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deep breath. “Oh, that felt so good,” she said breathlessly. “I really needed that.”
    He turned and wiped a stray tear from her cheek and she smiled up at him, “It feels like it’s been forever since we laughed together.”
    He smiled and nodded. “I agree.”
    Looking up at him, she gave him a cheeky grin. “It feels like forever since we did several things together, Police Chief Alden.”
    “Like what?”
    She looped her arms around his shoulders. “Like this,” she whispered, before kissing him lightly on the lips.
    Loosely encircling her waist with his arms, he pulled her a little closer. “Yeah, I missed that too.”
    “Me too,” she replied with a sigh. “I missed you.”
    “Never again,” he said, lowering his head to touch her forehead. “Never again will I let doubt and fears keep us apart.”
    She sighed happily. “So what should I promise?”
    “Promise to love me forever,” he whispered, kissing her lightly on the nose.
    “Oh, well, that’s easy,” she replied, lifting her head to kiss his lips.
    He angled his head and deepened the kiss, pouring all of his love into it. She slid her arms tighter around his neck, knocking them both off-balance. They slipped backwards onto the bed, Mary still enfolded in his arms.
    She froze. Suddenly she was back in the dark room and Gary was climbing on her, touching her. “No, no,” she cried, beating against his chest. “Don’t touch me, don’t touch me.”
    “Mary! Mary, it’s me,” Bradley insisted, lifting himself away from her. “I’m so sorry. Mary come back to me.”
    She scrambled across the bed until she was in the far corner. Her eyes were wide and frightened, her breath coming out in gasps. Bradley could tell she wasn’t seeing her own bedroom, she was back with Gary.
    “Mary, you’re home,” he said softly. “You’re in your own room. No one will hurt you. Mary you’re safe. I promise. You’re safe.”
    The glaze of fear left her eyes and she blinked several times. She looked around her room and then looked at Bradley. He was standing a few feet from the bed looking down at her with concern on his face. “Bradley?” she whispered.
    “Mary?” he said in a low voice. “Are you okay? Do you know where you are?”
    She nodded, tears running unchecked down her face. “Oh, Bradley, am I going crazy?”
    He slowly moved toward the bed, and when she didn’t object, climbed over next to her. He wrapped his arms around her and held her as she cried, kissing her on the top of her head. “No, darling, you’re not crazy. We’ve just got to give you a little more time to heal.”

Chapter Seven

    Once he had assured himself she was doing better, Bradley left Mary’s room, closing the door firmly behind him. Ian stood at the top of the staircase and Mike hovered nearby.
    “We heard something and thought we’d come and have a look,” Ian said.
    “No, we thought we’d have to kick your ass if you were hurting her,” Mike corrected, and then he looked at the worry on Bradley’s face. “Not that we actually thought you’d be hurting her.”
    Bradley sat on the top step and put his head in his hands. “One moment, everything’s fine, everything’s great and the next moment, she thinks I’m Gary.”
    Ian placed his hand on Bradley’s shoulder, “Oh, no, she doesn’t think you’re Gary,” he said. “She’s having a flashback. She’s not home anymore; her mind brought her back to Jeannine’s memories. It’s naught to do with you.”
    Scoffing harshly, Bradley shook his head. “Yeah, you try to convince yourself of that when she’s beating her hands against your chest and screaming in terror.”
    “So, you’ve never had a woman do that to you before?” Mike teased.
    “It’s not funny, Mike,” Bradley replied, but he couldn’t help the smile that flitted over his face.
    “No, it’s not funny,” he said. “But you have to get some perspective here. Mary is safe. Gary is going to be put away for a long