“Don’t you think I’ve been asking myself that question all this time?”

He reared up slightly. “So that’s what you’ve been doing for the last twenty years, when ye locked yourself in your lab? Instead of trying to figure out how to make ion propulsion viable, you’ve been working on how you can keep it from being used as a weapon?” He frowned again. “Have ye succeeded?”

“Almost. But I’m sure that if Camry, Luke, and I put our heads together, we can hand the world a propulsion system that can be used for space travel.” She cupped his cheeks again. “And if some other scientist takes our work and turns it into a weapon . . . well, I’ve finally made peace with the fact that all I can control is my contribution to mankind, which will be a more efficient propulsion system.”

“And if Pascal doesn’t feel the same way?”

“Then he will have to live with his decision, as every scientist must.” She smiled. “But sometimes we simply have to trust the magic, don’t we, when it starts messing with us? If you look at all the coincidences that brought Luke to our door, you have to realize there’s no such thing as a coincidence.”

Grey groaned, laying his forehead on her. “If you’re trying to tell me that Winter or Matt had anything to do with any of this, I swear I’ll—”

Grace placed her finger over his mouth. “Not them,” she said with a laugh. “I believe it’s someone even more magical.”

“Who?”

“On the winter solstice, when my house is overflowing with all my children and grandchildren, then I will tell you who I think it is. Make love to me, husband. Take me traveling beyond the stars under your power.”

Chapter Three

At about the same time a half-frozen Lucian Pascal Renoir was walking across the drawbridge of Gù Brath, Camry MacKeage was being dragged toward the beach of Go Back Cove by three massive dogs and one clueless dachshund that thought it was God’s gift to the world. As soon as she saw that the beach was completely deserted—which wasn’t surprising, considering it was only a few degrees above freezing—Camry unsnapped all four leashes and released her charges.

“Go on!” she shouted, racing after them with a laugh. “Run until you drop so we can get home and take a nap. I have to tend bar tonight!”

She ran along behind them for maybe a mile, until a stitch in her side forced her to stop. It was as she was bent over with her hands on her knees, watching her panting breath condense in the cold air, that she heard what sounded like someone sobbing.

Camry straightened and looked around but saw only the dogs racing back toward her, their having discovered she was no longer following. She headed toward the dead grass and dormant rugosa rose bushes separating the beach from the old county road, her ear chocked in the direction the sound was coming from. She suddenly stopped at the sight of a girl, huddled shivering inside a totally inadequate jacket, her face buried in her knees.

“Hey, there,” Cam said, slowly approaching.

The girl snapped her head up, her crystal blue eyes huge with surprise.

Cam stopped several yards away when the girl frantically looked around, as if searching for an escape route. “Hey, it’s okay,” she said gently, shoving her hands in her pockets. She shrugged, smiling at the girl. “I’m sorry if I startled you. I thought the beach was deserted.”

The three large dogs descended on Camry, kicking up sand as they screeched to a halt and started wrestling with one another at her feet. The dachshund, its tongue whipping its cheek as it panted to catch up, suddenly changed direction.

“Tigger!” Camry cried just as the dachshund launched itself at the girl.

The previously sobbing young woman caught the small dog with a gasp, then gave a strangled giggle when Tigger started washing her face.

The three other dogs, suddenly realizing there was a new toy on their beach, took off. Camry lunged after them, but was able to grab only one by the collar. The other two plowed into the girl, sending her onto her back and forcing her to cover her face to protect herself from their slobbering tongues.

“Max! Ruffles! Get off her!” Cam shouted, her lone captive dragging her to the girl’s rescue. She finally had to let go of the whining German shepherd in order to deal with the black Lab and golden retriever. She pushed the two larger dogs off the girl and scooped Tigger up in her arms, then had to use her knee to shove away the shepherd, who was determined to get in a few slobbers of its own.

Desperate to save the girl from getting licked to death, Camry set Tigger down, grabbed the hysterically giggling young woman, and hauled her to her feet. “Jeesh, I’m sorry,” she said, trying to push away the excited dogs. “They won’t hurt you, I promise.”

The girl instantly sobered and blinked at her.

“They’re really just four-legged cupcakes,” Cam said, grabbing Max’s collar when the Lab knocked the girl back a step. Cam shoved the dog away, then picked up a short piece of driftwood. “Fetch!” she shouted, flinging it toward the beach.

The three large dogs immediately shot after it, but Tigger sat down and started whining, staring up at the girl. The young woman picked up the dachshund and hugged it to her chest.

“I’m Camry. And that bundle of ecstasy you’re holding is Tigger.”

The girl said nothing, merely rubbed her cheek against Tigger’s fur.

“Do you live around here?” Cam asked, scanning the road behind the low dunes for signs of a car—although she wasn’t even sure the girl was old enough to drive.

“No,” the girl whispered, her beautiful blue eyes wary.

“Do you have a name?”

“Fiona.”

Cam didn’t even try to hide her surprise. “Really? Fiona?” She smiled broadly. “I have a five-and-a-half-month-old niece named Fiona. Um . . . Fiona what?”

The girl didn’t answer, but merely rubbed her cheek over Tigger’s fur again.

Cam sighed. Judging by the condition of her clothes, and the fact that she was reluctant to give her full name, Camry figured the girl was a runaway. Another contributing factor was that Fiona looked as if she hadn’t seen a bar of soap or hot water for a week, or a decent meal in days. She was pale and shivering, and looked so vulnerable, Cam just wanted to pull her into her arms and hug her senseless.

“If you don’t live around here, then you must just be passing through. Do you have a place to stay tonight?”

“I was told there’s a shelter down in Portland.”

Camry fought to keep her horror from showing. Surely the girl wasn’t hitchhiking! “Portland’s thirty miles from here. I tell you what,” she said, backing onto the beach. “I live close by, and have a spare bed at my place. And I have this really huge fireplace we could build a roaring fire in, and a hot-water supply that will let you take an hour-long shower if you want.” She canted her head with a lopsided grin. “And it just so happens I was planning to drive into Portland tomorrow, so I could give you a ride.”

That is, assuming she couldn’t talk her into going home instead.

When she saw that Fiona was following—albeit hesitantly—Cam turned and slowly started walking up the beach toward her house. “I have to go to work tonight,” she continued conversationally, “but the pub where I tend bar has some of the best food this side of Portland.” She smiled over at Fiona, who had fallen into step beside her, still hugging Tigger tightly, apparently enjoying the warmth.

But then Fiona suddenly ran inland, and Cam’s heart sank at the sight of the girl bolting, until she realized she was taking off with Tigger!