneverthoughtIlostmymojo,mylove.”Iyankedhernightgownhigherandfelther

barecrotchgrindingagainstme.Shehadnopantieson,andmydickfeltlikeitwasready
tosaluteherallnightlong.

IbarelyhadachancetoremovemyboxersbeforeIwasalreadyinsideher,glidingin

andout,feelinghertightenaroundmeoverandoverwhilesherolledherhips.

“Kate,”Ibreathed,asherbodysinnedovermine.IthadbeentoolongsinceIhadher.

Hersexysmelloverwhelmedme,andhersilknightgowncrumpledoverherperfectbody,
lettinghernipplespebbleunderneath.Ireachedforherbreastandcuppeditinmypalm.It
feltheavierthanIremembered.

Shemoanedonce,thenagain,andIforgotwhatIwasthinkingaboutandspilledinside

her.

Thatwasoverwaytooquickformyliking.

Sheslowedherrhythmtoalanguorousswayasmyorgasmcalmed,andsheslidoffto

theside.Katerestedherheadonmychest,andherdelicatefingersrakedthroughthefew
strayhairsthere.Nothinginthisworldhadeverfeltmoreperfectthanthismoment.

“Thisfeelslikehome,”Iwhisperedtoher.“Youandme,here.Itfeelsright.”

“Itdoes.Youknow,I’vebeenthinking,I’mnotinarushtogobacktoNewYork.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,Iloveithere.Itfeelsperfect,andtomorroweveryonewillbebusycookingand

singing Christmas carols. I’ve never had this kind of Christmas before, and I wouldn’t
havehaditifitweren’tforyouandyourfamily.”

TherewasdefinitelysomethingdifferentaboutKate.Shenotonlyseemedcalmandat

peace but also confidant like I’d never seen her before. Tonight, I’d be able to prove
whethermyinstinctwaswrongorright.

“You’remyfamily,Kate.”Ikissedheroncemore,thensnuggledherfrombehindand

listened to her slowed breaths. Outside, the moon shone so brightly it bounced off the
fallingflakes,illuminatingtheoutside.ItwouldbeabeautifulwhiteChristmas.Assoon
asKate’sbodytwitchedandIknewthatshe’dfallenasleep,Ileftherinbedandwentto
the bathroom, where I emptied the toilet of water and shut off the valve so the tank
wouldn’tfillagain.

When I snuck back to bed, Kate was sleeping soundly. With some parts of her body

wrappedinsheets,shewassplayedoutlikeaqueen,andittookallmystrengthnottotake
heragain.Asthenightpassed,thesleepIwishedfordidn’tcome.Theclockflashedthree
inthemorningthefirsttimeKatestirred,andIgatheredthatshe’dbeupinanotherhour
or so to go to the bathroom. The wait was long. Too long. Listening to her slow
inhalationsandexhalationsstretchedthenightintooneofthelongestonesofmylife.

When she finally got out of bed in the morning hours, I heard Kate shuffle her feet

acrosstherug,thenthewoodenfloor.Sheshutthedoorbehindher,andIwaiteduntilshe
wasdone.AfteraminuteorsoIheardherfumblewiththetoilet,pushingonthehandle,
butnothinghappened.Shewashedherhandsandreturnedtoourbed.

Kategentlytouchedmyshoulder,rockingitalittle.

“Cam?Thetoilet’snotworking.”

“Gobacktosleep,Kate.I’llhavealookatit.”

“Ionlypeed.”

“That’sgood.Don’tworryaboutit.”

“Yeah,butwhatifIneedtogotothebathroomagain?Mystomachfeelsfunny.”

“Allright,I’llhavealookatitnow,then.”

I slid out of bed as languorously as I could and went to the bathroom to check the

toilet; at least, that’s what Kate thought I was doing. I quickly removed the pregnancy
stickI’dacquiredfromSilviaearlierinthedayfromthecabinet,dippeditinthepee,and
loweredittothecounter.Sheusedtheseonestotestanimalpregnancies,butshe’dtoldme
that the hormone levels would be detected the same way. The next three minutes of
waitingfeltlikeforever.Iquicklytwistedtheknobandreleasedthewaterintothetoilet.
Onceitwasfull,Iflushedit,thenknowinginthebackofmymindthatthethreeminutes
hadn’tpassed,Iglancedbackatthepregnancytest.Twosmallredlineshadappearedon
thesmallwhitestrip.

Fuck,whatdoesthatmean?

Iwasn’tsureifthatmeantwe’dhavetwokidsinsteadofone;yetIknewthatcouldn’t

be true because how could a fucking stick know how many kids we’d have from a pee
sample?Maybeitmeantthatitwasadefinitenegative.Apositivesignshouldhavebeena
plus,shouldn’tit?

Iquicklygrabbedtheboxthetestshadcomein.Myhandswereshaking.Inanother

minuteortwoKatewouldaskmewhatwastakingsolong,andIwasn’tsurehowlongI
couldkeepasecretfromherandnotgivein.Ifoundasectionwherethepregnancytest
showedtwolinesandreadtheword:“PREGNANT.”

“Holy shit!” I sighed with disbelief, and felt a sudden drumbeat in my chest. It was

fierceandhardasIrealizedI’dcreatedahumanbeingthatIwouldcertainlyloveforthe
restofmylife.Istashedthepregnancytestinthebackofthecabinet,whereIknewKate
wouldn’tlook,andthenreturnedtoourbedroom.

“Whatwaswrongwiththetoilet?”sheasked.

“The valve was turned off. I think I shut it off by accident when I washed the floor

earlier.”

“Youwashedthefloor?”

“Yeah,whyareyousosurprised?”

“IrememberwhenyouwashedmyfloorbackinPace.Youwerehot.”

“Iwashot?You’retheonewhowasdroolingoverapriest.”

“Well, is it my fault that you make a sexy priest? There aren’t many men as

domesticated as you in this world, you know. And you were supposed to be resting all
day.”

“I’mfeelingjustfine,andyou’rewrong,baby.Iknowplentyofdomesticatedmen–

mybrothers,forone,andmostofMother’semployees.”

“Well,yourbrothersareanexception,andasformanservants,they’repaidtodowhat

they’retold.Itdoesn’tcount.”

“Fine,haveityourway.”

Shetwistedinbed,scootingclosertome.

“It’snothavingmyway.It’showitis.Menlikeyouarerare.”

“And women like you are even rarer.” I kissed the future momma on her forehead,

wondering how in the world I’d keep the biggest news I’d ever had a secret for another
twelvehoursorso,andprayedthatshewouldn’tfindoutonherown.Itwouldtakealot
ofcreativitytokeepheroccupied.

“You’resweet.I’mgonnagobacktosleepnow.Tomorrow’sabigday.”

Yeah,itdefinitelywouldbe.

“Iloveyou,Kate.”

“Iloveyoutoo.”

Shelaybackdown,pulledthecoversallthewayuptoherchin,andturnedtoherside.

Ispoonedher,wrappingherinmyarms,andheldheragainstme.Shewaswarmandsoft
andsodelicatethatI’dkillanyonewhoeverwantedtoharmher.Thentheurgetoactually
touchhertummygrew.IwantedtoshowherhowmuchIlovedherandthelittlebabyshe
wascarryinginherstomachanddidn’tevenknowit.Buttouchingheroverherbellylike
thatwouldmakehersuspicious,soIjustheldherascloseaspossible,knowingthatsoon
enoughIcouldplacemyhandoverthatgrowingstomachandfeelourbabykick.Iknew
thatitwouldbeoneofthemostwonderfulkicksI’deverexperienced.

“G

C H A P T E R 1 4

K A T E

oodmorning,sleepyhead.Imadeyoubreakfast.”

Irubbedmyeyesandstretchedmyarmsabovemyhead.Ithadbeentoolong

sinceI’dbeenabletowakeupwithoutstressorworries.Myfatherhadbeenfound,Cortez
was dead, Mike Donaldson was behind bars, and the FBI director was awaiting his
sentence.Fromthelooksofthings,hewouldendupinprisonaswell.Mostimportantly,
Cameronwasawake,andwecouldfinallybeginasomewhatmorepeacefullifetogether.
Maybelessstresswouldallowustogetpregnantmoreeasily.Cameroncertainlyseemed
togetusoffontherightpathlastnightwhenwe’dmadeloveuntilneitherofushadany
strength left. And this morning I was paying for it by sleeping in and definitely running
late.WehadalotofpreparationstogetdonebeforeChristmasdinner.

“Ahh,coffee.It’sexactlywhatIneed.”IreachedforthecupCameronwasholdingin

hishand,buthepulleditaway,saying,“Actually,Ihavesomeherbalteawaitingforyou.”

“Herbaltea?YouknowIdon’tdrinkherbalteas.Ineedcaffeine.”Ireachedforthecup

oncemore,buthewouldn’tbudge.

“No,youdon’t.Ihavetotakecareofyou,andcaffeineisnotgoodforyou.”

“Hah!Tellthattomyhead.”

IfinallygrabbedCameron’scoffeefromhishandandtookthreelongsips.“Perfect.I

alreadyfeelbetter.Whyareyoufrowning?”

“Noreason,”hegrumbled.“Joinmeforbreakfast?”

“Ofcourse.Youandmyparentswerechattylastnight.Whatwereyoutalkingabout?”

Ihoppedoutofbedandhurriedtothebathroomtopeeandbrushmyteeth.

“Nothing.Justsomelastminutedinnerpreparations.”

I spat out the frothy mint and turned toward him. “You’re not the one who’s taking

careofdinner.”

I finished brushing my teeth, and wearing my jogging pants, went downstairs to the

bustlingkitchenbeforeCameronhadachancetocatchuptome.

“Goodmorning,Kate.”Marywassittingatthedinettetablereadinganarticleonher

tablet.

“Good morning, Mary.” I stopped short of bumping into a beautifully set table with

everythingyoucouldeverwantforbreakfastandfeltmymouthwater.

“Cameron ensured that the whole family was well taken care of,” Mary said with

pride.

“Camerondidthis?”

Whendidhehavetime?

“Aha,soKate.”Maryremovedherglassesfromhernoseandsethertabletaside.“I’ll

be honest with you. I’m ready to be a grandmother again, so if you and Cameron are
thinking about a baby, there’s no better time than the present. I mean, I’m not sure how
long I’ve got left on this ticker.” She pointed to her heart, grinning, guilting me into
agreeingwithher.ButIdidwantababy.Wewouldhaveababy;itwouldjusttaketime.

“Iunderstandwhatyou’resaying,Mary,andit’snotforlackoftrying.Iwouldlove

nothingmorethantogiveyouagrandchild.”

“Oh, honey, well, you know, they say that sometimes a little whiskey gets the blood

goingjusttherightwayandmakeseverythingflowmucheasier.”

WasMaryalittledrunk?Itwasonlyteninthemorning.Andasthethoughtpassed,I

watchedherreachunderthetableasifsheweredoingsomethingillicitandbringouttwo
glassesandabottleofwhiskey.

“Have a seat, Kate. The room won’t spin as much if you’re on your bum.” She

hummedthelastwordasifsinging.Marywasalittletipsy,anditwasthecutestthingin
the world. Just as she finished pouring me a glass, Cameron stormed into the kitchen
scolding, “Mother!” He grabbed the glass out of my hand. “What do you think you’re
doing?”

“I think we’re about to create a new family tradition of whiskey in the morning,” I

chuckled, but he looked so serious he could kill. “Cameron, relax, will you? It’s just
whiskey.”

“It’s not just whiskey.” He poured the orange liquid into the sink and set the empty

glassonthecounterwithasigh.

“Wasitpoison?”Iaskedjokingly.

“No,it’snotpoison,”hesighedreluctantly.

“Well, thank God because you’re certainly acting like it is. Okay, Mary, what’s the

cookingplanlooklikefortoday?”Iasked.

“Wait,you’renotcookingtoday.”CameronshookhisheadasifI’djustcrossedaline

heclearlymarkedwithred.

“Why not? We’ve been planning this for weeks and you may as well find out, I’ve

cookedbefore.”

Whywasheactingsostrange?

“Yeah,butfortwenty.That’salotofwork.Idon’twantyoutogettired.”

“I’m not the only one here, Cam. My mom’s here, and so’s yours. We’ll all be

cooking.”

“Yeah, like Madame Mary over there is going to do any work around here. She’ll

likelycallonherownservantstocomeandsaveher.”

“What’sgoingonwithyou?”Iasked.“You’rebeingrude.”

“Nothing.It’sjustbeenahardmorning.”

“ThedoctorsaidyoucouldexperiencePTSDsymptomsafterthecoma.Isthatit?”

“It’snotPTSD,baby.”

“Whydoyousuddenlylooksopale,Cam?Here,takeaseat,drinksomejuice.”

JustasIpassedCameronaglassoforangejuice,shakingmyhead,Jaxwalkedinwith

atakeoutorder.“Anyoneforsushi?”

“We’re supposed to be cooking Christmas dinner today, pumpkin.” A red-headed

bombshell followed him into the room. Her matching pajama set almost exposed her
behindandbarelykepthertopcovered.

“Whoareyou?”Cameronasked.

“Comeon,brother.Don’tberude.ThisisCindy,andshe’sspendingtheholidayswith

thefamily.”Jaxgentlyslappedherbehindandshejumpedup,giggling.

“Okay, fine.” Cameron waved his hand as Jax set out plates for the sushi and began

unwrapping the containers. “Just make sure she has more clothes on when Sophie’s
around.”

Jax ignored him passing me a plate which Cameron grabbed, saying, “None for us,

thank you. I made a delicious and healthy breakfast for you, all organically grown
vegetablesandfreshlybakedbread.Mariannewaskindenoughtomakethatforus.”

“Allright,allright.Let’seatthebreakfast.DoyouhavesomeofthatCanadianmaple

syrup?I’vebeencravingiteversinceIhadthepancakesatthediner.”

“Idon’tthinkwehavethatparticularone,butIcanrunoutandgetsomeforyou.”

“Nevermind.Foundit.”Iremovedthebottlefromthefridgeandpouredaspoonfulof

the sweet goo for myself, then stuck another spoon in my mouth, sucking on it. I froze
whenIsawCameronstaringatmewithhiswideeyes.

“You’realreadyhavingcravings?”heasked.

“Whatdoyoumean‘already’?IjusttoldyouI’vebeencravingthissincethelasttime

Ihaditatthediner.”

“Right. That’s what I meant. Here, have a seat. Can I get you some eggs? They say

they’reagoodsourceofprotein.Andyoushouldprobablyhavesomemilk.”

“All right, Cam. What’s going on with you? You’re acting weird.” I sat down at the

tablebesidehimandwatchedasheplatedmybreakfast.

“Weirdhow?”

“WeirdlikeIwanttoslapyouweird.”

“I’m sorry. It’s a big day today, and I’m nervous.” He poured some hot water into a

steamingteacup.Itsjasmineandlemonaromafloatedupwardonthesteam,andIwiggled
mynose,wonderinghowIcouldgettothatcoffeepot.

“IsitbecauseourfamiliesarespendingChristmastogether?”Iaskedhim.

“Yeah,that.”

Ourgazesflewtowardthedoor.SophieheldastuffedanimalinonehandandBrook’s

palmsintheother.

“ImissLola.”Shewiggledhertinynose.

“I’m sure she misses us too.” Brook replied, but when I heard doubt linger on his

voice,Iwonderedwhatwashappeningwithhimandmybestfriend.

“Daddy,adomesticatedanimalinsteadofawildonemakesmuchmoresense,doesn’t

it?IalsothinkweshouldvisitSilviamoreoften.Booisgrowinguptoofast.”

Shewasadorable.Iffatehaditright,she’donedaybemynieceaswell.

Ireachedforthepotofcoffeestandingatthesidecounterandpouredmyselfacup.

“For the love of God, why can’t you just go and have an herbal tea like a normal

pregnantwoman?”

“Maybe because I’m not pregnant,” I laughed, but Cameron’s mouth didn’t even

twitch.

“Cameron? I’m not pregnant. I told you, my cycle is fine, and unless you planted

somethinginsidemelastnight,I’mstillwillingtocontinuetryingtogetpregnant.”

“No,youdon’tgetit,Kate.IwasgoingtodothiswholethingwhereIgiftedyousmall

babybootiesandsomebabyfoodinajarandthefreshbunsthatIwasgoingtobakeinthe
ovensothatyouwouldguessthebabygifttheme.WhatI’mtryingtotellyouisthatyes,
youarepregnant.IaskedCharlietobringbyanultrasoundmachinesothatwecouldshow
thefamily.”

“Is this some kind of a family tradition? Are you pranking me, Cam? I mean,

obviouslyIwouldknowifIwerepregnant,andI’mnot.”

“No,Kate.Thisisreal.Icheckedyoururinelastnight.UnlessthispregnancytestIgot

fromSilviaiswrong,you’repregnant.”

“Youcheckedmyurine?”Itsortofmademeangry,butatthesametime,proudofhow

cleverhewas.

Wait,amIpregnant?

“Ishutoffthetoiletvalve.”

“ButhowcouldIbepregnant?”

“Hasn’tanyoneevertoldyouaboutthebirdsandthebees?”Marylookedupfromher

tablet,reachedforherglassofwhiskeyandtookanindulgentsip.Irealizedthatsincethe
moment Cameron had joined us in the dinette, I’d barely registered that she was even
there.

“Ofcourse,Iknowaboutthebirdsandthebees,butCameron’sbeeninacomaandwe

haven’tbeenintimateuntillastnight.”

“IthadtohavehappenedonThanksgivingeve,”Cameronstatedmatter-of-factly.He

looked different. Proud. “Otherwise the tests wouldn’t have worked. I knew you were
pregnantfromthemomentIsawyourglowingfacewhenIwokeup.Youwillsee,Charlie
willconfirmit.”

“Ihadmyperiod,”Isaidasthesoundsintheroombeganblendingintoone.

“SodidIduringthefirsttrimesterofeachofmypregnancies,”Maryreplied,andwe

bothturnedourheadstowardher.

“Icouldbepregnant?”Iasked,pokingmyforkthroughthescrambledeggsCameron

had served me. I moved them from one side to the other until he touched my hand,
stoppingme.

“You.Are.Pregnant.Kate.Iwasgoingtosurpriseyouwiththenewslater,butthishas

been the hardest secret I’ve ever had to keep. I had a cake planned out and everything.
Therewassupposedtobeagame,anddiapersandbottlesmadeupofsweets,andother
partyfavors,andnowalmosteverything’sbeenruined.”

“Aww,Cameron,areyoufeelingalittlehormonal?”Jax,whomusthaveoverheardour

conversation,teasedhisbrother.Thenhecameuptome,liftedmeupintheair,andspun
mearound,screaming.“I’mgoingtobeanuncle!”

“Yo,setherdownrightnow.Don’tyoudarehurther,”Cameronwarned.

“Relax,bro.Iwouldn’tharmapieceofhaironthiswoman.”Jaxfinallystoppedthe

spinningandsetmedownontheground.Myhandsslidtomybelly,gentlytouchingit.

“You’retellingmethatIhaveababyinsideofme?Yourbaby.Andthatyoufoundout

beforeIdid?”

“Yeah,Iam.”

Could it be possible? Was I getting so much more than a simple Christmas miracle?

WasIgettingababy?

“Is there any way you can call Charlie over earlier?” I asked, and watched as

Cameron’smouthcurvedupintoasmile.

“I’llcallhimrightnow.”Hethenkneltinfrontofme,liftedmyshirt,andkissedmy

stomachbeforerestinghischeekthereandclosinghiseyes.Ifeltmystomachgrumble.

“AndisitstillokayifIhavesomeofthatcakeyousaidyouprepared?”

“Absolutely.”

ItseemedlikeitwasmomentslaterthatIwasstretchedoutonthefamilyroomsofa

withwhatseemedtobealotofpeoplearoundmeasDoctorCharlessquishedwarmgelon
tomystomach,maneuveringtheultrasoundhandle.

“And?”Maryasked.

“Isshepregnant?”Myfatherasked.

“Holdononesec.Now,you’resureyouwanttodothiswitheveryonehere?”Charlie

lookedaroundtheroomfullofpeople.

“Yeah,definitely.Cameronseemscertain,andIjustwanttoknow.Ifhe’sright,there’s

nothingmorethatIwantthantosharethismomentwiththewholefamily.Ifhe’swrong,
thenwegettotryagain.”

Camerontightenedhisgriponmyhand.

“Allright.”Dr.Lockheartslidthehandlebackandforthovermystomachandfinally

stoppedinonespot,anglingthethingtotheright,thentotheleft.“Well,well.Isn’tthisa
surprise?”

“Iknewit.”Cameroncheered.

“No,I’mnottalkingaboutthefactthatKateisinfactpregnant.”

The entire room erupted in cheers. Mary and Jack hugged each other and kissed.

Sophie jumped into Brook’s arms, saying something about wanting a baby brother or
sister.Mymotherhuggedmyfatherwhohadmostlyrecoveredfromwhatthedoctorshad
said was a from of temporary dementia and I couldn’t get past the tears. Though
somethingkeptmyattentiononDoctorCharles.Somethingwasn’tright.

“Wait,ifyou’renottalkingaboutthefactthatI’mpregnant,thenwhatareyoutalking

about?”

“Aboutthefactthatyou’regoingtohavetwins.MerryChristmas,everyone.”

Twins!

MygazeconnectedwithCameron’s,andatthatmoment,overtheloudjoyfullaughter,

tearsofhappiness,andexchangeofcongratulationsbetweenourfamilymembers,Ionce
again had hope that everything would be okay. For the first time in so long, my
goosebump-inducingnightmareswouldturnintodreamsaboutbabiesandtheircries,and
I’dtakethatathousandtimesoverthesoundofcrackingbones.

“Wait a minute! Quiet down!” Cameron called over the roar of laughter. “You may

havefoundoutaboutthebaby—babies,Imean—differentlythanIplanned,butyou’re
goingtofindoutaboutmyothersurprisethewayIwant.”

Theroomfellquietagainandeveryonefocusedonme,thenonCameronwholowered

himselftohiskneeatthesideofmybed,facingme.

“Whatareyoudoing?”

“You,thebabiesandme,we’remeanttobe.HopeKateBlack,Ican’timagineloving

you harder than I already do, yet I manage to do so every new day. I look forward to
waking up every morning with that new found feeling of even greater love that you’ve
given me, something that I previously thought never existed. Please be my wife. Please
sayyesandmarryme.”

IwasgladhestoppedtalkingbecauseIwassurethatIcouldnolongerholdmybreath,

soIletitgosaying,“Yes.”

It sounded like the entire room let go of a long-held breath at the same time, then

eruptedintoaroundofcongratulations.

CameronliftedtheringIjustnoticedhewasholdingfromitsboxandsliditovermy

finger.Itwasaperfectfitandanidealdesignoftwoconnectedheartsthatweremadeup
oftinydiamonds.

“Lockheart Diner was where I knew I was ready to give this family a try again.” I

twistedmyhandtoseebrightbeamsoflightreflectedfrommyring.

WhenIlookedup,mymomwascryingandmyfatherpassedheratissue.

“Iaskedtheirpermissionlastnight,”Cameronwhisperedfromtheside.

In between the rounds of congratulations, I saw Mary gulp down the rest of her

whiskeyandwipehereyesunderneathhersunglasses.Itmademefeelteary-eyedaswell.

Sophie was whispering something into Brook’s ear and he looked like a ghost.

Cameronfinallystoodupandsatonthesofaatmyside.Hesmoothedhishandovermy
bellyandIfeltinstantwarmthofChristmasandlove.

Hewaswrong.

He was the one who surprised me more each day. He would always be the one who

gavemehopefortomorrow.ThissuddenlyperfectfamilyI’dbeengiftedwasmorethanI
could have ever hoped for. It was a Christmas miracle and one of the best days of my
lifethatIwouldrememberforever.

A F T E R W O R D

DearReader,

IhopeyouenjoyedtheendofKateandCameron’sstory.LolaandBrook,alongwith

our little Sophie, get to have their story told as well, in

Play With Me

, a single daddy

novel.

What’snext?Cameron’stwoyoungerbrothersJaxandDeanwillgettheirownseries

andI’mlookingforwardtobringingtheircrazyworldfullofhornywomentoyourkindles
in2018.

Beforethem,acoupleofsurprisereleasesinthenewyear.

Happyreading!

LaceySilks

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T H I S A N D T H A T …

A L S O K N O W N A S A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S

Phew….wheredoIevenstart?Thisbookwassupposedtobeeasytowriteanditwould
have been if life didn’t throw a little health curve ball my way. All my plans basically
wenttotheshits.Don’tgetmewrong.Ihadthetimetowrite.Iwantedtowrite.Iknew
exactlywhatIwantedtowrite,butwhenIsatdowntodoit,Ibarelygot100wordsdone
inaday.Yeah,somethingthatusuallytakesmeaminuteortwotodo,tookallmystrength
toaccomplishinaday.

On the bright side, I’m finally able to move along with life and manage it again.

Thingswillbedifferent,buteveryonefacesadversityinlife,right?

So,IguesspartofmewasgratefulthatIwroteBabyMeatthetimeinmylifewhenI

was forced to realize that if I didn’t “fix me”, or “take care of me” myself, no one else
coulddoitforme.Evenwhenyourlovedoneswanttotakecareofyou,sometimesthey
cannot.Theytry,andsimplyhavetoomanyobstaclesinthewaytoactuallyhelp.Seethe
familiaritytoKateandCameron’sstory?

Takingchargeofone’sdestinyisn’teasybecauseoftentimesdestinyhasamindofher

own,butlivingtothebestofyourabilitieswiththedestinyyou’regivencanbethekeyto
theoptimallifeyoucanexperience.

To my readers, thank you for your continuous support. I am so blessed to do what I

lovetodoforalivingandtothinkthatsomeonewantstoreadthosecrazystoriesroaming
inmyhead…well,that’sjustcrazy.

Tomyeversopatienteditorandproofreader-yourhelpmeanseverythingtome.

To my entire family, thank you for listening and just… being there when I go crazy

withmyschedule.Youareallmyblessing.Youaremylife.

AspecialthankyoutoMayaandAlexwhotalkedthisplotoutwithme.(Notthesexy

partsbecausethatwouldmakemeabadmother,LOL!).

p.s.We’regettingapuppy!

A B O U T T H E A U T H O R

USA Today Bestselling Author Lacey Silks writes erotic and contemporary romances with a touch of suspense. Her
storiescomefromherlife,dreamsandfantasies.She’sahappilymarriedwifewithtwokidswhousesherhusbandto
testoutthemoreintimatescenesforherwriting–hesaidhedoesn’tminditatall.

Lacey likes to make her readers blush and experience the story as if they were the characters. Drawing on the

reader’smostsensitiveemotionsthroughrealisticstoriessatisfieshermorethan……oknotreally,butyougetthepoint
;)

Shelikesapinkishshadeonawoman’scheeks,menwithlargefeetandsexylingerie-especiallywhenit’stornoff

thebody.Herfavoritepieceofclothingisabirthdaysuit.

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