He managed to suppress his smirk when Frankie’s siblings realized he knew who they were without any introduction. Audrey was truly excellent at research.

He continued. “On the Alaska family side, we have Audrey Hamilton who runs our library. Gabe MacNair, Chief of Police. Police Officer Jayden Jenner. And Caz Ramirez who runs the town’s health clinic. We all live out at the Hermitage.”

“You live together in one house?” Birgit asked in confusion.

“No, we own a fair amount of acreage on Lynx Lake and built our houses there with a shared courtyard,” Gabe explained. “Frankie came to live with us after her rental cabin was torched.”

“Torched.” Her father almost stood. “Merda, my daughter’s house was burned?”

Nope, she hadn’t told them about the arson. And here was where Frankie’s temper and emotions came from. He leaned into Frankie. “I like your father.”

Her eyes shot sparks at him. “Deficiente, what have you done?” Her voice dropped. “They didn’t need to know that.”

His grin widened. Yep, one Italian temper.

Across the table, JJ asked Caz, “Did she just call him an idiot?”

“Francesca, you will explain this torching. Now.” Her father pointed to Frankie.

She kicked Bull’s shin hard enough to make him wince. “Papà, Kit’s husband was abusive and involved with a horrible cult, and he dragged her into it. I came here to help get her free, and the cult burned my cabin to make me leave.”

The father turned angry eyes toward Gabe. “Shouldn’t the police have been dealing with such a cult?”

Gabe gave him a sympathetic look. “Although the cult has been a problem, they’re outside of my town limits and quite good at not being caught breaking the law. The ones who burned her cabin were hired through a third party. However, last week, that all changed.”

“What happened last week?” Anja’s sharp blue eyes were bright with curiosity.

“The women in the cult got free, and the fanatics fled the area.” Gabe went on to explain more, including that Kit was in the hospital in Anchorage.

The sisters were wide-eyed, the mother obviously unhappy. “Francesca, this was most irresponsible of you. What were you thinking?”

Frankie stiffened. “That Kit needed help.”

“And helping is what friends do,” JJ said. “Your Frankie is a daughter to be proud of.”

Sigrid’s mouth pursed like she’d been sucking on a lemon. “Her name is Francesca. Why do you all persist in calling her Frankie?”

Perfect, the mom was getting irritated. That was what Caz had told them to strive for.

Time to toss the first grenade. “Our father was a traditionalist who taught us to address people by the name they prefer to use. It’s a form of respect.” Bull said politely. “And your daughter is very worthy of respect.”

The muscles in Sigrid’s face and neck tightened, exposing the fine white lines of a facelift.