"Yeah, that's safer. He's tall, slim, fit, he jogs, still has his hair, gray now. He'd probably say that was my fault. He's the sort of person you'd want to vote for. You know the type? Mr. Sincere and Concerned who shakes your hand like he means it?" His jaw tightened.

"Do you two argue all the time?"

"More than have normal conversations."

"Why?"

"I don't want to talk about him."

"I'm sorry."

"He winds me up." He slammed his fork down.

Kate flinched and concentrated on her salad.

"I'm a disappointment," Nathan muttered.

"That you're not a lawyer like him?"

"Partly that and partly because he thinks I'm bitter and twisted."

"It doesn't sound like you."

"You don't know me." He swigged his beer.

She took a deep breath. "I know you have a kind heart. You're brave and honest and you don't give up."

He grinned. "Keep going. I could do with my ego massaging."

"I like your smile. It makes your eyes light up." Even with his busted knee, he had a lanky grace when he moved, but she wouldn't tell him that. "But you have terrible taste in T-shirts."

"Better stop while you're ahead."

"I should maybe mention I wear glasses."

"Not when you've complimented me on my smile. What happened to your glasses?"

"Jack smashed them."

Nathan paused with his fork part-way to his mouth. "Oh God, I'm sorry, I've tried not to let you-"

"I know what you've been doing, Nathan. Talking about things you don't want to talk about, so I didn't have to. Thank you." He smiled and they passed the rest of the meal in easy conversation. Kate liked him more and more.

"You all finished here? Can I get y'all some dessert?" asked the waitress.

Nathan looked at Kate, but she shook her head. "No, the check please," he said.

After the waitress walked away he reached out for Kate's hand and squeezed it gently. "You can talk to me, Kate. I think you need to talk." She pulled back. If she talked, she'd spoil things.

Back in the room, Nathan slumped on the bed.

"Going to phone your sister?" Kate asked.

"To please you."

He smiled when Kate's face went red.

His father answered. For the first minute, Nathan had to hold it away from his ear. He kept saying "sorry" at regular intervals, and in the end, his dad went quiet.

"Elisa really wanted you here, Nathan."

"I got embroiled in something in Colorado. I'm on my way back."

"You let her down."

Nathan's hand clenched around the receiver. "I've said I'm sorry. We'll be there the day after tomorrow."

"We?"

Nathan looked at Kate. "Yes, we."

"Did the police get in touch with you?"

"Yes," he said.

"Good, well you better come bearing gifts. I'll tell Elisa you're on your way." It was only after Nathan had put the phone down that he realized something didn't make sense. How did his father know about the police? He wasn't going to call him back to ask. He turned to look at Kate lying on the other bed. "Want to watch TV?"

"No."

"Can I get you a coffee, tea or a miniature carton of revolting milk?"

"No, thanks."

"Are you all right, Kate?" He leaned up on one elbow. She was twisting that damn ring on her finger. "You're safe now."

"Yeah."

Nathan wondered how to get her to open up. "I watched Jack for months. Not every day, but I did it for too long, and yet not long enough." Kate turned to look at him.

"One day, I saw him buy a bouquet of flowers and then he disappeared." He had her attention now.

"I tried to find out who he wanted them for, but I couldn't."

"Me," she whispered.

"What did he do, Kate?"

He watched her mouth open and close several times before she made up her mind.

"He tricked me." Her voice was quiet. "When I opened the door, he slammed into me. He had a knife. He took me from my apartment." She didn't take her eyes off Nathan. He didn't blink. "I didn't know then, but...Jack told me later, he was the one who raped me four years ago."

"Oh Christ." Nathan sat up.

"In Las Vegas we married, only I don't remember. He drugged me. Then he snatched Sammy and drove to Echo Lake. I tried to escape, but Jack always caught me and when he did, he...hurt me." She jumped up. "I need to hide because he'll find me. Can you lend me some money?"

"I'll take you wherever you want to go."

"If Jack finds us together, he'll kill you," she whispered. "I can't let him hurt anyone else."

"Kate, I-" Nathan stood.

She paced around the room. "I could get on a bus. Go to Chicago or New York.

A big city."

"Kate."

"I'll find a woman's shelter, get a job." She took shaky breaths, clenching her fists so tight her knuckles were white.

"Kate."

Nathan could stand it no longer. He pulled her into his arms and held her tight. She resisted for only a moment before she pressed her face into his shoulder, trembling like a newborn foal. After a moment, her hands slid around his back. She clung to him in such desperation Nathan felt he'd hold her forever rather than be the first to let go.

Chapter Thirty-Four.

When Kate awoke the next morning, she and Nathan lay side by side on the same bed. They'd fallen asleep fully clothed and her hand lay under his. He was gentle and kind. Nothing like Jack. Kate looked at Nathan as he slept. The emergence of dark stubble made the bottom half of his face look like it had been brushed with smoke. She thought of the fire and trembled. He could have died trying to save her. Then he went back for Tommy. Jack told her not to expect a knight coming to save her but one had. Kate wondered how she'd feel if Nathan kissed her. Stupid! She closed her eyes. Why would he want her? She was broken.

"What are you thinking?"

She started. Kate opened her eyes to see him staring at her.

Did he have a girlfriend? "About how much damage Jack has done, how I want to run away and pretend it never happened."

"You need to tell the police everything."

She shuddered. "He twists the truth, mixes it with lies. He's playing some sort of game."

"He won't win, Kate. The police aren't going to drop a kidnapping charge. They won't believe you wanted to be with him. No one would."

"Except your fiancee." She wanted the words back as soon as they'd left her mouth.

Nathan sighed. "Jack showing me he could have what was mine. If he hadn't used Alison, he'd have looked for another way to hurt me." He rolled onto his back and put his hands behind his head. "I still don't understand what she saw in him, why she wanted to marry him. We'd been together two and a half years and she threw it all away for a..."

"Did she really want to marry him?"

He gave a short laugh. "Yes." He turned to face her again, planting his elbow in the pillow and resting his head on his hand.

"What did she say that hurt you?" Kate asked.

His jaw twitched. "What do you mean?"

His response told Kate she was right. Alison had said something that had eaten away at Nathan. She understood how that could happen, how your mind went over and over things no matter how much you wanted to forget.

"What did she say?"

"Nothing important."

"Important enough to hurt you."

"She said I was boring in bed," Nathan blurted.

Kate gulped, embarrassed how she'd forced that out of him.

Nathan gave her a rueful smile. "This is where you're supposed to say that couldn't possibly be true. I bet you're a fantastic lover."

"This is where I remind you how manipulative Jack can be. Why would Alison have stayed with you so long? I imagine Jack made that up to torment you." Nathan smiled. "I don't think I'm boring in bed." Kate's heart lurched.

He didn't move, just watched her, not blinking for a moment before he spoke again. "When we get back to San Antonio, you need to speak to the police. Jack needs locking up."

"You want to get even?"

Nathan bristled. "The guy is a psycho. What if he kidnaps and tortures someone else?"

"He won't. He only wants me. It was important we looked like a happy family.

Only how could he think that might happen? I'd have told his father everything."

"Tell me everything," Nathan whispered and reached out to lay his hand over hers.

Kate chewed her lip. "I found a body."

He bolted upright. "What? Christ, Kate."

"It's hidden under the boathouse. There's a baby's skeleton, too. A tiny skull." She hesitated. "I thought maybe your mother was pregnant and Jack killed her and..."

"Ripped the baby out of her." Nathan's voice was flat.

"If Steven saw what he'd done, Jack might have killed him and hidden him with the baby." She kept her eyes down. "Jack told me he'd seen his mother and Steven in bed together. Maybe it was Steven's baby." Nathan leaned back against the headboard. He pulled Kate up next to him, put his arm over her shoulder, and squeezed. She tried not to wince.