Maybe she was, but staying in a hotel was not going to get them to her any faster, and Marisa needed peace and rest, not the hubbub of New York. And so did he. And besides, they both needed to know what Sam had found out, though Marisa didn't know that yet.

Chapter 14

MARISA WOKE THE NEXT morning to the scent of coffee wafting beneath her door. As much as she wanted some, she needed a shower first. She checked the clock on the nightstand.

No way she'd slept until ten.

They'd arrived home after eleven the night before. No amount of arguing with Nate had persuaded him to turn the car around and stay in New York. Once she'd fallen into bed, she'd realized he was right. Now, after sleeping ten hours, she was even more convinced. She'd needed a good night's sleep, and this cabin in the woods was much more peaceful than any hotel could have been.

She showered and slipped on clothes she'd found folded on her bed the night before. Probably Rae's, because Sam's clothes would have been too short for her. She chose a dark pair of jeans from the few folded there. They were a bit baggy but long enough, and with the belt Rae'd supplied, they worked fine. She looked outside at the drizzly day and chose a sweatshirt from the pile. Soft and cozy. How she'd missed sweatshirts.

She'd live with a million stifling hot days if only she could get her daughter back.

Hair wet and braided, she stepped into the great room and stopped.

Nate, seated at the bar, turned and smiled at her. Sam waved from her perch at the end of the counter. Rae was behind the counter, sipping from a mug. She said, "You're up. We thought we heard the shower."

Marisa blinked at all the faces, noted the tray of baked goods on the kitchen table, and turned when the back door opened. Brady stepped inside carrying a few logs. "Good morning."

"Hi," Marisa said. "I'm late to the party."

Nate walked toward her. "We didn't want to wake you. Did you get a good night's sleep?"

"Very."

He urged her to the bar. "Here, take my seat."

As Marisa slid onto the barstool, Rae set the coffee caddy in front of her. "What kind of coffee today?"

She selected one. Rae set it in the machine and pushed the button to start it brewing.

Marisa turned and watched Brady tear a newspaper into strips and shove the strips in the bottom of the fireplace.

"Is it cold enough for a fire?"

Nate nodded. "It's dropped into the thirties out there, and it's raining."

"I saw that." A thought occurred to her. "What if it turns to snow? We'll never get back to New York."

Before she'd finished speaking, Nate shook his head. "It's not supposed to snow. It's supposed to warm into the forties today. We'll be fine."