Then Grady’s voice came into the half-light of waking and the hands upon her were no longer clawing but gentle and soothing. ‘Laurel. Laurel? Laurel, it’s OK. You’re dreaming. You can wake up. You’re safe. It’s a nightmare.’

Laurel surfaced with a gasp and a thump from her wildly beating heart. Shit. The nightmare. She wasn’t fighting off bullies on an icy December night but safe in Grady’s bed in dear little Mistletoe Cottage.

She burst into tears.

Grady gathered her up, stroking her back, kissing her hair. ‘Hey, hey. I’ve got you. That must have been some bad dream.’

When she could control herself, she sank wearily against him. ‘Sorry I woke you.’

He stroked her back. ‘It’s not a prob—’ He halted. Tensed. ‘Was the nightmare about what happened to you?’ Dread tinged his voice.

She nodded. Part of her wanted to turn on the bedside lamp and vanquish the lingering tentacles of the dream along with the darkness, but she didn’t want to see Grady and the dismay that laced his voice reflecting in his eyes.

He groaned, letting his head rest upon hers. ‘I wish I’d been there with you that night.’

‘Me, too. But wishing doesn’t change a thing.’ She let go of him and began to swing her legs out from under the duvet. ‘I think I’d better go home.’

Concern laced his voice. ‘It’s the early hours. Look, if you think the nightmare will return, we can stay awake.’ He reached out of bed to switch on the lamp, causing her to shield her eyes.

Tiredly, she shook her head. ‘We both need time to think.’

As she found her underwear and struggled into her jeans he came to stand beside her, naked but taking no apparent notice of the chill air. Dubiously, tentatively, he said, ‘I suppose there are other places to live than the village, if we had to.’

She fastened her jeans and paused to slide her arms around him, leaning into him for one last dose of comfort. ‘I’ve only just come back to be with my family; you’ve lived here your entire life and your only family is here. Can you imagine telling Niall you won’t be around for him anymore? It’s obvious every time you look at each other that you’re close.’ Grady fell silent, presumably imagining that very thing and unable to dismiss it as unimportant. She released him and reached for her top. ‘I won’t be responsible for spoiling your family relationships.’

‘Have you had the nightmare ever since … it happened?’

She wouldn’t lie to him. ‘No. For several years afterwards, but then it faded.’

‘Is the first time since you came back here?’ His voice was heavy.

She took in the disappointment in his eyes as he stood before her, goose pimples gathering on his skin. ‘The second.’