"I'm still grateful." She walked into the room, looking around at all his hard work. Her throat tight, she placed her hand on the mahogany footboard. "This was my grandmother's bed." she told him. "I can still hear my mother telling me how my grandfather made it for her. He was a carpenter."

His jaw rigid, he stared at her hand. "It's hard, isn't it?"

"What?"

"Letting go of the ones you love."

She knew he spoke from his heart. From the heart of a father who missed his children.

Though he no longer thrashed about at night, she still heard him whisper their names, and she wondered if he knew how often he dreamed of them.

And she wondered how many times a day he must think of them and ache for the loss.

"Yes," she said quietly, "but then, you know that better than I do, don't you?"

He didn't speak.

Grace let her gaze drift around the room. "I guess it's time I move on, but I swear I can still hear them, feel them."

"It's their love you feel. It still warms you."

"You know, I think you're right."

"Hey," Selena said from the doorway, interrupting them. "Bill's calling for a pizza. You feel up to eating?"

"I think so," Grace said.

"What about you?" Selena asked Julian.

Julian cast a knowing smile to Grace. "I'd love some pizza."

Grace actually laughed as she remembered him asking for it the night she'd conjured him.

"Okay," Selena said, "pizza it is."

Julian handed Grace her mother's wedding rings. "I found those on the floor."

Grace started to put them back on the dresser, but she couldn't. Instead, she placed them on her right hand, and for the first time in years, she felt comforted by them.

As they left the room, Julian started to close the door.

"No," Grace said softly. "Leave it open."

"You sure?"

She nodded.

As she entered her bedroom, she realized he'd cleaned it as well. But when she saw the empty shelves where her books had once been, her heart broke again.

This time, when Julian closed the door, she didn't argue.

Hours later, after they had eaten, Grace finally convinced Bill and Selena to leave.

"I'm fine, really," she assured them for the umpteenth time at the door. Reaching out, she placed her hand on Julian's arm, grateful for the strength of his presence. "Besides, I have Julian."

Selena gave her a stern look. "You call if you need anything."

"I will."

Still unable to feel completely at ease, she locked the door and led Julian upstairs to her room.

She lay in bed with Julian at her side.

"I just feel so vulnerable," she whispered.

He stroked her hair. "I know. Just close your eyes and know that I'm here. I'll keep you safe."

He wrapped his arms around her. Grace sighed at the comfort he gave. No one else had ever soothed her the way he did.

They lay for hours before she finally fell into an exhausted sleep.

Grace came awake with a scream lodged in her throat.

"I'm right here, Grace."

She heard Julian's voice beside her and instantly calmed. "Thank God, it's you," she whispered. "I had a bad dream."

He kissed her lightly on the shoulder. "I understand."

She gave his hand a squeeze before leaving the bed to get ready for work.

As she tried to dress, her hands shook so badly she couldn't even button her shirt.

"Here," Julian said, moving her hands away so that he could button it for her. "You don't have to be scared, Grace. I won't let him hurt you."

"I know. I know the police will get him and it'll be over."

He said nothing as he helped her dress.

Once they were ready, she drove them to her downtown office. Her stomach was so knotted that she could barely breathe. But she had to do this. She wasn't about to let Rodney control her life. She was in charge and no one would take that away from her. Not without a fight.

Still, she was glad for Julian's presence. It comforted her in a way she didn't want to think about.

"What is this called?" Julian asked as she led him into the huge antique elevator in her turn-of-the-century office building.

Grace showed him how to pull the door closed and noted his immediate discomfort as they were sealed inside it.

"It's an elevator," she explained. "You press these buttons to reach whatever floor you want. I'm on the top one, which is eight." She pressed the old knob-style button.

Julian tensed even more as the elevator moved. "Is it safe?"

She arched a curious brow at him. "Surely the man who fearlessly faced down Roman armies isn't scared of an elevator?"

He gave her a peeved glare. "Romans I understand, this thing I don't."

She wrapped her arm around his. "There's not much to it." She pointed up at the trap door. "Outside that door are cables that lift it up and down, and there's a phone." She pointed to the call box below the buttons. "If you get stuck in the elevator all you have to do is pick up the phone and you're connected directly to an emergency staff."

His eyes darkened. "Does the elevator get stuck a lot?"

"Not really. I've had my office here for four years and so far it's never once gotten stuck."

"If you weren't on it, how would you know if it got stuck or not?"

"Elevators let out this piercing alarm when they stop. Trust me, if it got stuck, someone would know,"

He swept his gaze around the wide space of the elevator, and by the light in his eyes, she could tell naughty things were on his mind. "Could you make it stop on purpose?"

She laughed. "Yes, but I really don't want to be caught flagrante delicto at work."

He dipped his head down and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "But being caught flagrante delicto at work could be a whole lot of fun."

Grace hugged him close. What was it about him that made her feel better? No matter what, he always seemed to make things more fun. Brighter. "You are bad," she said, reluctantly letting go of him.

"True, but you love that about me."

She laughed again. "You're right. I do."

The doors opened, and Grace led him the short distance to her office.

Lisa looked up as they entered and widened her eyes. A smile spread across her face as she gave Julian a thorough once-over. "Dr. Grace," she teased, toying with a strand of her blond hair. "You got a hot boyfriend."

Shaking her head, Grace introduced them, then she showed Julian her office. Julian stood by the windows as she turned on her computer and placed her purse in her desk drawer.

She paused as she caught him staring at her. "You're really going to spend all day hanging around my office?"

He shrugged. "I have nothing better to do."

"You'll be bored."

"I assure you, I'm used to be being bored."

The bad thing was, Grace knew just how much experience he had in that department. She placed her hand against his cheek as she thought of him inside the book, alone, and encased in darkness.

Rising up on her tiptoes, she gave him a gentle kiss. "Thank you for coming with me today. I don't think I could be here without you."

He nibbled her lips. "My pleasure."

Lisa buzzed her. "Dr. Grace, your eight o'clock is here."

"I'll wait outside," Julian said.

Grace gave his hand a squeeze before she let him leave.

For the next hour, she barely paid attention. Her thoughts were on the man outside and how much he meant to her.

And how much she hated the thought of him leaving.

As soon as she finished her session, she walked her patient out.

Lisa was showing Julian how to play solitaire on her computer. "Hey, Dr. Grace," she said. "Did you know Julian never played solitaire before?"

Grace exchanged an amused smile with Julian. "Really?"