Ryker scooped her up into the air, laughing as she kicked her feet.

Owen ran up behind him, tugging on the hem of his coat until Ryker pulled him up too.

I stood on the stone terrace, watching the three of them against the backdrop of the massive stone house.

The shadow of Mara’s loss would always be with them, but the fear was gone.

The Steel legacy was no longer a target for greedy men; it was a shield for two small children.

Ryker looked back at me over his shoulder, a quiet smile of gratitude on his face.

I walked down the stone steps to join them on the grass, the legal papers secure in my bag.