“Clever.” Kit checked her son. He was sneaking through the trees, moving very slowly. So patiently. “When Aric was almost three, I married a sweet man, and we moved to Texas. But Brenden died. And before I really got over him, there was Obadiah.”

Two husbands in two years. She was certainly doing things wrong.

No, don’t think that way. Brenden had tried his hardest to stay clean; he just hadn’t been strong enough.

Obadiah was simply a lying abuser.

“I know this might sound bad”—Audrey pulled in a breath—“but I’m really glad that jerk Obadiah is dead, and you’re free of him.”

Kit blinked back tears. It was exactly what she needed to hear. “Thank you.”

As they turned to watch the game, Kit saw that Caz and Hawk had moved far apart, approaching the target flag from different sides.

Bull and Gabe spotted the two men, but the children were also creeping forward. Down low where there was more cover.

“I saw you planting seeds into trays. More veggies for the garden?” Audrey asked.

“No, they’re flowers. I’m going to make autumnal hanging baskets to thank the people in town who saved us from the PZs. I think they’ll flower right around the beginning of August.” Kit shook her head.

“You know you don’t have to thank anyone.” Audrey smiled. “But they’ll love it if you do.”

As the wind carried a spray of rain under the umbrella, Kit frowned and leaned forward. “Where’d the children go?”

Audrey pointed. “There’s Regan.”

The girl was crouching behind a bush. Farther away, something crashed.

“Was that JJ over there?” Audrey asked.

“I lost track of her.” Kit noticed Gabe and Bull turned toward the noise too.

Regan sprinted forward and threw her water balloon at Gabe.

The police chief dove to the ground, only half escaping her excellent pitch.

Bull threw at the same time Regan tossed a balloon at him—and both hit.

A high scream of victory ran through the forest. “Got it, got it!” Having grabbed the flag, Aric waved it over his head, yelling and bouncing.

Everyone cheered. Gabe set Aric on his shoulders, Bull did the same with Regan, and moved close enough the children could exchange fist-bumps with each other and their other teammates.

And they headed out to the road where Kit and Audrey waited.

“Did you see me, Audrey?” Regan was yelling. “JJ was the first di—diversion, and I was the second, and I got Uncle Gabe and Uncle Bull anyway.”

“You showed awesome skills,” Audrey agreed.

Laughing, Gabe lifted Aric from his shoulders and set him in the pickup bed. “Aric and Regan are an amazing team.”

“I did it, Mama,” Aric boasted.