Rescuing The Proposal: A Rescuing Dr. Marian Bonus Scene

I recommend reading this short after finishing Rescuing Dr. Marian. Enjoy!

Chapter 1 

Tommy

It started with the ring.

Not in the Hallmark-movie sense, where I stumbled across it in a sock drawer and burst into tears. No, this started when Foster left his laptop open at the cabin one morning, and I—completely by accident, thank you very much—saw a tab open to “most romantic places to propose in the snow.”

From there, it wasn’t hard to piece together the clues. For one thing, Ella had overheard Foster “not asking permission” from my parents to propose “sometime around the holidays.” Then, Ella let something slip about a package arriving in Legacy “with very sparkly contents.” Hazel made a joke about learning CPR “because someone’s definitely going to pass out soon.” And Chickie, the worst secret-keeper of all, kept whining at the bedside table like she knew something delicious was hidden inside.

Foster Blake was planning to propose to me.

Which would have been perfect… if he wasn’t driving himself completely insane over it.

For the past two weeks, I’d watched the man I loved spiral into a pit of anxious chaos, muttering to himself about “making it memorable,” disappearing into the SERA equipment barn at all hours to work on some top secret woodworking project, and shoving his phone away like it burned him every time I got too close.

And while I appreciated the gesture—god, did I appreciate it—I also knew he was trying to cram his big, romantic heart into some picture-perfect proposal because he thought he had to. Because he believed I deserved “the best.”

Which was why, two nights before Christmas, I decided to steal the ring and hijack the whole damn thing. Enough was enough, and the stress was tearing my favorite human apart.

Love wasn’t supposed to be like this, and if Foster Blake couldn’t learn that his happiness was more important to me than some Big Moment, well… he was about to find out.

The radio in our cabin squawked.

“Base to Blake. We’ve received credible intel regarding a missing hiker on Devil’s Backbone. Last seen ascending Elk Fork Trail at approximately 0900 hours. Subject is described as male, mid-thirties, solo hiker, possibly injured—witness reports possible sighting near the scree slope. Requesting recon if available, and take your medic if you can. Over.” 

Foster looked up from his laptop, which had been strategically angled away from me. “The fuck? It’s Christmas Eve. Who’s solo hiking Devil’s Backbone today?”

I shrugged as he reached for the radio. “Babe, not everyone has family to spend time with. Besides, the weather is gorgeous. Who can blame the guy for wanting to be out in it?”

Foster thumbed the radio. “Blake to Base. We’re on our way.”

The two of us moved easily into rescue mode, quickly packing supplies and double-checking essentials before throwing on multiple layers of cold-weather gear. It wasn’t that bad outside right now, but we knew better than to go into the backcountry in Montana in winter without being prepared for anything.

“Chickie, let’s go,” I called, snapping my fingers and leaning over to slip on her visibility vest.

Within moments, we were striding down the trail at a quick clip, the cold mountain air waking me up from my leisurely afternoon. I glanced over at Foster, who seemed lost in thought.

“At least this might get you out of dinner with my family,” I said.

“I had plans at that dinner,” he grumbled.

And he had. Plans to propose to me in front of everyone because he thought he had something to prove to them. Thought he needed to convince everyone he wasn’t the “Other Man” but rather the person who loved me most in the world.

“Plans to out-drink the Tilly trio? Babe, I think we both remember the last time you tried.”

Foster couldn’t help but huff out a laugh. “They cheated. They got banana bag IVs at the med spa before challenging me to a shots competition. I deserve another try on an even playing field.”

I reached over and threaded my fingers through his. Even though we both had gloves on, I enjoyed feeling his strength tighten around my hand automatically.

“Last time it happened, you offered to get a tattoo,” I reminded him.

His eyes bugged out. “Fucking Christ, now I know how Teddy got that squirrel!”

I shrugged. “It’s never been confirmed. It’s more like a family urban legend.”

A pair of hikers approached on the trail. Foster pulled me to a stop and asked them politely if they’d seen our missing hiker. The woman’s face crinkled in thought. “No. We haven’t seen anyone out today. Sorry.”

We thanked them and continued on our way, checking in with Trace every so often.

“Trace, any update on our missing hiker?” Foster asked.

“Our what?” Trace asked, sounding distracted. “Oh, that. Er, no? Carry on.”

Foster glanced over at me. “That’s not like him. Wonder if something’s up.”

I shook my head. “Just the holidays, I’m sure. He gets weird around the holidays.”

“Is he coming to your family’s thing tonight?”

I shook my head again. “No. Wolfe’s going to be there.”

“Your cousin Wolfe? What does that have to do with Trace?”

“Not sure. They used to be really close, but then Trace moved away and started SERA. Ever since then, he seems to disappear whenever Wolfe is around.”

“So Trace is going to be alone for Christmas?” Foster seemed upset about it, and I couldn’t blame him.

“Don’t worry. He and Nate Lewis usually spend the holidays together if they don’t have other plans. Kind of a friends-with-benefits thing, I think. Who knows?”

“Don’t know Nate.”

I spent the next several minutes catching Foster up on things I’d learned about the locals working a few stand-in shifts at the local Urgent Care. He teased me about taking on those shifts to get my fill of nursing station gossip.

“Just think of how many gay men there are in Legacy for you to flirt with,” I teased, remembering how his friends back in Majestic claimed Foster took great pride in trying to make his friends’ partners jealous.

“You seriously won’t give up on that, will you?”

“Your friends and family all warned me about you. You’re an instigator.”

Foster turned and met my eyes. “I was jealous.”

My heart leapt up to my throat. “Jealous of what?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

Time seemed to pause. The afternoon sun glittered off fresh snow, turning the forest into a wonderland of silver and white. Frost clung to the pine needles, and our boots crunched softly over the packed trail. Elk Fork wound its way along a ridge dotted with granite outcroppings, drawing us closer to Devil’s Backbone, a jagged spine of rock silhouetted against the bright sky. In the stillness of the wilderness, our every breath curled in the cold air like a secret. The moment felt suspended—just us, the mountains, and a silence that pulsed with more than just winter calm.

Foster suddenly stopped and grabbed me, pulling me into a deep, searing kiss. Just as quickly as it had begun, it was over, and we were moving back down the trail. 

“Jealous they’d found their person,” he continued, watching the trail ahead for any signs of our missing hiker. “Scared it was never going to be my turn.”

I reached for his hand again, and he squeezed mine the way he always did. Chickie loped happily up the trail ahead of us, sniffing along the edges from time to time when there was something of particular interest.

“Is it wrong of me to admit I’m glad it wasn’t your turn yet?” I said, watching his reaction.

His face softened as he glanced at me. “You’re not the only one, so… no.”

I thought about the life we’d started building since summer, the decision to stay in our tiny shared cabin at SERA while we built our own place on a parcel of my family’s land that bordered the SERA campus, the nights out with new friends and family, watching Foster enjoy the teasing and banter. The hikes and adventures we’d taken with and without Chickie. The SERA drills we’d organized and run together, the program expansions we’d discussed with Trace between cohort sessions, including an advanced program scheduled for next summer.

“Are you happy?” I asked a few more minutes down the trail.

He laughed. “Are you fishing, Dr. Marian?”

“Is there anything I can do to make your life better? Happier?”

He glanced over at me. “Yes. Definitely.”

My stomach dropped. What if he proposed out here, right now? What if he stole the moment?

Thankfully, he was too professional to stop a search for that. Unlike myself.

Foster winked at me. “How about I tell you about it after we find our missing hiker? Sound good? I’m kind of hoping we can still make family dinner tonight, so let’s pick up the pace. Get this guy off the mountain and get home.”

I blew out a breath and returned his smile. “Sounds perfect.”

There was probably a rule somewhere stating how unethical it was to lie to someone about a missing hiker, but if there was, I was willing to go to ethics jail in order to lock down the man of my dreams and avoid having my family ruin Foster’s proposal.

“What say we make this interesting, Way and Silas style?” I suggested, starting to race ahead of him. “Last one to Devil’s Backbone gets a deep-throated face-fucking!”

The sound of his laughter followed me off the trail as I made a beeline for the path leading up to the saddle.

“That a bet or a promise, Doc?”

Chapter 2

Foster

My nerves were shot, and now we were going to be late and fuck up the whole thing. Not only had I planned an elaborate proposal scene at his family’s Christmas Eve dinner, which could have possibly been the worst idea in the history of ideas, but I’d also somehow lost the fucking ring.

As I followed Tommy up the scree to the top of the saddle, grateful for the new, safer route that SERA and volunteers had helped create a couple of months ago after the results of the rockslide had been assessed and a plan had been approved, I watched his tight ass bunch and shift in his hiking pants.

And maybe I allowed myself a moment or two of remembering fucking into that ass only a few hours ago when I’d gotten back to the cabin after a frantic search at the Marian lodge for the ring. I’d taken it over there a week ago to ask Ella and Hazel’s opinions on it, but I could have sworn I’d put it safely back in the bedside table, shoved into the battery compartment of an old headlamp. There was no way he could have found it.

And now, I would have no time to continue looking for it before we were due for dinner. And knowing Tilly, she’d spill all the beans whether I proposed or not. Hell, I wouldn’t put it past Ella and Hazel to say something either.

I’d wanted it to be perfect. Ever since our decision to go all in that day in Majestic, I’d known Tommy and I would be together forever. Was it too soon? Hell no. I was done waiting, and I knew Tommy felt the same. We’d had plenty of chances to share our feelings in the past five months, and it was clear we were both ready.

Tommy and I wanted to start a family, begin to build something together that both of us had craved for a long time.

And now, I was going to fuck it up if I couldn’t find this damned hiker and get home in time to find the ring.

“Look!” I called, spotting smoke from a familiar chimney. “Someone’s in the shelter!”

I secretly patted myself on the back for trekking up here back in August from the other side of the mountain to replace the wood we’d used. Tommy had been proctoring a certification exam with our newest student cohort, so I’d taken my team on a teaching hike to explain about survival shelters and the most likely places to look for lost and injured subjects.

Tommy slowed down and reached his hand back for me as Chickie yipped and took off toward the shelter. I blew out a breath in relief. “Let’s get this guy off the mountain quick so we can change and get to the lodge.”

“Mm,” Tommy said. “There’s no rush, you know. There’ll be leftovers for days. We could always stay up here a little while.”

I glanced at him in confusion. How could we stay up here when our job was to bring the guy to safety?

“You go first,” Tommy said, hesitating for some reason outside the door to the shelter. A flickering golden light could be seen from around the edges of the rustic wooden door, and there were way too many footprints in the snow around the shelter to be just from one solo hiker.

I glanced at him and wondered why my gut was suddenly screaming that something was off. “Stay back, sweetheart,” I said in a low voice. “Don’t come in until I check out what’s going on.”

Tommy looked at me with the softest, most tender expression on his face. It was the opposite of fear or nerves. And it was entirely out of place for the situation we were in.

I reached for the bear spray on my hip just in case there was something strange about whoever was in the shelter. And then I opened the door.

The shelter’s small interior was cozy, warm, and filled with candlelight. Holly garlands hung from the corners of the tiny room, and somehow, impossibly, instrumental holiday music came from a hidden speaker somewhere. A fire crackled in the stove, and a small camp table next to it held a cooler backpack with two wineglasses next to it.

The scent of hot food wafted around us. I glanced around and saw the wooden cot platform made up with a stack of foam, lush blankets, and pillows.

And on a peg next to the door hung a very familiar headlamp.

My eyes flashed to Tommy, who looked smug as fuck.

“What the hell is this?” I asked. “I thought this was our missing hiker.”

He kept his eyes locked on mine as he pulled his radio to his mouth and thumbed it. “Marian to base. Missing hiker located and secured. Request helo extraction at first light. Over.”

“Base to Marian. In your dreams. Hike out and don’t get hurt. Have fun, you two. Over.”

“What happened to our hiker?” I asked, still trying to piece it together. “Male, mid-thirties, solo hiker, possibly injured.”

He pulled off his pack and shoved the radio inside before moving closer. “You’re looking at him.”

“You’re the missing hiker? You lied!”

Tommy shook his head. It was hard to stay angry at him when he was this close. I could smell his damned citrus shampoo, which made me light-headed with need, even though I used it, too, now. The scent of snow and alpine air mixed with the warm, inviting scent of woodsmoke. “Male, mid-thirties… well, not quite. And definitely injured.”

“You’re not hurt,” I said and suddenly gave him a thorough visual exam just in case. “Are you?”

He yanked off my gloves and coat before removing his and dropping everything into a pile in the corner. “Yes. My feelings are hurt that you’ve put yourself through too much stress lately.”

I scrambled to come up with a plausible explanation. “Just, you know… work. And… not being in Majestic for the holidays for the first time. And also—”

Tommy surged forward and kissed me, his hands moving into my hair as he held my head at exactly the right angle to deepen the kiss.

When he pulled back, the look of adoration on his face stole my breath. “I want you to get that headlamp off the wall, and then I want you to use it.”

I wrapped my arms around him and leaned my forehead onto his. “How did you know?”

My fingers snuck up under the hem of his shirt, like they always did when I had this man in my arms. Warm skin that was mine to touch now, whenever I wanted.

Tommy’s hands moved across my chest until one of his palms landed just left of center. “You’re quite possibly the world’s worst schemer. Also, my family can’t keep a secret for shit, which is, honestly, something I thought you would have picked up on by now.”

I groaned and rolled my eyes. “Tilly, again? Jesus, Tom!”

He laughed, which was quite possibly my favorite sound outside of the ones he used during sex or the sound of his voice murmuring, “I love you,” when he was half-asleep. “Nope. Ella overheard you telling my parents, back when you insisted you weren’t asking permission.”

“That was months ago!” I cried, leaning back to stare at the ceiling. “Fuck, those assholes! And also? You’re damned right I wasn’t asking permission. The only permission I need is yours.” I met his eyes again. “And honestly, I’m not sure I can even risk that.”

Tommy glanced over at the headlamp, still hanging on the peg. “Why don’t you give it a try and see what happens?”

As I moved over to reach for the headlamp, I thought about how perfect the scene was for my proposal, how intimate and cozy, how private. How sentimental since this was the place we’d first confessed our love for each other.

“How do you always manage to do this?” I murmured as I moved him to sit on the cot so I could get down on one knee and still see his beautiful eyes, eyes that were already filling with happy tears.

“Do what? Bring you to stranded shelters?”

“Rescue me.”

He reached out to cup my face. “Foster Blake, you were the one who rescued me that night, almost a year ago. And it would be the privilege of a lifetime if you would let me spend the rest of my life trying to rescue you right back.”

I swallowed the thickness in my throat and took a breath before opening the headlamp and shaking out the ring inside. I held it up so the platinum caught the warm light. “You kissed me like you knew me, back in Hawaii. Like you saw something in me I didn’t even know was missing. And that kiss… it wrecked me. Because from that moment on, every time I looked at a mountain ridge or smelled fresh pine or felt the wind on my skin, I wished you were there beside me to see it, too.

“Then you showed up in Legacy and turned my life upside down all over again. You know how hard I tried not to fall for you. I tried to tell myself it was temporary. That I couldn’t have you, couldn’t keep you. But every morning waking up next to you, every time you looked at me like I mattered—it changed everything.

“You’ve already rescued me more times than I can count. From loneliness, from regret, from thinking I’d already had my chance at something real. So now I’m asking you, Tommy Marian…

“Will you stay with me forever? Will you stay by my side in the quiet mornings and the unexpected rescues, the slow Sundays and family chaos… and all the thousand little moments in between?

“Because I don’t want temporary with you. I want forever. Thomas Marian, will you marry me?”

Tears were streaming down his face now. I reached up to thumb them away as he squeezed his eyes closed and made a few more trickle out.

“I love you so much,” he breathed. “Yes. Of course I want to marry you. Yes.”

I leaned up and kissed him gently, taking my time with it and making sure he felt every bit of my love for him.

We were interrupted by Chickie, of course, who insisted on finding out why her favorite person was crying and why I wasn’t making it stop.

Tommy laughed as he fell back on the blankets, yanking the ring from my fingers and sliding it on his own. 

After I pulled off his boots, kicked off my own, and joined him on the bed for more kisses, he looked at me with dancing eyes.

“You know you lost the bet, right? I got to Devil’s Backbone first.”

I met his eye and deliberately licked my lips, making a meal out of the thing so he could see exactly how much it wouldn’t be a punishment to accept the “consequences.”

“I plan to spend forever making good on that bet, Dr. Marian.”