Grace woke with a start, her breathing heavy. She pushed herself up slightly from the floor, resting on one elbow. In the three months since she arrived back at Seaside, she occasionally had dreams about everything that happened to her, and while they had grown less frequent, they were never fun and usually made her feel like she was being buried alive.

A soft pair of lips lightly brushed the back of her neck, and Hunter's arm around her waist pulled her toward him. "You okay?" he whispered.

"Yeah." Grace turned around to face him. He looked sleepy, but concerned. "I'm fine. Just a dream."

He glanced out the window. It was getting light already. "Go for a run?"

"Yeah, let's go."

They got dressed and pulled on their running shoes, heading out, side by side, into the dawn light.

Seaside was almost exactly the same as it was when Grace and Hunter first met. Everyone still pitched in and between the friendly people and rhythmic waves that crashed onto the shore only a few feet away, the entire town had a calming air to it.

When Grace had returned and walked into the bar, Tallulah had nearly passed out at the sight of her. Dirty, skinny, exhausted, and still dressed like a soldier, Grace must have been quite a sight. But once Tallulah regained her wits and had finished squeezing the life out of Grace, she had forced her to go to Angie.

Grace stayed in recovery for three days, and in those days had no short of visitors. Everyone from her dinner crew to Manny from the schoolhouse to the family who lived downstairs of Grace's residency dropped by to ask how she was doing. It was then that Grace found out that the siblings who used to live next to her had left. They somehow got reconnected with their aunt and went to live with her. Grace couldn't help but smile when she heard that news.

Her own room had been left untouched. Angie told her that when Grace had been gone for a month, everyone assumed the worst, but Tallulah wouldn't let anyone touch the room.

The night that Grace got out of the hospital, she, Tallulah, and Angie sat at the bar and Grace told them everything. The only thing she didn't go into detail about was the Nevada border. As far as either of them was concerned, she had been sent to raid an old weapons storage warehouse and ran into some armed competitors. They both chastised her for every stupid thing she decided to do, gasped at the betrayals, and squealed over her developing relationship with Hunter.

"So he's coming here?" Tallulah had asked excitedly.

"Yes, Tallulah, he is." Grace couldn't help but shake her head at her friends' antics. "With his sister."

About two weeks after arriving back at Seaside though, Grace began to worry. There had been no sign of Hunter or Anna, and Grace had half a mind to go out and look for them.

Then, one day halfway through dinner service, Tallulah came up to Grace, grabbed her by the hand, and pulled her out of the dining area. As she led Grace into the bar, Grace stopped in her tracks when she saw Hunter and Anna there, leaning against the counter, looking as casual as could be.

With an empty room next to Grace's, she and Hunter ended up there together with Anna staying in Grace's original room. They found work in the town, Hunter doing repairs on the fishing boats and nets and Anna on dinner clean up duty, and for the last two-and-a-half months that's where they had stayed. And it was as close to perfect as they were going to get.

Grace and Hunter ran together often, especially after one of them had bad dreams. The clean morning air smelled like salt, and Grace loved the feeling of closeness she got with Hunter when they just ran together in silence but in synch. Usually, they ran along the cliffs, keeping the ocean in view at all times.

"Let's stop," Hunter panted. There was an overlook at the top of their route where they could look out and see the ocean for miles and the entire town.

Grace slowed and then sat down on a rock, and a few moments later, Hunter joined her. They sat with shoulders brushing, enjoying the silence.

Neither had brought up the border again. Grace hadn't told anyone in the town, and Hunter hadn't even told Anna. It was their secret, and one they wished they could forget.

Hunter stood back up. "I bet I can beat you back," he challenged.

Grace stood beside him, gave him a smirk, and then pressed her lips to his.

"Doubt it."

She took off, and like so many other times, Hunter chased after her. But now, they both knew it wouldn't be long before he caught up.