Page 71 of Mountain Challenge

“I just … I don’t want you to think you have to shield me from that. If you’re angry at me, I …”

“Ry. I’m not angry. Laura’s not going to be angry, either. We don’t blame anyone except for Getty.” She held on to him tighter.

“Are you sure?” He sounded so hopeful now, but then shook himself. “Then tell me what you were going to say, Isla. Please.”

The words came out before she could stop herself. “The things he said… I’m … I’m still afraid. And I know it’s crazy,because he’s not here, but every time I close my eyes, I still see him.”

Ry’s face paled further, but he didn’t say anything for the longest time. Just squeezed her hands tight. “Thank you for telling me, Isla. At times, I … I wish I’d killed him,” he confessed. “But he’s going to prison. He will not hurt you, or anybody else, ever again. And I’m here.”

Isla nodded. “I think … it’s just going to take some time to process.”

“I’m here, Isla. Whatever you need, however long it takes … I’m here with you.”

The door opened, and a nurse came in. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Ry on his knees in front of Isla. “Oh. I could come back later.”

“No!” Isla said, quickly pulling back her hand. “ Please don’t go. It’s not what it looks like. I’m ready to get out of here!” She shot Ry an apologetic smile, but he remained frozen on his knees, a thoughtful expression on his face.

EPILOGUE

Ry

“Ididn’t take you for the kind of man who loves birthday parties,Commandant,” Ry laughed, handing over a bottle of wine as he stepped into Beau and Val’s house.

“It turns out that I am,” Beau said sheepishly, looking behind him at his daughter Ren, who’d organized the party.A pizza party. Ry almost laughed out loud.

“She’s got him wrapped so tightly around her little finger,” Hugo whispered, moving slowly behind Ry. It was three weeks to the day of him getting shot, and he was still in pain, still walking slowly, but hewason his feet and walking, and that was more than they could have hoped for.

“Let me know when you want to leave,” Ry said. He’d been the one to drive, since Hugo wasn’t allowed to do so yet.

“I’m good, Ry. You don’t have to babysit me. I’m going to sit outside for a bit.”

Ry bit his tongue. Hugo had taken up smoking again after leaving the hospital. It helped him with the pain, he claimed. Which was only necessary because he wasn’t taking the prescribed painkillers. But then, the man was at the start of a recovery process that was going to take months. Months of physical therapy, of being off work. If cigarettes were helping him cope, Ry would not begrudge him that.Or not yet.

He watched Hugo limp towards the back patio and looked eagerly to the front door. Isla had promised she’d join them as soon as she was back from dropping Laura and her family at the airport. Ry smiled. There was a lot to be grateful for. Laura had made a complete recovery. Psychologically, she seemed to be doing well, also. She couldn’t remember anything of those days, and maybe that was a good thing.

Ry was glad for the young woman, of course, but also glad in a selfish way, because Laura’s recovery was the best thing that could have happened to Isla.

“Relax, man. I’m sure she’ll be here soon,” Tristan said, handing Ry a bottle of Kronenbourg lager. Not Ry’s favorite beer, but then, few beers in Europe compared to his favorite beer back home, Hahn Super Dry. He tapped his bottle against Tristan’s in thanks and took a long sip. “How are you holding up?”

Ry looked at his friend. Ithadbeen a long few weeks. Those early days at the hospital, while they still waited to hear whether Hugo would ever walk again, were the longest in memory. But Ry also had so fucking much to be grateful for. His mind kept flashing back to that moment when the nurse had walked in on him and Isla. He’d been on his knees in front of her, and it was clear what the nurse thought she was interrupting. But instead of filling him with panic, the thought had filled Ry with a strange sense of rightness. At a different time, he could imagine himself on his knees in front of Isla, asking her to marry him. Becausehe loved her in all the ways a person could be loved. He wanted to spend today with her, and tomorrow, and the next day. All the days he was granted for the rest of his life.

The colonel walked in from the kitchen. He was here—which was rare, because he rarely showed up to any non-work-sponsored event—and he had a beer bottle in his hand—which was even rarer.Is that a fucking smile? Wonders never cease.

“Ry. Just the man I wanted to see.”

Okay. “Colonel,” Ry said, tipping his head.

“Tonight is not a night for talking business, but I got a call from Lyon today. The case is moving forward, and the judge has denied Miles Getty’s request for bail.”

Fuck, but that took a load off Ry’s shoulders. The thought of Getty coming back into town, even temporarily, had been weighing on him. “Thanks for letting me know, Colonel,” he said. “That means a lot to me.”

“I thought you needed to know,” the colonel said. “Now go off and grab some pizza before there’s none left.”

Isla

Valentina and Yvette met Isla before she could walk into the house.

“Isla, you’re here.” They both rushed to give her a hug, which Isla returned gratefully. She’d spent a lot of time with both women, as well as with the women of the other PGHM team, Tess, Isolde, Sarah, Kat, Diana, Trista … They’d all been there for Isla in the last weeks, in the best possible of ways. Giving her space to breathe, but letting her know they were there for her. Several of them had shared their own traumatic experiences,and told her what had helped them through it. And they’d all helped Isla through her fears for Laura’s recovery, and through her guilt about Hugo’s injuries—though Isla knew she was still working through that last one.

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