What a sight they made, the little family. Flames licked toward the sky, flickering on their joyful faces. Mia was especially a sight to behold with her face rapt with wonder. Maybe it had to do with her brain injury, or she just plain loved roasting marshmallows. Either way, Maggie doubted the precious little girl could be having any more fun.

  Maggie thought of Alison and waited for the usual pain to come, but instead it didn’t cut her like a knife. It was only a dull ache. She glanced at Jackson to see what he was thinking, but his expression was as blank as it had been since she arrived in Cold Harbor. He was watching Mia and David, but if he was feeling any pain, he wasn’t letting on.

  Maggie wished she could read his mind. Was it possible when she nearly died at Fenwick’s hand that Jackson had bottled up his emotions even more? She could see that happening. Or did he come to realize she was right that if they were together he would always be on edge, and he didn’t want to live like that?

  Riley moved closer to the fire, held out his hand to Hannah, and looked at her with a little-boy pout. “Marshmallow, please.”

  Hannah chuckled, likely from the face he was making, and handed him a stick and the bag. Some woman was going to have a very hard time saying no to that handsome pouting face someday.

  “Hey, me, too.” Alex dropped down next to them. He smiled, but it wasn’t as easygoing as Riley’s, surprising her as Alex was clearly the team jokester. Maybe he had something on his mind tonight just like Jackson.

  “Mine’s done.” Mia pulled her stick back from the fire and reached for her marshmallow.

  “It’s hot, honey. Let me help.” Hannah assisted Mia with pressing the gooey mess between the crackers and chocolate. Hannah smiled, and at the same time, looked leery. “You need to sit down to eat it, sweetie, or you’re going to make a big mess.”

  Mia eased backward, bumping into Jackson’s legs. She glanced at him then back at her s’more.

  “Lap,” she said and started licking the gooey white fluff oozing from the middle of her s’more.

  Jackson didn’t hesitate but scooped her up and settled her in place on his knee.

  “You’re a brave man, Jackson,” Hannah said. “You’re soon going to be a sticky mess.”

  “It’s okay as long as Mia shares a bite.”

  Mia looked horrified at the thought.

  He smiled at her. “I was just kidding, sweetheart.”

  She relaxed against him and took a big bite. Chocolate dripped down her chin to her purple sweatshirt with a sparkling unicorn on the chest. She swiped the gooey mess away with her fingers and rested that hand on Jackson’s arm.

  Maggie waited for his reaction. He smiled, a look of utter and pure contentment on his face and didn’t even try to clean off the stickiness.

  Did this mean Maggie was wrong and he’d reached a place where he could move past the loss of Alison? That he might be able to relax and enjoy life now? Dare she hope they might be together? She could hardly breathe for the thought of it.

  With the way Maggie was looking at him, Jackson almost set Mia down and dropped to his knees to ask Maggie to marry him right here in the middle of the action. But after the way she reacted to his kiss on the bus, he didn’t know what she would say and couldn’t put her on the spot like that. Not in front of the team and their significant others.

  Sure, she’d come tonight, but only because Hannah invited and cajoled her into agreeing. When Hannah made up her mind, she was a hard woman to say no to.

  “Fireworks in thirty minutes,” Alex announced. He put himself in charge of making sure they were all ready for the event, though how could they not be? A simple turning of a few chairs and they’d have a perfect view of the annual fireworks out over the ocean.

  Jackson and the team had come to the fireworks last year, too, but there wasn’t one woman in the bunch. Eryn stayed home with Bekah, claiming her daughter was too young to be up this late. By the looks of things, she was still a bit too young. Back then, Gage wasn’t married and Coop not engaged. And Jackson? He wasn’t even thinking about a relationship with a woman back then. Making it even odder that he wanted to propose marriage tonight.

  He shook his head.

  They’d all come so far in such a short time. Next thing he knew, Hannah would be expecting a child, and Coop married. And where would that leave Jackson? Holding a friend’s sticky child again, instead of his own?

  Why? When he had a woman he loved, and who he believed loved him? All because of this irrational fear that she might get hurt, and he would be to blame? He couldn’t let that control him anymore. He needed to move on, or he would never really live. Watching everyone tonight confirmed just how much he wanted to find that happiness, and he would. When the time was right he would whisk Maggie down to the beach for some privacy, explain where his head was at, and ask her to marry him.

  “Okay, Mia and David,” Gage said. “Let’s get you cleaned up in the restroom before the fireworks.”

  Mia pushed off Jackson’s lap, planting a hand on his knee and leaving a sticky mess behind. His arm was already dripping in goop, what was one more spot? She took Gage’s hand and Jackson saw him wince at the tacky mess, but he held firm and they started off down the beach to the restrooms.

  Hannah held out a travel packet of baby wipes. “You can use these, unless you want Gage to take you down to the restroom to clean you up, too.”

  He laughed and accepted the wipes. He ran one over his arm first and then his knee. He wanted to take Maggie’s hand and lead her down to the shore, but before he did, he wanted her to see that he was on the mend and really could follow through on letting go of the past and marry her.

  He cleared his throat to grab everyone’s attention. “There’s something I think you guys should know about Maggie and me.”

  She sat forward in her chair, her eyes wide and confused.

  “I don’t mean to bring everyone down, but I wanted to tell you this when everyone was together.”

  “What about Gage?” Riley asked.

  “You all know Hannah will fill him in.” Jackson smiled at Hannah.

  She swatted his leg.

  “Careful, you might end up sticky.” He chuckled but then thoughts of Alison sobered him up. “Maggie and I were once expecting a baby. A girl. Alison.” Emotions swelled in his chest and tears wet his eyes, but he would go on. For Alison. To keep her memory alive. “We were in a car accident at the beginning of Maggie’s eighth month. She was pinned in the car. By the time the firefighters got her out…”

  His voice cracked, and he shook his head to ward off tears that accompanied it. “Well…Alison. She didn’t…she didn’t make it.”

  He heard the women gasp.

  “Oh, Jackson.” Hannah met his gaze and then turned to Maggie. “That must’ve been so hard to handle.”

  Jackson nodded. “Took us both six years to get to the point where we can truly move on.”

  “I can’t even imagine what I’d do if I lost David,” Hannah said. “And now Mia, too.”

  “Me, too,” Eryn said. “Bekah, I mean.”

  “It was tough, and I’m not telling you this to bring you down or to get sympathy. But Maggie finally got it through my thick skull that if I let go of the loss, I wasn’t being disloyal to Alison. That she wouldn’t be forgotten. In fact, if I talked about her like this, it would keep her memory alive.”

  Maggie got up and knelt by his chair to take his hand and peer up at him. “I’m sure our little angel is smiling right now.”

  Jackson nodded. “I just wanted to tell you all so I could talk about her in the future, you know?”

  “Yeah, man,” Alex said. “We totally get it.”

  “We do,” Coop added, and Riley nodded.

  “Okay.” Jackson released his anxiety on one long exhale. “It’s almost time for the fireworks, and we should get the chairs set up before Alex decks us.”

  The good mood was once again restored, and Jackson felt lighter than he had in years. He didn’t feel any less pain at mentioning his sweet child, but he felt more at peace. He looked down at Maggie. She was still staring at him, her eyes glowing with pride and something else. Love?

  He smiled at her. “At the risk of incurring Alex’s wrath, do you want to take a walk down to the water for some privacy?”

  “You know I do.” She got up quickly and tugged him to his feet.

  Hand in hand, they walked toward the surging ocean, and he knew without a doubt in his mind that everything was going to be okay for them, and he could hope for a future together.

  Maggie strolled next to Jackson toward the water and relished the feel of his hand cupping hers. She wanted to race down to the waves, but she didn’t want to draw attention from their friends or the others gathered on the beach for the fireworks. So she maintained a deliberate pace, the sand squishing between her toes. The closer they came to the water, the colder the sand turned, and she stopped shy of the actual waves. There was no way she could handle the water’s frigid temperature.

  Jackson faced her. “I wanted to—”

  She pressed her finger on that full lower lip, thankful to be able to do so with hope in her heart. She waited six long years to kiss him with that hope—to love him again—and she didn’t want to wait another second. “There’s just one thing before you say what you want to say.”

  “What?” he asked barely above a whisper.

  “This.” She rose up on her tiptoes and settled her lips on his. She kissed him hard. Passionately, making sure he could feel her unconditional love for him. Feel her joy in the brave way he’d spoken about their daughter. Know her hope for their future.

  He swept his arm around her back and jerked her against his solid chest as if he was afraid he would lose her again. She raised her arms around his neck and tried to get even closer, kissing him back with everything she had. She lost track of time, of everything but the feel of his lips on hers.

  An explosion sounded over the water. Jackson lifted his head, his gaze languid and dazed. She smiled at him and saw a red explosion of color behind his head. “Guess we’re not the only fireworks tonight.”

  He smiled and caressed her hair. “Something I hope we’ll still be saying when we’re eighty.”

  “Why Jackson Lockhart, are you asking me to marry you?” she joked.

  His smile evaporated, and he looked uncertain.

  Had she said the wrong thing? Was he really not as ready as she thought?

  “The thing is,” he said, his gaze locked on hers. “I’m just starting to figure out how to deal with losing Alison. And how to let go of this unreasonable need I have to make sure others are okay. I know I can move forward with God’s help. Your help, too, but I’m sure there will be setbacks along the way. Can you put up with that?”

  She sighed out her relief. “I’m in the same situation with losing Alison. As long as we keep the lines of communication open, I’m sure we can work it out.”

  He raked a hand over his hair. “Could you…would you…consider a life here in Cold Harbor? Maybe a position on our team as a forensic anthropologist?”

  She blinked, then beamed at him. “I could. I would like that very much.”

  He exhaled loudly. “Then, yes.” He got down on one knee and drew a ring box from his pocket.

  “You planned this?”

  He nodded and opened the box to reveal a solitaire diamond.

  She loved that he chose a different ring for this new beginning together. “It’s beautiful, Jackson.”

  He gazed up at her, love shining from his eyes. She remembered his proposal six years ago and everything they’d been through together rolled through her brain like a video of their past.

  She got it then. Saw the good that had come from losing Alison. They were both stronger people now and were also more able to appreciate their love for each other because they knew how precious it was and how easily it could be lost.

  Jackson lifted the ring from the velvet bed. “Maggie Turner, will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?”

  “Yes!” The word burst from her mouth like the fireworks exploding over the ocean in electrifying colors.

  He slid the ring on her finger. She dropped to the sand in front of him and flung her arms around his neck. “Yes. Yes. Yes.”

  He leaned back and caressed the side of her face. “What did I ever do to deserve you?”

  “I feel the same way.” She kept smiling at him and couldn’t seem to stop.

  Her heart was filled to capacity. They would have their happily ever after—that was certain now—and together after a lifetime of shared love, they would one day hold their precious Alison in their arms again, too.

  Want to read more of The Cold Harbor Series? Don’t miss Eryn and Trey’s story in COLD CASE!

  PRE-ORDER TODAY!

  When her past comes back to haunt her…

  Former FBI cyber security agent, Eryn Calloway worked many cyber investigations during her career as an FBI agent and while serving as Blackwell Tactical’s cyber expert. But when her computer is locked with ransomware, she suddenly finds herself facing the biggest investigation of all. Failure to solve the case and find the hacker could result in the loss of her very life.

  Can she let the one man who can protect her get close enough to do so?

  Enter former Green Beret, and deputy Trey Sawyer who offers to serve as her bodyguard. Trey has been in love with Eryn for a year, but she lost her husband several years ago and isn’t ready to open herself to the potential for that kind of pain again. She’s kept Trey at arm’s length and wants to do so now. After all, she can take care of herself, but she has a four-year-old daughter to protect so Eryn reluctantly agrees to let Trey into her world. But when they’re thrown together in a race for her life, can she continue to ignore her feelings or will Trey find a way to help her overcome her past and let him into her life for good?

  PRE-ORDER TODAY!

  Missed Book One in the Cold Harbor Series? Get Gage and Hannah’s story in COLD TERROR!

  BUY TODAY!

  Keep reading for a sneak peek of COLD TERROR …

  Forensic artist, Hannah Perry’s skills made her a valuable asset to the police…

  A young woman has been murdered. Her body unidentified. Her skull recently discovered by the police, and Hannah feels compelled to help find the killer. Even if she’s on a much-needed vacation on a secluded island with her young son. She could work on the reconstruction in the evenings while her son slept. But as the woman’s face takes shape, an assailant invades Hannah’s cabin and tries to end her life. Before he can permanently silence her, she and her son flee the island in a small boat. Trouble is, as they approach Cold Harbor, ocean waves capsize the boat, enveloping them both in cold terror.

  But it also makes her the next target.

  Former SEAL Gage Blackwell can’t believe his eyes as he plunges into the raging waters to rescue the pair. Owner of Blackwell Tactical—a law enforcement training facility and protection services agency—Gage pulls the woman he once loved from the angry ocean. When he learns of her attack, he vows to protect her while hunting down the killer. Alone and vulnerable, Hannah has to accept Gage’s protection—even if it means staying close to the man who’d once walked out on her without a backward glance.

  Chapter One

  “Murder and vacation do not go together!”

  Forensic artist Hannah Perry held her phone away from her ear to keep her friend Rachel’s voice from breaking her eardrum. “Vacation or not, I had to agree to do the reconstruction.”

  “Had to, no. Wanted to, yes.”

  “You don’t understand. Jane Doe needs a name. She needs me.” Hannah waited for Rachel to sigh, but she didn’t, and her long silence was even worse.

  “I don’t pretend to understand how it feels to have a sister abducted and never come home,” she finally said. “To be driven every day to help others in similar situations. But I do understand the stress you’ve been under since Nick died, and you need a break.”

  Rachel was right. Of course, she was. As a professional counselor, she’d been instrumental in helping Hannah get through the loss of her husband and always knew when Hannah had reached the breaking point. In fact, this vacation was her idea. But…

  Hannah’s gaze drifted to the woman’s unidentified skull perched on the small dining table in the quaint rental cottage. What had this woman looked like? Was she blond, brunette, or maybe she even had blazing red hair like Hannah’s. Either way, Jane Doe deserved to be identified. How could Hannah say no to completing a facial reconstruction that might very well lead to the woman’s identity and bring closure to her family?

  “If you won’t think of your own mental health, then think of David,” Rachel continued. “He’s a little boy, and this is his last vacation before school starts. He needs his mother to be present for him.”

  “I am present,” Hannah snapped with more force than necessary. “I only work on the reconstruction at night.”

  “But I’ll bet you think about it during the day.”

  “Okay, fine, maybe I do, but the investigation has stalled, and Jane has no one else.”

  Poor Jane. Her body had been discovered in a gravel pit near where Hannah was vacationing on the Oregon coast. She’d barely picked up the keys for the cottage when news spread through town about her career. Then the sheriff had shown up on her doorstep the second morning and pled with her to do a facial reconstruction. After her own sister had been abducted when they were teenagers, Hannah had never been able to refuse anyone needing her help. After all, that was the reason she’d become a forensic artist.

  “I appreciate your concern, Rach, but I can’t afford to waste time arguing.” Hannah smoothed the clay over Jane’s high cheekbone to fill in her muscles and stood back to appraise her work.

  One more press of her finger above the cheekbone. Yes, that was it. Perfect. The underlying facial structure was perfect.