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I want her for all of the good times—fun hockey games, hanging out at Perks and Rec with our friends, dance parties at the barn. I also want quiet conversations at the kitchen table over coffee and baked treats. But I also want her for these moments. The scary, sad, hard ones.

“Me too,” she says softly.

I squeeze her hand.

I look around the room. We love so many people. So many of the same people. Some of them are quite a bit older than us. Of course, we both know that age has nothing to do with when people end up in hospital beds. But the idea of visiting any one of these people in the hospital fills me with dread. The idea of losing a single one of them makes my heart ache.

But I know the rest of them would be here around me, and having this woman next to me, just holding my hand, will make it hurt less.

“Sutton?”

Her head lifts at the sound of her brother’s voice.

Beckett is striding across the waiting area toward her, concern on his face.

Sutton stands quickly and takes a couple of steps toward him. He meets her and folds her in a hug.

“Hey,” he says. “You okay?”

I’m really glad he’s here. I’m really glad she has him.

But…fuck.

I don’t think I can hide my feelings for her much longer, and here, with Brewser in the back undergoing tests, this is going to be the worst time to pretend we’re just friends.

“Yeah,” she tells him. “Pretty much. We don’t know much. What are you doing here?”

Beckett pulls back. “I came because of you. Brewser too, as soon as I heard, but I knew you would be here and I know how hard hospitals are for you.”

Yeah, Beckett Moore is a good guy.

Sutton spent a lot of time in hospitals because of her little sister, but that little sister was Beckett’s too. He lost her too. He probably hates hospitals as much as she does. But he showed up here to support her.

Sutton hugs him tightly. “Thank you. That’s so sweet of you.”

“I had already left Perks and Rec when it happened,” Beckett tells her. “Lydia wanted to show Wes and me how well she skates, even with her crutch.”

I sigh heavily. Of course my sister talked Wes and Beckett into shenanigans.

“So you guys were up at the arena? At this time of night?” Sutton asks.

Beckett shoots me a sheepish little grin over Sutton’s shoulder. “I was trying to play matchmaker,” he admits. “Wes really likes her. Plus, I have to be honest, I’m very impressed that she can skate with her crutch.”

Yeah, Lyd is impressive. I like that Wes and Beckett see that. And I can’t fault him for playing wingman for Wes. Not even when it’s with my sister. Wes is also a good guy.

Sutton smiles at Beckett. “It’s okay. Obviously, I wasn’t alone here.”

Beckett looks around the room. “Obviously. And I’m not surprised. But I wanted you to have someone especially for you.”

Sutton doesn’t look at me. Which is probably good. But I hate it, too. She’s mine. I’m here for her. Not just for her, but anything she needs, I will provide. I would be here with her even if I didn’t know the man in back in the CT scanner.

I love Beckett’s sister with everything I’ve got and…I wish Beckett knew that.

But this is not the right time or place to tell him about us. We all need to focus on Brewser.

Finally, Sutton sits down again, taking the chair next to me, Beckett on her other side.

Beckett doesn’t seem to think it’s strange that we’re sitting together.