That Snowy Night (Into The Fire Book 11)

by J. H. Croix

  Apparently, this was not a town that stood on ceremony as far as insisting on the title of doctor.

  “Nice to meet you,” I said, standing and holding out my hand. “I’m Delilah.”

  “Charlie Franklin,” she replied with a firm handshake. “Great to meet you. I’ve heard good things about you.”

  “You’ve heard about me?” I squeaked as I sat down quickly, clasping my hands together over my knees.

  “Oh, yes. Rachel’s my medical assistant. She told me she thinks you should be my nursing intern next year.”

  Charlie’s tone was casual and relaxed, but her comment suddenly had me tense. I did want to figure out what Alex and I were going to do to be able to be together full-time, yet every time I was standing on the edge of a decision, I felt as if I were about to step off a cliff. My habits of not needing anyone and taking care of myself were so deeply ingrained, it was hard for me to push myself beyond them.

  When Charlie glanced at me as she turned to wheel a stool with a mounted laptop attached to the side, I simply smiled, and said, “Oh, you’re the doctor Rachel works with.”

  Charlie nodded as she clicked a few keys on the keyboard. “Take all the time you need to decide, but we do take an intern every year. It’s definitely a possibility if you’re interested. But that’s not why you’re here today.” Her eyes flicked to Alex.

  He suddenly looked a little uncomfortable, shifting his shoulders. I’d discovered he was a rather typical man when it came to his health. I generally loathed stereotypes, but sometimes, they fit. Alex hated feeling weak, and he hated going to the doctor. Even when he professed that he even liked his doctor.

  “How are those scrapes healing?” Charlie asked.

  Alex stood and moved to take his shirt off. Charlie held a hand up. “I don’t actually need to see them. They looked well on their way to healing last week. Unless you want me to check them?”

  Alex’s arms fell back to his sides, and he shrugged. “I don’t think so. They itch like hell, so I figure that’s a good sign. Right?”

  “Absolutely. It means they’re healing. I need you to sit here,” she said, patting the examination table. “I want to listen to your lungs.”

  The paper crinkled as Alex shifted his hips onto the table. When I glanced up and saw the subtle uncertainty and vulnerability flickering in his eyes, my heart squeezed.

  Charlie tapped a few keys on the keyboard and then moved to stand beside the table. She rested a stethoscope on his back, instructing him through several rounds of deep breathing as she checked both sides. After she removed the earpieces, she smiled. “Your lungs sound great, so you’re all set. I don’t need to see you again. I’m assuming you’ve already checked in with the hearing specialist?”

  “Oh, yeah. This one is still a tiny bit off,” he explained, tugging on his left earlobe, “but she said it should resolve because I can hear noises at all volumes. Explosions are loud, in case you didn’t know.”

  Charlie laughed as she turned and checked on her computer again, entering a few things on the keyboard. “Before you go, make sure to schedule your next physical. I’m not seeing it in your appointment calendar.”

  Alex looked a little sheepish, so I piped up, “I’ll make sure he does it.”

  “Don’t gang up on me,” he said when Charlie flashed me a knowing grin.

  “I’m not ganging up on you. You need to get your annual physical.”

  As we were leaving, Charlie called, “Think about that internship, Delilah.”

  Turning back in the hallway, I nodded. “I will. Really.”

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Alex

  Autumn

  “What have you and Delilah decided?” my sister asked, tightening her lips in a line and lasering me with her eyes. That was Holly’s way of trying to look bossy.

  “We’ve decided we’re not going to decide until Delilah’s father passes.”

  I didn’t add that the uncertainty of that timeline was difficult for me. I was impatient, and I felt a little guilty for feeling impatient. I completely understood Delilah wanting to wait since her father’s cancer was terminal, but I missed her. We’d settled into a cycle of seeing each other roughly every other month with lots and lots of video calls between and daily texts, of course.

  It didn’t change that I missed her to the point that my heart ached sometimes.

  “What’s his status?” Holly asked, her bossy tone fading.

  I lifted my hands and let them fall. “We’re not sure. He was diagnosed last winter before she went to Diamond Creek. At the time, they only gave him four to six months. Obviously, he’s overshot that.”

  “What kind of cancer is it? I know you told me, but I can’t remember.”

  “Colon cancer.”

  Holly’s lips twisted to the side. “That sucks. I bet it’s hard on her just waiting, and she probably also wants him to live longer. It’s a terrible place for families to be.”

  Knowing how thoroughly private Delilah was, I hadn’t shared the details about her not-so-great childhood with anyone else. I figured that was her story to tell if she ever wanted to tell it. She and her mother seemed to be mending fences, so I thought that was good. She’d also assured me she and her father had a few conversations that helped. Apparently, he slept almost all the time now.

  “Have you two even talked about what the plan might be?” Holly asked, her words careful, which was so unusual for her that I almost laughed.

  We were having coffee at Firehouse Café. I looked over at Nate. His lips twitched with a smile, and I knew he’d noticed her caution. He knew Holly as well as I did, probably even better now.

  “I think she’s going to come here, but I don’t want to push her to make anything final, not right now. It just doesn’t feel right.”

  “Just wait,” Nate chimed in. “Long-distance relationships are hard enough. Throw in a parent who’s sick and dying, and four thousand miles or so between you, and you don’t wanna add to the pressure.”

  “What he said,” I replied before draining my coffee.

  Over the next few weeks, I found my communication with Delilah was more sporadic. That worried me. She was busy enough as it was without any actual complications getting in the way.

  Late one night, I got a text from Shay. “Call me.”

  Well, that was weird. Shay had been instrumental in getting Delilah out here after my accident, but it’s not like we chatted or texted often.

  I called her immediately. “What’s up?” I asked the moment she answered.

  “Hey, you have my number in your phone, Alex. I feel special,” she teased.

  “You texted,” I replied.

  “I did.” Shay paused to clear her throat. “Delilah’s father passed away today. I happened to see her at the gas station, and she doesn’t look good. I didn’t know if she’d called to let you know.”

  I silently swore.

  As if Shay could read my mind, she said softly, “You know how private she is, Alex. She’s not used to leaning on anyone.”

  “I do. I’m coming there. I’ll catch the first flight I can. Don’t tell her.”

  “Do you need a ride?” Shay asked swiftly.

  “No, but thanks. I’ll just rent a car at the airport.”

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Delilah

  I just felt strange. That was the only way I could describe how I felt after my father finally died. Grieving someone when they’re still alive and you knew they wouldn’t ultimately survive was exhausting.

  My emotional state felt gray, and I was tired and irritable on top of it. I also felt guilty because I hadn’t called Alex yet. My father had only died the night before. I’d spent the night with my mother, and it hadn’t felt right to call him then.

  Now, it was the following afternoon, and I was at the funeral home helping to make plans. I’d gotten myself psyched out. I needed to call him and let him know what happened.

  “Do you know if your mother would li
ke a casket? Or are you planning to have him cremated?” the gracious funeral director asked.

  This man had the absolute perfect demeanor for his job. He was calm and soothing. I imagined I could tell him anything, and he would simply nod and smile gently at me.

  The problem was I didn’t know what my mother wanted. Although my mother and I’d been talking a lot more than usual lately, she hadn’t said a thing to me about funeral planning. When I’d asked her earlier, she said she didn’t know. Apparently, there was no plan.

  “Can you tell me what you recommend for a family who doesn’t have a plan?”

  My pleasant funeral director didn’t miss a beat. “The biggest choice is whether you’d like a casket or cremation. If you don’t have a preference, I usually recommend cremation. If only because it’s more affordable. The internment of ashes in a permanent location allows you to visit just as one would if you’d chosen a casket burial.”

  “Okay, let’s do that.”

  The next thing I knew, I was in his office signing paperwork and texting my mother with various questions, to which she kept replying, “Whatever you think.”

  I knew grief made people weird, but this was annoying. I had a headache, and I was waiting for the funeral director to return to his office with several urns for me to choose from. A sound from the doorway drew my attention. Alex stood there. His eyes swept over me, and he stepped hesitantly in my direction.

  I leaped out of my chair and basically threw myself in his arms, bursting into tears the moment he caught me in his strong embrace. I heard the rumble of his voice murmuring something as I pressed my cheek against his chest and hung onto him. His hand moved up and down my back in soothing passes. I hiccupped and finally lifted my head, sniffling when I saw his concerned dark eyes.

  “I’m kind of a mess. I meant to call you and…” I lifted a hand, flailing it in the air.

  “You don’t have to explain. Your dad died. Shay texted me late last night, so I got on a plane. There are no rules about this when somebody dies. It’s more important for you to be there for your mom than to worry about calling me.”

  The relief that washed through me was so profound my knees almost gave out. At that moment, the funeral director reappeared with a large box in his hands. Unflappable as he had already demonstrated himself to be, he glanced back and forth between us. “Shall I give you two a moment?”

  “If you don’t mind,” I replied

  He bowed his head and turned away, closing the door behind him. The ridiculousness of my reunion with my boyfriend at a funeral parlor in the director’s office struck me, and I started giggling. Those giggles turned into laughter, and I was crying by the time I could catch my breath. Alex stepped away and fetched a box of tissues conveniently located right on the corner of the desk. I imagined there were tissues practically everywhere in this building.

  “Are you okay?”

  As I felt the low rumble of his voice reverberate through my body, I could finally take a deep breath. The tightness and coldness in my chest that I’d been carrying for what felt like weeks now as my father slowly slid away eased.

  “I am. You didn’t have to—”

  Alex’s look stopped me. “There are no have to’s. I wanted to be here. Now, how can I help?”

  Because apparently, I’d turned into a watering pot, I burst into tears again.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Alex

  “Are you sure?” Delilah asked.

  I looked over at her. We were at her apartment, sitting on her couch. We’d done a few other errands and then gotten takeout pizza after the meeting at the funeral home. Delilah’s calves were resting across my lap as she leaned into the corner of the couch. She looked tired, her eyes a little red from crying, and what seemed to be a permanent furrow between her brows, at least this afternoon.

  “Of course I’m sure. I didn’t fly all the way out here just to turn around and leave. I’ll stay as long as you’d like.”

  “As long as I’d like? Well, in that case…” she began with a smile. It was a tired smile, but nonetheless, I was glad to see she could tease.

  I lightly squeezed one of her feet. It was warm through the cotton of her socks. She let out a sigh as she leaned her head back. “That feels good.”

  I started massaging her feet, alternating between them. After we’d gotten to her place this evening, she’d turned the television on to a home and garden show. That seemed to be her preferred background noise.

  She was quiet for a few minutes and then looked toward me, catching my eyes immediately. “I’ve been thinking.” After that loaded start, she paused.

  “About what?” I prompted.

  “Us.”

  A sense of trepidation slid through me. We’d been saying we’d figure things out after her father passed. I just didn’t expect her to want to have that conversation this very second.

  I took a breath and nodded. “What about us?”

  “I’m going to move to Alaska.”

  “Delilah, you don’t have to—”

  She shook her head quickly. “I know I don’t have to decide now if that’s where you were going. It’s what I want. I’ve even talked to my mom about it. She’s planning on staying here, but she’ll come out and visit several times a year. She would be the only thing holding me here, and I want to look to the future, not the past.”

  My heart was thudding so fast for a moment that my breath was locked in my chest. After a few beats, I managed to let it out in a gust and tugged her a little closer to me. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “What’s the future for you?”

  “I don’t know all the details, but I know it includes us together in one place.”

  “You know I’d come here for you, right? I’ve been thinking about it.”

  Delilah nodded as she lifted a hand, smoothing one of my brows with her fingertip. “I know you’ve been trying not to bring it up because of what’s been going on with my dad, and I appreciate that. But I love you, and I want to be with you. There’s a lot more to the life you have in Alaska than what I have here, and I love it there. That summer after we met at camp, all I could think about was how it would be so cool to live there. Now, I can.”

  “Are you sure you want to make this decision now?”

  I almost couldn’t believe Delilah was already pushing ahead. I’d been trying so hard not to pressure her.

  Her lips curled in a slow smile. “Yes, Alex. I’m sure. It’s not like I haven’t had time to think about it. The decision is pretty easy. It’ll be harder to decide where I do my internship, although I’m leaning toward Charlie’s office.”

  “I love you,” I murmured as I pulled her onto my lap and held her close.

  Epilogue

  Delilah

  December

  I looked out the plane’s window at the snow-covered Kenai Mountains, the peaks dark against the bright blue winter sky. As the plane lowered, I could see the single highway winding down the Kenai Peninsula.

  My pulse kicked up a notch not much later as the plane landed with a little rumble and a bump. I couldn’t wait to see Alex. Minutes later, I saw him waiting for me, his brown hair shaggy and a shadow of stubble visible on his strong, square jaw.

  I wasn’t much for being romantic. Although I loved Alex so much, this past year had been hard because I’d missed him too damn much. Every minute we found together felt like a mirage, so I said goodbye to Stolen Hearts Valley when I boarded this plane. I would miss my friends dearly, but the call of a fresh start beckoned me.

  The moment I saw him, I began running, dropping my bag as he swung me into his arms. Tears pressed hot at the backs of my eyes as joy nearly burst my heart out of my chest. His strong arms squeezed me tightly, and I pressed kisses along his neck before leaning back to pepper his face with more. “I missed you!” I exclaimed.

  “I don’t know if you could’ve missed me as much as I missed you. It’s been a long f
our weeks,” he murmured, brushing my tangled hair away from my face before going still, his espresso gaze holding mine and conveying far more than words ever could. He brushed a tear away as it rolled down my cheek. “Now what are you crying for?” He brought his lips to mine for a quick kiss before pulling back and waiting for my answer.

  “I’m just happy, so happy it almost hurts.”

  A smile stretched from one corner of his mouth to the other. “I am so fucking glad you’re here.”

  “Delilah!” a voice called. Though Alex eased me to the ground, he kept one arm firmly around me. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Holly waving. Nate cracked a smile and leaned over to say something in her ear.

  “You have a welcoming committee,” Alex said. He stepped away to pick up my bag, immediately reaching for my hand again with his free hand. “Anything to pick up in baggage claim?”

  I shook my head, taking a deep breath and letting it out with a slow sigh. The relief I felt at finally being here mingled with immense joy, and a sense of coming home echoed through my body. “I shipped almost everything. It should get here in a couple of days,” I replied.

  Hours later, I stepped out into a cold, snowy night on the deck outside our room. A Christmas tree glittered in the dark behind the ski lodge. I’d taken Marley up on the free two weeks after last year’s snafu. Alex stopped in front of me, turning and looking back. “Merry Christmas,” he said simply.

  With a little tug on my hand, he reeled me close. I bumped into him, savoring his warmth and strength as he slid his arms around my waist. “I promise you’re gonna love it in Alaska,” he murmured.