We. Not her. She’d been there how long? And what did that mean? “You’ve been here the whole time?” He struggled to bring her hand to his lips. He placed a soft kiss there when she nodded. He never wanted to let go of this hand. There was so much he wanted to say to her.

“Your mom and sister were here, too.” She paused, then continued. “They’re getting some rest in the hotel a few blocks away... I can call them if you want.”

He shook his head. “I just want you.” He did. So bad. He’d been devastated when she’d pushed him away, but he refused to walk away again without doing everything he could to show her he was more than willing to take her exactly as she was—limited time and all. He didn’t want to interfere with her life or complicate it with guilt, he just wanted to be a part of it.

“That’s good news, because I want you, too,” she said, squeezing his hand gently and smoothing his hair away from his face.

He prayed this wasn’t the meds playing tricks on him. That her touch was real, her words were real and the look of love in her eyes was real. He didn’t want her to feel pressured or feel as though she had to be someone different for him. “I’m sorry I asked you for more than you could give...that wasn’t fair.”

“Shh... You were right to want more from me. I want to give you more.” She paused. “I’ve made the decision to take the job in Wild River.”

What? She was planning to move to Wild River? Since when—his injury the night before? He couldn’t allow her to make a hasty decision like this that she might regret. Might eventually resent him for. “But you love your career here...”

“I love you more,” she said. “And my mind is made up, so there’s no point in trying to talk me out of it.”

She loved him? He felt nothing but happiness as he grinned. “You love me? After only a few weeks?”

She slapped his arm ever so gently. “Apparently.”

“I love you, too. So much, Erika. On the side of that mountain, I thought I was going to die and I needed to hold on long enough to see you,” he said.

She kissed his lips gently. “You’re here now. You’re okay. We are okay.”

He wanted to believe that, but asking her to sacrifice everything to be with him wasn’t fair. Not when he’d already decided to give up everything for her. “I can’t let you give up your life here...we can make the long-distance thing work...for now, until I can figure out something else.” He’d apply to the university and pursue a career in EMT like he’d wanted to.