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“Well, you could become a biologist,” she said brightly.

“Oh, I know, but I don’t want to go back to college.”

“Totally get that.” She reached for her own selection from the charcuterie board. “How was your day?” she asked before promptly taking a bite and looking at me expectantly as she chewed.

“Busy. This holiday schedule is crazy. I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t this level of insanity.”

She nodded and swallowed. “I remember when I was little, it was a big deal here, but it was more low key. Ever since they rebuilt, it’s kind of a destination location. Now we have the ski resort near Willow Brook too, which serves a different type of customer. But between the two there’s cross-referencing, I guess. With Fireweed Winery here and everything, it’s just a whole event in town. Word is spreading about Tommy’s chef skills too, even though he’s not officially our chef.”

“I’ll be old enough in a few years,” Tommy called over.

Elsa flashed him a smile and I gave him an air high five from where he was busy by the sink, which he returned without missing a beat.

“So, two more weeks and then we’ll get through Christmas, and then New Year’s. Does it slow down after that?” I couldn’t help but ask.

She wiggled her hand back and forth. “The holiday rush is over, but they don’t really slow down at all. How’s your dad?”

“Good. You know, he’s got his whole life in town. He loves it here.”

“It’s so different from where you guys were.”

“I know, but my dad was military. He grew up a military brat with his own parents, and then I was a military brat. Yes, we were last on the East Coast, but that wasn’t our whole life. We moved all over, so we’re used to making the most out of wherever we are.”

Elsa beamed. “I love that you came to Alaska with him.”

“Well, yeah. He’s my dad.” My heart squeezed tight. I loved my dad, and I knew that was a blessing. “I always want to be close to him. I wasn’t going to let him do this alone.”

Elsa leaned over to give me a side hug. “That’s why you are awesome.”

Just then, I felt Lincoln’s presence before I heard him. He came in with a cluster of brothers, but I instantly felt a prickle of awareness racing up my spine. Haven stopped at Elsa’s side to drop a kiss on her cheek, just as Lincoln stopped beside me.

“Hey, hey, sweetheart,” he murmured, leaning down and giving me a lingering kiss.

Heat blazed into my cheeks as he straightened. “Hey.” When I glanced up and saw the lines of tension around his eyes, my heart twisted with worry. He’d been having nightmares almost every night lately, and I wanted to ask him what we could do to make him feel better. But I knew that wasn’t the playbook for this. When he was ready to talk about it, he would. I was a fixer and a problem solver, but I would have to wait and be patient.

Meanwhile, I would worry. Because, well, I had serious skills in the worry department.

Dinner swung into its usual bustle. I loved that, even though I was worried about Lincoln, whenever he sat beside me, he always slid his hand onto my thigh. His touch was casual, but I savored it.

That night, I once again lost myself in the fire that he kindled higher and higher every night. When I felt him wake up, roll out of bed and walk down the hallway, I resisted the urge to follow. I knew he would tell me if he wanted me to. And yet, it stung a little that he didn’t.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Lincoln

Triggers

“So what do you think?” I asked.

I’d just unloaded an entire summary of my life to Delaney, pretty much in one giant run-on sentence all the way up to my last nightmare. The nightmares had fallen back into a familiar pattern, and I was afraid I was going to be stuck with them all over again.

Delaney was quiet for a beat, but her gaze was warm and she somehow exuded a sense of all-encompassing, no-judgment ease, as if everything was going to be okay one way or another. After a moment she tipped her head to the side. “You’ve been through a lot. I want to share—I don’t know your family personally, but I’m aware of what happened to the resort and your family because it was in the local news.”

“Oh, it’s okay,” I added quickly. “Are you sharing all that just to—” my words trailed off.

“Just to clarify so you’re aware. Being a therapist in a small town can sometimes be different since there isn’t the sense of anonymity, and I figure it’s best to be open from the start.”

“I understand.”