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“I’ve been waiting for you to show me.” He took my hand, leading me to a bench in the greenhouse.

“Wow.” I looked at the extension he’d built that was hidden behind the wall of giant plants. “What do you plan on doing with all this space?”

“Creating an indoor forest for you.” The sage eyes sparkled.

“I already have the only Forrest I’ll ever need.” Smiling, I slid an arm round his waist, resting my head on his shoulders.

“Is that for me?” He pointed to the gift box.

“For my one and only.” I straightened up, placing the box in his hand. “It’s made with lots of love.”

“I can tell.” He tapped the box. “Before I open it, I want to ask you something. Be honest with me, okay?”

“I’m always honest.”

“When you heard about your father’s death, how did you feel?”

Two days ago, the news reported the sudden deaths of Red Venom and Mitch Kramer, which surprised me. Forrest mentioned they wouldn’t have survived in prison because they knew too much about The Trogyn. The car collision during their transport to the prison was disguised as a “freak accident” so no one would investigate. The crime organization was getting nervous because their members and businesses were being eliminated one by one. Money spoke the loudest.

I met his concerned eyes. “Nothing. I don’t know if that’s good or bad. But I don’t feel anything.”

“That’s good. I didn’t want you to bottle up your emotion.”

“We had no relationship. He was a stranger to me who did awful things. If I look at it objectively, then I’m glad he got what he deserved. But you were asking me from a daughter’s perspective, and my answer is ‘nothing.’”

He nodded, looking more relieved.

I touched his face. “What about Yolanda’s death? You had a history with her.”

“She was like a sister to me.” Sadness and regret filled his eyes. “I wish I could’ve stopped her from taking the wrong path.”

Yolanda had died at the hospital when she went in for a miscarriage.

“There are certain things we can’t control, no matter how much we want to.”

“Now that I know you’re okay, let’s focus on joyful things.” He ripped the shiny wrapping paper away in one swipe, not considering how long it took me to wrap it. But it was fine because I was just as excited as he was.

Shifting on the bench, I watched Forrest open the box of greeting cards and postcards. Happiness shimmered in me as I watched him hold each card, studying it with fascination and delight. My heart palpitated, wanting to know his thoughts.

His opinion mattered more than anyone else’s. The card collection was dedicated to him.

CHAPTERSEVENTY-ONE

FORREST

Sitting with her in this greenhouse meant the world to me. Just like our precious relationship, the greenhouse was in the beginning stages. This was the new beginning we both needed and deserved.

I’d spent so much time and energy searching for something to heal the wound in my heart, and I found that and more in Kiera. The nature lover who spent his childhood wandering the woods was now enchanted by a nature photographer. The innovative thinker who wanted to create a medicine derived from natural sources was blown away by her presence. The inquisitor who had been searching for something to fill the void in him was now full of love. The doctor who made an oath to heal others had been saved by her.

Nothing mattered in life more than love. Love was the blood that kept us alive, that made us feel and gave us hope.

As I held the greeting card with a matching postcard, I fell in love with her even more. I didn’t think it was possible to love her more than I already did. She’d claimed my heart and soul, and inspired my heart to grow when I didn’t think it could.

“I want to know something.” Kiera looked at me with warmth in her eyes. “Around you and within you, there’s so much to be loved, both in the darkness and the light.” She placed a hand over my heart. “I love you the way all living things should be loved in nature—between the rivers, within the soil, amongst the leaves.” She traced her finger along my jaw tenderly. “I love youthe way mushrooms adore tree bark or a craggy rock. I love you like the moss decorates the forest floor, gracefully and silently.”

My heart quivered at those powerful words. A force burst from deep within me, flowing with gratitude and so much love. This was the moment I knew the power of true love. It defied, refuted, and contradicted logic, and yet it was the only thing that was truly sacred and priceless. Love healed everything.

She swallowed, took a deep inhale, and emotions gleamed in her eyes. “I love you the way the Earth loves its Forrest.”