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Chapters (86)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. Booklist
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

“Logically, being in town surrounded by people is safer than our isolation here. That is, assuming that the man who attacked you isn’t willing to commit a crime in broad daylight. Or, even better, if he’s dead.” Adam fiercely hoped the guy was dead, and even more, he hoped he had suffered. “If you enjoy working the shop, you should. But not tomorrow.”

“Right.”

“Rune can use Veda up at the Gothic Spring Psychic Festival. Isn’t she short a psychic? Maybe she can dress Veda up and have her read a crystal ball.” Adam was joking.

But Elle opened her arms to him, grabbed his face and kissed him on the mouth. “That’s perfect! It’s fate! You genius!” She picked up her burner phone and called Rune. “Guess what Adam figured out for us!”

56

THE NEXT MORNING, Elle leaned on Adam’s chest. “Let’s go play on the beach.”

“Play? At the beach? Where I found you?”

“Yes, play. It’s this thing you do when the sun’s shining, the water’s cold and sloshy, the sand is hot and waiting to be made into a castle and you’ve got the day off.” She leaped up, tugged at his hand until he was on his feet, and less than an hour later, they had loaded two backpacks in the ATV, one with a picnic lunch and one containing the emergency supplies Adam deemed necessary for any trip, especially to the beach.

Elle hopped into the driver’s seat. “Let’s settle your mind about whether I can drive.” She grinned at him.

“Yes. Let’s.” He did not grin back. Allowing someone else to drive him rubbed against his possibly overdeveloped need to be in control.

She pushed the starter and put the ATV in gear, and they headed down the road.

It took less than a minute for him to realize she most certainly did know how to drive, and in fact at some point in her past she’d probably had experience with an ATV like this one.

He’d been unaware of signaling his lack of confidence, but as soon as he relaxed, she patted his thigh. She read him too easily. “Where did you find me? Show me the spot.”

He directed her to the area above Nora Beach. She parked the vehicle and leaped out. Wearing the backpacks, they skidded down the steep slope to the sand. Elle laughed and talked all the way.

As they neared the spot where he’d pulled a black plastic bundle from the waves and Elle had come to life in his arms, Adam felt the tightening of his nerves. He thought she might react, as he did, to the shadows of the past.

Instead Elle pulled off her sneakers, leaped from the rocks onto the sand and shouted to the Pacific, “I’m here!”