Touched by her kind words, Grant deeply resented the tears that came despite his desperate desire to make them stop. “I couldn’t help Steve.”

“I know, but there’s a very good chance that Steve was killed on impact.”

“We’ll never know that for sure.”

“No, but you have to find a way to live with what happened. You did the best you could in unimaginable circumstances. No one blames you, not even Steve’s mother. You have to find a way to forgive yourself.”

“I’m trying.” He used the back of his hand to brush the tears off his face.

Stephanie shifted onto his chest, pushed his hand away and finished the job, peppering his face and lips with soft, sweet kisses. “I love you, and I’m so proud of what you did out there. I’m choosing to focus on what you were able to do, not what you couldn’t. I wish you’d try to do that, too.”

“I will. I’ll try.” He tightened his arms around her, drawing strength from her love.  “Thanks.”

“For what, babe?”

“For staying home with me tonight, for standing by me this last week, for not giving up on me when I would’ve given up on myself.”

“I’ll never give up on you. I love you too much. Way too much.”

“Not as much as I love you.”

“Want to bet?”

“I’d bet on you any day, baby.”

“I bet on us. There’s nothing we can’t handle.”

He would do his best to get past what’d happened. He would try to stop thinking about the awful choice he’d been forced to make. He would focus on what he had rather than what had been lost. As long as he had Stephanie by his side and in his arms, he was confident he’d get there eventually.

It was after one the next morning when the party at the Surf finally broke up. Fortunately, Abby had traded champagne for water hours ago. Other than a few curious looks, no one had made much of her sitting close to Adam all night, which had been a relief. No one really seemed to care that they were spending time together.

With his hand on her lower back, he escorted her across the street to the Beachcomber.

“What’s this about you renting my sister’s place?” he asked.

“She’s decided to take a year off from vet school after the baby comes.”

“So I heard.”

“They need a bigger place for the baby. When she said she’d be renting her place, I snapped it up.”

“I love her house. It’d be perfect for you.”