Skye closed her eyes and managed to force thoughts of Edge from her mind. It was late morning when they arrived in Denver. Lila was exhausted, and the brief nap Skye’d had in the back seat of the truck hadn’t done much good.

Carrying her bags, Edge followed her and Lila up to the apartment, said a brief farewell, and disappeared. Though he lived only a few blocks away, Skye felt strangely bereft.

Once they were settled, she pulled out her cell and phoned Callie.

“I’m coming over right now!” Callie said. “Tell Lila. I’ll ask Conn to drop me off at your place.”

During the women’s tearful reunion, Lila told Callie about Stella and that Riley Beeker, aka Beekman, had killed her. She explained that Daniel had forced her to accompany him and service him in bed.

“I did what I had to do to stay alive. Then I realized I was pregnant with Raul’s child, and I was even more determined. I was so afraid they would kill me. If I died, so would my baby. Then your sister and her friend Edge came to the ranch.”

Lila explained to Callie about the shootout, how Edge had forced Daniel to go with them, then turned him over to the sheriff in Pagosa Springs.

“I will never forget what your sister and her Edge did for me,” Lila said.

Callie leaned in and hugged her. Both of them cried.

Lila believed Skye and Edge were a couple. Skye didn’t bother to correct her. She didn’t think Edge would ever belong to any woman. He was too much of a loner to open up in the way that was necessary for a relationship to work.

Leaving the women alone in the guest room to catch up and try to figure out which paths their future should take, Skye was surprised when Edge showed up at the apartment that evening carrying two large pepperoni pizzas.

“I figured after such a long day you’d all be hungry,” he said.

Skye smiled as she took the pizzas and set them on the kitchen counter. “Thanks, these smell great. I thought you’d be ready for some down time by now.” Some time to yourself, she meant.

Edge’s blue eyes fixed on her face. “I guess I’m getting used to having you around.”

Ignoring the little thrill that slipped through her and refusing to read too much into the words, she went to work. In the cupboard, she found some paper plates and set them on the counter, then called Lila and Callie to join them.

“Callie’s here?” Edge asked.

“I called to let her know Lila was safe, and she wanted to come over. Conn dropped her off. He’ll come back for her in the morning.”