Page 36 of Hitched to my Boss

"Or maybe he got hurt before he could even try to reach you," Maya says gently. "Either way, beating yourself up isn't going to help him now."

"Then stop being scared and go get your husband."

11

JASON

The first thing I see when I open my eyes is my wife's face.

Natalia sits in the hospital chair beside my bed, her dark hair falling around her shoulders, still wearing the business attire she must have traveled in. She looks exhausted, worried, and more beautiful than I remembered. Her hand rests on the edge of my bed, close enough to touch but not quite making contact.

"You're awake," she says, relief flooding her voice.

"You're here." My throat feels raw, probably from the breathing tube they'd used during surgery. "You came back."

"Of course I came back." She leans forward slightly, her brown eyes searching my face. "You're my husband, and you were hurt."

"Did you get my note?" The question comes out before I can stop it, vulnerable and uncertain.

"I got it." Her voice breaks slightly. "Jason, you were coming to Atlanta. You were willing to leave your mountain for three months to prove you could meet me halfway."

"I was terrified," I admit. "But I was going to do it. I wanted to show you that I could be brave enough to step into your world, that I wasn't just asking you to sacrifice everything while I risked nothing."

"And instead of being there when you landed, I was sitting in meetings." Tears shine in her eyes. "When I found your note and realized what time your flight was supposed to arrive, I thought you'd changed your mind. That you'd gotten to Atlanta and decided I wasn't worth leaving your comfort zone for."

"I never made it to Atlanta." I squeeze her hand, noting how she doesn't pull away. "I stopped by Hartwell's ranch first to wrap up some loose ends. I wanted to ensure everything would be handled properly during my absence. That's when I found the mother wolf stuck between the rocks."

"So you missed your flight to save wolves."

"I missed my flight because I couldn't abandon animals that needed help, even when it meant disappointing you." I meet her eyes. "I chose to be the man you fell in love with, even when it cost me the chance to prove I could change for you."

"You did prove it," she says, tears flowing freely now. "The fact that you were willing to get on that plane, that you'd planned to leave your mountain for three months... that proved everything I needed to know."

"Even though I screwed it up?"

"You didn't screw it up. You stayed true to who you are while being willing to grow." She traces her thumb across my knuckles. "I don't want you to stop being the man who saves wolf families. I just want you to be that man with me. That’s a part of what I love about you, Jason."

"You love me?"

"I love you." She says it like a vow, direct and unwavering. "I love your careful way of thinking through problems. I love how you'd rather spend weeks doing something right than rushto a solution that might cause harm. I love the way you make coffee at all hours of the day, and how you look at me like I'm something precious."

"You are something precious."

"I love that you built a sanctuary in the mountains because you needed space to heal, and that you were willing to share it with me." Tears shine in her eyes, but her voice stays steady. "And I love that you would risk your life to save a family of wolves because you believe every creature deserves a chance at happiness."

"I love you too, Natalia." I pause, knowing I need to tell her what I'd planned. "You were right. About everything. I was asking you to sacrifice everything while I risked nothing. I was expecting you to fit into my life instead of building something new together."

She starts to speak, but I continue. "I’ll never do that again. If this is going to work, really work, it needs to be in a way that allows both of us to shine. Whether that means you moving to Whisper Vale, me moving to Atlanta, or us finding a home base somewhere in between."

Her eyes widen. "You would permanently move to Atlanta?"

"If that means I have you in my life, I would in a heartbeat.” I smile. "Our relationship stopped being an accident to me the moment I woke up next to you in Vegas."

"For me too. I just wasn't brave enough to admit it." She traces her thumb across my cheekbone, the gesture tender and familiar. "Jason, I don't want to go back to Atlanta. I don't want the apartment or the career that makes sense on paper but feels empty without you."

"What do you want?"

"I want to come home to our cabin. I want to finish setting up our life together and build a business that works for both of us. I want to learn how to live in the mountains with a manwho's brave enough to crawl into dangerous spaces to save wild animals." Her smile is soft, vulnerable. "I want to be your wife, really and truly, for as long as you'll have me."

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