Page 63 of Saved By the Mountain Man

“What’s happening?” I asked, the sudden panic out of place after we’d just won.

“We’re taking her to the clinic for a checkup. If it’s something they can’t fix there, we might take her to Kalispell.” That was the closest town with a full hospital.

God, I hoped it didn’t come to that.

“Is she going to lose the baby?”

“Let’s hope not,” the paramedic said. “You can ride with her.”

I got into the ambulance and took Rae’s hand, settling on a seat.

“It’s going to be okay, sweetheart,” I said. “I’m here, no matter what.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for. I’m the one who should be sorry. For everything. But I’m here now and I’m not going anywhere. Ever.”

She squeezed her eyes shut, and I held her hand in both of mine.

“I love you,” she breathed.

“I love you, too,” I said.

Fuck, she had no idea.

17

RAE

The fluorescent lights of the clinic buzzed softly overhead, casting a sterile glow on the white walls and tiled floors. I tried to swallow the lump in my throat. All that happened was it became a knot in my stomach.

I sat on the examination table, my hands trembling as I clutched the edges. The past few days had been crazy, and I was emotionally and physically drained. I could close my eyes and sleep for a month, it felt like. But the fear that I might lose the baby pumped adrenaline through my veins and stopped me from breathing easy that it was all over.

Tanner stood next to me, an anchor in the storm that raged inside me. He’d come to find me. He’d come to save me. I’d thought he didn’t want to be with me, that all of this was too much.

I’d been sure that I’d lost him all over again. But he was right here now, as if he was an apparition of some kind. But he was real. He held my hand, his grip firm and unwavering. He wasn’t letting go, no matter what.

The nurse moved around us, taking my vitals and preparing for the few tests they could run at this small clinic. If whatever was wrong was more than they could deal with, they would have to send me to Kalispell, but I didn’t know if I had what it took.

“Try to relax, Rae,” the nurse said kindly, her voice calm. “Stress can have a big impact on a pregnancy, but we’ll do everything we can to make sure you and the baby are okay.”

I nodded, taking a deep breath and trying to steady my nerves. Tanner squeezed my hand.

The nurse stepped out, leaving us alone for a moment.

I took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds to try to manage my panic, and let it out slowly again.

“Are you okay?” Tanner asked.

I shook my head. “What if something’s wrong?” I whispered. “What if…” I couldn’t even say the words.

It had been such a shock to find out I was pregnant. Hell, I hadn’t even had a chance to take a test, but there was no doubting it now. It had been a shock… but losing the baby was terrifying. I didn’t know what it was, but I wanted this baby. It was a part of me. And a piece of Tanner. A life growing inside me.

I didn’t want to lose that.

“We’ll face it together, Rae,” Tanner said, his voice deep, his eyes locked on mine. “No matter what happens.”

I swallowed hard. “Do you mean that? You’re not leaving again?”

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