Tim, her replacement. The man who would get the glory for all her hard work. Worse, the man who would get to work with these patients and see the amazing results. Erika stood there for a long moment, contemplating the future of her career.

Unfortunately, all she could think about was the fact that despite everything, she’d rather be at The Drunk Tank than in that meeting right now.

* * *

ERIKA HAD LIKED Cassie’s photo. The one from earlier in the evening of all of them together at The Drunk Tank Christmas Eve party.

What the hell did that mean?

No comment, no message...hell, she still hadn’t Friend Requested him on Facebook yet.

Just a single Like.

But she’d been checking on them—that had to mean something, right? Was she wishing she was there with them? In that picture, next to him? For fifteen minutes now, he’d been driving himself crazy wondering.

Maybe he should call. She had to be awake... Damn, he desperately wanted to hear her voice.

Reed stared at her profile picture, her medical school graduation shot. So polished, so poised, so...not the woman he had known her to be. Sure, she was brilliant and successful, but whenever he thought of her, he thought about the quick-thinking, fast-acting, no-bullshit-taking woman who’d saved a man’s life on the side of a mountain.

And he thought about the soft, affectionate, desirable woman he’d lost himself to. Unfortunately, he wasn’t sure that woman wanted him anymore.

He sighed, tucking the phone away as he continued to clean up the bar after the Christmas Eve party. It was after midnight, so technically it was Christmas Day. Everyone else was gone. Tank had taken off early to put Kaia to bed and play the role of Santa. Cassie had gone to spend the night at their mother’s house. Wade was with his wife and Tyler had found a lonely tourist to spend the holiday with...

Much to Kelsey’s obvious dismay.

He’d always enjoyed their annual Christmas Eve party. They were a family. There was no one else he’d ever wanted to spend this night with, nowhere else he’d rather be. Until this evening, when his heart had been hundreds of miles away.

Surrounded by family and friends, it was easier to pretend, but at the end of the night, he was alone.

Was his sister right?

Was it wrong to expect Erika to make sacrifices to be with him when he wasn’t prepared to make any of his own?

He lifted the barstools, setting them on top of the bar, then he ran the mop over the hardwood floor.

Claiming that Erika would be happier in Wild River with him was just arrogance and an unwillingness to accept the fact that she might not have fallen as hard and fast as he had.