He whipped around and nearly sank to his knees with relief. Summer was racing up the beach. She wore running shorts and a tank, and was breathing as if she’d run miles. She probably had. He tugged free of the hands trying to hold him back from the fire and staggered down the steps, meeting her halfway.

“What happened?” she gasped, staring up at the cottage going up in flames behind him.

“I woke up surrounded by smoke.” He hauled her into his arms and buried his face in her hair. She felt like warm, soft woman, and he didn’t think he could let her go. If he did, he was going to fall down. Way down.

She pulled back to see his face and touched his forehead. “You’re cut.”

Now he knew how disconcerting a panic attack could be. He couldn’t breath. “I thought you were—” He couldn’t even say it. Spots danced in his vision, and he had to squint to see through them. He was still shaking from just thinking about what could have happened to her. Or maybe that was from being hit by the exploding front door, but his world began to spin. “Christ.”

“We’ve got to get you to the paramedics.”

He was a little surprised to still be upright because his vision had narrowed to a tunnel. “It’s nothing. Jesus, Red, I thought you were—”

With a soft sound, she wrapped her arms around his neck and burrowed close. “I couldn’t sleep. I didn’t want to wake you—I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” Again she pulled back and gently touched his face. “I think you singed off an eyebrow.”

He also had a few burns on his bare chest, which had begun to send waves of pain to his brain. Each knee was fairly screwed up as well, but it was his foot that was killing him.

And those damn spots. Ah, hell. They were mingling together, so now his entire view was blurry—

She backed him to the curb. “Sit.” She whipped around to get help.

He opened his mouth to reassure her, but she threw her arms around him and hugged him so tight he couldn’t breathe. Could hardly hear—

“I love you,” she whispered in his ear as his head began to buzz. “God, Joe, I love you so much.”

He opened his mouth but everything was spinning wildly. His vision faded. Oh, no. Hell, no. Not now. He wasn’t going to pass out now.

She was still talking to him. He knew this because her lips were moving, her eyes lined with concern and fear, but he couldn’t hear.

And then everything went black.

“Scared the hell out of me,” Kenny said, and sat on Joe’s hospital bed. “Don’t do that again.” He pushed up his glasses. “Not ever again.”