Isaac knew that would be her answer, but he couldn’t stop the shaft of disappointment from hitting him. “Right. Okay.”
She leaned over and placed her hand on top of his. “Thank you for everything. For holding me when I needed it.”
“Not necessary. I was happy I was there and could help you.” A grumbling sound filled the silence, and he laughed. “Sounds like you’re hungry. What if I fix you a sandwich that you can eat while we walk back to the hospital?”
Marie laughed. “There’s no point in me denying I’m hungry, so thank you. I’d appreciate it.”
She made a move to get off the bed, but he stilled her movements. “Stay here and rest. You were on your feet for at least fourteen hours straight.”
“It’s been a while since I pulled a long shift like that,” she commented lightly. “If it’s okay, I will stay here for a few more minutes.”
“Definitely okay. I won’t be long. The bathroom is across the hall if you need it.” Isaac wanted to tell her she could stay there for the rest of the night and some of the morning, but he bit his tongue and made his way to the kitchen.
It didn’t take him long to make a sandwich. He also got her a bottle of water and carried both back to the bedroom. He half expected her to be up and looking out the window. Or walking around the room, but she was still in the bed, although he could see that she’d washed her face as her hair was a little damp. “Here you go. It’s not fancy, but it’s filling.”
He placed the plate with her turkey, lettuce, and cheese sandwich on her outstretched legs and the bottle on the table. Isaac may have said that she could eat the sandwich on the way, but from the second Marie took the first bite he knew that wasn’t going to happen. She washed the food down with the water in double quick time.
A small, embarrassed smile stretched her lips. “Sorry, I was hungrier than I thought.”
“Not an issue, do you want another one? This time for the road?” He winked and she laughed.
“I’m good, but I do think it’s time I got back.”
“Okay, let’s go.”
The walk back to the makeshift hospital was in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. Isaac’s was on what he was going to do next, and no doubt, Marie’s was on her patients and what she was going to find when she got there.
They reached the building to find everything was quiet. There was no one rushing around as if a patient needed immediate help.
“Thank you for everything, Sam,” Marie said as they stopped out the front.
Why did this feel like a goodbye? That when she walked away he wouldn’t see her again. They lived in the same town. He’d helped her and had planned on coming back to help again. But if she didn’t want it. Ifshe did want this to be goodbye, then he’d give it to her.
“I didn’t do much. Just helped where I could.”
Her hand came up and cupped his cheek. “You did more than that. You gave me more than I could give you.” She went up on her tiptoe and kissed him softly on the lips. A barely there moment, but one that resonated deep in his soul.
This was a goodbye. He didn’t know how he knew it, but he did.
This was final.
“You take care, Marie.”
“You too. Bye.”
Isaac couldn’t bring himself to say goodbye. He didn’t understand why this felt so final. But it was.
He watched as she headed inside, stopping to check the pulse of a patient. As if she knew he was still watching, she looked up and gave him one last smile.
He turned and headed back to his house. In the coming days he would do what he could to help the people of San Carlion. But he wouldn’t go back to the hospital.
Chapter Five
Four MonthsLater
Isaac stood at the gate,the buzz of laughter and conversation reaching his ears. He hadn’t known if he was going to turn up at Cassandra’s after she’d mentioned what was happening that weekend in the weekly emails she’d sent him.
No doubt Cassandra knew he’d arrived back in California. It hadn’t surprised him that Cass would discover his location and keep him informed about the lives he’d touched and saved. From that first contact, a month after he’d arrived in Alaska, she’d kept the link that had been forged between them since she was a little girl, alive.
