Lilly bent over her then and they just breathed, forehead to forehead, for the longest while.

“I love you, Lil. I’ve missed you so much.”

Lilly kissed her cheek and smiled down at her. “You do realize I’m going to lose my job if anyone finds that scruffy little dog in my cabin, don’t you? So it’s lucky I love you, too.”

“Oscar is worth it,” Cate said, trying to return the smile despite the heaviness in her heart. “His owner . . .” she said, as her voice wobbled, “his owner gave her life to save mine.”

Lilly’s eyes filled with tears as she hugged her again. “Then I’ll care for him like my life depends on it. I promise.”

As Lilly held her tightly once more, Cate remembered Adelaide. She remembered her smile and her kindness that first night, when she’d pretended Oscar was her own. Without Adelaide, she would never have had a chance of making it home at all. Without Adelaide, perhaps every single one of them would be dead by now.

I’ll never forget you, Addy. Not a day will go by when I won’t remember your sacrifice.

And as Lilly held her, rocking her in her arms, she finally succumbed to sleep.

EPILOGUE ELISE

EPILOGUE

ELISE
LE PARADIS, FRANCE, EARLY 1946

It was the birds taking flight from the low-hanging branches of the fruit trees that made Elise look up, and she startled when she saw a man coming up the path. His beard was scraggly and his clothes old, and her heart skipped a panicked beat as she stood and looked for her son, scanning the garden.

“Louis!” she called, holding up her skirts as she ran to him.

Louis waved to her from the tree he was climbing, and she gestured for him to come down, glancing over her shoulder at the man, who’d stopped now, but was on her path still.

She cursed her gun being so far away. Since France had been liberated, she hadn’t carried her weapon, but she was wishing she had it with her now.

“Louis, get down!” she demanded, reaching for him and catching his hand. He landed in her arms with a thump, almost knocking her off her feet, and she held him tight against her chest.

“Mama!” he protested, but she ignored him, setting him down but keeping a firm grip on his hand.

She looked at the man and then at her front door, knowing that if she had to, she could run the distance and protect them both. If there was one thing that war had taught her, it was that she was more than capable of looking after herself. And she wouldn’t hesitate to shoot this man if he tried to hurt them.

“Stay where you are!” she called, moving Louis slightly behind her. “This is private property.”