“All right, I’ll put you out of your misery.” He kisses me deeply then, pulling off the mask while my eyes are still closed. When we break the kiss, I open them, and when they focus, I recognize our bedroom.
On theNatalie Dawn.
“Nathan?”
“I can’t create a storm on demand. But everything else…”
What? This can’t be possible.
Then he smiles. That lopsided grin that’s so unique to him. The one I haven’t seen in almost seven years.
“But we haven’t looked at that photo yet,” I mutter, too afraid to believe what I’m seeing.
“It’s all right here.” He taps his temple.
“Nathan?”
“I’m back.” He crawls into the bed with me and pulls me on top. Gazing up into my eyes, he runs his fingers through my hair and gently pulls my face down to his.
Without breathing, I wait for him to tell me.
“I remember everything.”
CHAPTER 36
Maddie
“Maddie Rickter—don’t you dare lift a finger. You’ve been cooking all day. Relax,” Ms. Connor calls to me from the sink.
I let go of the pantry door and pout. “We’re running low on the lemon drop cookies. They’re everyone’s favorite, and the holiday bonfire is just a couple of days away.”
Ms. Connor glances at the kitchen table—plates of cookies, peppermint bark, and fudge covering it end to end.
“I think they’re going to survive, honey.” She gives me a serious look and then a squeeze. “Now rest. Really.”
Christmas is less than a week away. Natalie and Scott are in the living room decorating the inn’s tree, and even Ziddo is sitting next to the table drinking some of Ms. Conner’s famous cocoa with a bowl of Oreshki she made just for him. Scott’s been practically living here at the inn with his team while they work around the clock planning when they’re not diving. For a few short hours tonight, they’ve all been able to unwind and enjoy the holiday spirit instead of worrying about an environmental catastrophe. Everyone’s here, everyone but Nathan and Crystal.
They’re having a party of their own tonight. I smile. Crystal told me all about her plans, and I saw Nathan washing up at theinn earlier so he could spruce up before he went home. Nathan’s our Christmas miracle. There’s nothing else I want other than for everyone in our family to stay safe... and be happy.
Everything’s just right—for now, anyway. Well, almost.
I wish Wes could have made it tonight. We’re expecting him in a couple of days. Then we’ll have our whole family here with us. My heart squeezes with gratitude. Before I head to the living room, I pack a few lemon-drop cookies in a container to save for Wes.
“Hand me the green one,” Scott calls out to Natalie. She hands him a big, glittery ornament which he hangs near the top of the tree.
“Can we put the star on now, Uncle Scott?” She lifts the star to him. He smiles and takes it. Stretching, he tries to get it on top. A two-step stool has done the trick for everything else, but the tree is nine feet tall.
“F—” He catches himself when he looks down at Natalie. “Can’t quite reach it. I’m going to need to get the big ladder.”
“Here,” Ziddo says, walking up from behind him. Scott steps down and lets Ziddo top the tree. I giggle as I imagine he looks just likeBumble, the abominable snow monster fromRudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
“Thanks,” Scott says. Ziddo nods once and heads back into the kitchen.
Yeah, everything’s perfect.
After everyone else goes to bed, Scott and I sit together in the living room gazing at the sparkling lights on the tree. Resting my head against his chest, I’m dozing off when I hear a soft knock at the door.
Scott jumps up to answer it.
