“Okay.” I tried to hide my hurt feelings. I couldn’t very well blame him for leaving without a goodbye. He’d said having friends would be his downfall. Did he see tonight as proof of that? Would he cut me out of his life entirely? I was surprised at how much the thought made my heart ache.

“I’m gonna miss you, Rose.”

A lump formed in my throat. My Lady in Black days were over. The guilt that accompanied the disappointment was suffocating. “You won’t miss all the trouble I’ve caused.”

A wry grin twisted his mouth. “Life’s definitely gonna be a whole lot duller.”

I threw my arms around his neck, and I didn’t care who saw. This man had saved my life countless times, and I owed him my unflinching friendship.

He held me tight for several seconds, then said in a brisk voice, “If you ever need help with anything—anything at all—I’m just a phone call away. Skeeter too.”

“Thank you, Jed,” I said as I stepped back, wiping the tears off my cheeks. “I owe you more than I can ever repay.”

He hesitated, then lowered his voice. “You made Skeeter care about something more than his kingdom. Something I’ve never been able to manage. That’s payment enough right there.”

“But I hurt him in the process.”

He slowly shook his head. “Sometimes you have to break something to make it stronger. Remember that.” Then he turned around and left me alone.

Mason stood across the room, his eyes fixed firmly on me. How much had he seen of our exchange? What did he think of me now?

To my relief, Mason walked toward me and wrapped an arm around my back. “Let’s go home.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

He was subdued on the way to the farmhouse, but he had plenty of reason to be distraught. He’d called Maeve as soon as we got into the car, apologizing over and over again for letting her think the worst. At one point he had even broken into tears, but I couldn’t shake the thought that he wasn’t himself with her either.

During the drive, I called Violet first and then Neely Kate to assure them I was okay. I gave them an abbreviated explanation of the last twenty-four hours, although the version of events I shared with Violet was condensed to leave out as much about Skeeter as possible. Both went through a rollercoaster of emotions. Violet’s reaction to my resurrection was best described as shock followed by overwhelming relief, and while Neely Kate certainly seemed to feel the same way, her voice lacked its usual exuberance. However, there was no denying that my best friend had been through a multitude of traumatic events over the last few months. It killed me that I was now one of them. I knew I had a lot to make up to them, even if this part of the situation wasn’t my fault.

Mason offered to call Jonah and fill him in on the situation so I could call Bruce Wayne. My business partner sounded wary when he answered, as though he thought he might be picking up a call from a ghost. “Rose?”

“It’s really me.”

“They said you were dead,” he said in a shaky voice. “And that Mason had been kidnapped and probably murdered too.”

“We’re both okay. I got J.R. Simmons to confess.”

“You’re kidding.”

“And tonight the Lady in Black officially retired. I’m done with my brief foray into the crime world of Fenton County.”

He snorted. I wasn’t sure why, but I was afraid to ask.

“Listen, I want you to know … about that day last November when I convinced you to take me to Skeeter … I put you in a terrible position, and I’m so sorry.”

“It was a mutual decision, Rose. We did it together.”

“But I continued on without you and hurt you in the process. I’m sorry.”

“Get some sleep. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

I hung up and caught Mason watching me with that same look he got when he was working out a particularly complex problem.

When we went to bed, Mason held me in his arms, but it felt like he was going through the motions. How could I be in the arms of the man I loved, yet feel so alone? The fact that he hadn’t given me my ring back scared the bejiggers out of me, and I was afraid to push my luck and ask.

The next morning I woke up and found Mason standing in the doorway to the nursery. I got up and padded over to him, shivering with cold. “Mason, what are you doin’?”

“Just thinking.”

I tugged on his arm. “Come on back to bed.”

He looked down at me with a dull look in his eyes. “I’m going to take a shower. I got a text from Detective Pearson. He said the secretary of state’s office is sending someone down first thing this morning to question the DA. Looks like he might be out of a job, which means I’ll probably get my old one back.”

I held onto his arm. “Oh, Mason! That’s so wonderful. I’m so happy for you.”

“Thanks.” He bent over and gave me a light kiss, then walked into the bathroom.

I deserved his aloofness and more, so I shook it off.

I texted Joe to let him know that Mason and I were headed to our separate offices, so he could find us there rather than at the farm. He sent back that he’d drop by to see me later in the morning.

Mason got ready in record time, and it seemed as if he was about to head out the door without a goodbye when he suddenly stopped and walked over to me. He cupped my cheek and gave me a sad smile. “I love you, Rose. Please don’t doubt that. I just need time.”