"Jesse, honey, don't splash your sister!" Rosemary called from her spot on a beach towel. Jesse froze mid-splash, and Clara dove under the water, swimming away from her brother. They were swimming in a natural lagoon, surrounded on all sides by a large coral reef. It was one of the calmest beaches in all of Kauai, and also one of the least well-known. As Elizabeth and Rosemary chatted, they could see only five other people on the small beach. It was their little haven, and they loved it. It was another one of Elizabeth's happy places.
"They're like little dolphins," Elizabeth said with a laugh, watching the twins swim rapidly from one end of the lagoon to the other. She stretched out on her beach towel, stomach down, propping herself up on her elbows. She glanced at Rosemary. "Alright, spill it."
Rosemary blinked at her innocently. "Spill what?"
Elizabeth swatted her arm. "You said you had something important to tell me, and I've been waiting very impatiently to hear what that something might be."
Rosemary grinned. "How would you feel about being a godmother again?"
Elizabeth's eyes widened, and she shot up to her knees, staring at Rosemary. "What? You're pregnant?"
Chuckling, Rosemary pushed herself up as well, coming to a sitting position. "No, I'm not pregnant. Lee and I have tried, but we just haven't been able to conceive since having the twins." She smiled. "We're adopting!"
"What?" Elizabeth's mouth hung open. "Really? Rosemary, that's amazing!"
Rosemary grinned, a contented look on her face. "He's coming to live with us next week, and then we'll continue with the paperwork and adoption proceedings."
"Wait a minute!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "How long have you known about this, and why didn't you tell me?"
"We wanted to be sure," Rosemary said. "Before we told anyone, we wanted to be sure that this little boy would actually be ours."
Elizabeth leaned back with a laugh. "I don't know what surprises me more, Rosie. You adopting, or the fact that you were able to keep it a secret!"
"Oh!" Rosemary laughed. "It wasn't easy, I don't mind telling you. We all know I'm the worst at secrets! But this was a good one, don't you think?"
"I do," Elizabeth agreed. "And I can't wait to meet him. Tell me all about him."
Rosemary's eyes sparkled with delight. "His name is Lucas, and he's six months old. His parents died in a car accident a few weeks ago, and he doesn't have any other family. Lee and I just fell in love with him when we met him last week. We'd already been cleared to start the adoption process. Technically we'll be his foster parents first, but the judge thinks it will be smooth sailing to legally adopt him." She clasped her hands in front of her. "Oh, Elizabeth, he's such a darling little boy! You are going to love him!"
"I'm sure I will!" Elizabeth exclaimed. She looked out at the water where the twins were playing. "Do Jesse and Clara know yet?"
Rosemary shook her head. "Not yet. We're going to tell them tomorrow, which will give them about five days to get used to the idea. We think they're going to be very excited about it. Clara has been asking for a baby brother for months. Jesse doesn't seem to care about more siblings one way or another, but I think he's going to like having Lucas around."
Elizabeth clapped. "Rosemary, this is so exciting! I can't wait to meet your newest little boy!" She smiled at her friend. "You are very brave, you know that? Adoption can be a long and scary process, but you're putting yourself out there for little Lucas. I admire that."
Rosemary smiled slightly. "We've been wanting another child for so long. I'd hardly say we're being brave."
"You are," Elizabeth affirmed. "You might not think so, but you are. And you're going to give that little boy such a good life. He's blessed."
"I think we're the ones who are blessed," Rosemary said softly, a light shining in her eyes. "And I can't wait until he's here in my arms."
"Spoken like a true mother."
"You're adopting?" Nathan asked, taking his eyes from the path in front of him to look at Lee. "That's great! Congratulations."
"Thanks," Lee said, a grin planted firmly on his face. "Rosie and I have been talking about it for a while, and this seemed like the right time. We're excited."
"I'll bet," Nathan said, turning his eyes back to the path. They were back in the ravine, searching for any signs that might tell them what had happened to Steve. Nathan felt less emotional this time around, and he and Lee had kept up a surprising amount of chatter as the hours stretched on. Lee brought up the adoption, and Nathan was happy for him and Rosemary. They were already such good parents to Jesse and Clara, and they had so much love to give another child as well. He had a feeling their newest addition would always know how loved he was.
"We want you to be his godfather," Lee said casually, sweeping aside some plants and studying the ground intently.
Nathan stared at him. "Really? Me?"
Lee laughed, glancing his way. "Yes, really. You."
Smiling, Nathan clapped him on the back. "I'd be honored, Lee. Thanks for asking."
"We think you'd be the perfect godfather for baby Lucas." Lee shot him a sly look. "And Rosie is asking Elizabeth to be his godmother."
"Mmhmm," Nathan said, methodically sweeping the ground again with his eyes. "What are you trying to say, Coulter?"
"Oh, nothing much," Lee said with a chuckle. "Speaking of Elizabeth, how are things going with her?"
"Very well," Nathan said. "She's a wonderful woman."
"Obviously," Lee replied. "But we all know that. What we don't know is how exactly you two feel about each other. Have you told her you love her yet?"
Nathan felt his heart skip a beat. He answered casually. "Lee, she and I have only known each other for a few months!"
"So what's your point? You've told me for years that you believe you'll know when the right woman for you comes along." Lee raised his brows. "Is Elizabeth the right woman? I know for a fact you've never been in a relationship before this, and the fact that you committed to her tells me a whole lot, my friend."
Lee knew him too well. Nathan didn't see any point in hiding the truth from his best friend. "I think she is, Lee."
Whooping, Lee clapped once. "I knew it!" He grinned. "So when's the wedding?"
"Slow down, buddy!" Nathan said with a chuckle. "Before you plan our wedding, perhaps I need to find out if Elizabeth feels about me the way I feel about her. If these feelings are one-sided, then she's not the one for me."
"Personally I think it's as plain as the nose on your face how you both feel about each other, but that's just me," Lee said under his breath, yet loudly enough for Nathan to hear. "So, when are you going to tell her how you feel?"
"Leland Coulter!"
Lee laughed unapologetically. "I'll drop it for now, Grant, but just so you know? For as much as you try to keep things under the surface, you're an open book."
Nathan shook his head. Lee always could read him. And his friend was right. Nathan was head over heels for Elizabeth. The only question was whether she felt the same way. He reached into his pocket, his hand closing gently over the ring box safely hidden there.
There was no doubt in his mind that Elizabeth was the right woman for him. He didn't want to rush her, though. She had been through a lot, and he wasn't going to push her. He knew he wanted to ask her to spend her life with him, so he had bought the ring, but he wasn't going to give it to her until he was sure she loved him. Nathan was fairly certain he would know the right time when it came. Until then, the ring would remain with him so he would be ready when the time came.
If the time came.
He didn't doubt that Elizabeth cared deeply for him, but he did wonder sometimes if she would be ready to fully commit her heart. She'd been deeply hurt when Jack died, and Nathan's job, while not as dangerous as a Marine's, was still full of danger. He wondered if that would be a strike against him.
Lee's voice broke into his thoughts. "Nathan! Look at this."
Nathan walked to his friend. Lee was crouched over a path they hadn't seen yet. "Look," Lee said, pointing down. Nathan peered over his shoulder, eyes widened. "Is that blood?" he asked.
"Sure looks like it," Lee said.
Nathan surveyed the area. "How is there no trail of blood anywhere near the ground around the car, but it shows up here?" he asked, feeling baffled.
Lee looked around, trying to make sense of it too. They stood in silence for a moment, then Lee spoke again. "I think I might know."
Nathan glanced at him, raising his brows in question.
Lee pointed to the pond. "The car was half submerged in the water, but this isn't a deep pond. A man could easily walk in it without the water going over his head. What if Steve got out of the car and walked through the pond? That would leave no trail near the car, and if he came out of the water over here, it would make sense as to why it picks up again in this spot."
Nathan nodded slowly. "That does make sense." He glanced down at the trail of blood. "Let's see where this leads." He clapped Lee on the back. "Good work, Lee."
They followed the faint blood trail through the ravine until it led them to a hidden path between two steep cliff walls. Nathan frowned. "I thought this was a solid wall the first time we saw it." He and Lee squeezed their way into the narrow space, following it for twenty yards until it opened into a clearing.
"Can you see any blood marks now?" Lee asked. The ground was heavily covered in vegetation. A hill sloped gently upward toward the forest.
Nathan frowned. "No, but look at that." He pointed to sporadic areas that looked like they had been disturbed. "It almost looks like someone could have been crawling through here and tore up some of the vegetation." Looking closely, he followed the signs of disruption. It led them up the hill and back into the trees.
Lee looked around, scratching his head. "And there's the road." He groaned. "We're right back where we started!"
"Not necessarily," Nathan said, though he could feel his frustration rising. He stamped it down, choosing to focus on the positives. "We at least know that he was somehow alive after that crash and made his way back to the road."
"Made his way back, or was forced back?" Lee asked.
Nathan sighed. "That is the question." He looked around. "If someone forced him up here, they could have easily had a car ready and put him in it and taken him anywhere." He put his hands on his hips. "On the other hand, if a Good Samaritan found him on the road, they might have taken him to a hospital." He looked at Lee. "How many hospitals do we have on the island?"
"Four," Lee said. "Are you starting to think this might have been an accident?"
"No," Nathan said. "There are too many suspicious circumstances. But he could have lost whoever ran him off the road when he went down the ravine, especially if they saw him go over the edge and presumed him dead." He sighed. "Or they could have been waiting for him when he reemerged onto the road." Nathan ran his hands through his hair. "It seems that for each possible answer we find, three more questions come up."
"We'll figure it out," Lee said. "We always do."
"I hope you're right," Nathan sighed. They headed for the squad car thirty yards up the road. "Let's go pay a visit to the local hospitals."
The sun was low over the water as Nathan and Elizabeth walked hand in hand on the beach. They had left their shoes with their beach towels and were walking barefoot along the spot where the water gently rolled in and out over the sand. Elizabeth sighed in contentment as the water whirled around her feet before rolling back again. "This is heavenly," she said, leaning her head on Nathan's shoulder as they walked. "I've always loved sunset walks along the beach."
Nathan smiled, planting a kiss on her head. "Me too. There's something special about this time of the day."
They walked quietly for a few minutes, enjoying the sunset and each other's company. Elizabeth glanced at Nathan. He had been quieter than usual today. She had a feeling it had something to do with his investigation into Steve's disappearance.
"Did you find anything new today in your investigation?" she asked, squeezing his hand.
"Kind of," Nathan said. He sighed. "We found a trail of evidence that showed Steve made it back to the road. What we don't know is if he made it on his own or if he was forced there. The evidence ended at the road."
"That's something, though," Elizabeth said, hoping her words were encouraging. "Did it give you anything to go on?"
Nathan shrugged. "Maybe a little. Some of the pieces of the puzzle are coming together, but there are more pieces being added all the time that we can't fit." He looked at her. "Lee and I visited two hospitals today, asking if they had admitted a Steve Grant or a John Doe around the time of the accident. Neither of them had. We're going to try the other two hospitals tomorrow." He looked out over the water. "I didn't realize how taxing an investigation that's this personal would be, Elizabeth."
She stopped walking and pulled him into a hug. Nathan wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her head. They stood there for a moment with the water swirling around their feet, then Nathan leaned back a little, smiling down at her. "You always know just what I need," he said, cupping her cheek in his hand. He studied her for a moment, an indecipherable look in his eyes. "There's something I've been wanting to tell you."
Elizabeth felt butterflies forming in her stomach at the look in his eyes. "What's that?"
"Does my job bother you, Elizabeth?"
She blinked. "Your job?" That had not been what she expected him to say. "Why would your job bother me?"
He let out a little breath. "It can be dangerous, more dangerous than most. Does that worry you?"
Elizabeth looked into his eyes, seeing the vulnerability hidden there. He was concerned for her, and she knew instinctively it was because of what had happened with Jack. She smiled, her heart melting even more toward him. "Nathan, I'd be lying if I said I didn't worry about you sometimes. That night you were going after Spurlock was one of the scariest nights of my life. So yes, it can worry me." She framed his face in her hands. "But I've come to realize that living in fear only makes a person lose out on the life they're supposed to live. I don't want to live in fear. Besides," she said, a small smile forming on her face, "Anyone could go at any time. If it's your time, it's your time. And if it's not, it's not."
Nathan leaned forward, kissing her gently, then rested his forehead against hers. "I'm glad you feel that way," he said softly.
"Was that what you wanted to tell me?" Elizabeth asked, feeling a little breathless from his kiss.
He smiled, his bright blue eyes locking onto hers. "No." A breeze blew a strand of her hair across her face, and Nathan gently tucked it behind her ear. "Elizabeth, I know we've only known each other for a short amount of time, but I feel a deep connection with you."
His words made her heart beat double time. "I feel it too," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"That's good to know," he said with a little laugh. "Because I want you to know something. Elizabeth, I've fallen in love with you, totally and completely. You are the best thing to have ever happened to me."
"You love me?" she whispered, overwhelming joy washing over her.
He nodded. "I do. I love you so very much."
Happy tears stung her eyes. She had long wondered if she was falling in love with Nathan, and in that moment she knew her heart was irrevocably his. "And I love you."
Nathan grinned and leaned forward again, kissing her with the gentle passion she'd come to love. In his arms, she felt safe, protected, cherished.
And loved.
When they finally broke apart, they were both breathless. Elizabeth leaned her head against his chest as Nathan held her close. She could feel the steady beating of his heart, the sensation comforting. No words were needed between them. They watched as the sun slowly sank into the ocean, their newfound declaration of love warming both their hearts.
Elizabeth knew this moment couldn't last forever, but she tried to memorize everything about it. This was a moment she wanted to remember forever.
