“He won't be long,” her father assured. “Blake said he was on another call a few minutes down the road.”
“Blake? Blake Stone is the last person I want doctoring me.” Miri struggled to sit up again, but Aqua kept her hands on her mother’s shoulders.
“Mom, stop. Blake? Blake Stone is the doctor you called?” Aqua’s eyes widened. “I saw him at the memorial—is he living here and practicing here now?”
“Yes, I am, Aquarius, and I do.” A thick, sultry voice prickled every nerve ending, and the hair on Aqua’s skin bristled as his voice drifted toward her. A thousand memories assaulted her in a maelstrom of good and not-so-good thoughts. Aqua couldn’t breathe. Only one man had ever had such an effect on her.
“Good to see you, Aquarius.” A blush crept up her face and she wondered if he noticed the way she’d said his name. Blake’s full lips spread into a slow and easy smile, and she instantly lowered her eyes and swallowed hard. Damn, how could he have this impact on her after all these years? She realized she wasn’t breathing. He hadn’t changed one bit. He looked good. Fantastic, in fact.
“Aqua. My name’s Aqua.” She protested, her voice confident, belying the butterflies in her stomach and her surprise at the traitorous response of her body. She cleared her throat, willing her heart to stop pounding as she dared to meet his eyes. “It’s just Aqua,” she added, realizing with a grimace she was protesting too much.
“Hm.” Blake’s eyes swept her body, leaving a trail of tingles along the way, and then his left eyebrow raised in that annoying know-it-all way she remembered all too well. His crystal blue eyes shimmered before shifting their attention toward her mother. “Not as I recall.”
His slim, fit body eased down into a crouch beside Aqua as he peered down at her mother. “Miri, what sort of mischief have you gotten into now?” Aqua was forgotten as the doctor adopted his bedside manner that made him so popular with the people of Burnt River, and incredibly good at gaining his patient’s trust.
“Nothing I need your help with.” Miri narrowed her eyes as she glared up at him. She scowled. “I'm just fine.”
“The clothesline pole came down on her.” Gavin offered as his head gestured toward the pole on the ground. “Whacked her hard from what I can tell. Aqua was worried about her neck and spine, so we didn't let her move. She also complained that her head hurt.”
“Wise choice.” Blake's chiseled jaw rippled as he acknowledged Aqua’s dad, although his eyes never left her mother. Aqua’s stomach was doing somersaults as she watched his eyes examining her mother—she knew he didn’t miss a beat and she felt relieved he was there to help them, yet she was more than a little shocked at the jealousy she felt. She wanted his eyes on her.
“Miri, this won’t take long, and it will take less time if you choose to cooperate,” his voice was firm yet soothing.
Miri frowned but didn't protest as he began to gently palpitate her neck, ribs, and spine, quickly assessing while asking questions that seemed superficial, yet Aqua knew he was also evaluating her mother’s mental state as his hands moved confidently. He checked her pupil’s with a small penlight, and after a few moments he nodded and offered Miri his hand. “You can sit up now. Easy does it. Let me know if you feel any light-headedness at all.”
“Aqua.” Miri ignored Blake and pointedly reached for her daughter's hand instead. Confused, but relieved that her mother seemed to be okay, Aqua took her mother’s hand, glancing at Blake as if for his approval. He nodded and Aqua helped her mother into a sitting position.
“If you feel strong enough to go inside, I can bandage your head.” Blake eyed the cut on her forehead. “It doesn't look like it needs stitches, but I want you to let me know if you feel any lightheadedness or dizziness as you’re standing.”
“I can take it from here, thanks. I don’t need any help. ” Miri rose to her feet, refusing help from anyone.
Aqua gave an apologetic smile to Blake. “Mom, Blake came all the way out here to see you. Please listen to him. We all just want to make sure you're okay.” Aqua reached out to steady her mother, as she watched her waver slightly from one foot to the other.
Nothing got past Blake. “Here, let me help.” Blake slid his arm around Miri's waist. His hand inadvertently brushed Aqua's side as he did, and Aqua did her best to ignore the blistering graze as they carefully and firmly guided her mother into the house. It felt like Blake’s touch had left a livestock’s branding on her skin. Aqua took a deep breathe, shaking out both hands to relieve the tension and followed after them.
Once Miri was seated at the table in the kitchen, she barked instructions at Gavin. “I'll need some of my salve, and get some hot water boiling, please. I’d like a cup of tea.”
“Right away, love.” Gavin nodded and set the kettle on the stove. Then he returned to her with a small container of salve.
“What's that for?” Blake asked, his skepticism was as clear as the Montana sky after a storm.
“Just spread some on for me Gavin. It'll clean the wound,” ordered Miri, ignoring Blake.
“Nonsense, I have antibiotic ointment in my bag.” Blake pulled out a small tube from a leather satchel and placed it on the table.
“Son, if you come near me with that manufactured, chemical-ridden concoction, it'll be the last move you make.” Miri locked her gaze with his. “If you want to bandage me up, fine, but I will decide what touches my skin.”
“As you wish.”
Aqua stifled a giggle at the slight tremble in Blake’s jaw. Her mother was a force to be reckoned with. Blake was professional enough to hide his disapproval from a patient, but Aqua knew him intimately. She could read what others would never pick up on when it came to Blake, and although she didn’t want to admit it, it was more than a little disconcerting that he had this much impact on her after ten years of being apart.
Aqua decided it was time to defend her mother. “It's good stuff.” She smiled at Blake wanly. “Mom used it on every cut I ever had. The stuff works.”
“Right.” Blake didn't look at Aqua as he pulled a bandage from its package. After Gavin swabbed the cut with the salve, Blake secured the bandage on her forehead. When he was done, Blake reached into his bag and pulled out a small penlight. “I am going to check your pupils again, all right?”
Miri nodded after a warning look from her daughter, but her expression was borderline hostile.
When he finished, Blake placed the light back into his bag and crossed his arms over his chest. "There doesn’t appear to be a concussion. However, I want you to rest for the next 24 hours, take it easy, and don’t lift anything heavy. If you feel pain when you’re doing something stop. If you feel lightheadedness, please call me.” He was all business and no-nonsense.
He turned to Gavin, “Someone should wake her every 2 hours during the night. If you cannot wake her, please call me right away.”
He turned his focus back to his patient, “I have pain medicine that will help with any pain you may have, Miri. Here are two pills to get you started, and I'll write you a prescription for enough to last the week. If you're still in pain after that, it would be best to call me." Blake glowered at Aqua and her father until they both nodded their agreement.
"Put those things away. There is no way I am swallowing that poison, and that is my decision not theirs," snapped Miri.
"You may think that you can handle the pain right now, Miri…” Blake chided in a soft but authoritative tone. “But by this evening, it could be considerably worse. I suggest that you keep them so that you don't end up in the emergency room." He settled his gaze on her. "Be reasonable, not just for your sake but also for your family." Blake added for good measure.
"Be reasonable?" Miri sat up straighter and stared back at him. "There is nothing reasonable about polluting my body with a drug that will cause damage to my liver and my heart. Here you are, ready to give out a harmful substance as if it were candy, and I’m the one that is unreasonable?"
"Mom." Aqua pressed her
hand gently into her mother’s, her eyes apologizing to Blake. "Just take them. In case you need them later. No one is forcing them down your throat. It’s your choice whether you consume them."
"Absolutely not. If I am in pain later then I will drink tea, or chew on some white willow bark. I certainly will not introduce a toxic mixture of garbage into my body when it is at its most vulnerable. That is just common sense."
"If you say so." Blake tucked the container back into his bag and turned to Aqua. "If there's nothing else that you need then I guess I'll be on my way. Call me if you need me."
As Blake moved to leave, he straightened his collar and shot a glance in Aqua's direction. "It’s good to see you again," his voice softened.
The change in his voice did not go unnoticed.
"I'll walk you out." Aqua offered after an awkward silence, ignoring the glare her mother cast in her direction.
The wind took the screen door as Aqua opened it, and Blake stopped it. He was close. Too close. She could almost feel the heat from his skin pierce through her clothing. The scent of his cologne drifted in a tantalizing dance beneath her nose. Her heart did that ridiculous flutter that was familiar and irritating all at the same time. She shook her head and tried to bring everything back to reality, and the real reason for his visit.
“Are you okay?”
He didn’t miss a thing. "Yes, I’m fine. Blake, I'm sorry for how my mother treated you. She's very set in her beliefs, as you know, and stubborn, but we all really appreciate you getting here so quickly," she said, at last, stepping back to put distance between them, crossing her arms to stop the sensations that threatened to overwhelm her body.
"Oh, I know all about stubborn streaks..." Blake chuckled and paused beside his car. When he turned to look at Aqua, she stopped in tracks. "Now I know where you get it from, hm?” His voice laced with mirth.
"Me?" Aqua grinned and did her best to ignore the heat in her cheeks. "I was never that stubborn, or rude…was I?"
"Let's see…” Blake pleated his brow. “Remember that time I wanted to buy your movie ticket? You'd just read a book, and insisted that I was trying to undermine your rights as a woman..." He folded his arms across his chest as he studied her. "I insisted that it wasn't a date just because I was offering to pay for the ticket. But you were so damn obdurate." He shook his head at the memory.
"Ha! I remember that!" Aqua laughed as her gaze wandered over his left hand. She didn't see a ring on his finger, but she doubted that he could be single. Blake was just as handsome as ever and so sexy. How could he possibly still be single? "We ended up watching a movie on the TV in your basement because neither of us would cry uncle.”
"And it worked out rather well if I recall." Blake’s eyes narrowed.
Aqua felt a stab of heat. "Our first kiss," she lowered her eye, resisting the urge to close them as she absorbed the memory. "Yes, I remember that, too," she inched closer.
"We should catch up sometime." Did he just growl, or was I imagining it, she wondered. "Coffee, maybe tomorrow morning?"
"Sure,” she said, “I'd like that and I'm free. I mean… I have nothing to do tomorrow." Aqua swallowed hard and resisted the urge to kick him when she saw that oh so adorable smirk turn up at the edge of his lips.
"Great. At Evie’s diner in town?"
"Yes, I'll be there."
“Eight-thirty, okay?”
“Yeah, perfect.” She felt breathless. Breathe, just breathe.
Blake studied her for a moment but then nodded and opened the door to his car. She felt an immediate desire to beg him not to leave. It was as though he sensed it too and he turned back as if to say something, but instead, he gave her a once over. It made her squirm, and her stomach felt all squishy and immediately transported her back to high school. Their eyes locked for far longer than necessary. Blake was the first to break away. "See you then, Aquarius,” he said with a flourish of finality.
Aqua started to correct him she was Aqua, not Aquarius, but her tongue was tangled and there would be no way to hide the impact of the tension that flowed between them. It was too late anyway; Blake was already in the car and had started the engine.
"Bye, Blake." Was all she could manage. A whisper. The words were for her benefit only because Blake had slammed the door without another word or look in her direction. She watched his car as it drove down the drive. In that instant, a video replay of their last moments together before they both headed off to college flooded her mind.
Blake was a lot of firsts for her. She'd dated a few other boys before him, but only for a month here and there. She and Blake had dated their entire senior year, and the following summer. It was epic, even ten years later.
Still dazed, she stepped back into her parent’s house.
Chapter 3
The tension was still thick inside the house. Aqua felt like the earth shifted under her feet as she tried to adjust to the near hostility could feel it between her mother and father, and between her mother and herself. It was as if she had entered a different universe.
Her mother was a loving and forgiving person, but she was also stubborn to a fault. Even though Aqua knew she had nothing to feel guilty about, she still had a hard time facing her mother. They had not approved of her relationship with Blake, but she tried to push those thoughts aside. It was her mother that mattered now. The thought of her being seriously hurt still haunted her. What if she hadn't been there to help her father lift the pole off of her? He wouldn't have been able to lift it off her mother on his own because it was far too heavy—they had barely managed it together.
At that moment, Aqua realized that her parents were getting older, and it might not be long until they needed her help on a more regular basis. The thought added a notch in the questions that had been swirling around in her mind—should she remain in her hometown, permanently? She took a deep breath as she stepped deeper into the kitchen, ready to face the music.
"Is he gone?" Miri leaned against one of the kitchen chairs.
"Mom! You're supposed to be resting." Aqua sighed and slipped an arm under her mother's shoulder. "Please, come and sit down."
"Don't you start mollycoddling. I can fully take care of myself, and I certainly don’t need a doctor. I can't believe your father called that man over here." She huffed as she settled down on the couch in the living room.
"And what else could I have done?" Gavin shook his head. He sat down beside his wife and took her hands in his. "Miri, when I saw you on the ground like that, I, I thought for a moment I'd lost you. I called the best. Never scare me like that again."
"I'm sorry, Gav." Miri gave him a soft, warm smile that shifted the energy in the room. "But I'm okay. No thanks to that snake oil salesman."
"Mom, come on, that's not fair. Blake came out right away and took good care of you." She defended as she sat down on the other side of her mother. "What's your problem with Blake, anyway? You seem almost hostile to him."
"Blake." Miri narrowed her eyes. "Normally I respect any person that dedicates their life to healing, but I can't muster an ounce for him. He's been terrible to us, Aqua. He tries to steer all of our clients away from us. At the county fair earlier this year, he even tried to have my essential oils booth banned. He even went so far as to claim they were dangerous. If it were up to him, we'd be out of business."
“Really? Mom, that can’t be.” Aqua frowned. “Why didn’t you ever mention this to me?”
“Because it's embarrassing, sweetie. Ever since he became a doctor, he's been on my case about the natural healing modalities we offer. He thinks he knows everything.” She pursed her lips, shook her head, and rolled her eyes. “One of these days, he will realize that traditional science only goes so far.”
“Mom! Did you seriously just roll your eyes? I never remember Blake being rude OR presumptuous in high school. Do you think maybe you are being too hard on him because of your beliefs? Could you try to give him the benefit of the doubt?”
Aqua didn’t wait
for an answer but instead looked over at her father. “How long has he been back?”
“He came back right after he finished med school and his residency. I think it was at John’s Hopkins. But he wasn't the same. He was harsh and uppity like the rest of his family. I tried to have a conversation with him about it, but he told me unless I had studies to hand him regarding my modalities, or any other proof that what we do is effective, he didn't want to talk about the subject. I think I could have talked until I was blue in the face and it wouldn't have made a difference. His mind is made up about us.”
“Perhaps he was intolerant all along.” Her mother added.
“I'm sorry, I didn't realize he'd been so difficult toward you.” Aqua frowned as the excitement of seeing him again faded. “Are you sure you’re not misinterpreting his intentions?” she asked, still hoping that Blake hadn’t turned into the man her parent’s portrayed him to be.
“I'm sure.” Miri crossed her arms. “He has it out for us. Mark my words, Aqua.”
The kettle whistled. “Let me get you some tea, Mom.” Aqua moved to the kitchen, her mind a mess of uncertainty. The Blake she recalled was a kind and compassionate person. Insightful. Probing. Curious. Yes, but she couldn't picture him bullying her parents. But then their views and way of life were not always in line with the opinions of the locals. In fact, she'd grown up as an outcast due to her parent’s beliefs. As she picked up the kettle, her father stepped into the kitchen.
“She has a problem with Blake, huh?” Aqua smiled faintly when she saw row upon row of china receptacles lining the counter.
"Aqua, your Mom may be inflexible when it comes to Blake, but she's not wrong about the way Dr. Stone has been badmouthing us to the entire community."
"Dad, Blake would never do that. At least not the Blake I knew." Aqua shook her head in disbelief.
"Things change, and people change Aqua. Maybe you knew him well in high school, but he's different now. We've tried to reason with him frequently. Your mother even offered him one of her hot rock massages with the oils, free of charge. He refused."
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