bear!” Mom clutched the knife close to her body.
Tessa could remember exactly one bear ever on Widow’s Island. She’d been in grade school, and a black bear had swum over from a neighboring island. It hadn’t hurt anything, and it hadn’t stayed long. But Widow’s Island was boring, and the bear had been big news.
Her mom’s eyes darted around. Tessa didn’t know what to say. “I’ll chase away the bear, Mom. You go inside. Give me the knife.”
Her mother’s head shook slowly. She gripped the knife tighter, her knuckles turning white. “No. I need it.”
Headlights approached. Logan’s beat-up Range Rover parked in front of the house. He stepped out and approached, his hands in front of his chest in a nonthreatening position. “Hey, Tessa. What’s happening?”
Her mom spun, brandishing the knife. “Who is he?”
“The forest ranger, Mom,” Tessa said. “He’s come to help. Logan, my mother says there’s a bear in the chicken coop.”
Logan raised an eyebrow but played along. “I’ll take care of that for you, ma’am,” he said in an authoritative, commanding voice. Then he walked toward her.
“Wait—” Tessa protested.
But Logan ignored her. He went into the chicken coop and made some noise. Then he emerged. “The bear is gone.” Logan walked out the wood-and-wire door and latched it behind him.
Tessa’s mother didn’t react at first. Then she lowered the knife. Logan moved forward. “Let me help you with that.” He gently but firmly plucked the knife from her fingers.
Relief swept over Tessa. Her knees wobbled, and her eyes filled with tears. She mouthed “Thank you” to Logan.
The corners of his eyes crinkled. “Anytime.” He handed Tessa the knife. Then he removed his zip-up hoodie and wrapped it around her mother’s shoulders. “Let’s get you inside, ma’am.”
Her mom obeyed. Tessa followed. The breeze picked up, sweeping leaves across the grass, and she was suddenly aware that the night air was cold. She wore short sleeves and thin pajamas. Her feet were bare. Her mother, who refused to wear anything to bed other than a thin nightgown, must have been freezing.
She hurried into the house behind her mom and Logan.
Another set of headlights approached the house. Henry stepped out of his vehicle, medical bag in hand.
“I called him,” Logan said. “Thought you might need him.”
“Thanks.” Now that her adrenaline rush had faded, Tessa was bone tired.
Logan steered her mother into a kitchen chair. Henry set his bag on the table, pulled up a chair, and began to look her over. He cleaned a cut on her foot. Her mom sat still, her eyes unfocused. She didn’t seem to be fully aware of her surroundings.
“What’s wrong with her?” Tessa asked, easing into a chair.
“She’s exhausted,” Henry said. “Her sleep has been disturbed?”
Tessa nodded.
“I’m going to give her something to ease her anxiety and help her rest.” Henry pressed a pill into her mom’s hand. Her mom swallowed it without question or protest.
Tessa walked her mother into her bedroom. She washed her dirty feet and tucked her into bed. Her mom was oddly compliant and fell asleep immediately.
“I’d like to try a medication for her paranoia and confusion,” Henry said. “I know because your mom is relatively young, you wanted to try medication to treat or slow her dementia. We’ve tried several now. None have worked. It’s time to treat her symptoms. If we can calm her down, then you can keep her home longer, and maybe you can all have a better quality of life.”
Tessa nodded. “You’re right.”
“Get some rest. Call me if you need me. I’m leaving a few pills. Give her one before dinner tomorrow night. We’ll see if we can stave off some of the anxiety she gets at sundown. If this works, I’ll write you a prescription. If not, we’ll try something else. I hate to see her like this.” Henry handed Tessa a vial of pills, closed his bag, and left.
Logan wrapped an arm around Tessa’s shoulders. “You need sleep too.”
“It’s hard to give up on her.”
“You’ve done everything you can.”
Tessa nodded. She let Logan steer her to her bedroom. She lifted the covers. “Wanna stay?”
He leaned over and kissed her. “I’ll nap on the couch. I’m a light sleeper. I’ll listen for your mother so you can sleep for a couple of hours.”
But it was not meant to be. Her phone buzzed before she could close her eyes. She read the screen. “It’s Sam.”
Sam was the third member of Tessa and Cate’s childhood trio. As a teenager, Sam had been abducted and held in