Page 199 of Rangers Mountain Rescue
His jaw tightens.
“Aspen—”
“I am not sitting in a room waiting to see if someone comes through that door,” I say, my voice low but firm. “Not with my son here.”
A beat.
“You want me safe?” I add. “Then don’t leave me blind.”
Silence.
Heavy.
Measured.
Then—
A sharp exhale.
“Damn it,” he mutters.
Which means I won.
Not that he’s happy about it.
He steps closer.
Close enough that I can feel the heat of him.
Close enough that the memory of last night flickers between us.
But this isn’t that moment.
This is something else.
His hand comes up—cups the back of my neck briefly.
Grounding.
“Stick to me,” he says. “No matter what.”
“I will.”
His eyes search mine.
Making sure.
Needing to know.
“I mean it, Aspen.”
“I know.”
And I do.
Because this isn’t just about danger anymore.
This is about trust.
