Chapter 22
Hospitals had a way of stripping away pretense.
Sabrina stared at the ceiling tiles above her bed, counting the tiny perforations in each square for the hundredth time.
Twenty-four hours of observation, the doctor had ordered.
For mild hypothermia, hypoxia, dehydration, and what he’d diplomatically called “environmental stress.”
What he hadn’t diagnosed was the hollow ache beneath her sternum that had nothing to do with being trapped in a cave and everything to do with the look on Noah’s face when she’d tried to explain.
I’m not at a place where I can hear it.
His voice was on repeat in her head, drowning out the steady beep of monitors and the squeak of nurse’s shoes in the corridor.
The Noah who had rescued her was not the same one she’d last seen when he asked her to move in with him—this version had caution signs stamped all over him, his usual enthusiasm extinguished like embers in a downpour.
She’d done that to him.
The door to her room slid open, and Sabrina’s heart leapt into her throat, only to crash back down when a petite nurse she hadn’t seen before entered with a clipboard.
Not Noah. Of course not. He’d followed the ambulance to the hospital as promised, spoken briefly with her doctor, and then disappeared with a painful formality that felt worse than if he’d yelled at her.
“How are we feeling?” The nurse checked her IV line with professional efficiency.
“Fine.” Sabrina attempted a smile that felt like stretching plastic wrap over broken glass. “Any chance I can convince someone that I don’t need to stay overnight?”
“Doctor’s orders.” The nurse’s sympathetic look said she’d heard this plea a hundred times before. “Your body temperature is still lower than we’d like, and the doctor wants to monitor you for delayed symptoms of crush injuries.”
“I wasn’t crushed by anything.” Just the weight of her own mistakes, but that wouldn’t show up on any scan.
“Better safe than sorry.” The nurse made a notation on her chart. “Besides, it’s almost evening. Just one night, and you can go home tomorrow.”
Home. The word felt hollow. Her place would be empty. Ripley wouldn’t even be there unless someone had thought to take her dog home, but she didn’t have a someone. She had herself only, exactly the way she’d thought she’d wanted it. Only she didn’t.
“Do you know if my dog is okay?” The question scraped her throat raw.
The heroine of the hour deserved a T-bone steak and a nap on Sabrina’s pillow, not an owner who’d messed up everything.
“Ripley?” The nurse smiled. “She’s fine. Someone named Ryan Colton is taking care of her. He called to check on you earlier.”
Relief took over her whole body. Ripley was safe with Noah’s family. Which would make sense if she and Noah were still together. But Sabrina wasn’t a Colton, even by association. Why was Ryan stepping up to help with her dog?
When the nurse left, Sabrina sank deeper into the sterile hospital pillow, replaying every moment in the cave. The cold. The darkness. The even darker realization that Noah didn’t want to hear what she had to say.
She had been ready to die with regrets. Now she might have to live with them instead.
And live with the fact that she loved Noah Colton with every stubborn, terrified inch of her soul.
And she’d pushed him away before she could understand any of it.
A soft knock interrupted her spiraling thoughts. Expecting another nurse, Sabrina called a distracted “Come in.”
The woman who entered wasn’t wearing scrubs but rather dark slacks and a simple blouse beneath a white coat. Her ID badge read, “Ava Colton, PhD,” and something in her warm brown eyes immediately identified her as Noah’s family—the same directness, the same quiet confidence.
“Officer West.” She approached the bed with a smile. “I’m Ava Colton, one of the hospital psychologists. I’m not officially on your case, but when I heard a Sabrina West had been admitted, I wanted to check on you myself.”
“You’re related to Noah,” Sabrina stated, not needing the other woman’s nod to know she was correct.
“His cousin.” Ava’s smile turned knowing. “Ryan is my brother. The Colton family network is efficient. News travels fast.”
“Is he…” Sabrina hesitated, not sure what she was even asking. Is he okay? Is he coming back? Is he as miserable as I am?
“Noah’s not very complicated.” Ava pulled up a chair, settling into it with easy grace.
“All the Colton men are easy to figure out, in their way. Though I suppose I should mention I have a bit of a professional advantage in reading people. Occupational hazard. But Noah especially wears his heart on his sleeve.” She smiled wryly.
“I know.” The words came out choked.
“Do you?” Ava’s tone wasn’t accusatory, simply curious. “Noah cares, deeply, and isn’t afraid of it. Never has been. When our aunt got cancer, he moved back from—where was it? Azerbaijan? Syria? Some war-torn place most people were trying to escape—to help care for her.”
Sabrina’s chest tightened. “He mentioned his mother was sick.”
“She was like a second mother to all of us.” Ava’s expression softened with remembrance.
“Sam and Kate Colton had the kind of marriage that made you believe in true love, you know? The real thing. When she got sick, Sam was devastated, but Noah—” Ava shook her head “—Noah became her rock. Rearranged his whole life to be there for her final months.”
The picture Ava painted matched everything Sabrina had come to know about Noah. His fierce loyalty, his willingness to give everything to those he loved, his absolute commitment once he decided someone mattered.
“I hurt him.” The admission burned her throat. “I didn’t mean to, but I did.”
“I gathered that.” Ava’s smile held no judgment. “For what it’s worth, he’s been less than subtle about his feelings for you. The whole family knows he’s in love with you.”
Heat crept up Sabrina’s neck. “The whole family?”
“Noah doesn’t do anything halfway,” Ava said with a small laugh. “When he brought you by Uncle Richie’s practice, Sassy texted everyone within minutes. The Colton grapevine rivals the hospital rumor mill.”
“Great.” Sabrina closed her eyes briefly. “So everyone knows I broke his heart.”
“Relationships are never smooth sailing.” Ava’s voice gentled. “Noah tends to charge ahead like a bull in a China shop, so it’s not surprising that he overwhelmed you.”
“It wasn’t that.” Sabrina met Ava’s gaze directly. “Well, not entirely.”
How much was she supposed to divulge to Noah’s cousin, who wasn’t even here in a professional capacity? How much did she want to confess?
“He just brings everything to table, no holds barred.” Her voice cracked slightly. “I’ve never met anyone like him. It’s hard to believe he feels like that about me.”
She trailed off, unable to find words big enough for what she meant.
Ava nodded, understanding in her eyes. “Noah’s taught me a lot about love over the years. Not by talking about it, by living it. He shows up. Every time.”
“He did.” Tears pricked Sabrina’s eyes. “I just don’t know if he’ll give me another chance.”
“That’s between you two,” Ava said diplomatically. “But I will say the Noah I know doesn’t give up easily on things that matter to him.”
Before Sabrina could respond, the door opened again.
This time, the man himself stood in the threshold, his broad shoulders filling the doorframe.
His expression hadn’t changed from earlier, outside the cave, and the lack of that spark she’d always associated with him—had come to love—hollowed out her chest.
“Sorry,” he said, already backing away. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“I was just leaving.” Ava stood, shooting Sabrina a meaningful look. “Speaking both personally and professionally, sometimes near-death experiences provide clarity. I’ll check on you tomorrow before discharge,” she said before slipping past Noah.
Then they were alone, the silence stretching taut between them like a rope bridge over a canyon—precarious, swaying and the only way across.
“Your cousin seems nice,” Sabrina said, trying to break the ice, but it absolutely did not.
“She is.” His voice was so stilted and formal it nearly made her cry. “When my mom was sick, Ava helped a lot. She’s the type who isn’t happy unless she’s taking care of someone, whether it’s a Colton or foster kids she considers family.”
The Coltons closed ranks when it counted, a dynamic she knew nothing about. But wanted to, wanted to be worthy of being included in their tight circle. Noah came from a family unlike any she’d ever heard of. No wonder he did everything with zero fear—someone would always catch him.
Except her. She hadn’t.
Noah still hadn’t moved from the doorway. “I brought these.” He held up a small duffel bag. “Some clothes from your place. Figured you’d want something other than a hospital gown to wear tomorrow.”
“Thank you.” The words felt woefully inadequate. “How’s Ripley?”
“Good. Ryan’s watching her. She’s been hovering around my house like she expects you to materialize any second.” A ghost of a smile touched his lips. “Smart dog.”
“She saved my life.” Sabrina swallowed hard. “You both did.”
Noah stepped into the room finally, setting the bag on a chair. His movements were measured, deliberate—so unlike his usual fluid energy that it hurt to watch. He kept his distance, standing at the foot of the bed.
“There’s something else.” He pulled a folded paper from his jacket pocket. “Your SAR certification came through.”
“What?” She stared at him. “How is that possible?”
“Emergency field certification.” He set the paper on her bedside table.
“Based on demonstrated competence during an actual crisis situation. Ripley performed exactly as trained—located help, led rescuers back to you. It’s a provisional certification pending formal evaluation, but it’s valid. Congratulations.”
The professional courtesy in his voice cut deeper than anger would have. “Noah—”