“I love you more,” he answers, voice warm and certain. “And I’m never letting you go.”
We pull through the gate a few minutes later. The lodge windows spill golden light. Music drifts out. Laughter too. The whole family waits inside to welcome us back. But Silas parks in front of our cabin first. He turns off the engine and looks at me.
“Ready?” he asks.
I squeeze his hand. “I’ve been ready since the day you caught me.”
He smiles, that slow, possessive smile that makes my heart flip every time. Then he leans over and kisses me again, soft and full of forever.
We step out together into the mountain night. The air smells like snow and pine and home. I walk beside him toward the porch, ring glinting on my finger, heart full and steady. The danger is gone. The future stretches wide and bright ahead of us.
This is my life now. This man. This mountain. This love that refused to let me fly away alone.
And I have never felt safer or happier in my entire life.
EPILOGUE
Hannah
The tires crunch over fresh gravel as we pull into the parking lot of the new facility. Sunlight bounces off the wide glass doors, and the building looks more like a peaceful retreat than a hospital—low brick walls, flower beds blooming with late-summer color, a small fountain bubbling in the courtyard. My stomach flutters with a mix of nerves and pure joy. I glance at Silas in the driver’s seat. He’s already unbuckling, eyes on me, that steady calm radiating off him like always.
“You ready?” he asks, voice soft.
I nod and squeeze his hand. “More than ready. Come meet my dad.”
We walk hand in hand across the lot. The automatic doors whoosh open. Cool air scented with clean linen and faint coffee greets us. A nurse at the front desk smiles wide when she sees me. “Hannah! He’s been talking about you all morning. Room 214, down the hall on the right.”
I thank her and lead Silas past quiet sitting areas and framed landscape photos. My heart beats faster with every step. The last time I saw Dad he looked so frail, skin thin, eyes tired from too many treatments. Silas moved him here three weeks ago, and the updates have been steady and good. Still, seeing is believing.
We reach the door. I knock lightly and push it open.
Dad sits in the recliner by the window, sunlight spilling across his lap. A paperback rests open on his knee. He’s wearing a soft gray sweater I sent last month, and his color looks healthy—cheeks filled out, no shadows under his eyes. When he looks up and sees me his whole face lights up.
“Hannah!” He pushes to his feet, steadier than I remember. “There’s my girl.”
I cross the room in three strides and wrap my arms around him. He hugs me back strong, no hesitation, no weakness. Tears prick my eyes but these are happy ones. “Dad, you look amazing.”
He pulls back and studies my face. “I feel amazing. The doctors here are miracle workers. New protocol, better meds, and they actually listen when I say something hurts.” He glances past me. “And this must be the man who made all this possible.”
Silas steps forward, hand extended. “Silas James, sir. It’s an honor to meet you.”
Dad takes his hand and holds it a second longer than a handshake requires. “The honor’s mine, son. Hannah’s told me everything. You didn’t just save her life—you gave me mine back too. I don’t know how to thank you.”
Silas shakes his head. “No thanks needed. Keeping Hannah safe is my job. Loving her is the best part of it.”
Dad’s eyes mist over. He clears his throat and gestures to the small sofa near the recliner. “Sit, both of you. Tell me everything I’ve missed.”
We settle in. I sit close to Silas, our thighs pressed together, his arm draped along the back of the couch behind me. Dad notices the ring first. His gaze drops to my left hand, then flicks to Silas, then back to me.
“Is that what I think it is?” he asks, voice thick.
I hold up my hand so the diamond catches the light. “We’re getting married. Silas asked me the day after everything ended. I said yes before he finished the question.”
Dad laughs, a real, full laugh that fills the room. “Good. Smart girl.” He looks at Silas. “You’re a lucky man.”
“I know it every single day,” Silas answers. His fingers brush my shoulder in slow, absent strokes. “She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Dad leans forward. “Tell me about the mountain. Hannah says it’s beautiful up there. Quiet. Good people.”