She’d never give up her position at Alaska General Hospital, but Dr. Smyth’s belief in her felt good. “Thank you, but Alaska General is my home. That’s where my true passion is—with the opportunities to do so much good in medical research.” She cast a glance at Reed and he looked away quickly as though he hadn’t been listening to every word.

Dr. Smyth nodded, his gaze drifting in the direction hers had gone. He gave her a look she didn’t fully understand. “The opportunities here are different for sure.”

“Excuse the interruption, but Mr. Jansen wants to see you,” Dr. Ford said, coming to a stop next to them.

“Me?” Dr. Smyth asked.

“No. Dr. Sheraton.”

Erika shook her head. “Oh no, I only stepped in to help on the mountain. He’s in good hands here.” Wild River Community was not her hospital. She’d already crossed boundaries.

“I think he just wants to thank you. His girlfriend is in there, as well.”

Her pulse raced and her hands sweat a little. Beyond the doctor’s shoulder, Reed was still watching, listening...

“Can you tell him I had to go, but I wish him a speedy recovery?” she asked, handing him the signed release form and heading toward the door. “It was great seeing you, Dr. Smyth,” she said, desperately fighting to not read too much into the older man’s expression.

“You, too. Say hello to your father for me,” he said.

She nodded and escaped outside. She doubted very much that she’d be telling her father anything about this experience.

CHAPTER SEVEN

“TO YOUR FIRST successful mountain rescue,” Cassie said, raising her wineglass. After that morning’s hangover they were sticking to their wine-only plan.

“To her only mountain rescue,” Reed muttered from behind the bar of The Drunk Tank as Erika raised her own glass to accept the toast. No hard alcohol that evening. She couldn’t trust her lips to behave.

“We’ll see,” she said, enjoying the fact that he was so bothered. He was right. She had no intentions of venturing out on any more rescues with him—the liability only one reason, the odd, adrenaline-induced rush she’d gotten from the experience another—but she wasn’t about to tell him.

“Besides, an injured skier wasn’t a real rescue,” he said, yanking on the Santa head so that beer “peed” out into a pint glass.

“What’s up your ass tonight? Erika helped that guy today,” Cassie said, shooting her brother an annoyed look.

He shrugged, pouring three more pints and placing them on a tray for the waitress.

Erika would like an answer to that herself. After all, it had been his idea for her to tag along and he had to know that as a trained medical professional, she couldn’t not step in to help the poor guy, and she had apologized for being slightly pushy. Sort of. Her “I’m sorry, I had to pull rank” in the van on the way back to the station had been met with a grunt and eye roll, but it was as good as it got from her.