“The police can protect you.”

  “Right. I’ve been cleaning up Sotos’s messes for far too long to believe that.” At least he admitted to working with Sotos.

  Clemmons started moving again. “Don’t follow us or I’ll put a bullet through her pretty little head.”

  “Jen.” Her name whispered out, and Ethan saw the joy on Clemmons’s face.

  “It’s okay, Ethan,” Jennie said, her voice hoarse. “Always remember our days at the beach. Remember the sidewinder.” She forced a laugh.

  The sidewinder, the move he and his siblings inflicted on each other at the beach? The move he’d taught Jennie to prepare her for the trick one of his siblings was likely to play. A quick sweep of the leg and the target went crashing into the water.

  “You do remember it, don’t you?” she asked now, just steps away from the ditch.

  She wasn’t going to use it on Clemmons, was she? “Yes, of course, but—”

  “It always works, Ethan. Always.” The determination in her tone told him that she was.

  “No, Jen.”

  “Shut up,” Clemmons snarled.

  “Now,” Jennie yelled and swept out her foot.

  Clemmons lost his footing. He tumbled backward, his gun aimed at Jennie. A shot rang out.

  “No!” Ethan shouted and curled his finger, firing at Clemmons.

  Another shot ricocheted through the air, and Jennie crumbled to the ground.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Ethan ran across the road. He wanted to scoop Jennie into his arms, but he needed to make sure Clemmons couldn’t hurt them. He pressed his finger against Clemmons’s throat. No pulse.

  Ethan had killed someone. Guilt started to rise, but he forced it down. He’d regret that this happened, but he’d not feel guilt. Clemmons hadn’t given him a choice.

  He scrambled over to Jennie, gently lifted her into his arms and looked for any sign of life. Her chest rose and fell.

  Good. She was breathing.

  “Is she okay?” Kat came running up with her flashlight lighting her path, Tommy hot on her heels.

  “I don’t know.” His arm felt sticky and wet. “Shine your light over here.”

  Tommy went to check Clemmons, and Kat squatted next to him.

  The flashlight’s beam passed over his blood-covered arm and landed on Jennie’s head, oozing more.

  “Did he shoot her?” Kat ripped off her jacket and pressed it against Jennie’s head.

  Ethan didn’t want to waste precious time locating the site of her injury. Or if he were honest, he didn’t want to know if she had a bullet in her head.

  “We need to get her to the hospital,” Kat said.

  “I’m getting up. Keep your hand on her head.” He slowly rose.

  His legs wobbly from fear, they hurried to the helicopter. He climbed in back with Jennie and sat on the floor so he didn’t need to let go of her. With his free hand, he held Kat’s jacket in place, but felt the blood continuing to saturate the fabric.

  “OHSU, Derrick, and make it fast,” Kat said, taking a front seat.

  Derrick took off and Ethan cradled Jennie in his arms. He watched her face, dimly lit by the many lights on the instrument panel. He heard Derrick in the background, notifying the hospital of Jennie’s injury and their ETA.

  The unthinkable came to Ethan’s mind and he felt as if his heart was ripping in two.

  Had he finally come to admit he didn’t want to live without her just to find out he’d have to?

  * * *

  Jennie woke to the sound of heated male voices. She opened her eyes, the bright light closing them again. She forced them open and glanced around.

  The hospital. She was in the hospital. Ethan, his back to her, stood at the far end of the room, his hands fisted, and a tall, lanky man she didn’t know faced her. His narrowed eyes were fixed on Ethan, his face ruddy as if angry.

  “That’s not good enough,” Ethan said in a sharp tone. “If the DEA doesn’t arrest Eduardo Sotos, he’ll send another goon after Jennie.”

  “And like I told you about a hundred times, we have no physical evidence on Sotos. We can’t just arrest him because a man we think is affiliated with his organization tried to kill her.”

  “Oh, come on, Unger.” Ethan spit out the man’s name as if it were poison. “Clemmons admitted it in front of several witnesses. What more do you need?”

  “I don’t know, maybe evidence?” His tone held a liberal dose of sarcasm. “As a former Fed you know that. Our only hope was Clemmons’s testimony, but since he died…”

  As his words fell off, Jennie tried not to panic, but this was what she’d worried about. Wes—or whatever he called himself—was dead, but there’d be another creep taking his place. And she’d still be running for her life.

  “Fine. I know that.” Ethan shoved his fingers into his hair. “But it doesn’t mean I like it.”

  “Hey, I hear you. But it is what it is.”

  “So how about doing your job and getting something on Sotos so he can be arrested?”

  “Like we haven’t been trying to do that for years.” Again with the sarcasm. “Look, man. I understand your concern. The best thing I can suggest is witness protection.”

  Jennie gasped. She couldn’t go into witness protection. Not now. Not when she’d finally decided to let go of her past and pursue Ethan.

  Ethan’s eyes met hers and they softened. He turned back to the agent. “We’ll talk about this later.” His tone was dismissive and Unger left the room.

  Ethan stepped to Jennie. “You’re awake.”

  She nodded, but her head throbbed and a wave of dizziness crashed into her. She reached up. Found a bandage circling her head.

  “You hit your head when you collapsed.”

  “How long have I been out?”

  “You’ve been in and out for the last twelve hours or so.”

  “Twelve hours,” she repeated as she tried to think of what she might have missed for half a day. She bolted upright. “The show. I’ve got to get to work if I’m gonna make the show.”

  “Relax.” He gently settled her back against the pillow. “I found the online backup file with your pictures, and team Justice has been working on reprints for hours.”

  “But I need to—”

  “All you need to do is rest so you have enough strength to attend the opening tomorrow night.” He smiled down on her. “The prints won’t equal the quality of yours, but you saved all your edits in the files, and that will have to be good enough for once.”

  She cast him a skeptical glance.

  “I know you like things to be perfect, but the show can go on without you, you know. And you’re not the only one who can help these children. Others can get involved and take some of the burden from you.”

  He was right. She could step back and let others get involved. She didn’t need to do it all anymore, but could she follow through and let others take the reins so she could spend time finding her own happiness? That might take some getting used to.

  “I’ll have to think about how to cut back.”

  “You don’t sound convinced of that.”

  “I am. It’s just…” She didn’t want to tell him that she didn’t know how to live a life free from all the baggage she’d been carrying for years. To be happy. To be content.

  “Jen?” He locked gazes with her. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.”

  “I’m pretty sure I know what this is all about, and I think I can help.” He sat on the edge of the bed and took a deep breath. “Remember at the bank when I told you about my friend, the one who urged me to forgive you for leaving?”

  “Yeah, but I—”

  “That was my birth mother,” he jumped in. “She felt just like you do until she realized God would never condemn her for her mistake of getting pregnant out of wedlock. She was the one doing that. He didn’t come to this world to condemn, Jen.” He enveloped her hands in warmth. “You made a mistake. Had a baby. Did the right thing for her. You shouldn’t feel guilty. If God can forgive you, why can’t you forgive yourself?”

  “Um, actually, I was going to say that thanks to you and your family, I’ve already reached that conclusion.”

  “So if you’ve let that go, then why the serious face?”

  “I was just wondering if after all these years of focusing on Photos of Hope, I could cut back and find some time for a life of my own.”

  “And what conclusion did you come to?”

  “It’s going to be hard, but last night, before the fire, I realized that being alone isn’t good. I want a big, boisterous family like yours surrounding me. And I want to start by finding Natalie.” She felt all of the old anxiety return.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “What if Natalie hates me just like you did your birth mother for so long?”

  “Then she’s foolish like I once was, and we need to work with her to accept the truth.” He smiled. “I’ve had the best life ever, Jen. I didn’t suffer from being adopted. Maybe I once thought I did, but I didn’t. Your daughter hasn’t suffered, either. Let go of the worry.”

  He studied her with eyes that were warm yet invasive, as if he could see her every thought. And she was beginning to think he could. More than any other man she’d ever known, there was a natural connection between them. As if God made them for each other and wanted them to be together.

  “Jen, I…” He looked down toward their hands still twined together.

  What did he want to tell her that he was so afraid to say?

  Her heart beat double time. “What? What is it?”

  “Cole stopped by before you woke up to tell me he found her. Natalie. I asked him to look for her, and he found her this morning. She still lives in Springbrook with Grace and Bill Young.”

  Jennie jerked her hand free. “You had no right.”

  “When you love someone, you want to do what you think is best for them.”

  “You can’t possibly know what’s best for me.”

  “Maybe I’ll make some mistakes along the way. We all do. But I promise to use love as my motivation all the time.”

  He’d said he loved her. Twice. No, three times, if she counted the time before he boarded the helicopter. He’d risked his life for her. Hadn’t she learned anything? She couldn’t keep attacking everyone who tried to help her. Especially not him.

  He reached for her hand again, and that impossibly tight knot in her chest loosened.

  “I realize you’ve pretty much been alone all your life. You’ve had no one to depend on and had to take care of yourself. But you’re not alone anymore. I’m here with you.” With his free hand, he traced a finger down the side of her face. “For life if you’ll let me.”

  Could she believe him? Did he really want to be with her?

  “Don’t run away from me again, Jen. Don’t hide behind that wall. We’re meant to be together. When I saw you crumble to the ground, I felt—” He drew in a deep breath. “It was like someone ripped out my heart and nothing else mattered anymore. Nothing but you. I love you so much.”

  “And you’re sure this is love?”

  “Why do you doubt it?”

  “I know you feel sorry for me. For the way I was raised. You’re a good man, Ethan. Kind, compassionate, caring. Maybe you’re mistaking sympathy for love.”

  He cupped her cheek. “Sure I feel bad about your past, but your past doesn’t make my heart beat faster, and it sure doesn’t make me want to kiss you. To never let you out of my sight. To be with you forever. That’s love. Plain and simple.” He smiled, a devastating little grin that sent her heart tumbling. “All I need to be happy is for you to say you love me, too.” His face creased in a lost-little-boy look, timid and unsure.

  “I do, Ethan.”

  “Does this mean you’ll marry me?”

  She stilled. “I’m not used to letting anyone in or having someone worry about me.”

  He slid closer and laid warm hands on her shoulders. “As long as you promise not to run when you get spooked, we’ll be fine. I couldn’t survive if I thought you’d ever leave me again.”

  “I won’t, Ethan. Never. I promise.” Her words came out as breathless as she felt.

  His arms went around her, pulling her close. She grimaced at the pain, but didn’t let on. With the warmth flowing through her heart, erasing years of loneliness, physical pain would not stop her from enjoying her dream coming true.

  He eased back and his eyes seemed to devour her face. “I love you so much, Jen, and I’ll never let you get away from me again. Never.”

  Her heart swelled with love that should erase everything else, but his talk of never brought the future to mind.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, squeezing her hand.

  “That man who was just here.”

  “Unger? He’s a DEA agent.”

  “He said something about witness protection. If that happens, I could never ask you to come with me.”

  “It’s not going to happen, honey.” His tone wasn’t very convincing.

  “But if it does?”

  He cupped her face, running his thumbs over her cheekbones. “Don’t think about that now. Not now. Just think about this.”

  His voice trailed off and he settled his lips over hers.

  She leaned into his kiss and tried to forget all the uncertainty, but as much as she wanted to, she couldn’t let go of the thought that she’d just found this man and she would have to run from him again. Run into protective custody, where she’d never ask this wonderful man to go.

  * * *

  In the gallery bathroom, Kat finished applying makeup to Jennie’s neck. When they’d arrived for the show, the lighting highlighted a nasty bruise Jennie had gotten when she was thrown into the trunk. Kat, the ever prepared, grabbed Jennie’s hand and dragged her off to the bathroom to remedy the problem.

  “There,” Kat said and stood back. “No one will be able to see that you’ve been beaten up.”

  “Thanks, Kat.” Jennie looked in the mirror and smiled at Kat’s reflection. “For this and for all the hours you and the other Justices spent working on the photos.”

  “We did a good job, if I do say so myself.”

  “Actually, you did. So good, I know that I don’t have to take care of every detail of the shows anymore. Maybe I won’t need to do as much traveling and will be home more often.”

  “I’m so excited to have another sister.” Kat grabbed Jennie’s hands and squeezed.

  Jennie’s heart bubbled up with happiness, but she wouldn’t fully let it take hold. Not until Natalie was back in her life and Eduardo Sotos was no longer a threat. For the past day, Ethan had refused to discuss the continued threat, acting as if Sotos wouldn’t still come after her, but she knew it was just a matter of time before he attacked again.

  How amazing it would be not to have this threat hanging over her and to finally have the life of her dreams. To gain not only the man she loved, but a big, boisterous family. A family who, when Ethan announced they were getting married, embraced her like a long-lost sister. It was better than even she could have dreamed. How could she have ever imagined she couldn’t fit in with this group?

  “So, let’s go meet your public.”

  Public. Who cared about the public tonight?

  Not with Sotos still free. And most importantly, with Natalie arriving any minute now. Ethan had invited her and she had agreed to attend. Jennie was going to meet her daughter. Now. Tonight.

  She quickly glanced in the mirror then passed her hand over her hair and, with nerves tingling, followed Kat.

  Ethan faced the bathroom door, his eyes watchful and concerned. When she smiled, he floored her with a dazzling smile of his own. Her heart fluttered and she felt almost giddy. This man. This wonderful man loved her. Just like she was. Flawed. A sinner. And she’d never felt so whole in her life.

  She crossed over to him and he slid an arm around her waist, pulling her close.

  “Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?” he whispered, his breath tickling her neck. “Because if I haven’t, I better tell you before all the other guys here start hitting on you and I’m forgotten.”

  She peered up at him, everyone around them fading into the background. “You have told me, and you know it.”

  He winked and cupped the side of her face. “Yeah, but you can never be too careful when the woman you love is the most beautiful woman in the room.”

  She felt the heat of his gaze warm her face. She didn’t care if the room was filled with other people, but rose on her toes and kissed him. He tightened his hold, drawing her so close she could hardly breathe. This felt so right. So good. Just like she’d dreamed of when life had dealt her yet another blow.

  With a groan, he set her away.

  “This is not a good idea.” His breathing was ragged. “We need to focus on something else or I’ll never get through the night.”

  Her effect on his emotions was heady and she smiled.

  “And don’t smile at me like that, either.” He offered a mock chastisement.

  “So,” she said innocently, “what do you want to talk about?”

  “I got a call from Unger while you were in there primping.”

  Her good mood whooshed away like a deflating balloon.

  “Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to put that look on your face.”

  “What did he say?”

  “Sotos is in prison.”

  “What?” her voice shot up and people swiveled to stare at her, but she didn’t care. “How?”

  “Unger couldn’t share many details, and in fact, he claimed it was all hypothetical.”