Home.
Her slice of paradise was deep in the forest. Would she ever feel truly safe there again?
Another thought struck her. It was a two-mile hike into the lodge. Normally a nice jog. It was going to be a slog on the crutches, but there was no way she was letting Sam carry her the entire way.
Sam struggled with rage and worry.
The woman he loved had been drugged, kidnapped, stabbed, and beaten.
He wanted to wrap her in his arms and never let go. Simultaneously, he also wanted to hunt down Stephens and browbeat Howard into giving up his organization.
When Joe pulled into the sawmill parking lot, Tansy tensed and he wondered what worried her. “You okay?”
She turned to frown at him. “I’m not being carried to the lodge.”
Sam laughed and leaned down to kiss her pout. “No worries. Graham has a plan.”
At that, she relaxed, so he did, too. She trusted him, believed in him. He wasn’t ever going to let her down again.
Nothing had been disturbed on the security feeds. They’d all been monitoring them throughout their absence, so the new toys were doing their job.
Of course, that didn’t cover the entire property yet, but they knew the entrance was clear, as was the lodge.
He hoped Howard had bigger things to worry about than retaliating. But they’d remain on alert.
All three cars pulled in and Nico locked up the gate behind them.
Joe pulled into the last electric charging slot. “We’re going to need to install more chargers here.”
“I’m glad you and Nico found electrics to rent while you’re here.” Her smile was genuine. Saving the planet was important to her, as was improving the lives of the people on it.
She was the most amazing person Sam knew.
When he leaned in to scoop up Tansy, she frowned. “You don’t have to cart me around like a package.”
He grinned. “You’re a sexy little package. Humor me, it won’t be for long.”
She sighed and agreed.
As he lifted her, Graham puttered up in his latest purchase, making Tansy laugh.
“A golf cart? It’s perfect.”
Graham stepped out and patted the hood. “Green’s not perfect yet. I’m starting the conversion to solar. Might need your help.”
Tansy lit up. “That’s a fabulous idea. I should have thought of it when I was carting those solar panels up to the lodge.”
All the men stared at her and Sam realized she’d just inadvertently clued them in to how much work she’d done over the past few months. On her own.
Sam set Tansy in the golf cart and she squeezed his hand. “Thanks.”
Graham didn’t argue when Sam took the driver’s seat. Joe and Nico had stocked up on food, so they added those boxes to the cart and then they headed off.
The men were all armed and remained vigilant as they made their way through the bush.
The trail had been created by decades of people moving from the sawmill to the lodge, but it wasn’t a road by any means. At least it was mostly level, with no big dips to deal with.
Sam drove slowly to reduce the bouncing Tansy had to deal with. She didn’t make a single complaint, but he knew the ride had to be difficult for her.