The Doctor's Family Reunion

Trent pushed in front of Dan and set a small bag on the floorboard. “Why don’t I have a look? Just to be safe.”

“She’s all yours, Doc. I’m gonna go check on the truck.”

“Be careful,” she said as Dan turned away. “The gas smell was pretty strong.”

“Did you shut off the ignition?”

She cringed. That should have been her first instinct. She shook her head. “Guess I wasn’t thinking.”

“Gee, I can’t imagine why.” With a quick smile, Dan disappeared over the ledge, leaving her alone with the one person she never wanted, or expected, to see again.

Trent’s broad-shouldered physique hovered over her now, so close she caught a whiff of his aftershave.

“Where does it hurt?”

She pointed to the side of her head, eager to be anywhere but in Trent’s presence.

His fingers ran along her scalp, unleashing a flood of emotions.

“Ow!” She thrust a protective hand over the sore spot. But as Trent’s deep-brown gaze collided with hers, long-suppressed memories escaped the darkened corners of her heart.

The heady rush of first love. The crushing blow of betrayal.

* * *

They say time heals all wounds. Evidently, eleven years wasn’t long enough.

Trent recognized the hurt and trepidation in Blakely’s blue eyes. Pain that had nothing to do with her head.

“You’ve got a goose egg the size of Mount Sneffels.”

“Oh, it’s not that bad.” She waved a dismissive hand through the air.

“I’ll be the judge of that.” He pulled a penlight from his breast pocket. “Look straight ahead.”

As much as he’d tried, Trent had never forgotten Blakely or that summer. When they finally said goodbye, they were counting the days until they could be together again.

Unfortunately, that never happened.

Instead, she got a phone call and news that he was marrying his ex-girlfriend.

The memory clamped around his heart.

If only it had been Blakely who carried his child instead of Lauren.

He flicked the tiny beam in and out of her line of vision. “Dan tells me you have The Jeep Company now.”

“You mean Adventures in Pink.”

He chuckled. “That’s...interesting.”

Her gaze remained fixed somewhere over his shoulder. “More than interesting. We’re Ouray’s premier adventure destination. And we’ve got the best maintained vehicles in town. Besides, real men aren’t afraid of pink.”

He pocketed the light again, his gaze drifting toward the ledge. “I don’t expect you’ll be using that one anytime soon.”

Her shoulders slumped, her long golden waves tumbling around them. “Unfortunately.”

He took a step back. “Without turning your head, I want you to follow my finger.” He moved it back and forth, up and down.

“So...you live in Ridgway?”

“Ouray, actually.” The picturesque town was what had enticed him to take the temporary job.

Her eyes widened. “With your family,” she said more as a statement than a question.

He dropped his hand, wishing he could turn back time and erase the pain he’d caused Blakely. “My wife died two years ago.”

She straightened. “What about your children?” She shook her head. “I mean, child?”

“Lauren miscarried shortly after we married.” Then proceeded to inform him she wasn’t interested in having children at all. Robbing him of the only thing he wanted more than becoming a doctor—a family.

“I see.” Blakely’s brow furrowed, her full lips pursed. A reaction he only wished he could interpret.

“Anything besides the dizziness I should be aware of? Any nausea?”

“No.”

“Blurred vision?”

“No.”

“So far, so good. Are your grandparents still at the motel?”

“Gran is. Granddad died last fall.”

The news felt like a physical blow. “Bill was a good man.” Without him, Trent never would have come to know Jesus.

“The best.”

Memories took over, making him smile. “Quite the card, too. I’ll never forget when he drove me up to Black Bear pass. Had me in stitches the entire way.” He held open his palms. “Now squeeze my hands.”

“What?”

“I need to test your strength.”

“You must be out of your mind.” Blakely hopped out of the vehicle, started toward the ledge, then turned, her blue eyes penetrating like a laser. “So how did you know I was here? Internet? Social media?”

“What? No. I had no idea you were in Ouray until Dan mentioned your name on the ride up here.” After all, her dreams had been in Denver, picking up where her father’s left off when his plane crashed. All she’d ever talked about was getting her degree and claiming the helm of BD Industries.