Page 63 of Running to You

Sam couldn’t protect everyone. His family had each other, and Dad and Daniel could protect Mom and Camilla. Eliza had nobody. “We’re in the mountains.”

“Near me?” Was that hope in Grant’s voice?

“Sort of, I think.” Sam wasn’t sure exactly where Coventry was. He’d only visited once, when Grant proposed to Summer, and he certainly hadn’t come through the mountains to get there.

“Tell me everything,” Grant said.

Sam did, starting with Eliza’s late-night arrival at his house and ending when he and Eliza arrived at Colton’s rental property.

When he was finished, Grant said, “Wow. Thank God you’re safe. How can I help?”

“I just texted a name to your friend. He’s one of the guys who attacked us on Saturday. Maybe you can help track him down.”

“I hear she has amnesia. Is she getting her memory back?”

Eliza was watching, so he offered a smile. “A little at a time.”

“Okay, good. Let Jon know, would you, that you want me to help? He can be a stickler about his rules.”

“I’ll text him right now. And, uh…I really appreciate your help, Grant.”

“You should have asked me from the start.”

Yeah, he probably should have. “Next time.”

“Let’s hope there isn’t one of those.”

Sam chuckled. “No kidding.”

“I’ll be in touch.” Grant ended the call, and Sam texted a heads-up to Jon before tossing his cell on the coffee table.

“He sounded…annoyed,” she said.

That was one way to put it. “He’s going to work with Jon to help us figure this out.”

“I always liked him.” She’d finished her soup—every bite—and carried the bowl to the kitchen. “Out of curiosity, why didn’t you call him to begin with?”

Fair question. He followed with his own bowl, and they set to work cleaning. “I didn’t want to bother him. And Jon’s a private investigator, so he won’t balk when I pay him. Grant would do it out of obligation.”

Eliza turned from loading the dishwasher. “You don’t think Grant would help because he loves you and wants you to be safe?”

“I guess, yeah. That’s the obligation part.”

“Is that what love is to you? Obligation?”

Whoa. How’d she end up there?

He turned away, searching for a plastic container. He didn’t find anything even close to large enough for the vat of soup. Giving up, he covered the pot with its lid and shoved the whole thing into the nearly empty refrigerator.

She resumed loading the dishwasher.

As he put away the rest of the food, her question lingered. Was that how he saw love? As obligation? Not on his part. When he’d been in love with Eliza, he’d have done anything for her. And not because he had to but because of an overwhelming desire to make her happy. To protect her. To care for her. To provide for her.

And he felt exactly the same way about his parents and his brothers and Colton. Well, not exactly the same way, but if they needed him, he’d be there. He wanted to help them. He’d felt honored the few times any one of them had called on him.

Like when Derrick had asked him for help financing his private charter business. Buying a jet was no small thing, but Derrick's business plan was solid. And Sam had the resources to help.

Like when Mom had asked him to get Wi-Fi at the camp—actually a beautiful home on a private island, one all the brothers had helped build. He’d been thankful that she trusted him with the task and knew he’d take it seriously. It was a little thing, but that she’d reached out—it mattered to him.