Page 17

“Summer’s Promise”

Noah

The world shrank to the space between Barrett and us as I guided the boat toward the dock. He stood waiting, his unremarkable appearance masking the threat he posed. Nothing about him suggested danger—except for the hungry fixation in his eyes as he watched Didi.

"Stay behind me," I said quietly as we approached. "When we dock, wait in the boat until I say it's clear."

Didi nodded, her face pale but resolute. I'd already texted Callahan our location, but with the holiday crowds, backup would take precious minutes to arrive. My hand instinctively moved toward my hip before I remembered I wasn't carrying.

As the boat bumped against the dock, Preston stepped forward. "I’ve been looking everywhere for you," he called.

I secured the boat with a quick knot and positioned myself between him and Didi. "Mr. Barrett," I said evenly, despite my racing pulse. "I'm Detective Sterling with the Hope Peak Sheriff's Department. I need you to step back."

Surprise flickered across his face before his expression hardened. "This doesn't concern you. Didi and I have a connection. She understands."

From the boat, I heard Didi's sharp intake of breath. The fireworks finale continued overhead, bathing us in alternating flashes of light and shadow.

"She's made it clear she doesn't want contact with you," I said, maintaining eye contact with Barrett. His pupils were dilated, his breathing shallow—signs of agitation I'd observed in countless confrontations. "You need to leave now."

His expression hardened. "You don't understand. She speaks to me every night on her show. Special messages just for me. It’s our secret." He leaned sideways, trying to see around me to Didi. "Tell him. Tell him how you always answer my questions first."

"That's her job, Barrett," I replied, shifting to block his view. "She does that for all her listeners."

"No!" The vehemence in his voice made several nearby holidaymakers turn and stare. "It's different with me. She knows it's different. We have something special."

I sensed movement behind me—Didi standing in the boat. Every instinct screamed at me to push her back down, to shield her completely, but I recognized the determination in her stance. This was her fight too.

"You’re wrong," she said, her voice steady despite the slight tremor I detected. "You and I don’t have a relationship. I've never met you before today."

Barrett's face twisted. "That's not true! You know exactly who I am. I've sent you gifts. Notes. I've watched over you, protected you." His voice dropped. "I knew that finance guy was cheating on you before you did. I tried to warn you."

A chill ran through me at the implication. How long had he been watching her before making contact?

"That doesn't mean we have a relationship," Didi continued, her voice growing stronger. "What you've been doing is stalking, and it needs to stop."

Barrett's expression shifted between confusion and anger. "But you left clues in your broadcasts. You kept talking about needing to 'escape the noise.' About how being in nature brings you peace. You were telling me where to find you."

"Those were general statements about my own life," Didi replied. "Not messages to you or anyone else."

I caught movement at the edge of my vision—Callahan and two deputies approaching through the crowd. Relief surged through me, but I kept my focus on Barrett.

"It's over, Preston," I said firmly. "The Chicago PD has been looking for you. They know you've crossed state lines to follow Ms. Lawson. That's federal now."

"No!" Barrett's hand plunged into his jacket pocket.

I reacted instantly, lunging forward to grab his wrist before he could withdraw whatever he was reaching for. We grappled briefly before I forced his arm behind his back, driving him to his knees on the dock. From his pocket fell not a weapon but a small velvet ring box.

"I was going to propose," he gasped as Callahan reached us, handcuffs already out. "Tonight. During the fireworks. It was going to be perfect."

"Jesus," Callahan muttered, securing the cuffs while I maintained my hold.

"You have the right to remain silent," I began mechanically, years of training taking over as Barrett was pulled to his feet. "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law..."

As the deputies led Barrett away, his expression crumpled into something between confusion and despair. "But I love her," he said, looking back at Didi. "I've always loved her."

"I know you believe that," I replied quietly. "But that's not how love works."

Callahan clapped my shoulder. "Good work, Sterling." He glanced at Didi, who had finally stepped onto the dock. "Ms. Lawson, we'll need a statement, but it can wait until tomorrow if you'd prefer."

"Tomorrow would be better," she agreed, her voice steady though I could see the tension in her shoulders.

"I'll keep him locked down tight," Callahan assured her. "Chicago PD is sending someone to transport him back. Federal charges on top of the state ones—he won't be bothering anyone for a long time."

After Callahan left to join his deputies, a strange quiet settled around us despite the continued celebration nearby. The last of the fireworks faded, leaving only the colored lanterns along the shore reflecting on the water.

"Are you okay?" I asked, finally allowing myself to reach for Didi.

She stepped into my arms without hesitation, her body trembling slightly against mine. "I think so. It's just... seeing him in person after all these months of him being this shadowy threat. He seemed so..."

"Ordinary," I finished for her. "They usually are."

She pulled back enough to look at me. "You weren't scared at all."

"I was terrified," I corrected, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Not of him. Of what might happen to you."

Around us, families were packing up blankets and chairs, the holiday winding down. No one seemed to have noticed the drama that had just unfolded—another reminder of how personal crises often played out invisibly amid crowds.

"Let's go home," I said, realizing too late the presumption in my words.

But Didi just nodded, slipping her hand into mine. "Home sounds good."

***

Back at my cabin, we sat on the deck, iced tea glasses sweating in our hands as the night remained stubbornly warm.

Neither of us could sleep, still processing the confrontation at the dock.

Tomorrow would bring statements, paperwork, and the legal machinery that would keep Barrett contained, but tonight was just for us.

"What happens now?" I asked, voicing the question that had been hanging between us since Barrett's arrest.

Didi gazed out at the lake, her profile gilded by the early light. "I don't know. The station expects me back next week. My life is in Chicago."

The words landed like stones in my chest. I'd known this was temporary—known from the moment I learned who she was—but somewhere between teaching her to fish and holding her in the lake, I'd started to imagine otherwise.

"But?" I prompted, hearing the hesitation in her voice.

She turned to me, those green eyes searching mine. "But I'm not ready to leave here. To leave you."

Hope rose in my chest, sharp and bright. "Long-distance relationships aren't easy."

"So are stalkers and nosy small-town detectives," she replied with a half-smile. "I seem to have experience with both now."

I set my coffee down and took her hands in mine. "Didi, I know this has happened fast. But I've truthfully never felt this way before. I don't want this to end."

"You haven't even heard my show," she pointed out, her thumb tracing circles on my palm. "What if you hate it?"

"Impossible," I said with absolute certainty. "Besides, I've heard you talk. I've heard how you listen. I've seen how you connect with people. Your show must be amazing."

She smiled, the first real smile since Barrett's appearance. "What if we tried something? I could broadcast remotely part of the time. Split my weeks between here and Chicago."

The idea landed like a revelation. "You could do that?"

"The technology's all portable," she confirmed. "I've been doing it here already. My producer would need to coordinate some things on her end, but it's doable."

"And I could visit Chicago," I added, the possibilities unfurling. "I have vacation time saved up. Lots of it, actually."

"You in Chicago?" Didi laughed. "Mountain Man meets the Windy City?"

"I can adapt," I assured her. "I might even own a tie somewhere."

Her laughter faded into something more serious. "It won't be easy. There would be a lot of goodbyes, a lot of travel."

"But a lot of hellos too," I pointed out. "And I'm willing to try if you are."

The moonlight caught in her hair as she nodded. "I am."

I pulled her close, her body fitting against mine in a way that felt both new and familiar. "Then we'll figure it out." I pressed my lips to her temple. "One day at a time."

"One lake at a time," she corrected, arms sliding around my neck. "One mountain, one city block, one sunset..."

"One kiss," I murmured against her mouth.

Under the starlit sky, I held the woman who'd crashed into my life and somehow changed everything. I didn't know exactly what the future would bring, but for the first time in years, I had hope.