“It’s true. He’d never have done as I did, shutting myself off. Especially not from you. Promise you won’t take after me and shut yourself off,” Camille whispered fiercely.

Summer leaned in and kissed her mom, on first one cheek, and then the other. “I love you.”

Camille gathered Summer in for a powerful hug, then pulled back, cupping her daughter’s face. “We’re going to be okay.”

“Yes. Now go take your leap.”

When Camille and Kenny left, Summer looked around at the messy room. Now it was her turn to leap. Without looking. Without a safety net. Without a damn thing but her so-called courage.

That night, Summer went to her cottage instead of to Chloe’s. She needed some clothes, and some alone time. It was dark and quiet, and feeling mentally and physically exhausted, she lay down on the couch and closed her eyes, telling herself she just needed a moment.

She woke up in the middle of the night to her cell beeping, signifying a new text message.

In the ensuing silence, her stomach clenched. It was never good to get a message in the middle of the night. It meant someone was hurt, sick, or dead.

Or it was Chloe, wondering where the hell she was.

She reached for the cell phone on the coffee table, retrieving the message with shaking fingers.

I’ve asked you nice. Now I’m not asking, I’m telling. LEAVE.

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Her heart pumped hard as Summer punched in Joe’s number.

“Walker,” he said, bringing her out of her mindless panic like no one else’s ever had.

He sounded sleepy. He sounded…warm and rumpled, and damn, she’d missed him. She’d missed him so much. “It’s just me.”

“A bad dream?”

She didn’t question how he knew something was wrong, it was the middle of the night. But even if it hadn’t been, he’d have known because he’d pretty much always been that tuned in to her. “I have a problem.”

“Define problem.”

No longer sounding sleepy, he spoke in his fire marshal–calm, alert voice. She knew his eyes would be flat and unreadable. “I received a new text message.” She read it to him.

“Where are you?”

Damn, she’d known he’d ask. “Don’t get mad.”

“Red—”

“I’m at the cottage.”

“I’ll be right there.”

“Oh, no. Don’t drive. I’m sorry, I didn’t think—I should have called Kenny. I just got spooked. Anyway, it can wait until morning—”

“Red.”

She gulped in a breath. “Yeah?”

“Lock your doors.”

“I did.”

“Keep your blinds shut.”

Oh, God. “They are.”

“Keep breathing, I’m already in my car.”

“But you shouldn’t drive.”

“Too late.”

“You have a clutch.”