Safe Haven

She suddenly had a headache and said the first thing that popped into her mind. “The gene pool isn’t too deep here in Haven, is it?” Logan stared at her. “Well, there’s no doubt that Jessie and Ross are related in more ways than one—as are you Monahans.”

Logan threw back his head and laughed. He must have needed such a release after all the tension and horror of the day. He caught sight of Tanner approaching. “Little brother thinks I’ve lost my mind, Avery. Maybe he’s right.” He shook his head.

“I saw Pierce before he left,” Tanner told him. “He said to tell you he was going to take a specimen to another lab in San Antonio rather than wait to hear what Ross has to say. He’s got a couple of calls to make before he can leave, but more than likely he’ll head out this evening. He also said to tell you he’ll call just as soon as he gets the results.”

Whatever Logan was about to say was cut off by the sharp sound of tires skidding on the gravel driveway and the repeated blast of a car horn.

Logan froze and was pitched back in time. He could clearly hear the scream of brakes, the sound of metal twisting around metal. He thought he could feel the vibration of the impact shimmying through his body. The knife-sharp pain of his memories seldom left him, and he’d often thought that his own death would have been preferable to living through what came next....

He felt Tanner touch his shoulder. Mercifully, the nightmare ended, and both men set off at a run for the barn door.

Avery still wondered at Logan’s reaction to the sound of the car. What hell had he relived? Could it have been his wife and son’s accident? She hurried from the barn herself, only to be pulled up short as a young black woman and what appeared to be her daughter rushed toward Logan. The child had something wrapped in a pink blanket cradled in her arms. She was crying so hard she could barely talk.

“Doc Logan,” the child finally managed to gulp as she held out the blanket. “Sugar’s hurt bad.”

The mother stepped forward. She wasn’t in much better shape than her daughter. “One of the neighbor’s dogs attacked Sugar when she and Annie were in the front yard.”

“Did the dog bite Annie, Rosemary?”

“No, thank heavens.”

Logan went down on his knees. He didn’t try to take the injured animal from the child’s arms, but gently folded the blanket back to reveal a small poodle, the white woolly fur stained with blood.

“I’m sorry, Logan, but Annie wouldn’t hear of taking Sugar to anyone else. She insisted we bring her here.”

Annie gave a hiccupping sob. “Jamie always said you were Dr. Dolittle—you talked to sick animals and made them feel better. Please make Sugar better, Doc Logan.” She hiccupped again. “Please.”

The mention of Jamie’s name twisted the knife of pain in Logan. As hard as he tried to cut himself off from all reminders of Jamie, his son’s friends weren’t going to allow him that little luxury.

“Annie,” he said, “Sugar and I need two very important things. First, you must be brave. Second, you have to let me hold Sugar.” He met the child’s gaze, swallowing visibly around the lump in his throat. “You and your mom can come to my office and wait while I examine her. But I can’t help her if I can’t see where she’s hurt, Annie.”