Rachel settled into the swing next to where Shea sat wrapped in her quilt while Sarah sat on Shea’s other side in a wicker armchair. Sophie came away from the partitioned-off play area and sat with Rachel in the swing.

“You’re looking better today, Shea,” Rachel said, her sweet voice soothing over Shea’s ears like music.

Sarah and Sophie both smiled and nodded their agreement. Shea knew they were lying, but she loved that they cared enough to want to make her feel better. And even if she didn’t look better, she thought maybe she did indeed feel better.

Sophie rose from the swing and went to perch on the oval wooden table that rested just in front of Shea. Their knees were nearly touching. She reached for Shea’s hands and for a moment simply held on and squeezed comfortingly. Rachel and Sarah both sat forward, their gazes focused solely on Shea. Shea could feel the warmth and the love in those stares. She marveled at how these women could care so much for someone they didn’t really know. But then Shea already liked them so much and she drew great comfort from their company.

“Shea, it’s time to stop hiding,” Sophie said gently. “I know you’re scared. I know you’ve been through such a horrible ordeal. But you’re safe now. You’re with people who love you. It’s okay to let down the barriers and allow us in.”

Rachel glanced first at Sarah and then to Sophie and finally back to Shea. “We understand what you’re going through. We’ve all been there. I’m still working on getting there, but it gets easier every day. We’re all here to help you. All of us.”

“Nathan is so worried for you,” Sarah said. “He’s not sleeping well. He’s not eating. He loves you so much, Shea. He’s suffering too, and I know you don’t want that. He hides it from you because he doesn’t want to burden you and he doesn’t want to add to your stress.”

Shea’s brow wrinkled and she blinked. They all looked so very sincere. And worried. Part of her wanted to push through. Shrug off the heavy veil of silence and the comforting white void. But the other part of her feared losing that barrier because, without it, she was without defense. Open, raw, memories clawing relentlessly at her.

Rachel leaned forward and added her hands to Sophie’s as she stared earnestly at Shea. “You don’t have to do this alone. You have the entire Kelly family behind you. I’ll always be willing to listen. Or to help you. I still go to a therapist to talk about the time I spent in captivity. It does get easier. I promise you.”

“And I go twice a month to a rape counselor,” Sarah added quietly. “Garrett has been so wonderful. His—my—family has been unfailingly supportive. It feels so good to say ‘my family.’ I’m not even married to Garrett yet, but you are all truly my family. And that includes you, Shea. You’ve been a part of this family since you brought Nathan home to us.”

“Our point is that we all have our share of fears, imperfections and issues to work through,” Sophie said. “But we do it together. As a family. Because that’s what family—or at least this family—is all about.”

Tears burned Shea’s eyelids. Emotion welled and expanded in her chest until she thought she might burst at the seams. She had no idea what to say or if she could say anything at all. She stared helplessly at these women who were for all practical purposes her sisters. Like Grace.

“Come home, Shea,” Rachel said softly. “Come home to stay. It’s safe here.”

She raised her gaze to fully meet theirs for the first time. She saw excitement bloom in their eyes as she met each one in turn. And then she saw movement behind Sophie. Her breath caught as the baby toddled toward the multitude of steps leading down toward the lake.

One of the gates had come open and Charlotte was fast heading toward the steps. Shea tried to shout a warning, but the words stuck and she could do more than watch helplessly as the baby started to fall.

To hell with this. She was tired of being a coward, and this beautiful baby wasn’t going to suffer because she was scared to face reality. Was this what she’d become? Some spineless, witless blob of insanity?

She bolted from her chair, knocking Sophie to the side as she flew toward Charlotte. The other women let out startled exclamations, but Shea could only see Charlotte and the imminent danger she was in.

Shea dove low, snatching her literally from the air as she pitched over the first step. She rotated so she’d take the brunt of the fall and she wouldn’t squash the child. Then she braced for impact.

She landed on the fourth step with enough force to knock the air from her lungs, but still she hung tenaciously on to Charlotte, determined to protect her at all costs.

She slid down the remaining steps, head first, on her back, each bump jarring her entire body. When she hit the bottom, she lay there a moment and stared up in wonder as Charlotte gave her a huge gummy grin and promptly drooled on her.

Sophie, Rachel and Sarah flew down the steps, babbling, yelling, shouting “Are you okay?” and “Oh my God!” Sophie tried to take Charlotte from Shea, but Shea held on and hugged the baby to her as she gingerly rolled the rest of her body off the steps.

Her entire body hurt, but nothing felt broken. Still clinging to Charlotte, she settled on the bottom step and buried her face in all that sweet-smelling baby skin and hair. Charlotte, completely unfazed by the event, chortled in glee and grasped a handful of Shea’s hair, pulling as she tried to maneuver it to her mouth.

Tears streamed down Shea’s cheeks. She hadn’t even realized she was crying. Her shoulders shook and she wept. Huge, aching sobs.

Around her, Sophie, Sarah and Rachel gathered, sitting in intervals on the steps so they could wrap their arms around both Shea and Charlotte.

“Thank you,” Sophie whispered. “Oh my God, thank you, Shea. I don’t know how you did it. I was so scared. I didn’t see her. I don’t know how the gate came undone. I’m always so careful. Sam is always so careful. If you hadn’t seen her. Oh God, if you hadn’t seen her.”

Charlotte began to squirm, protesting the suffocating circle of women surrounding her. She pulled away from Shea and this time Shea let her go. Charlotte patted Shea’s cheeks with both hands and let out a squeal of delight that Shea felt all the way to her toes.

And then Shea smiled back. God, it felt so good. Then she laughed. Tears still streaming down her cheeks, she laughed and let the sheer joy of the moment invade her soul.

One by one, each of the women hugged Shea fiercely and Shea hugged them back, grateful for that bond that had already begun forming. Family. Friendship. All the things that made life worth living despite the risks, the dangers and the unknowns.

Rachel wiped at Shea’s tears with the pads of her thumbs and gave her a watery smile of her own. “I think there’s someone who’d love to see you about now. Why don’t you go over and surprise him?”

CHAPTER 45

HE wasn’t shooting worth a damn. He was all over his target. He was ready to say to hell with it all and go back to Shea.

“Glad we aren’t depending on you for cover,” Garrett grumbled beside him. “We’d all get our asses shot up.”

Garrett was the only one who’d hung around after Nathan started shooting. The rest of his brothers had beaten a hasty retreat and were a safe distance away.

“I can’t do this,” Nathan said in disgust. “My head’s not in it. Furthermore I don’t want my head to be in it right now. I just want…” He broke off and squeezed his fingers into a fist in frustration.

Garrett put his hand on Nathan’s shoulder. “I know, man. I know. You’ll get there.”

“I hope to hell you’re right. I feel so damn helpless. I feel like there’s something I should be able to do to help her. To make her not so afraid. To help her forget the nightmare she’s protecting herself from.”

“She’s been through a lot,” Garrett said quietly. “But she’s strong. She’s a fighter. Right now she’s just doing what she has to do to survive and cope. Think about all you did to survive the hell you endured. You’re still dealing with it. And you will. Just like she will. Only you’ll do it together.”

“Is that what you and Sarah do? Deal with it?”

“Every damn day,” Garrett said in a somber voice. “Some days are better than others. But the good ones? Are so damn sweet that they more than make up for the bad ones.”

Nathan took off the safety glasses and then pulled the earplugs he’d draped around his neck and pocketed both. It was pointless to continue wasting ammo.

He nodded in Swanny’s direction. “You and Sam thinking of taking him on?”

Garrett followed Nathan’s gaze to where Swanny was involved in a push-up contest with Ethan. “Maybe. If he’s interested. You know Van’s putting together a team. The plan was always for it to include you and Joe. There’s no hurry. You, Joe, even Swanny have a lot to sort out before you can be cut loose. We have time.”

Sam and Joe strode toward Nathan and Garrett, broad grins covering their faces. Garrett stared suspiciously at them, but they ignored him and focused on Nathan.

“Take a look, Nathan,” Joe said, pointing behind him.

Nathan swiveled, scanning the terrain for what Joe was trying to draw his attention to. Then he froze and he forgot to breathe. Or maybe he just couldn’t.

Shea was walking toward him, slowly, her steps a little unsure. But it was her. And she was looking right at him.

He stared in wonder, his gut so knotted up that he couldn’t even swallow. He’d never seen such a beautiful sight in his entire life. He wanted to laugh. He wanted to cry. He wanted to throw up a fist and let out a triumphant yell.