Jazz punched the end button on Luke’s cell phone, her heart full of conflicting emotions. “Sheriff Clarkson’s a good man. I didn’t realize how good at the time. He’ll call for backup the moment you let him know Joy’s safe.”

“Good.” Luke checked his HK.

She twisted in the seat of the stopped van. “If anything bad happens…”

“Nothing bad will happen. I won’t let it. That means we work together. As a team. Stick to the plan.”

Her hands shook as she pulled out the Beretta and stuffed it in her jeans behind her back. Where was the calm, cool sniper? What had happened to her? Jazz struggled to pull her usually icy demeanor around her, but the image of Joy in that woman’s hands—Jazz fought to regain control. Did love do this?

“How can you be so calm?” Jazz had never faced a situation like this as a cop. She’d never had to worry about someone she loved in trouble.

“Because that’s the only way I can save Joy,” Luke said, his voice steady and solid.

He reached over and clasped Jazz’s shoulders, his gaze intense and focused. “You can do this. You’re not the girl who lived here. You’re a cop. A sniper. A warrior. I have no doubts.”

Jazz nodded, pulling strength from his faith. She took in a deep breath and let her imagination dip her into that lake of tranquility. For Joy. She could do this.

She raised her hand to Luke’s cheek and memorized his features, wondering if she’d see him again. In her heart she knew Lisa Matthews would have a plan. She hadn’t dragged them here to have a chat. She wanted Jazz dead. The fire, Tower’s murder, and Steve Paretti’s death spoke volumes about this woman’s total disregard for collateral damage.

“Lisa’s obsessed with you,” Luke said. “So distract her. Say anything. Do whatever it takes to convince her to release Joy. As soon as she’s safe, we’ll take her.”

“Just get Joy away from her, Luke. I’ll take care of myself.”

“Don’t do anything crazy, Jasmine.”

A bittersweet smile escaped her. “I’m trained for the crazy.” She hesitated as a realization hit home, giving her a strange sense of peace amidst the turmoil. “Being a cop is who I am, even without a badge.” She kissed him and closed her eyes, letting herself remember this moment, when she felt truly one with Luke. “I’m ready.”

He nodded, his expression grave as he put the car into gear. They drove past the next few houses, each looking shabbier than the last even in the soft light of a crimson New Mexico sunset. On the left, a particularly worn-down shack came into view, some of the windows broken and its rusty roof sliding off. “That’s it,” Jazz said, pointing.

“Joy’s in there?” Luke cursed. “It’s ready to collapse.”

The car screeched to a halt. Jazz jumped out, and Luke did the same. She placed herself in front of him, hands held high.

He grasped her arm, ready to pull her aside, but she whispered. “Lisa wants me. Let me do this. For Joy.”

A torn curtain at the window rustled, and Jazz tensed as if preparing to take a shot. Her fingers itched for her sniper rifle. Being without her team on a mission made her feel vulnerable, jumpy. But she had Luke. He was the best backup she could have.

“We need to draw her out,” he said. “Jasmine, call her. Now.”

“Lisa?” Jazz’s voice rang out, strong and certain. “We’re here.”

The face from the police sketch, her features cold and hard, stared at them from behind the tattered window covering, but her hair was no longer red. Blond curls framed her face, not softening it, just emphasizing the anger there. Jazz searched long-ago thoughts and images. Why couldn’t she remember the girl this woman had been?

Lisa smashed the window and pulled a screaming Joy forward, a gun pressed to her temple. “About time you got here. I’m sick of waiting.” She shook Joy. “Shut up or I’ll shut you up.”

“I won’t forget that,” Luke whispered, his voice deadly cold. The corded muscles on Luke’s neck popped, and Jazz knew he fought every instinct to stick to the plan, but he held firm. They had to wait for the right time.

The door opened. Lisa held Joy, wrapped in a pink blanket, in front of her as a shield, the gun still pressed to the terrified girl’s head. Tears streaked her cheeks.

Jazz and Luke advanced slowly toward the house. She could feel the fury radiating off Luke in waves. The moment Joy got a look at her father’s face she started straining against the woman’s hold.

Jazz’s heart stopped, but Luke called out, “Be still, Joy. I’ll come get you in a minute. I love you, baby. Just be still for now.”

The little girl whimpered and hugged Hero, but quit struggling.

Lisa laughed, her face twisted in disgust. “You don’t know what love is, Montgomery. Not if you think you’re getting it from that whore. She walked the streets. She sold herself. But maybe you don’t care about her any more than the other men who’ve had her—and there’ve been plenty around here who have.”

The taunt rattled Jazz’s resolve to stay calm, but all she had to do was glance at Luke. If he could keep from rushing forward, so could she. Emotions were useless now. Follow the plan. “This is between you and me, Lisa. Let the girl go.”

“Why? You barely remember who I am.” The woman tightened her hold on Joy, who kept crying out for her father. “You should. Everybody knew me and loved me and you took it all away.”

Jazz eased forward a few steps, trying to think of a way to free Joy. “The past doesn’t matter. I didn’t know, but I do now. Please—”

“The past is everything! You should know that,” Lisa yelled. “You were jealous of me. You stayed in the corner during recess watching me, watching everyone, and hiding in dirty rags. I was the prettiest girl at school. Everyone wanted to be my friend until you murdered my father. We lost our friends, our home, everything. My mother killed herself. You destroyed my life then. Now I’m going to finish destroying yours.”

“Lisa, I’m sorry. Blame me, but please don’t take it out on an innocent child.”

The woman’s face went red. “It’s too late for sorry!” she screamed.

“Lisa, dear God,” Jazz pleaded. “I’m the one you want. Don’t do this. Don’t play with Joy’s life.” The words came from a place of fear deep inside Jazz—fear on behalf of the innocent, fear born out of love. It was a place that held more power than Jazz had ever known. The nightmare would be embedded on her psyche forever.

“This isn’t a game.” Lisa smiled. “But we could make it a game. What’s my favorite color? Get it right, she lives. Get it wrong, I blow a hole through her head.”

Lisa turned the gun on Luke, who’d been inching to the side, closer to Joy. “One more step and you both die.”

Glancing back at Jazz, Lisa said, “Go on. You always stared at me when I wore my daddy’s favorite dress. What was the color? You have five seconds. Five.”

“You can remember, Jasmine. I know you can,” Luke whispered.

“Four.”

She stared into Luke’s eyes and the confidence displayed in them. He couldn’t reach his daughter in time, and he still believed in her. Fighting panic, Jazz focused, dredging up the pictures in her mind that she’d tried so hard to eradicate. Painful and degrading, she let the flood slash through her, until…

A pretty little girl, a popular girl on the playground. Herself standing in the corner alone. Jane hadn’t had friends. She couldn’t have invited them over. Her mother might have been with a customer—one of their fathers.

“Three.”

Please God, help me. Help me remember what I need to know.

Like the flash from a rifle, a terrifying memory shot through her. That last horrific night. The night Gary Matthews had stolen what was left of her childhood. She’d been in her closet, her mother passed out. Gary had yanked her from her hiding place. Touched her hair. Her face.

“Pretty girl,” he’d murmured. “Not black hair like my Lisa, no, you’re blond and sweet like honey. If you’re good like her and let me do what I want, next time I’ll bring you a pink dress with a pretty pink ribbon—”

“Two.”

“—just like the one I bought her. Pretty as sunshine in that yellow dress. Now come here, little girl, and give me—”

“Yellow,” Jazz gasped, nausea roiling at the flashback and at the realization that Gary had abused Lisa too. “Yellow was your favorite.”

Lisa stepped back. “He told you. Didn’t he! One of those nights when he left my mama and me.”

Jazz cut Lisa off. “You said you’d let Joy go if I answered correctly.”

Insanity lit Lisa’s eyes. “Fine. At least I’m not a liar.”

Lisa pushed Joy forward and the little girl fell. Luke scooped her up and pulled back level with Jazz. Lisa aimed the gun at Joy’s heart, but her gaze stayed focused on Jazz. “I belonged to him. He loved me.”

“He told me he loved you,” Jazz lied quietly. She was acutely conscious of Joy sobbing in Luke’s arms. “I want Luke to take his daughter and go now.”

Lisa smiled. “I bet you do. First, put your weapon on the ground and kick it to me. Carefully, Jane.”

Jazz hesitated. Without the Beretta, Lisa would have the upper hand.

“Don’t play with me, Jane. Give me the weapon I know you have on you, or the girl is dead.” Lisa’s fierce grip on the gun tightened. “I promised to give her back. Nothing more. I won’t hesitate to splatter the ground with her blood.”

With a soft curse, Jazz set the pistol down and booted it toward Lisa.

Satisfied, Lisa raised the weapon and pointed it at Luke. “Take your brat and go.”

He held Joy, still wrapped in her pink blanket and clutching her stuffed fish, Hero, with a desperation Jazz knew would take a long time to go away. If ever.

“Jasmine—”

“Go, Luke. I’ll be fine. Protect Joy.” Jazz gave them one last look. She didn’t know what would happen, but it wouldn’t matter if she died as long as they were safe.

“I’ll be back,” Luke whispered in her ear. “Believe me.”

Jazz nodded and turned back to Lisa, who still had the weapon pointed at Luke’s back.

Joy’s sobs filtered through the air as Luke quietly opened the Caravan. Within seconds the engine revved, but Jazz didn’t take her gaze off Lisa, a sudden disquiet filling her. The woman had killed every loose end, and that’s what Joy and Luke were. Why had Lisa let them go?

Jazz glanced down the street, the rough sound of the engine growing more and more distant as the taillights faded away. The van turned a corner, and she could breathe again. She paused. All she had to do was keep Lisa occupied a bit longer. Luke would be calling Clarkson any minute, but the eager look in Lisa’s eyes scared her. She tried to remain calm and steady. Tried to be SWAT, a sniper, even though they’d stripped her badge. “I thought we could talk now. There are things you wanted me to understand.”

Lisa smiled and pulled out a small device from her pocket. “It’s a really simple lesson. Do you know what this is?”

Jazz’s throat went dry. It looked like a remote of some kind. Dread rushed through her.

“He loves you,” Lisa said. “I can see it in his eyes. Like I saw it in my father’s eyes. I was his special girl, his princess, and you killed him.”

“Lisa, they’re innocent.” She took a step forward.

“I was too.” Still holding the gun in one hand, Lisa raised the detonator.

Jazz tackled her to the pavement. The gun went off. Searing fire burned across Jazz’s bicep, but she knocked the gun aside, fighting for the remote that was just out of reach.

“Too bad the kid’s so attached to that fish.” Panting, Lisa pressed the button.

An explosion rocked the ground.

“Oh, God, no.” Jazz twisted and looked to the east. Smoke curled into the crimson and lavender sky, forming a charcoal plume marring the heavens. No one could have survived the explosion. Pain as she’d never known ripped at her heart.

“I win, Jane. You didn’t even think to check the stupid fish.” Lisa had rolled to the side and was now kneeling, holding the gun on Jazz. “You’re not a real cop. You’re nothing but a fraud. The daughter of a whore. A whore yourself.”

A lifetime of control turned to dust as rage exploded within Jazz. She didn’t think, didn’t plan, she let the fury consume her. She launched herself at Lisa.

The woman tried to side-step her, but Jazz hooked her arm around Lisa’s waist and spun her down. They landed with a thud, and agony pierced through Jazz’s injured arm, but nothing could touch the pain in her heart. She slammed her elbow into Lisa’s ribs. A choked sob escaped, and the crazy woman spun to her back, but Jazz was waiting for the move.

She twisted around, ripped the gun from Lisa’s hands, and knocked it to the ground. Lisa, screaming and cursing, crawled toward the Beretta that lay in the dirt. As her fingers closed around the gun, Jazz kneed her hand and grabbed the weapon. “You’re finished.”

Madness filled Lisa’s eyes. “I’ll kill you, Jane. Just like I killed them. You’ll never see them again. They’re dead. They’re burning, Jane, because they loved you. I did that to you.” She laughed.

Everything inside Jazz clamored for revenge. Hands shaking against the Beretta’s grip, she pushed herself away from her enemy and stood.

“Shoot me, Jane. You know you want to. Do it!”

Jazz primed the .357 and eased back even more. “Get up.”

With an expression of disbelief, Lisa staggered to her feet and faced Jazz. “What are you? A wimp? I killed them.”

Jazz fought back a sob, her grief and anger almost crippling her. Oh, God, how would she ever survive this? She aimed the weapon at Lisa’s heart. The near point-blank target was tempting, the easiest shot she’d ever make. Who would care? Luke was gone. Joy was gone. She had nothing left to live for. An empty hole burned where her heart had been.

“Go ahead, Jane. Pull the trigger.”

“Don’t tempt me.”

Lisa glared. “Oh, you still think you’re better than me. We’re the same, you and I, the same. Our souls were sucked out of us a long time ago. Everyone knows the truth. You’re nothing. You’ve always been nothing.”

“I made something of myself.”

“You lived a lie. You’re not real. You’re invisible, just like me. A murderer, just like me. Go on, pull the trigger. If you don’t, I promise I’ll kill the rest of the Montgomerys. Luke and Joy were just the beginning of my toying with that big, happy family.”

Jazz pressed a shaking finger against the trigger then something made her ease up. Could she shoot a human being in cold blood, not for a mission, but for revenge?

No matter how much Lisa deserved it? Would that mean she was no better than Lisa? Maybe Lisa was right—maybe they were the same.

Only one second of hesitation and Lisa sprang at Jazz, the momentum toppling them both to the ground, slamming her gun hand into the dirt, loosening her grip. Lisa dove for the weapon. Jazz kicked out, but Lisa accepted the stunning blow with a smile. She snagged the gun and rolled to her feet.

She pointed the .357 at Jazz. “Mama wanted you dead. Now you are.”

Tires screeching loudly jerked Lisa’s attention.

Jazz didn’t blink. She dove to the ground at the diversion. A van barreled in a beeline through several lawns toward Lisa with a furious Luke behind the wheel.

“Luke!” Jazz screamed. But where was Joy?

Lisa waved the gun toward the vehicle, her face twisted in disbelief. “No. No. No. You’re dead. I killed you. I know I killed you.”

Luke leapt out the door of the moving car and tackled Lisa. The van smashed the porch and plunged through the front door and window with a violent crash. Timbers cracked. The roof collapsed.

Luke shoved Lisa into the dirt. She fought like a woman possessed, snapping her teeth, trying to scratch his face. Her kicks struck at his knees, his groin, anywhere he was vulnerable. Jazz bounded toward them and trapped the woman’s legs while Luke pinned her arms and hands above her head. His grip white-knuckled, he straddled her hips. “It’s over. You lose.”

Lisa shrieked in fury, her head shaking back and forth in denial. “You can’t win. I won’t let you. I’ll kill you all. Jane. You. Your daughter. What’s left of your family. Everyone. You have to pay. I promised. It’s not over. I’ll win. I have to win.”

“Shut up,” Luke said, his voice deadly controlled. “You’re not going anywhere.”

Lisa’s eyes widened. Her mouth went slack. She blinked, and her forehead furrowed. Suddenly her head tossed from side to side. She arched, trying to break Luke’s hold, but he didn’t budge.

“No, Daddy. No. I’ll do whatever you want. I love you the best. I promise. I’m your princess. I’ll be good.” Lisa’s smile grew wide, but tears streamed down her cheeks. “See. You don’t have to leave tonight. I won’t tell Mama. I’ll be very quiet. Just don’t leave.”

Lisa began to sob, the cries of a child who had never known childhood, who had let anger and hatred eat away at her soul.

Luke didn’t break his hold, but his face paled.

Jazz took a shaking breath. “Joy?”

“She’s safe. With Clarkson.”

Sirens blaring, several police cars screeched up and came to a halt. Doors flew open and a bevy of men jumped out with weapons drawn. Within moments Luke climbed off of Lisa and they helped the broken woman to her feet and toward the vehicles where a deputy began reading rights to her.

“I could’ve been her,” Jazz said quietly as they watched the pitiful picture of the woman. Jazz had no doubt she would eventually be charged with Paretti’s and Towers’ murders.

Luke pulled her into his arms and held her against him. “No. You’re stronger than she is. Stronger than you know.”

Jazz stilled, reveling in his strength and the comfort for one last time. Before she could argue the point, an old man hobbled out of the back of one of the vehicles holding a tiny girl in dusty jeans and a pink shirt in his arms. Joy.

She wriggled down and ran to her father, holding up her arms. “Daddy!”

Luke shook his head and rolled his neck. He breathed in deeply and knelt down. With an expression laced with pure love he hugged the little girl to him, pulling back and brushing away his daughter’s tears. “What’s wrong, munchkin?”

Joy put both of her hands on his cheeks. “Hero blowed up.”

“I know, but he saved you. He did a good job.”

Joy hiccupped. “Cuz he’s a real hero?”

“He sure is, baby.”

Jazz touched Luke’s arm. “How did you escape the blast?”

“No way would I leave you. I stopped right after I turned out of sight of the house and got out. Joy wanted to bring her blanket and Hero, but they were too bulky. Then Joy told me Hero had been hurt. I noticed the ripped seam and saw the explosives. I tossed it into the field just before it exploded. A few seconds later, and, well, things would have been different.”

Jazz hugged them both. “Thank God you’re both safe.”

A gruff voice intruded on her relief. “Jasmine?”

Slowly Jazz turned. The man before her smiled, sparkling eyes crinkled at the corners. His hair was white now, his face cracked with age, but she would never forget those eyes. They still twinkled. Gratitude swelled in her heart.

“Sheriff Clarkson?” She embraced him. “I’m so glad to see you. Thank you.”

He patted her back with a weak hand. “I didn’t think I’d ever hear from you again, but I always hoped you’d call me. I understood why you didn’t…”

Jazz couldn’t breathe. This man had saved her life. “I don’t know what I would’ve become without you. You took a big chance and broke a lot of rules when you believed in me. I didn’t understand what that really meant then. I do now.”

The old man pulled out a roll of butter rum Life Savers from his pocket. He offered her one, and she grinned, popping a candy in her mouth. “Why did you do it?” she asked.

“I liked your spunk when I arrested you.” He laughed, his belly shaking a bit. “I liked that you kicked the Johns in…” He glanced at Joy, who listened wide-eyed from her perch in Luke’s arms, “…in their personals. They deserved it. You deserved a chance.”

“You didn’t just give me a chance. You gave me a whole new life.”

Ace landed the Piper Lance at McElroy Airfield and taxied toward the terminal. After coming to a stop, he turned in his seat and smiled down at Joy, who lay asleep in the chair next to Luke. “She gonna be okay?”

It took Jazz a moment to regain her bearings. She turned in her seat and saw the love on Luke’s face as he gazed at his daughter. She nodded, yawning. She’d passed out the moment the plane took off from T or C, not waking until they touched down. “It’ll take some time, but she’ll be home soon with people who love her. That’ll help.”

“Give me a few minutes to go through my landing checklist and we’ll get you out of the plane and home,” Ace said as he pulled off his headset. “Luke, if you ever want to know more about your father, come see me. I’ll tell you about him.”

Luke unbuckled his safety belt and stood up. “I intend to.”

Ace jumped down from the plane and gave them a secretive grin. “You folks stay here. I’ll let you know when I’m done.”

“You and Joy are two of a kind. I’ve been waiting for you to wake up.” Luke knelt next to Jazz’s seat and cupped her face with his hand.

She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, soaking up the warmth of his skin and the tenderness of his caress.

He gently kissed her and clasped her hands with his. “I thought I’d lost you.”

“I know,” she breathed. “When I thought you were gone, I almost lost myself. I realized I’d never…”

He tugged her toward him and brought her lips to his, the kiss oh so sweet, oh so tender. When they parted, he smiled and his heart lay open in front of her.

“We’ve never dared say it, have we? Both of us too cautious to trust. But it’s always been true.” His chocolate eyes held her gaze. “I love you, Jane Sanford, Jasmine Parker. Whatever you call yourself doesn’t matter to me. It’s you I love.”

They were words no one had ever spoken to her, and her last defenses crumbled. “How can you still love me after everything that’s happened, after everything I put you through? After what I almost cost you?”

“You saved Joy. You put your life in jeopardy for us.”

She shook her head. “I put you and your daughter in danger in the first place.”

He clasped her shoulders and held tight. “Listen to me. You didn’t do anything. A crazy woman did this. You, on the other hand, are everything I’ve ever wanted in a woman. You’re brave and honorable—and too tenacious for your own good, but it doesn’t matter. I want you. I want a mother for my daughter who she can be proud of and from whom she can learn how to be a strong woman. I want a partner. A lover. A best friend. Someone I can always believe in.” He paused and stroked her cheek with a gentle hand. “Jasmine, I want you…in my life…from now on. As my wife…and Joy’s mother.”

The words stunned her. Terrified her. No. She couldn’t be a mother. She didn’t know how. She didn’t fit in their family. “You’re just saying that now because Joy is safe, but Luke, this proves I don’t belong. I don’t know anything about being part of a family, being a wife. Or, God, being a mother.”

“Do you love me?”

“You deserve better.” She tried to pull away from him, felt her heart shrinking, trying to protect itself from a hurt she didn’t know if she could bear.

He wouldn’t let her go. “Oh no you don’t. I’m not giving up on you, because I know once you commit, you do it all the way. I want that from you, Jasmine. Your heart and soul. I want it all.”

“Luke—”

He cut off her protest. “Good-bye won’t work. I’m fighting for you this time—all the way. I love you.” He stared her down. “Do you love me enough to take a chance?”

She shivered at the words. She felt like she was bursting through the door without a Kevlar vest. Leaving herself wide open and vulnerable. “No one ever loved me like you do. No one ever came back for me. No one ever protected me, even from myself.”

He’d gone tense and stiff, unwilling to look away.

“Just you. You keep me safe,” she whispered. “Yes.”

“What?” Shock and wonder crossed his face.

The last of her resistance collapsed and she laughed. “I. Love. You.”

He clutched her to him. “Thank God.”

She leaned in close, breathed in his essence, secure within the comfort of his arms, lulled by the strong, steady beating of his heart. Something shifted deep inside her and warmth filled her, like sunlight reaching her darkest recesses. For the first time in her life, she was free—of the past and of the fears that had kept her from giving this man all that was good and powerful and loving within her.

She raised her gaze to his and smiled, her emotions breaking out and overflowing. “I love you, Luke Montgomery. And I want to be part of your family. Forever.”

Immeasurable happiness transformed his face.

Yes. This was right, and real. “I can live without being a sniper. I can even live without my badge. But my life would be truly empty without you.”

He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her softly, his lips promising a vow she knew would last for a lifetime.

A round of applause from outside the plane broke through her haze of happiness.

Luke raised his head a fraction and saw a large group of familiar faces. “I think it’s fair to say the arrest warrant is behind us.”

“Jazz, stop the mushy stuff and get your butt out here,” Carl Redmond shouted, amidst a bevy of whoops.

“What in the world?” She climbed toward the door as Luke unbuckled a sleepy Joy from her seat.

“Daddy? Are we home?”

Ace wrenched open the door. “Time to go,” he said with a wink. “People are waiting.”

Jazz, Luke, and Joy climbed out of the plane to cheers and whistles. Jazz couldn’t believe it. The entire SWAT team stood there, along with Seth and Caleb. They circled around them, questions flying back and forth about what had happened in Truth or Consequences.

Finally Sarge stepped forward, his movement stopping all conversation. He walked over to Luke and stuck out his hand. “You were right.”

“And wrong,” Luke said. “I thought Paretti was one of the good guys.”

“Me too,” Sarge said. “But you helped us clean house. I, for one, am grateful.”

Jazz knew Luke wasn’t finished yet, of course. He would find a way to help Grace somehow. She slipped her hand in his and squeezed tight. He smiled at her, his gaze knowing and determined. No, he wasn’t through. He would always search for the truth. For justice. Because he was a hero. Her hero.

“Cops are like everybody else. Most good, some bad.” Sarge faced Jazz. “And some, damned amazing,” he said, holding out his hand, her badge lying in his palm. “Wouldn’t want anyone to think my lead sniper wasn’t the best. Position’s yours, if you’re still willing.”

Jazz scanned the crowd. She’d pushed them away at every turn and never let them really get to know her, never let herself truly be a part of them, and here they were. Again. She’d stayed alone, watching, just like she had on the playground all those years before. How different might life have been if she’d reached out?

“There need to be some changes,” she said.

Sarge quirked a brow.

“I’d like to be part of the SWAT family this time, Sarge. I won’t just watch from the outside. I’ll do my part to make it happen. I hope you guys are willing to reciprocate.”

Sarge grinned and held out his hand. “It’s a deal.”

The team clapped her on the back and congratulated her and Luke on taking down Lisa Matthews. After a few more apologies about Tower and Paretti, they drifted away. Dirty cops were hard for all of them to deal with, and Paretti had been one of their own.

“I’m so proud of you.” Luke pulled Jazz into his arms and kissed her softly.

She sighed as Luke’s warmth and confidence enveloped her.

“Princess?” Joy tugged on Jazz’s shirt. “My daddy’s kissing you. Are you going home with us?”

With a soft stroke of her hand and a promise for later, Jazz eased from Luke’s embrace and smiled at the girl who looked at her with such faith and trust. She would protect and love Luke’s daughter with all her heart. This little girl would never doubt that she was cherished.

Jazz knelt down. “Would you let me, Joy?”

The blond curls bounced as she nodded, her face serious. “Yeah. If the bad witch comes back, you’ll make her go away.”

“Oh, honey, the bad witch won’t be back anymore.” Jazz kissed the girl on the cheek and picked her up in her arms, cradling her close. “You’re safe now. I’ll help your daddy take good care of you.”

Joy hugged her blanket and nestled closer to Jazz. “My daddy always chooses the bestest people to take care of me.”

Luke kissed his daughter’s cheek and enfolded Jazz in his arms. “Yes, I do. Ready to go home?”

Jazz nodded, but Joy looked worried.

“Daddies live with mommies.” Joy bit her lip and looked at Jazz from beneath her lashes. “You’re a princess.”

Jazz’s heart raced. “What are you trying to say, sweetheart?”

“My friends have mommies, but I don’t,” Joy said softly.

Jazz froze. The pain of not having a father, of being different, of being teased washed through her. She knew how Joy felt, but she didn’t know how to heal the little girl’s heart.

“Could you be my mommy instead of being a princess?”

Tears burned Jazz’s eyes as she reached out to touch Joy’s earnest face. “Oh, honey, I would love to be your mommy. That would be the best name I could ever have.”

Luke pulled them all close and, for Jazz, the warm embrace cradled her heart, protected and safe. She could depend on him, without hesitation, without fear. He would always be there for her, no matter how tough things got. She had no doubts.

“Daddy, you’re squishing me.”

“Sorry,” Luke said, his voice rough with emotion. “I guess we all know where we belong now.”

Jazz clasped Luke’s hand, squeezed tight, and smiled as she met his loving gaze over Joy’s head. Dreams were real. They came true. She’d never be alone again.

Jasmine had her family.

THE END