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The aroma of bacon and eggs filled the kitchen as Paradise wheeled in a whiteboard on a stand the boys used for homeschool.

The wheels squeaked on the kitchen tile, and the noise brought Blake’s gaze to her as she maneuvered it into place by the

kitchen table. “I thought we’d lay out what we know and where our investigation should go next.”

She’d had the best night’s sleep she could remember since forever last night, and she was ready to tackle the seemingly insurmountable

question of who was targeting Blake.

She picked up the marker and wrote Events at the top, then drew lines to the next spots down to the attacks they knew about— Murder of Danielle Mason, Shots Fired at Bears, Break-ins at Apartment and House, Arson at Cottage, Beer-Can IED in Field,

Hyena Incident, Iron Attack in Shed, Tiger Incident .

Blake joined her at the whiteboard and held out his hand for the marker. “That’s nine incidents. I didn’t realize there were quite so many. The attacks just keep coming.” He drew connections down the white surface.

“Danielle and the shots fired at the bears are connected by the activist group.”

Paradise nodded. “At that time we didn’t know if it was activists trying to shut us down or something else. Then the other attacks happened, and the focus seemed to laser in on you.”

Jenna set a bowl of scrambled eggs on the table. “But maybe not. All of the attacks have brought havoc to the park. If the

sabotage at the hyena or tiger enclosures had resulted in injury or death, the media would have been all over us. We would

have had no choice but to close.”

“Good point.” Paradise studied the board a moment. “I think our next step should be to at least take this list to the police

and see where their investigation stands, but let’s talk to Rod and not Greene. He might not tell us anything, but Greene

would brush us off.”

Blake reached over to fill his plate with bacon and eggs. “I reviewed the video camera footage too, but none of them picked

up anything unusual. The idea of someone targeting me specifically is something I need to check out. I laid awake thinking

about it last night. I want to follow through on our idea to see Clark Reynolds.”

“Reynolds? The twin brother who hates you?” Jenna asked.

He nodded. “Paradise brought up the revenge idea before Isaac went missing. Mom, he lives in Mobile. That elevated the possibility

in my mind.”

Jenna picked up her fork. “While you do that, I’m going to talk to the employees this morning. I didn’t sleep much last night.”

“I’m sure Levi was sideways all night,” Blake said.

Jenna’s smile was a ghost of its usual joyful one. “It was more worry than anything else. I couldn’t stop hanging on to my

boys.”

Paradise reached for breakfast and winced. Her shoulder was sore from her PT this morning. “The ordeal must have exhausted

them. They’re usually up by now.”

Jenna poured coffee for all of them and carried the mugs to the table. “I’m glad for it too. We have to figure this out. I came to the conclusion last night that I can’t keep fighting when my boys are in danger. I love the preserve, but the boys are more important to me than anything. We have to make some traction on resolving the danger or I’m going to sell.”

The stark words hit Paradise in the gut, and Blake flinched too. “What would you do if you sold?”

“I could do anything. The land is worth a lot of money. I could just raise my boys in peace. I mean, I wouldn’t be happy with

nothing to do, but I could open a bookstore or some other business where I could have them with me. Nothing is worth what

we went through last night.” She glanced at Paradise. “I hate that I got you here to work and might be pulling the rug out

from under you.”

“Whatever you decide will be fine. I realized last night that I don’t have to live in the past. What happened to me is over,

and I’m going to move on. I won’t live under that cloud anymore. I can find a new life here and be content.” She glanced at

Blake out of the corner of her eye. He was staring at her, and she thought she saw hope shining in his eyes.

Hope ballooned in her chest as well, and she couldn’t remember a time when she’d felt this good, this positive. Maybe when

she was a kid. Was that what faith brought to a person? She had a lot to learn, and she didn’t know where to start, but she

wanted to begin. “Do either of you have a Bible I could borrow?”

Blake straightened and went wide-eyed. “I do. I’ll get it.”

The thought of reading a Bible that meant something to him warmed her. Blake was the kindest, most faith-filled person she’d ever met. If there was a chance she could learn from him, she would take it. But she was also a little scared. What would it mean for her life to move forward this way?

She snagged a piece of bacon and a spoonful of scrambled eggs and dug in. The thought of barging into her cousin’s office

should have been daunting, but things couldn’t continue this way. If they had to shake a few trees to release the fruit, she

was ready to do it. And seeing Jenna’s set face and Blake’s tight jaw, she knew they were just as determined.

Blake returned holding a Bible. The navy leather was worn in spots, and the yellowed pages had been touched many times over

the years. “Mom got this for me when I turned sixteen. She got me a study Bible for Christmas a few years ago, and I use that

now.” He placed it in her hands.

Paradise smoothed the soft leather with shaky fingers. This was the Bible he’d been reading when they were dating. She could

tell from his expression it meant something special to him. “I’ll take good care of it.”

“I’m not worried about that. I want you to have it.”

The boys wandered in with sleepy eyes, and Levi ran to climb onto Paradise’s lap while Isaac scampered over to his mother,

who scooped him up and held him tightly against her shoulder.

Levi patted the Bible in her hand. “That’s Blake’s. Did he give it to you?”

“He did. For now.”

“It’s got maps in the back with north and south. Blake always calls the Bible our North Star. Have you ever seen the North

Star?”

“I haven’t. Maybe you can show me sometime.”

“Okay.” Levi clambered down and climbed onto his own chair to eat breakfast.

Isaac slipped off Jenna’s lap and came to stand by Paradise. “I have a North Star card. You can use it to hold your place.”

“I’d love that.”

Isaac ran off and returned a couple of minutes later with the card. The star shone brightly in the center. “Here you go. Jesus

is our North Star, you know. And he’ll be yours too.”

Tears pooled in Paradise’s eyes as she stared at the card, and she touched his soft hair. He looked so much like Blake. Did

he ever wish he had his own family? He was thirty now, just a little older than her, and she could no longer deny the longing

she felt for more stability, for a place to settle in and belong. For a man who loved her in spite of her faults.

Was Blake that man? Did she dare voice to herself how much she hoped it might be true?

***

Something had definitely changed with Paradise. After church Blake kept stealing glances at her contented face as he maneuvered

his pickup through the construction clogging the street to the main sheriff’s department in Bay Minette. He’d called the Bon

Secour sheriff substation and had been informed McShea was at headquarters.

Blake parked in the lot, and they got out to walk inside. “You want to lead with the questions or have me do it?”

“He’s my cousin, so I’ll give it a try first.”

He held the door open for her, and they stepped into a quiet front office. Several people sat in chairs by the window and

stared at them as they went to the front desk.

A uniformed woman in her thirties with weary, jaded eyes studied them. “Can I help you?” Her tone indicated she wasn’t ready to help anyone.

“I’m Paradise Alden, Sergeant McShea’s cousin. Is Rod free?”

The woman’s brows went up. “I’ll let him know you’re out here. He was off today, but then he had to come in. I think he’s

free now, so hang on.”

That changed her attitude. Maybe Paradise was right and she’d get somewhere today with Rod. Even deputies cared what their

relatives thought of them. Paradise’s return to town might have impacted Rod more than they knew. The past had been so tragic

and ugly. If she could find redemption and peace after all these years, Blake was all for it.

The woman returned. “You can go on back. First door on the right. I’ll unlock the entry door.” A beep sounded and the door

latch clicked.

Blake opened it and let Paradise go through first. The building smelled like fresh paint. Rod’s door was closed, but she rapped

her knuckles on it and he called for them to come in.

They stepped into a large office that was surprisingly clean. The big desk held only a computer and a single manila folder.

Several framed commendations hung on the wall behind Rod’s desk.

“I hope we’re not intruding, Rod,” Paradise said.

He leaned back with his arms stretched up and his hands behind his head. His toned muscles bulged under his tan shirt. “My

meeting is over. I always have time for my little cousin. Coffee? I just made it fresh, so it’s not sludge.”

Blake shut the door behind them and followed Paradise’s lead to settle in one of the four chairs facing the desk. He planned

to stay quiet unless he was asked a question.

“We’d both love a coffee,” Paradise said.

Blake admired the way she’d made it almost a social call. It might put Rod at ease. He watched the sergeant stroll to his coffee bar and pour coffee into real mugs. Blake recognized the aroma of good coffee from Serda’s in Bay Minette. He accepted the hot mug with a barely murmured thanks. Best to slide into the background.

Paradise took a sip of her coffee. “This is really good.”

“From Costa Rica. It’s my favorite. Oh, and before I forget, your DNA came back, Blake. It didn’t match, just as we suspected.

And thanks for the evidence you dropped off. The blasting material matches what we found in the burned cottage.” Rod resumed

his seat and set his mug on the desktop. “What brings you to town?”

“Something very distressing happened last night, and I wanted to tell you myself.” Paradise launched into the incident in

the tiger enclosure.

Rod’s eyes widened with what appeared to be genuine shock. “That’s terrible.” He glanced at Blake. “The boys are both okay?”

“Yes, other than being a little clingy this morning from the trauma. Levi ran to get me, and he was nearly hysterical at the

thought of his little brother being eaten. It’s not something he’ll soon forget. Me either, for that matter.” He swallowed

and his dry throat clicked. The memory of seeing his little brother and Paradise in the enclosure with the tiger would haunt

him too.

“Someone left the gate unlocked.” Paradise’s voice snagged Rod’s attention again. “And it wasn’t the first time. The same

thing happened in the hyena enclosure a few days ago.”

“And there was that iron that hit you in the head,” Rod said.

Rod must have been paying attention to everything that had happened at The Sanctuary. “We suspect it might have been targeted

at me. I’m most apt to go into the enclosures, and hardly anyone uses that shed where the iron was placed.”

“Interesting premise. Have you mentioned it to Detective Greene?”

Blake caught a warning glance from Paradise and shut his mouth against the truth. No sense in antagonizing McShea by pointing

out his detective was biased. Better let Paradise use her diplomacy and relationship.

“Not yet. I knew you’d care about how a little boy could have died yesterday, and I knew you’d have every piece of what was

going on at your disposal.”

Rod nodded and reached for his coffee again. “That was wise. There have been several incidents out there. It’s very troubling.”

“Nine incidents to be precise.”

Rod ran his finger around the top of his coffee mug. “That many?”

Paradise ticked through them on her fingers. “Someone either wants the refuge to close down or they’re seeking revenge against

Blake for something.”

“Anyone special we should focus on?”

Paradise nodded. “Blake has received threats from a man in Mobile. Clark Reynolds. We plan to talk to him, but any background

information you could dig up would be helpful.”

“It would be best if the two of you stayed out of the investigation. Let our officers handle talking to Reynolds.”

Blake’s fingers curled into his palms, and somehow he managed to keep quiet. Paradise nodded as if she agreed with Rod, but

Blake knew that glint in her eye was from her efforts not to challenge her cousin.

They rose and thanked Rod for his time before exiting into the bright Alabama sunshine. “Think that was a bust?” he asked

when they were alone inside the truck.

“Maybe.” Her lips flattened and she consulted her phone. “We’re thirty miles from Mobile right now. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

He started the truck and put it in gear. “Yep. We’ll get to Clark before Greene spoils it all.”