He strokes my hair, fingers gentle. “It scares me too. But in the best way. I spent years convincing myself I didn’t need anyone. Then you showed up at my gate and everything changed. I want you here, Daisy. Not just until the threat is gone. I want you here for good.”
I lift my head to look at him. His eyes are serious, full of something deep and real. My heart swells until it feels too big for my chest.
“I want that too,” I whisper. “I can see a life here. With you. With all of them. Mornings like this. Nights on the porch. A future that doesn’t feel like running.”
He kisses me again, slow and full of promise. When we finally pull apart he smiles, that rare, warm smile that makes my stomach flutter.
“Stay,” he says simply.
I nod. “I’m not going anywhere.”
We lie tangled together for a long while, talking quietly about small things. How he likes his coffee. How I used to sneak medical textbooks from the library. The way the mountain looks at sunrise. The conversation flows easy and warm, the kind of talk that builds something lasting.
Eventually hunger drives us out of bed. Eli makes breakfast while I shower. We eat at the counter, stealing bites from each other’s plates and laughing when syrup drips onto my chin and he licks it off. Every touch feels electric. Every glance carries weight. I am falling for him fast and hard, and I no longer want to slow down.
After breakfast we dress and walk to the lodge together. The snow sparkles under the bright winter sun. Eli keeps his arm around me the whole way. When we reach the porch he stops and turns me toward him.
“Whatever happens with Dominic,” he says, “we face it together. You’re not alone anymore.”
I rise on my toes and kiss him. “Together.”
Inside the lodge the usual warmth greets us. The women pull me into their circle immediately. The men clap Eli on the back and draw him into their discussion. I sit with Harper and Hannah, sipping tea while Poppi plays at my feet. The conversation flows around wedding plans and baby milestones and quiet offers of support. I feel at home. Truly at home.
Later, when the sun dips low and paints the sky in pinks and golds, Eli and I walk back to the cabin hand in hand. The air is crisp and smells of pine. Stars begin to prick the darkening sky. Inside he locks the door and pulls me close again.
The day has been perfect in its simplicity. Healing. Hopeful. And as Eli kisses me once more, slow and deep, I know with absolute certainty that I have finally stopped running.
I’m exactly where I belong.
TEN
ELI
The lodge is loud and warm when we step inside a few days later. Laughter rolls from the kitchen where Fiona and Emma are arguing over how much garlic belongs in the pasta sauce. Poppi squeals as Aidan crawls after her with a wooden truck. The usual chaos feels good tonight. Normal. I keep my hand on Daisy’s lower back as we walk in, guiding her toward the long table where the men are already gathered with coffee and maps.
Silas looks up the second we appear. His expression is serious. He waits until Daisy is pulled into the circle of women before he catches my eye and jerks his chin toward the far end of the table.
I kiss the top of Daisy’s head. “I’ll be right back.”
She nods and squeezes my hand once before Harper steals her away with a fresh mug of tea.
I join Silas, Rafe, Boyd, and Gavin. The mood around them is heavy.
“Talk to me,” I say.
Silas leans forward, voice low. “We lost her father.”
My stomach drops. “What do you mean lost?”
“One day he was at his house in Reno, business as usual. Next morning the place was empty. No sign of forced entry. No note. Just gone. We have an APB out through every channel we can use quietly, but I’m not confident we will find him. Especially if Dominic got to him first.”
I rub a hand over my jaw. “You think Dominic has him?”
“Possible. Could be he ran to save his own skin. Could be he’s looking for Daisy to hand her over and buy himself time. We just don’t know.”
The thought of Daisy’s father actively hunting her makes my blood run hot. I glance across the room where she’s laughing at something Hannah says, Poppi in her lap. She looks lighter these last few days. Happier. I won’t let anyone take that from her.
“You think it’s possible her father is looking for her?” I ask.
