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“You can tell me all about it soon,” Marilyn whispered.

In the darkness, Bree could barely make out Marilyn cuddling both kids to her.

“How did you find us?” Bree asked Noah.

“I had planned on tracking you, but Tanner did a pretty good job hiding those tracks. So I ended up tracking the guys hunting you. They weren’t being nearly as careful.”

“It’s Jared Ellis’s buddies,” Tanner said. “I overheard them. They’re after the kids.”

“We need to get out of here, as soon as possible,” Noah whispered. “Split up. They’re not sure where you are right now, but they’ll find you eventually.”

“I’ll lead them in the wrong direction. Give them just enough clues to have something to follow, then lose them when the storm hits,” Tanner said. “You take Marilyn, Bree and the kids and get them to safety.”

“You sure that’s the best play?” Noah asked.

“I think it might be our only play. I can’t justify leaving a trail of dead bodies when we don’t know for sure what their purpose is and they haven’t made any overt attempts on our life.”

Tanner turned to Marilyn. “Their endgame is to bring you and the kids to Jared, right? Not to kill anyone?”

“He doesn’t want to kill me. Even the last time when he put me in the hospital, I don’t think he intended to kill me. And the kids have always been more of a means to an end to control me. Otherwise Jared mostly ignored them. But you guys... I don’t know if they’ll hurt you.”

Noah turned to Tanner. “Why don’t I lead the bad guys into the wilderness, and you take the merry gang back to town.”

Tanner shook his head. “Because if they do come after you guys, I want you to use your skills and take them out. I’m handy with a gun, but I don’t have the hand-to-hand combat skills you do. I’m not sure I’ll be able to protect them the way you would. Better for me to be the decoy.”

“I’m not letting you go alone,” Bree interjected. “You’re going to need more than one person if you’re trying to fool them into thinking there’re still four of us traveling through the wilderness.”

“She’s right, you know,” Noah said. “They won’t buy the ruse for long with you by yourself.”

“I don’t like it,” Tanner finally said.

It was probably a good thing he couldn’t see her roll her eyes in the dark. “You don’t have to like it, you just have to do it.”

Noah gave a low chuckle. “Consider it practice for marriage.”

Silence from Tanner.

“I don’t like it,” he finally said again. “I don’t know that I can protect you.”

“I don’t need you to protect me anymore. You’ve been teaching me how to do that for myself since I’ve known you.” She squeezed his hand. “We protect each other.”

It was a testament to how far they’d come, how much Tanner now really looked at her as a partner in all areas of life—even the scary parts—that he finally muttered a soft agreement.

Noah slid toward the overhang entrance. “I’m going to go find a clear path for us. Try to get a bead on where they are searching now. I’ll lead them farther out if I can. I’ll be back in one hour. Be ready to move. That’s when they’re most likely to stop for a rest and we’re going to use it to our advantage.”

Without another word he was gone. Tanner looped his arm around Bree’s shoulders and pulled her against him until his lips were at her temple. “You stubborn thing. I’m planning on all sorts of payback on our wedding night.”

“It’s a deal.”

“Try to get a little rest before Noah comes back. We’re going to have to move hard once he does.”

She didn’t think there was any way she would be able to sleep, but she scooted back toward Marilyn, who was hugging both her kids to her.

“Bree,” Marilyn whispered. “I’m so sorry I brought this into your life.”

“Don’t even start with me. I’m thankful every day you are in my life. No one is to blame for Jared and his cronies except Jared and his cronies. So don’t talk like that. Let’s escape, get Jared thrown back in jail and get my wedding over with.”

“You do know you just listed marrying the man you love as part of a series of traumatic events.”