Page 102 of The Rescuer

“Reece, I don’t understand why you have to move away,” his mother whined.

Three sets of eyes fastened on him. “I can’t just sit around town.”

“You’ve been keeping yourself busy,” she argued, “and it’s not as if you need the money. You’ve done very well with the trust fund your grandparents left you.”

Reece slid Neve a sidelong glance, but her face was impassive. “Be that as it may, and as much as I enjoy working at the clinic and helping the town, it’s not the same. I want to givebackto my community, really make a difference, like I was before. Working part-time for Noah or Charlie or Neve, hanging lights in town, and maintaining trails doesn’t cut it for me.”

Mom crossed her arms over her chest. “So tell me this, Reece Hunnicutt. Just how is doing search and rescue on the other side of the continent giving back to your communityherein Fall River?”

Neve sat forward, drawing attention away from Reece. “If I may …” She slid Reece a nervous glance, and he offered a subtle dip of his head. “You raised Reece to be a giver, someone who finds fulfillment in helping others in meaningful ways. He has trained for over many years for the work he does to give back to his community. Yes, he does for this town by stringing Christmas lights and helping out where it’s needed, but he has a special set of skills few others can boast, honed by years of experience in the field. He’s regarded as the best in San Juan County. Did you know that?”

She paused, and both his parents blinked but remained silent. “I know I’m speaking for him, but this is what I see. His motivation is fueled by a bottomless well of honor and commitment, and that’s something rare thatyouinstilled in him. This drive of his, perfected by years of training, makes him uniquely qualified to help others in ways regular folk simply can’t, no matter how much they might want to. It’s his ‘highest and best use,’ if you will. Anyone can string lights and work on trails. Reece will waste away if he can’t put his rescue knowledge to use. The right opportunity to do that doesn’t exist here in Colorado anymore, so he had to look elsewhere, and he’s found it at Stowe Mountain. And they’re no dummies. They recognize what they’ve got, and they’ve made him a great offer because they want him. They need him. And he, in turn, needs what they offer.”

She slid back in her chair and folded her hands in her lap.

Mouth parted, Reece looked at her, trying to convey with his eyes the gratitude that overflowed his heart and filled his chest with pride. Nevegothim.

Silence buzzed in the air. As a collective, the four of them seemed to hold their breath. Finally, Neve straightened and, in a small voice, added, “I’m so sorry, Marilyn. Neither of us meant to do anything that would let you or Hugh down or cause you pain in any way. I hope you can see yourway clear to forgive us—to forgive Reece especially. He needs your support now more than ever.” The devastation on Neve’s face nearly undid him. Before he could act on natural instincts, his mother stood and pulled Neve from her seat and into a fierce hug. “Now you shush, honey. You haven’t let us down. I just wish things could be different for you kids, that’s all.”

Reece dared a glance at his father, who was smiling fondly at the two women. Then he turned his hawk-eyed gaze on Reece. His father was a master at cloaking his feelings, and Reece had never learned to decipher what streamed behind his eyes, but right now he was pretty sure they held a message packed with judgment. When his father opened his mouth, he proved Reece’s theory right.

“Look, you two, I know you’re adults and you’re not asking for my advice, but I’m giving it to you anyway. Reece, you go on out to Vermont and honor your commitment. Give it six months, a year. At least. Neve’s life here doesn’t have to change in the meantime. She still has her clinic, her friends.”

His gaze sharpened on Reece and hardened. “Fulfillment is an interesting word. Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? But it’s nothing more than a PC way of saying egocentricity. Reece, these people in Vermont went out on a limb and extended you this job opportunity in good faith, over and above other candidates, and you accepted it—supposedly also in good faith. You committed to them. They’re counting on you. You have an obligation to live up to your commitments, no matter what kind of foolishness you got up to afterward.” He shot an apologetic look Neve’s way. “No one in this family backs down from a promise. Is that understood?”

Reece bristled at his father’s words, his nerves raw and frayed at their edges. What about the promise he’d made to Neve when they’d stood in front of Elvin? “Understood,” he gritted out.

His father’s eyes shuttered as he rose from his power chair. “What was said in this room stays here. No one else needs to know. Now, I think it’s time we got back to the festivities and the reason we all came together today.” He could have just as easily said, “Meeting adjourned.”

But then he slid a heavy arm around Neve’s shoulder and dropped a kiss on her head, like she was part of the family. Hell, shehad beenpart of the family her whole life. And though the rings might be locked up in hervault, somehow Reece feltmoretied to her now than he ever had. Perhaps because she was tightly woven into his past.

It struck him that he wanted her woven into his future too.

Chapter 27

Shadows of Doubt

Reece started up theengine and nosed his truck along his parents’ circular driveway, wheels crunching the gravel. Beside him in the passenger seat, Neve tried to ignore her aching head. She rested it against the door and stared out the window at nothing in the yawning darkness.

Puffing out a breath, he reached over and stroked her arm. His touch felt good; it felt right. Slowly, she turned her head toward him.

“The people who should know finallydoknow,” he murmured, putting his hand back on the steering wheel, leaving her skin cold in its absence. “And we survived it.”

She nodded and pulled her navy beanie lower over her ears. “We did, but I nearly died when your dad gave us that look, the moment he figured out we couldn’t technically go through with an annulmentanymore.”And talk about killing all the feels from the tree-cutting.They’d had such a good time too. Tromping into the woods, the laughter as they argued over which tree—Reece had challenged them to a rock, paper, scissors duel they didn’t take him up on—the decorating later beside a cozy blaze in the fireplace. The warm memories had been iced the instant Hugh Hunnicutt had asked her to join them in his office.

“Yeah, I knew it was going to be uncomfortable the minute he closed the office door,” he lamented. “I do appreciate the speech you gave, though.” He tapped her thigh. “How areyouholding up after the visit to my dad’s office?”

“I’m fine. I think most of what he said was motivated by concern for both of us.” She rested her head against the window once more, not looking his way. “Your dad was wrong, though.”

“About what?”

Now she did look toward him, and her voice grew brittle with emotion. “He accused you of being egocentric and shirking your responsibilities. I love your father, but those were pretty harsh words, and he was dead wrong. You’re the farthest from either of those character flaws of anyone I know.”

His mouth twitched with a small smile. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, but he was right. Vegas … what I dragged you into—usinto—thatwasirresponsible. I only wish they had heard about the wedding straight from you or me. They also should have learned the part about moving to Vermont fromme, and not from some anonymous source. I still don’t know who spilled my secret, but that’s not what matters here.Ishould have let them know aboutallof it earlier.”

“You didn’t drag me into anything, Reece. I was a willing participant.” She heaved a sigh. “We both have lots of woulda, coulda, shouldas, but there’s nothing we can do about it now. For what it’s worth, I think they’ll support you, whatever you end up doing.”

“Maybe. Mom’s not too happy about the move.”

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