Page 192 of Colt

Cash rolled his eyes. “Thanks, assholes.”

“But it’s two boys,” Dad said excitedly. “The next generation’s coming along nicely.”

Leaning against the wall, I studied Dad while everybody started chatting animatedly.

He’d apologized to me the day after I came back from Maine. I accepted it to keep the peace. I loved my dad, but when he beat Colt, I lost a lot of respect for him, and it would take a while to rebuild.

My eye caught Layla’s and she smiled at me.

I returned it, but again, things between us were icy. Layla and Bowie hadn’t supported me when I needed them most, and I was finding it hard to forgive and forget. When Bowie treated her badly, I was there for her, even though I didn’t really know her at the time. She was a single mom and lived a difficult life, so I’d welcomed her and Sunny into the fold, no questions asked.

Hambleton had been ruined for me in a way.

I didn’t see the town as home anymore. All it held were the memories of loving and losing Colt, and I couldn’t wait to get away from the crippling feelings they evoked.

Colt’s calls were few and far between. He hadn’t bothered at all in the last week.

It hurt me a lot. I understood his Mom and sisters needed him, probably more than I did, but his silence spoke volumes. He wasn’t ready for me; I could see that now. I had to make my own way in life and stop believing that love could conquer all.

Colt had been breaking my heart since I was sixteen, and I didn’t want the pain anymore. I wanted to be a doctor and help people. I wanted to move away and make a life.

I wanted to find myself again, because along the way I’d lost the girl I was.

Everything ached. I’d lost weight when I didn’t really have weight to lose. I knew my friends and family worried about me, but I was okay. Heartbreak took its toll for sure, but I’d accepted I was Colt’s—I always would be—but Colt wasn’t ready to be mine, at least not yet.

He loved me, I knew it. He wouldn’t have lied about that, but Colt’s love came with too much upheaval and way too many sacrifices. I couldn’t even tie him down to a town, so how was I supposed to plan a life with him?

“Freya. When do you set off for your next interview?” Sophie asked from her bed.

The room went silent. All eyes turning to me.

“Tomorrow,” I said quietly. “This is my last one. I’ve ruled out Oregon and California. They don’t specialize in the surgeries I want to do. Maine was a quiet town, but on reflection, I liked the place and the work will be interesting. I’ll make my decision after my final interview.” I shrugged. “That’s if they even offer me the internship.”

“They will,” Sophie said with more confidence than I felt. “Just show them what you already know. Your practical experience is on a level with a resident, not an intern.”

“Easier said than done,” I replied. “It’s not like I can walk into a hospital for an interview and perform CPR is it?”

She laughed. “You never know.”

Two Days Later

“What’s the holdup,” I asked the cab driver, peering out of the windshield from the back seat. The traffic had come to a standstill. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of the accident up ahead.

The driver nodded toward it. “Don’t think we’re getting through anytime soon.”

My stomach twisted with anxiety, and I glanced at my watch.

If I went to assist, there was no doubt I’d be late for my interview, and that probably meant losing the position I really wanted before I even got it.

Closing my eyes, I looked to the heavens, seeking divine intervention, but I already knew what my decision would be. I couldn’t in good conscience let anyone suffer when I may have been able to help.

“I’ll get out here,” I told the driver, voice thick with emotion at what I was about to give up. This job was the one that excited me the most. The hospital was small, but the head of the trauma department was a vet, well-known for his innovative work with veterans and hard-ass surgeries, a lot of which he did pro bono to help his brethren.

“Are you sure?” he asked, his eyes darting between me and the chaotic scene farther up the street.

I nodded, swallowing hard. “Yeah. I’m sure.” Sighing again, I dug into my purse and pulled out a fifty, handing it to the driver. “I’m going up there to see if I can assist.”

“You a doctor?” he asked, a thread of shock weaving through his voice as he took in my long, thick hair and expertly made-up face.

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