“I asked you instead.”

“We’ll go through your storage unit to find things you want to bring here. We can get your photos reframed and hang them. I want this to be our place. I love you. I want to build a future with you that does not include you being in danger all the time.”

She fist bumped him. “You and me both. There’s more to go, you know. The trial, all that. The craziness with my grandparents, I don’t know how that’s going to work out. I’m giving you one last chance to bolt. After this I’m clinging to you like a barnacle.”

He laughed. “I’m all yours to cling on to. I know your life has had a lot of upheaval, so let me be your steady ground, your safe space. Where you know you can be and be loved and cherished. You can count on me.”

She smiled, turning into his hold to hug him and bury her face in his neck, breathing him in. “I love you for that.”

“Love you too, darlin’.”

Epilogue

Eight months later

Caroline stood up after brushing off the marbled face of the new headstone they’d put next to Bianca’s. Their father at her side as he was meant to be all these years.

Royal stood with her, handing over the flowers. Caroline put the creamy white calla lilies on the marker and lilacs on her mother’s.

Mindy put white roses on his stone and yellow ones on their mother’s. Shep laid lilies on both markers.

The siblings stood back for their father’s family to come forward. Each brother, sister and their abuela left things or said a few quiet words. It had been a way to put closure on the situation. Enrique finally buried with his wife as their wills had called for. He was home.

First Shep had traveled to Los Angeles with Caroline to meet his father’s family, and then Mindy had. Both had been taken in with a lot of love, which made Caroline happy.

The trial had closed three days prior with a guilty verdict. The sentencing was the following week. Vernon Hicks would likely die in prison. Which was just fine with Caroline.

There was an FBI task force that had added Hicks to its list. They had found at least three female murder victims they believed carried a connection to Hicks. Caroline tried not to dwell on any what-ifs when it came to Hicks and his fascination with her. He was gone.

“Come on back to the house for lunch, everyone,” Caroline called out to the crowd that had gathered in the cemetery.

Edward hugged Caroline. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Me?”

“Of course. Look at this. Just take a moment and look over this crowd.”

She did. There were at least ten Mendozas who’d come to Petal. Her brother and his new girlfriend he’d met at college. Mindy, who’d finally broken off with Garrett and was focused on finishing school before deciding to date again. A whole passel of Chases, including Shane. Justin was there, as was Peter. Murphys abounded as well. Newly married Beth and Joe. Anne, who’d grown to be one of Caroline’s closest friends. Melissa was there, but she and Clint had broken up the summer before.

Friends, her intentional family, really. And they had come to put a period at the end of this long life sentence.

And there was Royal. In a suit. Lordy. Handsome and in charge. People paused to speak with him often, but his attention was on Caroline. Worried about her, she knew. She hadn’t been feeling well on top of an already difficult situation.

She had, indeed counted on him. And he’d never broken his promise to be there.

“This is because of you, Caroline. It’s easy to give up. It’s easy to give in when things get really hard. But you never gave up. You made this happen. That’s phenomenal.”

“Thank you. And thank you for being a mentor to me and opening your family the way you have.”

Over the year she’d been in Petal she’d done her part to make the firm even healthier. She loved her job. Edward encouraged her, challenged her, and he and Polly had adopted her into their huge brood. He was far less like a boss and far more like a father. Which had worked out because she dug having a father, and certainly Edward Chase was a spiffy dad.

“Did you see them?” Edward pointed to her grandparents who stood a ways off.

Most of the time she loved Petal. She and her siblings had a real relationship. Though making up with Mindy had been emotional, it had been worth the pain. Caroline and her grandfather had started playing online chess six months back. After a while, they agreed to coffee. They met once every few weeks for an afternoon cinnamon roll and some hot chocolate.

Her grandmother though hadn’t spoken a word to her since that night when Shane had come over. The night they’d identified Vernon Hicks.

“I didn’t. Are you and Polly coming out to the house?”

“We are, definitely. I’ll see you over there.” Edward kissed her cheek, and then Polly hugged her and they headed off to their car.

Royal approached. “The Lassiters are here.” He took her hands. “You want to go over there? I can come with you or wait here.”

In other words I’m not leaving you here to do this on your own. She was so lucky.

“Come on.”

Hand in hand they approached her grandparents.

“Hey, Grandpa.” She looked to her grandmother and nodded.

Abigail spoke. “It’s a nice stone. I saw it yesterday. We were here as they installed it. She’d have liked that.”

“Thank you.”

“Would you come to dinner sometime?” her grandmother asked. “Both of you, I mean.”