Mercy pushed Rafe’s chair up the plywood that Mr. Danton had used to create a makeshift ramp covering the short distance between the car and the overlook. That Rafe would accompany Mercy was not questioned, so Gideon had called the older man on their way up and asked if he could accommodate a wheelchair.
Gideon stood at the edge now, turning a slow three-sixty. “It is incredible,” he agreed, and Daisy knew he was trying to reconcile the scene in front of him with the scene he saw in his mind’s eye when he remembered Eden.
“Eileen hadn’t ever seen the mountains to the west,” Danton remarked, and Daisy pocketed that clue for when Gideon set out searching for Eden again.
Because she knew that he would.
She glanced around Danton where Mercy stood staring into the distance, her expression unreadable. Her sobs had ripped Daisy’s heart to pieces, back at the field office. But the helpless look on Rafe’s face had been almost as bad. They’d held hands wordlessly, she and Rafe, while Gideon comforted his sister.
A truck pulled up behind them and Sammie Danton jumped down, her eyes sad. “Hi, Daisy. Gideon. Rafe.” Sammie had spent the day with Rafe, Erin, and one of Molina’s agents in Portland. “I read about your adventure. You’re looking better than I thought.”
“Thank you?” Rafe said dryly.
“Not a problem.” She went over to introduce herself to Mercy, who jerked back, as if she hadn’t heard Sammie’s approach. Sammie instantly changed her posture, her tone going smooth.
Daisy knew the tone and posture. Taylor and their father had used it every time they’d gentled a restless horse. Sammie was gentling Mercy, and Gideon’s sister visibly relaxed, shaking the hand that Sammie offered.
“Are we ready?” Danton asked.
Gideon hesitated. “I’ve never done this before. Spreading someone’s ashes.”
“Me either,” Daisy admitted, eyeing the urn with trepidation.
Danton held out his hand. “Give it to me.” Daisy did and the older man walked to the edge. Daisy and Gideon followed him, their hands tightly joined. Sammie stood at her father’s side, tears on her face.
“Do you have anything you’d like to say?” Danton asked.
“Be happy,” Gideon whispered, and Daisy’s eyes burned.
“Be safe,” Sammie said.
Mercy came from behind them to stand at Gideon’s shoulder. “Be free,” she said.
Danton swallowed hard. “Amen.” He slowly emptied the urn, the ashes fluttering to the ground in the canyon below them. “This hillside will be covered in flowers come summer. So she’ll have flowers.”
“That’s nice,” Gideon said. “But we asked you if we could spread them here because you were the first and only kindness she ever knew.”
Mr. Danton dropped his gaze to the urn, but Daisy saw the tears fall on his coat sleeve. He coughed, then looked up, handing Gideon the urn. “Well, if anyone else escapes that hellhole, they will find my door open.” He turned and pushed Rafe to Mercy’s rental car, helped him in, then got in his truck and drove away.
“Thanks,” Sammie said, wiping her own tears away. “That meant a lot to him. He’s been taking her death hard. Eileen was with us for only two weeks, but it was like she was part of our family. You guys take care, y’hear? No more shoot-outs. And give my regards to Detective Rhee. I’m glad everyone on your team is going to be okay.”
Gideon smiled at her. “Thank you. I’ll tell Erin.”
When she was gone, Mercy hesitated, then leaned up to kiss Gideon’s cheek. “I’ll see you soon.”
Smile fading, Gideon turned to watch her get behind the wheel of her rental and drive away with Rafe. “She’s leaving, isn’t she?”
Daisy’s heart cracked, because she knew it was true. “Maybe. But I think she’ll be back. She said she’d talk to you and I don’t think she was lying.”
When Mercy’s taillights disappeared, Gideon turned back to the mountains with a sigh. “I’m going to keep looking,” he said.
“I know.”
“Even if she can’t, I can.”
“Yes, you can.”
“Hell, maybe I’ll keep looking because she can’t.”
Daisy slid her arm around his waist. “I don’t doubt that. Or you. You’ll find Eden. And you’ll make sure they pay for all the people they’ve hurt.”
“And you? What will you be doing while I’m out searching for Eden?”
“I’m going to be with you, helping you. And writing your story for a magazine which I have not yet identified.”
That must have been the right thing to say because a slow smile spread over his face. “And if I tell you that you can’t?”
“Then I’ll argue and then you’ll have to kiss me, but I’ll get what I want in the end anyway. So let’s just cut the arguing and go right to the kissing.”
“Because you’ll get what you want in the end anyway?” he asked, pressing a teasing kiss to her lips.
She laughed. “You learn fast.”
“As long as what you want is me.”
“Yes,” she said simply. “Let’s go home, Gideon.”