Britt was done.

She was hot. Sweaty. Scared. And she’d already found three ticks crawling on her arms and legs.

There was no telling how many more had gotten under her clothes and were even now putting their infected fangs into her flesh to suck her blood.

Did ticks have fangs? She had no idea, but they had to be able to pierce human skin, and animal skin, somehow.

There was no doubt the area they were walking in was beautiful, but at the moment, Britt had had enough of pine trees, the sound of the wind in the leaves high above their heads making her incorrectly think she’d heard cars, and nature in general.

She had no idea how long they’d be walking, but her feet hurt—it wasn’t as if she’d had time to put on a pair of sneakers or hiking boots—and the adrenaline she’d had coursing through her body since jumping into the back of Camden’s pickup truck had long since worn off.

She could see that Evelyn was in the same position.

Her steps were slower, and she’d almost tripped and fallen on her face at least three times.

There had to be someone out here, somewhere .

Maine was rural, but it couldn’t be this rural.

They were near the coast, where people loved to build cabins like the one they’d been locked in, and multimillion-dollar homes.

It was ridiculous that they hadn’t heard or seen any sign of anyone since they’d snuck out of the cabin.

And Britt couldn’t help but wonder if Camden had figured out they were gone yet.

If he was even now hot on their trail. He could easily shoot them and leave their bodies out here in the middle of nowhere, and no one would ever find them.

Until maybe a few years from now, when those same stupid tourists Evelyn had talked about were hunting in the area, and they found some curious-looking bones.

Realizing how morose her thoughts had gotten, Britt took a deep breath. They were much better off now than they were not so long ago. They’d outsmarted Camden, and all they had to do was stay positive and keep walking. Eventually they’d run into a cabin, a person, a road.

After Evelyn stumbled for the fourth time, Britt decided it was time for a break. They were both tired and unsteady on their feet. It wouldn’t matter if they took five minutes to rest ... she hoped.

“Evelyn, look. There’s a boulder we can sit on for a second,” Britt said, taking the older woman’s arm and steering her toward it.

“Maybe we should keep going,” she said worriedly.

“We will. But I need a second to sit,” Britt said. “I think I scraped my leg on something and want to check it out.”

“Oh, you’re hurt? Come on, sit, sit,” Evelyn tutted.

Britt didn’t like lying to the woman, but she wasn’t sorry if it got her to rest. Evelyn might be amazingly strong for someone her age, but she wasn’t a machine.

Brushing leaves off the rock, Britt waited for Evelyn to sit, then eased to her butt next to her.

The rock wasn’t exactly soft, but it did feel good to get off her feet for a moment.

Britt made a show out of checking her leg for the imaginary scrape and pretended to be relieved when she didn’t find anything.

“What do you think he’s doing?” Evelyn asked softly.

Britt knew who she was talking about. “Probably freaking out, wondering how he got outsmarted.”

Evelyn chuckled. “Bet he didn’t think we’d be able to go through the wall.”

“Nope. Do you think Chad and the others know we’re gone yet?” Britt asked.

“Oh yes. I’m sure of it.”

“How?”

“My sons ... they’re protective. And nosy as hell.

Austin used to worry that I was raising them to be mama’s boys .

.. and I totally did. When they were scared, they wanted their mom.

When they did something they were proud of, I was the first person they wanted to share with.

They spent a lot of time with Austin. He taught them everything he knew about engines and cars.

No one can say my sons are anything but strong, loyal men’s men.

But deep down, when push comes to shove, they’re all still mama’s boys.

“When Camden kidnapped me, I believe they all felt something wrong in their bones. I fell down the stairs and broke my arm once, after all my boys had left home after high school. We didn’t have time to call them and tell them what happened, since we were at the hospital and dealing with everything that entails.

But one by one, they all called Austin with the urge to check on me.

Somehow, they knew I’d been hurt. So I truly believe they had to know something was wrong at Lobster Cove when I was taken. ”

Britt felt tears fill her eyes, and she desperately blinked and swallowed hard, trying to keep them at bay.

“Anyone who thinks men should grow up to be tough and emotionless is wrong . Men should be protective and empathetic. They should be able to cry when a situation warrants it. They should be just as emotional as they are stoic. It’s part of being human.

And anyone who raises a boy to be nothing but an unfeeling macho man is doing that kid a disservice . .. as well as humanity.”

“You’ve raised some amazing boys,” Britt told her.

“I have,” Evelyn said with a hint of pride.

“And they know what happened. Maybe someone saw you in the back of that pickup, holding on for dear life—getting in wasn’t smart, sweetie, but I appreciate it all the same—and got a hold of one of my boys.

Or maybe it’s like I said, they’d just felt it in their bones that something wasn’t right.

But I know without a doubt they’re coming to our rescue. Even if we rescued ourselves first.”

“We did, didn’t we?” Britt said with a small smile.

“Damn straight.”

“Language,” Britt teased once more.

Evelyn chuckled. Then she turned to Britt and said almost casually, “So ... how soon do you think you and Chad are going to make me a grandmother?”

Britt blinked in surprise. “Um ... we just met.”

“And you love each other. I have eyes, child. I can see it. And I’m not stupid or naive enough to think you two are watching movies, then giving each other chaste pecks on the cheek when you say good night.”

Britt knew she was probably blushing bright red.

Evelyn simply chuckled. “Just sayin’, my son loves you.

Don’t doubt that. I’ve never seen him so happy in my life.

His eyes follow you whenever you’re in the same room, and I can see the same love in his eyes when he looks at you that I used to see in my Austin’s eyes.

Chad might be a mama’s boy, but he takes after his father when it comes to falling in love. ”

Her words made Britt’s heart swell. “I love him too,” she blurted.

“Good. And . . . grandbabies?”

Britt couldn’t help but laugh. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re stubborn?”

“Austin. All the time. So?”

Britt smiled at the woman who’d found her own permanent place in her heart. “I want them. But I don’t want to rush things.”

“Bah,” Evelyn said, waving her hand. “Rush them. Lobster Cove needs babies and kids running around once more. And I want to live long enough to enjoy them.”

Britt opened her mouth to reply—she wasn’t sure what she was going to say—but a sound to their left had both women freezing and turning to look in that direction.

Expecting to see Camden coming after them, Britt was genuinely shocked to see a large moose casually walking through the underbrush. She had a baby behind her. Neither paid attention to the two humans sitting on a rock just twenty feet away.

“I thought you said moose don’t come down this far south,” Britt whispered in a barely audible tone.

“They don’t,” Evelyn replied.

The moose walked as if they didn’t have a care in the world. They stopped briefly to munch on the leaves of an aspen tree before continuing on.

The two women turned to stare at each other with big eyes when the creatures were out of sight.

“Holy cow! That was ... amazing,” Britt said.

“Beautiful,” Evelyn agreed. “And a sign. We were talking about grandbabies, and along comes a creature that definitely shouldn’t be in this area with her calf.”

Britt couldn’t help but shake her head and roll her eyes. “I love Chad. I want to have his babies. I want to marry him and live forever here in Maine with him. But we aren’t going to rush things simply because you want grandbabies, Evelyn.”

She sighed. “I know. But I can hope, can’t I?”

Britt couldn’t be upset with her. “Yes,” she said, putting her arms around Evelyn and giving her a side hug. “You ready to continue on? I’m ready to get the hell out of these woods. I swear I can feel ticks crawling all over me.”

“Yes, and me too. Yuck. Damn ticks.”

Britt couldn’t believe she was laughing.

She’d been essentially kidnapped, even if she’d been the one to jump into the bed of Camden’s truck, and now she was lost in the woods in the middle of nowhere with the possibility of their kidnapper giving chase to hurt them, or worse.

And she was actually laughing . It was crazy.

She was beginning to think with the Young family, she should probably get used to chaos and uncertainty.

But along with that would come love, happiness, and the family she’d always dreamed of having.

They’d just stood up to continue walking when they once more heard something in the woods.

This time it was coming from behind them.

Afraid of seeing a pissed-off bull moose who wanted to protect his baby and mate, Britt spun.

What she was going to do if it was a moose ready to charge, she had no idea.

But she wasn’t going to stand there and do nothing, that was for sure.

Or worse, it could be Camden. Pissed that they’d escaped and ready to follow through with his evil plans for them.

Instead, a voice rang out through the trees.

“Briiiiiiiiiitt? Mooooooom?”

Britt and Evelyn shared a look.

Holy crap—that was Chad!

“Here!”

“Chad!”