Hawke met Conrad’s gaze. “She’s going to be okay.”
“I almost lost her. If we had waited…” The thought put a knot in Conrad’s gut.
“We didn’t.” Moretti stretched out on his sleeping bag, rifle at his side.
Conrad looked from Moretti to Hawke. “Thanks. I couldn’t have gotten to her in time without you.”
Hawke chuckled. “Bullshit.”
“If anyone could have done this on his own, it’s you. You kicked my ass running up the mountain.” Moretti turned onto his back. “You’re a fucking hero, man. Now shut up and let me get some shut-eye.”
Hero.
This time the word didn’t bother Conrad.
He drew the sleeping bag up to Kenzie’s chin, doing his best to hold in every bit of warmth. He didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, whether she would want him in her life again, but she was alive.
In this moment, that was everything.
* * *
Bundled up against the cold,Kenzie watched the sky pass by overhead as Harrison, Eric, and Jesse carried her litter down the steep, snowy slope behind the cabin toward the waiting chopper. For some reason—probably the morphine—she found this all rather wonderful.
“You guys are doing a great job.”
Harrison grinned down at her. “Hey, we’re professionals, remember?”
Some of the crew from the helicopter joined them, helping to carry the litter the rest of the way. They lifted her into the bird, the rotors unmoving overhead, Harrison, Eric, and Jesse climbing in behind her.
“I’ve never been in a helicopter before.”
Brandon Silver, one of Hawke’s crew, stuck something on her finger. “Hey, Kenzie. I’m going to take good care of you till we get you to the hospital.”
He put an oxygen mask on her face and started an IV. “This is just heated fluids. The oxygen is warm as well. They’ll help bring up your core temp. I’ve got some heated blankets here, too.”
The warmth felt wonderful.
“Harrison?”
A big hand took hers. “I’m right here.”
“Stay.”
“I promise.”
The journey to the hospital lasted perhaps fifteen minutes—Kenzie was so out of it that she couldn’t tell. She was lifted onto a gurney and hurried inside to the ER, where Malachi O’Brien took over her care, putting her on a bed with a body-length heating pad, giving her IV antibiotics and pain medication, examining the wound in her leg, and sending her off for an X-ray.
“You’re incredibly lucky,” he told her. “There’s no damage to the bone or your artery. But you are going to need surgery to get that ball out. I’m going to page Dr. Warren. In the meantime, you rest. We want to stabilize your core temp first.”
And for the first time since Harrison had walked out of her house, Kenzie and Harrison were alone.
“Thank you for—”
“Kenzie, I—”
They spoke at the same time, laughed.
“Please, Kenzie, there’s something I need to say.” He drew a breath. “I am so sorry for what I said to you. Yes, Idomiss Gabby, but I miss you more.”
