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Paradise’s hands shook as she reached the outside gate. It’s unlocked. How had Isaac gotten a key and entered? Was this another case of sabotage? Her throat closed as she eyed the tiger with its

tail lashing. Tigris’s eyes gleamed in the moonlight as she turned her head to stare at Paradise’s movements.

Paradise held her breath as the tiger turned her way at the scrape of the gate opening. The high fence rose way above her

head and angled slightly in with metal mesh over it to keep an animal from climbing it. Where was Blake? The tigers knew and

liked him. If she had him here, this sheer and rising terror wouldn’t be quite so bad. If there’d been time, she would have

gotten food from the shed, but the tiger could pounce on Isaac at any moment.

She stared directly into the tiger’s eyes. “Hey, girl,” she said in a soothing, conversational tone. “How are you tonight?”

She should have been making an effort to get to know the big cats in her care, but she’d let her stupid fear keep her from

doing her job.

The big cat’s tail ceased its lashing, but the tiger continued to watch her every movement. “That’s right, we’re friends.”

She walked through the empty first enclosure and reached the inner gate that stood wide open. Her muscles were tense, and

she had to force herself to walk through the opening. The musky odor of the big cats intensified, and a wave of nausea nearly

took her down as her fear heightened. She’d hoped never to be this close to a big cat again.

“Isaac, move very slowly.” She kept the same tone so the tiger would think she was addressing her. “Keep staring at Tigey

in case she looks your way. I’m going to try to keep her attention on me.”

“Okay.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him rise from the ground and start backing toward her. “That’s it. Just a few more feet

and you can go through to the outer enclosure. Once you get through the first gate, keep backing up until you’re out. Don’t

make any sudden movements that would startle her.”

“It will be okay, Paradise. God will take care of you.”

Such trust from the little boy shook her. She wished she could believe the way he did. The way Blake and Jenna did. God hadn’t

done such a great job of helping her in her life, but just in case he was listening, she shot up an awkward prayer again.

God, if you’re there, please, please help me. Isaac doesn’t deserve this. If the tiger attacks, let it come for me.

Tears sprang to her eyes, and she licked her lips before trying to speak to the tiger again. She couldn’t let fear translate

to her tone. “Good girl, Tigey. We can be friends, right? You’re so beautiful.”

Isaac had reached the gate and slipped through. Another minute and he would be safe outside of the perimeter enclosure too.

She’d conquered her fear enough to face down this big cat.

A sense of peace began to replace the trembling in her knees. Warmth filled her chest, and she saw how beautiful the tiger truly was. Those dramatic markings and her blue eyes were stunning. And the power in those muscles wasn’t just for killing and eating but for leaping and stretching. Every movement the animal made was a work of art. God had made the tiger as well as her, right? Even if she died right here on this red dirt tonight, she had this incandescent moment of recognition that God had heard her just a little bit.

A deep voice spoke from the tiger’s left. “Why, there you are, Tigey. How’s my sweet girl?”

The massive white head moved toward Blake’s voice, and the tiger stretched out her front legs and moved toward him. Blake

reached through the fence wires and rubbed Tigris’s side. Jenna, her face white, stood just past him with both boys in her

arms.

“Such a pretty girl,” Blake crooned. His gaze flickered over Paradise, and he made an almost imperceptible motion toward the

gate.

She swallowed hard and nodded before backing away as quietly as she could. Her hand touched the hard surface of the gate,

and she changed course enough to exit the opening. The gate creaked as she shut it, and the tiger turned back toward her momentarily

until Blake spoke again. “Look at me, Tigris. I’m here. Want to play ball?”

The animal’s ears flickered at the word ball . Paradise had heard she was particularly fond of large balls. Though Blake had no toys at hand, the big cat gave him her

rapt attention.

Paradise whirled and raced for the other gate. She opened it and dashed through before closing it and locking it tight. Her

knees didn’t support her, and she sank to the grass with her arms clutched around her.

Then Blake was there, holding her and crooning in her ear. “You’re safe and Isaac is fine. You saved him.”

Jenna knelt down too, and the family surrounded her on every side. Small hands patted her face and hair, and the heat from Blake’s body radiated around her in a comforting embrace.

Jenna was sobbing, though she clearly was trying to suppress the cries pouring from her throat. “Thank you for saving my baby.

I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”

Paradise closed her eyes and let them touch her, heal her with their honest love and gratitude. She opened her eyes and stared

at Jenna, then at Blake. “It wasn’t me. God was in that enclosure tonight. I couldn’t have done it on my own. I—I felt him.”

And while she had much to learn, she felt the boulder she’d been carrying for so many years roll off and vanish. Maybe she

wasn’t beyond hope.

***

None of them could have lived here if they’d lost this little guy. The animals would have been a constant reminder of the

danger that had suddenly stolen him away. Blake’s arms tightened around Isaac, and he rested his chin on the boy’s head against

his chest. Isaac had fallen asleep as soon as they’d gotten home, even though dinner was ready. None of the rest of them could

force down a morsel either. The near tragedy had stolen their appetites, and Mom had put the food away without comment.

Blake couldn’t tear his gaze away from Paradise’s beautiful face. She’d managed to compartmentalize her fear and save his

little brother. If he wasn’t already crazy about her, her bravery tonight would have sealed the deal.

“This has gone too far.” Blake choked out the words past the fear that had lodged in his throat for the past hour. The solid weight of his little brother on his lap on the sofa reinforced how badly this could have gone. “If the gate was unlocked, someone left it that way on purpose to try to hurt me. I hadn’t made my rounds yet tonight, but I would have gone in there and been vulnerable to an attack. I ordered some additional cameras a few days ago, and they should be here soon. We have to find the culprit.”

“And why would he think Tigey had cubs?” his mom asked. “Someone had to tell him.”

“He said he heard some visitors say there were tiger cubs,” Levi said from his spot nestled against Paradise. “He was sure

it had to be Tigey with the babies.”

Paradise sat beside him with her feet curled under her. The faint scent of plumeria wafted from her. They should move the

boys to bed, but none of them wanted the boys out of their sight. Blake studied her serene expression. She seemed different

after having just faced down a white tiger to rescue Isaac. He’d been shocked by her mention of God being with her, knowing

what he did about her struggle with faith.

His mother carried in a tray, and the aroma of strong coffee wafted toward him. “I thought we could all use some brain fuel.

It’s a given that none of us are ready for bed and won’t be for hours. I don’t think I can sleep tonight at all, and I’m going

to have both boys sleep with me.”

“I’ll take them and let you get some rest,” Blake said.

His mom shook her head. “I need them with me.”

“I get it,” he said. She’d laid two men in the dirt, and tonight’s awful incident had made terror rear its horrifying head.

“We need help to figure this out,” Paradise said. “Could we hire an investigator? I have a little bit of savings I could throw

into the pot.”

“They’re expensive,” he said. “And Hez is digging for us for free. He never sends me a bill.”

“This might take up more time than he can spare for free,” his mother said. “But we aren’t helpless. We’re all smart. Let’s

start with interviewing all our employees. Someone had a key, Blake. This wasn’t some random person off the street. That lock

wasn’t broken, right? It had been left open on purpose.”

Blake shifted Isaac’s small form. “It wasn’t broken, just unlocked. I examined it after everyone was safe.”

“Can we make everyone account for their keys?” Paradise asked. “Do you know how many keys have been made for black locks?

What’s the color mean anyway?”

“Black is the highest security,” Mom said. “We use them for the big cats and other predators. Green is for animal habitats,

and blue is for generic gates like the front entrance. A key that opens the black gates will open anything in the park. I

have a list of who has what keys on my computer. Let me go check it.” She rose and went down the hall, and her office light

came on.

Blake reached across the sofa and took Paradise’s hand. “Doing okay?”

Her fingers closed around his. “I’m not even shaking. I think maybe God really was in there with us.”

He squeezed her fingers. “I’m sure that’s true.” Her full lips were slightly parted, and he checked the impulse to kiss her.

They were still reeling from the events of the evening, but he wanted nothing more than to pull her onto his lap and bury

his face in her hair.

His mom came back in. “There are eleven black keys out, most of them with the predator keepers. Tomorrow I’ll personally talk

to every employee who has one in their possession and ask to see it. I want to make sure they haven’t lost a key.”

“Maybe it would be better for me to talk to them. You tend to be too sweet, Mom. They might snow you.”

His mother wrinkled her nose. “This mama bear has her teeth bared, Blake. I want to do it. I promise I’ll be fierce without

a trace of sweetness.”

The fire in her blue eyes convinced him and he nodded. “Okay, Mom, it’s all yours. You want me to be there too?”

“You and Paradise go to the police station tomorrow and tell them what nearly happened. They must help find who did this. Surely even that idiot Greene will know you wouldn’t do something like this and put your little brother

in danger.”

“We can try.” Blake had his doubts Greene would listen. “I might go to McShea. Paradise is his cousin, and he might listen

if she comes along to tell how it all went down.”

And he wouldn’t mind being with her on the drive anyway.