“Forget showers, I want a long, long bath.” Frankie sighed before glowering at the rope burns on her wrists.

Knowing the hot water would make the abrasions sting, Kit flinched. It was her fault that Frankie and everyone else had been injured. If she hadn’t met and married Obadiah, then—

No, she couldn’t think like that. She’d made the best decisions she could at the time. And many wonderful things had happened. Like Hawk. And Frankie finding Bull.

As if hearing her, Frankie looked over. “Amica mia, thank you. Caz said if you hadn’t kept Nabera and the guards’ attention on you, no one could have freed Hawk and me. I have an idea how hard it must have been to face Nabera.”

“Yeah,” Hawk said in his deep rasp. “That took guts.”

Kit pulled in a shaky breath. It had been so very close, but they were all here and alive. And she had her son on her lap and Hawk beside her.

Life was good.

So was balance. She looked at her bestie. “After getting me out of the compound, you said it was my turn to save you—and I owed Hawk a rescue too. Nabera gave me a chance to pay you both off at once.”

Kit grinned at Frankie, then Hawk. “You’re welcome.”

Chapter Thirty-Two

Love is something sent from heaven to worry the hell out of you. ~ Dolly Parton

Behind Kit in the back of his canoe, Hawk stroked the paddle through the aqua-blue water. Fog drifted over the lake in a silent contrast to the battle last weekend.

For two days, they’d dealt with law enforcement groups and repaired the damage to the Hermitage. The garage doors would sure never look the same. They’d have to buy new ones so the women and kids wouldn’t constantly see the ugly reminders of violence.

Backstroking lightly, he angled the canoe closer to the bank. Now that the town’s floatplane dock was in good repair, more planes landed on the lake. The roadhouse was benefiting from the visitors.

In the bow, Kit paddled smoothly and quietly. Next time, he’d teach her to steer.

Next time.

They had a future together. The knowledge was simply, fucking wonderful, although, yeah, it might take a while to truly accept it.

On the bank, a flock of snow geese were snacking on the grasses and sedges in preparation for their fall migration.

Winter was coming—but the long, dark nights wouldn’t be the same. Not when Kit and Aric would be with him.

“Wow, look.” Kit pointed to a moose rubbing the velvet off its antlers on a tree trunk.

“It’s almost rutting season, so remember that the males can be irritable.”

For a change, he wasn’t one of the irritable males. He’d never been more content.

An hour later, he lay on a heavy horse blanket with Kit straddling his hips.