“You sure he’s ok?”

Rafe heard the question and his eyes immediately popped open.

Beck-brown eyes were only inches from his face. “Hey…”

“Hey, yourself. Heard we tried to fly.” There was a world of pain and confusion in those eyes. Rafe reached out with his mostly uninjured hand and touched the light blue stitches holding her lip together. She’d probably scar.

He studied her for a moment—she was in far better shape than he was. She was at least standing on her own two feet.

It would be a while before he was. “Get up here.”

“Just so you know, big brother…that bed is not big enough for two people,” Travis said from the door. “My girl and I have already tried it.”

“We’ll make do.” Rafe didn’t care—nor did he care that two patients in one bed was against hospital policy—he wanted her next to him.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Jillian said.

“Get up here. Watch the ribs, though.” Just for a minute, just to reassure himself that she was real. She gingerly climbed up, perching next to his waist. It was the only spot on the mattress big enough for her to fit. He tangled his fingers in the red hair still hanging loose. “How badly are you hurt?”

“Bumps. Bruises. Shaky from the drug. Cracked ribs—boy, do I get a lot of those—but no concussion. Apparently when you’re limp and fall in the flowerbeds, on top of people, you don’t get as injured. I’d say I’m sorry for landing on you, but I’m not sure how it happened.”

He was only half-conscious of Travis and Lacy leaving the room. Rafe could only focus on Jillian. “I got you out of there the only way I could. The floor out in the hall was already burning. We wouldn’t have made it to the stairs. I knew…in Africa…if Nadal and Momo had just jumped a few moments earlier, they would have landed twenty-five feet below and possibly survived. Others did. But they were too trusting of the responders. I knew if they had just jumped, he could have protected her.”

“We’re safe now.”

“Yes.” Except it wasn’t over. Allen had already been in to check on Rafe personally. To fill him in on the details of what had happened before Rafe had gotten there.

And one thing Allen had been clear on—the delivery guy hadn’t been working alone. Someone else was still out there—and that someone was calling the shots.

Someone would have to find that someone. Quickly.

Before anyone else got hurt.

But that was for tomorrow. For today, he had something he had to say. “Jillian…”

She just sat there, looking at him.

Rafe tried again. “You have alternately driven me insane and made me hotter than I have ever been. But that is just what it is…”

“What are you trying to say?” She rested her palm over his heart. It immediately sped up. “Rafe?”

“I’m saying…asking…what would it take to have you moving in with me the way Lacy has with my brother?” He’d never felt more vulnerable in his life. Never felt like anything as important hung in the balance before.

Except with her.

She was quiet for far too long.

And then she smiled. “All you had to do was ask. Although, I will warn you—some of our neighbors can be problematic. There’s this orange-haired one that is extremely nosy. And her husband? Well, I’m not sure where he hatched from…”

“I think we’ll be able to tolerate them ok. After all, they’re family…”

She leaned forward carefully. “Kiss me. On this side of my mouth, though.”

Rafe obliged, careful of the stitches. When she pulled back, it was to someone clearing their throat behind them.

Virat Patel stood in the door. The surgeon frowned at both of them, but Rafe saw the humor in the man’s eyes. “Miss Beck, that is not appropriate hospital behavior. And by the way, sweetie, you might want to close the back of your gown before someone else gets a show.”

Jillian yelped and reached back. The laughter that filled Rafe felt good, though his ribs didn’t agree.

“Seriously, Vir, did you have to look?”

“Of course. Now. If I can get both of you to agree, we’ll just move you into here with the big boss man. How does that sound?”

“Perfect,” Rafe said. “As soon as possible.”

He wasn’t talking about room 403. It was obvious Jillian knew that. She smiled and leaned closer. “I’ll take care of everything.”

“Oh?”

“One benefit of having a big family? We can accomplish anything.”

Rafe believed it.

Being a part of that family with Jillian Anne Beck was exactly the kind of future that he wanted. “Just get it done. Because as soon as I get out of here, you and I have a future to plan.”

“It’s a deal.”

And it was.