We don't need more words between us. I've seen his lists, the notes he's left himself at home, tucked into drawers and books, all the ways he tried to remind himself of what was important. What he was most afraid to forget.
And almost all of those had something to do with Reena.
When he releases me, I give his shoulders a final squeeze. "My training is to never leave a man behind. I'll be seeing you soon, sir. Count on it."
He nods, tears shining in his eyes, and I give him a final nod. I hear the door open and look back as Reena steps into the room.
I back away, giving her space to say her goodbyes. Her shoulders are shaking when he holds her close, pressing a kiss to her forehead, and then telling her, "Go on now. I need a nap."
"I'll see you tomorrow, Uncle Cliff. I promise."
Holding the door for her, I offer my hand and she takes it, a sad smile on her face. We walk out into the hall together, the sound of the latch catching loud in the quiet. We take a few steps, our fingers intertwined, until she pulls away slowly.
I instantly miss the feeling of her skin against mine.
"Thank you for doing this." She sniffs and looks away, the tracks of tears visible on her cheeks.
"We did it together." I look back to the closed door, appreciating the man behind it, who did everything he could to take care of this woman who matters so much to him.
Reena nods, wrapping her arms around her middle, and I can feel the distance between us growing with every second.
"Do you want me to take you home?" My voice is husky, and in my mind, it's my home I'm envisioning. My cabin, high on the mountain, with the stars spread out above us. I'd love to take her there. Show her what I feel.
"I don't want to go home." She draws in a ragged breath, shaking her head. "Not yet. It will feel too empty."
Hope burrows deep, and I reach out to her. "How about we have dinner, and I'll show you something beautiful?"
Her eyes are still wet when she finally meets my gaze, and she looks confused. "That's nice of you, but it's not necessary, Porter. You did exactly what you promised to do. You can go back to your life now."
I cross the gap, eating up the space in an instant, and reach out to her. "I'm not asking because I have to or because of any agreement we've made. I'm asking because I'd like to have dinner with the amazing woman standing in front of me and show her something I love. Are you up for that?"
I almost expect her to turn me down. There's no reason for her to say yes. But I hope she does. I hope she's willing to take a chance on us.
She's stunned, her mouth open as I tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. When I hold my hand out to her again, she takes it and allows me to lead her out of the care facility to my truck.
I boost her up into the passenger seat, stretching the seat belt across her chest and pushing it into place. My arm brushes over the curve of her breast and need erupts in my gut. I want this woman, there's no question. But I want more than just one night. I want every night.
We're quiet as I drive up the mountain, leaving the lights of town behind. I know this route by heart, and the sun drops lower and lower, until we pull into the drive that leads the way to my cabin. The clouds are lit with pink and orange, the edges going purple, and I pull to a stop in front of the porch, then hurry around to help Reena out.
She doesn't protest as I hustle her around the cabin and tug her to the overlook spot.
"Have a seat," I say, settling into place on the flat top of the boulder, patting the spot beside me. "We don't want to miss it."
Reena does as I ask, folding herself down until she's sitting right up against me, and I risk putting my arm around her.
Right on time, the sun dips below the horizon and the sky lights up with burning color. It's as if we're being treated to a fireworks show, a private one just for us. The wind is gentle in the trees, and we sit there, side by side, watching as the sunset blazes to life and then, as the minutes tick by, is slowly replaced by nightfall.
We don't speak. We don't need to. What we share in that moment is enough. But we can't sit out here forever, and as the air turns chilly, I stand and jump down from the rock, turning and holding my arms up for her.
Reena leans forward, her hands planted on my shoulders, and I grab her waist, lifting her carefully down. Her body slidesdown against mine and I fight back the groan at how perfect she feels.
When her feet are firmly on the ground once more, I wait to release her, wanting to make sure she's steady before letting go.
"That was beautiful," she says, her voice low, and I'm happy to hear the sadness from earlier is gone.
"I'm glad you were here to see it. It was special."
She nods but doesn't say anything else. I'm relieved when she doesn't pull away and simply allows me to hold her hand, leading her to the cabin where dinner is already laid out for us.
