“Don’t worry about that. Go,” Jake said. “I’ll call Colin and let him know.” He glanced at Arabella. “He’s a hero. He located you, led us right to you. And he’ll be all right.”
She nodded, but she couldn’t say anything. Her voice was gone and it didn’t return as she sat in the back of a car with Horse’s head in her lap. Or when they made it to the emergency vet’s. It wasn’t until he was wheeled away that she broke again.
She sobbed and screamed while being held between Eli and Kellan.
They just held on, letting her lose her mind until finally Kellan picked her up and carried her to a chair, sitting with her on his lap.
Then he held her tight and began to rock her gently.
“It’s all right, baby,” Eli murmured. “It will be okay. Horse will be fine.”
“He’s mine. I love him so much.”
“So do we,” Eli told her. “And he really is a hero like Jake said.” He cleaned up her face. “Are you sure you’re all right? They didn’t hurt you?”
She shook her head and told them everything.
“God, that fucking bastard,” Kellan said. “We were nearly too late.”
“But you weren’t,” she said as Eli took her hands in his. “You made it on time. You guys saved me. I love you so much.”
“I love you,” Kellan told her.
“I love you as well,” Eli said. “And soon you’ll be able to tell Horse how much you love him too.”
EPILOGUE
Arabella stood staring out at the trees behind Abe’s house.
Well, it was their house now.
So much had happened in such a short time that it still shocked her when she thought about it.
She had a beautiful house, wonderful friends, and two amazing men.
Lee Newsome whose name was really Reggie Marion, weirdly enough, had been arrested and was waiting for trial along with Deputy Doofus. Who was not faring well in prison.
Their drug operation had been dismantled. Arabella had told Jake that Lee/Liam/Reggie had something on the head of the town council but Jake had no idea what it could be. And without any proof of wrongdoing there was nothing he could do.
They’d moved into their house last weekend and she loved working in her new kitchen. She was able to get far more done in her own space, although she was still selling her cakes in Iona’s bakery.
They’d bought Abe’s house, but only after she’d made certain that he wanted to move into a nursing home and wasn’t being pressured.
He hadn’t been entirely sure about the move until he’d met Pop-Pop who had come for a visit about a week after her kidnapping. Pop-Pop had fallen in love with the town and decided that he wanted to move here. Despite the fact that he’d have to leave his ladies behind.
He and Abe were now creating chaos in the Haven nursing home and loving every second of it.
Arabella loved having Pop-Pop closer to her. And it seemed he wasn’t missing his female friends since he now had four new girlfriends.
Four!
Sheesh. She didn’t know where he found the energy.
A happy sigh escaped her. Everything was perfect.
“Arabella! What are you doing out here on your own?” Kellan snapped.
Well, almost everything.
