Page 101 of Knife to the Heart

A future that no longer included just her but the man she loved.

Loved.

She’d almost lost Cannon without ever confessing that she’d fallen face-first down the mountain and into the snow for him. Pulling her mother into the deserted lobby, she bit her lip. “Do you think Dad would be disappointed if I turned down the promotion? That is if Cannon wants me to stay in Red Snow.”

“Oh, honey. All a parent wants for their child is to be safe and happy. As long as you follow your heart, happiness will come. And between the training your father gave you, your skills everyone won’t stop talking about and Cannon’s protectiveness, you’ll always be safe. No doubt, you’ll always be loved.”

Tears stung Rosalie’s eyes. She knew her father was proud of her. His death had been avenged, but even before this victory, she’d known the truth in her heart even when she’d doubted it.

Rosalie hugged her mom and whispered into her hair, “I love you.”

Grady limped toward her. “At the risk of your cousin accusing me of being cliché, we need to talk.”

FORTY-TWO

“We need to talk.”

Cannon sat on the cold bench outside the ER entrance. Damn straight he and Rosalie needed to have a conversation. He’d made a quick escape so he didn’t ruin her big moment by begging her to turn down the promotion and stay.

Who was he kidding? He’d run because he’d been afraid she’d turnhimdown.

He jumped from the bench and darted toward the door. She couldn’t leave without knowing he loved her. He’d already told her, but maybe she’d chalked it up to intense emotions under dangerous circumstances. Now that the threat had passed, she needed to know exactly how he felt. It might not make any difference in the end, but he had to try.

The doors whooshed open. Annie stepped outside. “There’s a patient in room four that you need to see.”

“You just yelled at me to get out of here and go home and rest.”

Annie gripped his sleeve. “This patient is asking for you. Just stop in and say hello and you can go home.”

He didn’t want to chitchat with any of the locals who came in every time they got a cold or a splinter, nor did he want to go to his cabin.

Not without Rosalie.

“Annie, I can’t. I have to?—”

“This patient is very important to the hospital’s future.” She tugged on his arm. “Just say hello.”

“Fine.” He stalked past her, through the lobby and into the treatment area. Whoever wanted his attention only had two minutes. Then he’d find his snow angel.

Annie pointed to the big clock on the wall. “It’s midnight. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Grumbling about stupid holidays, he stalked to room four and yanked open the curtain. The sight that greeted him stole his breath.

Rosalie sat on the bed in the same place he’d stitched her up only days before. A coy smile crossed her lips as she swiped them with her cherry gloss. “I’ve been waiting forever to talk to the hottest doctor this side of the Rockies.”

His own lips curled into a grin that nearly cracked his still-chapped cheeks. “I’ve been waiting for the most beautiful woman in Red Snow to ask me to be her Valentine.”

She laughed. “As long as you don’t give me a rose, I’ll consider it.”

“Never roses, but you can have anything else.” Hope hammered up his chest and into his busted nose. “Are you considering the promotion in Los Angeles?”

“Yes. But, like you said, we’re in this together. What do you think?”

He nudged her thighs apart and stepped between her legs as hope stopped hammering and started singing like a rock star. “Ithink I have no right to ask you to turn it down and stay in Red Snow. But I’m hoping that whatever you decide will still include me somehow.”

He didn’t care about what the somehow or someway entailed. He’d take what he could get for now until they found a way to always be together.

Wrapping his hands around her waist, he held her tight and injected her with every truth in his heart. “You asked me at the guard shack if my sister’s life was more important than yours. You’re both important to me, but you’re important in a way I never imagined, and it’s a gift I never thought I’d get to enjoy.”

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