Page 65

EPILOGUE

Olivia sat on the patio behind Tyson’s house.

A month had passed since everything happened, and life was slowly returning to normal.

At least it was returning to a new normal. She’d been staying here in Tyson’s guest bedroom as she tried to recover from the trauma of being abducted again. Despite everything that had happened here, she found a lot of peace on this property.

“Hey there,” a soft voice said behind her.

She turned as Tyson stepped out, and a grin spread across her face.

He handed her a cup of coffee before kissing her forehead and sitting in the chair beside hers.

Watching the sun rise together had become their routine over the past few weeks. They’d done that this morning, had breakfast, and then Olivia had slipped back outside while Tyson took a phone call.

A lot had happened since Wes’ arrest.

The evidence against Wes had been irrefutable. Since he’d refused to admit his guilt, he’d now be going to trial.

Olivia didn’t look forward to testifying against him, but she would do it. She knew with Tyson by her side she’d get through those days in court.

She still had questions, things she didn’t understand—like where Wes had gotten the roses. He hadn’t been able to grow them himself while in Charlotte. The police thought he may have taken them from another house in the area. The homeowner was in Europe for the summer, so he wouldn’t have noticed.

She still wasn’t sure how Wes had gotten the flowers into the gala either. He wasn’t talking or admitting anything. One thing was for sure: He was clever and sneaky.

Olivia had taken a leave of absence from Static Entertainment. Her first instinct had been to throw herself back into her work. But she knew that wasn’t the best choice. She needed first to heal.

Not only that, but she’d actually come to discover that she liked Tyson’s eating and exercise plan. She’d stuck with it even though the assignment was over.

“I just got off the phone with the tribal council,” Tyson told her.

She sat up straighter. “And?”

“The CEO of Frontier Resorts has been arrested on embezzlement charges.”

“What?”

He nodded, a grin tugging at his lips. “The cops haven’t been able to prove he’s the one who’s been threatening me, but that’s okay. His arrest has shut down the possibility of the casino being built, and the council approved the design for the school.”

She threw her hands into the air. “That’s amazing. Why did they change their minds?”

“They decided to invest in efforts that have long-term results instead of a quick fix. Plus, we received some donations that helped us secure all the financing we needed to fully fund this project.”

Olivia reached over and squeezed his hand. “That’s wonderful news. We should celebrate tonight.”

“We should. Maybe by staying in and cooking a nice meal and then taking a walk afterward?”

She smiled again. “That sounds perfect.”

As she sat there with Tyson staring out at the horizon, Olivia realized how much had changed in her life. For starters, the nightlights she once needed were still there, but she found herself relying on them less and less.

“You know,” she said softly, “Lyle told me something once that I didn’t fully understand until now.”

Tyson turned to her, his eyes warm. “What’s that?”

“He said when you know night is falling, you prepare. You turn on lights to see your path. You start a fire to keep warm.” She looked up at Tyson. “I spent so long just being afraid of the darkness. I never thought about how to face it.”

Tyson’s fingers intertwined with hers. “And now?”

“Now I realize that being prepared doesn’t mean the darkness won’t come. It just means you have tools to face it when it does.” She smiled up at him. “You were one of those tools for me, Tyson. You still are.”

He leaned closer. “And you for me.”

As the morning light warmed their faces, Olivia felt the last remnants of her fear dissolving. Perfect love—not just romantic love, but the perfect love of God working through the people He’d placed in her life—had done what seemed impossible.

It had cast out fear.

Not immediately. Not easily. But persistently, day after day, sunrise after sunrise, until finally she could face each morning knowing that whatever darkness came, she wouldn’t face it alone.

And that made all the difference.

~~~

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