“It has two thousand on it—and stop glaring at me. Cazzo, it’s not charity, it’s a loan, okay? You’ll be ready to work before the money’s gone, and when you’re back on your feet financially, you can repay me.”

Charity. Only…okay, a loan.

“Hey, we’ve always traded favors back and forth.” Frankie gave her a rueful smile. “Like when I got the flu, and you did my homework, even though you hate math. And you flew to New York to help me when Jaxson dumped me—and then kicked me into gear with some tough love.”

Well, yes, she’d done that. “You did the same, oh, birth coach. And you flew to Texas when Brenden died.”

Frankie pursed her lips in thought and went for one-upmanship. “You went out in a rainstorm to get me tiramisu after Mama spent an entire evening boasting about Anja and Birgit.”

Kit rolled her eyes. Frankie’s mother valued only her super-model daughters, not the child who actually cared about everyone. Although Frankie had said her family now saw her differently, thanks to a Bull-sized intervention.

Okay, my turn. “You took on a part-time waitressing job when you didn’t even need one. Just because I was being a wuss.” Because, at eighteen, Kit had never worked where there were crowds of people, and she’d almost lost it. She’d been planning to quit before Frankie showed up in the restaurant kitchen and grinned at her.

“Oh, girl, for that one, I owe you. I got the job at Bull’s roadhouse because I knew how to wait tables.” Frankie’s voice turned softer, sweeter, whenever she said her man’s name. “I’ve never been so happy in my whole life.”

To have even the tiniest part of helping Frankie look like this made Kit’s day.

And maybe she was being foolish. Frankie had made good money back at her New York job. She could afford the loan.

“In that case, thank you.” Kit stretched out her clenched fingers. “Seriously. Thank you. I’ll pay you back.”

Frankie stepped on the brakes, slowing to go around a car parked on the shoulder. Tourists had stopped to take pictures of the snow-topped mountains.

Who wouldn’t? This state was impossible to describe to anyone down in the Lower 48. Glacier-fed turquoise rivers, sparkling waterfalls, wide green forests, and craggy mountains covered in snow. The Texans had boasted to her about being the biggest state. Alaska was not only bigger, but also jaw-droppingly spectacular.

“Rescue has lots of jobs, but not till you’re moving better,” Frankie said.

“There probably aren’t horticulture-type jobs, not ones I’ll be able to handle.” Kit sighed. “I swear, that orthopedic surgeon acted like he’d used safety pins on my forearm bones, and his fancy work would come unfastened if I did anything much.”