That’s when she noticed the pool of blood forming on the floor in front of him.

“Someone call for rescue,” Mac said behind her. “Come on, Dan, have a seat.” After getting Dan into a chair, Mac grabbed a napkin that he wrapped around Dan’s right hand. The napkin quickly soaked through, and Mac calmly swapped it out for another one.

“Sorry ’bout this,” Dan said.

Kara cradled his head against her chest. “It’s not your fault. You weren’t the one with the knife.”

“What’ve you done now, Torrington?” his close friend Grant McCarthy asked as he squatted in front of Dan.

“I was safer in LA than I am here,” he said, forcing a smile for Kara’s benefit. “Might be time to go home.”

Kara knew he was joking, but the comment scared her nonetheless. Gansett was their home, or at least she thought it was.

The EMTs arrived a minute later, and Kara stepped back from Dan to make room for them to tend him.

Her mother’s arm encircled her waist. “Are you all right, honey?”

“I will be when I know he is.”

“He did a brave thing rushing at that man with the knife. Who is that guy?”

“Jim Sturgil. He used to be married to Blaine’s wife, Tiffany, and people don’t like him because of the way he treated her when they got divorced.” As she filled in her mother, Kara never took her eyes off Dan. “When Dan came to the island to write his book, people started seeking out his legal advice, and now they prefer him to Jim.”

“So Dan is actually practicing law here?”

“Has been for a while now. He didn’t intend to, but that’s how it worked out.”

The lead EMT signaled to Kara to come with them.

“I’ll call you later, Mom. Sorry about all this.”

“I just hope he’s okay.”

“So do I.” Kara ran after the stretcher that Dan was strapped to.

“Much ado about nothing,” he said to her when she caught up to him. Despite his assurances, his face was pale and his eyes were glassy with shock, which reminded her of the aftermath of the boating accident—a time she’d much rather forget than relive. “Do you like how I got you out of the stupid party?”

“Don’t make jokes.” The instant the words cleared her lips, she regretted sounding so snappish. It wasn’t his fault he’d gotten hurt.

“I’m okay, babe. I swear. It’s just a cut. They’ll stitch me up, and I’ll be good as new.”

Kara forced herself to breathe through the need to cry with relief that he was okay. When she thought about what might’ve happened, she shuddered.

In the ambulance, Dan held out his good hand to her, and she took it, holding on tight to the man she loved with all her heart.

Chapter 17