“I have a great idea for a family reunion,” Steffie said eagerly. “Why don’t we all take a trip to Egypt? I’ve always wanted to ride a camel and see the pyramids.”

“Egypt?” Norah echoed. “What’s wrong with a camping trip? We used to do that years ago, and it was fun. I remember us sitting around the campfire singing and toasting marshmallows.”

“Camping!” Steffie cried. “You can’t be serious. I remember mosquitoes the size of Alabama.”

“But we had fun,” Norah reminded them.

“Maybe you did, but count me out,” Valerie said, laughing quickly. “My idea of roughing it is going without room service.” She glanced from one sister to the other, loving them both so much she thought she’d start to cry. Blinking rapidly, she stepped forward and flung her arms around her father’s neck.

“Take care of yourself,” she whispered.

“The dream,” he returned, his eyes bright and intense. “I was so sure….”

Valerie didn’t need to be reminded of her father’s dream. “Maybe someday it’ll happen.” But she didn’t believe it, any more than she believed the dead could come back to life.

“You’re going to say goodbye to Colby, aren’t you?” her father urged.

She’d been hoping to avoid it. But she realized it would be impossible to leave without saying something to Colby, who was her father’s doctor, her father’s guest. David released her and she saw that Colby was on his feet and moving toward her. Her pride would’ve been salvaged, at least a little, if he’d revealed even a hint of sadness. But from all outward appearances she was nothing more to him than a passing acquaintance. It was as if he’d never held her in his arms, never kissed her.

“Goodbye, Colby,” she said as cheerfully as she could. “Thank you for everything you did for Dad—for all of us. You were…wonderful.” She extended her hand, which he took in his own. His fingers tightened on hers, his grip almost painful.

“Goodbye, Valerie,” he said after a moment. As before, it was impossible to read his expression. “Have a safe trip.”

She nodded and turned away, afraid that if she didn’t leave soon, she’d do something utterly stupid, like burst into tears.

Everyone followed her to the front porch. Eager to get away now, Valerie hurried down the steps. Not bothering to open the trunk, she set her suitcase on the backseat.

“Phone once in a while, would you?” Steffie called.

Valerie nodded. “Take care of Dad, you two.”

“Bye, Val.” Norah pressed her fingers to her lips and blew her a kiss.

Rather than endure another round of farewells, Valerie slid into the driver’s seat and closed the door. She didn’t look at the porch for fear her eyes would meet Colby’s.

Escaping was what mattered. Fleeing before she made a fool of herself a second time over a man who didn’t want her.

She started the car, raised her hand in a brisk wave and pulled away. The tightness in her chest was so painful it was almost unbearable. For a moment she didn’t know if she’d be able to continue. The thought that she needed a doctor was what dispersed the horrible pain. It broke free on a bubble of hysterical laughter.

She needed a doctor, all right, a heart doctor. With the sound of her amusement still echoing in her ears, Valerie looked back one last time, her gaze seeking Colby’s.

Hard as it was, she managed a slow smile, a smile of gratitude for what they’d shared.

She drove away then and didn’t glance back.

Not even once.

Ten

For long minutes, no one said a word. Colby stood frozen on the Bloomfield porch, his eyes following Valerie’s rental car as it sped down the driveway. His hands knotted into tight fists at his sides, and his chest throbbed with suppressed emotion.

The timing of this visit couldn’t have been worse. He’d had no idea Valerie was leaving that morning, and like a fool he’d stumbled upon the scene. He cursed himself for not calling first.

He wasn’t sure what he’d been thinking when he’d decided to come here. No, that wasn’t true. Visiting David had been an excuse. He’d come to see Valerie. He’d hoped, perhaps, to find a private moment to talk to her. But for the life of him, he didn’t know what he’d intended to say. He certainly hadn’t changed his mind, hadn’t planned to sweep everything under the proverbial rug and pretend that love would conquer all. He’d leave that kind of idealism to the world’s romantics. He wasn’t one of them; he was a physician and he dealt with reality. He had no intention of deluding himself into believing he and Valerie had a chance together, even if she did entertain thoughts like that herself.

“I can’t believe this,” Stephanie cried, glaring at Colby. Tears swam in her eyes. He’d always considered weeping females cause for alarm; he never knew what to say to them.

But there’d been that time with Valerie, the night of David’s surgery, Colby reminded himself. She’d been sobbing out her grief and fear. With anyone else he would’ve sought another family member to offer the needed consolation. But he hadn’t looked for Norah that night. Instead he’d gone to Valerie himself. He’d felt his own terrible loss. He couldn’t hold out hope for her father’s recovery, not when everything indicated that David probably wouldn’t survive the night. And so he’d sat on the concrete bench beside her and placed his arm around her shoulders.

Valerie had turned to him, and buried her face against him. The surge of love he’d experienced in that moment was unlike anything he’d ever felt. Stroking her hair, he’d savored the feel of her in his arms.

“She’ll be back,” David said, interrupting Colby’s memories.

“No,” Stephanie argued in a trembling voice. “She won’t. Not for a long time.”

“Valerie’s not like that,” Norah said. “She’ll visit again. Soon.”

“Why should she, when everything she equates with home means pain? It’s too easy to stay away, too easy to make excuses and be satisfied with a phone call now and then.” Suspecting that David’s second daughter was speaking from experience, Colby studied her.

She must have felt his scrutiny because she turned suddenly, undisguised anger blazing from her eyes.

“You might be a wonderful surgeon,” she said, her gaze as hard as flint, “but you’re one of the biggest idiots I’ve ever met.”

Colby blinked in surprise, but before he could respond, Stephanie ran back inside the house. Shocked by the verbal attack, he looked at Norah. They’d worked together for a number of months and he’d always been fond of her.

“I couldn’t agree with my sister more,” Norah said with an uncharacteristic display of temper. “You are an idiot.” Having said that, she stormed into the house as well.

David chuckled, and Colby relaxed. At least one member of this family could appreciate the wisdom of his sacrifice. Stephanie and Norah acted as if he should be arrested. Both seemed to think it’d been easy for him to let Valerie drive away, although nothing was further from the truth. Even now he needed to grab hold of the railing to keep from racing after her.

If only she hadn’t turned at the last moment and looked straight at him. And smiled. The sweetest, most beautiful smile he’d ever seen. A smile that would haunt him to his grave.

“I love her,” Colby whispered, his eyes never leaving the driveway, although Valerie’s car was long out of sight. By now she was probably two miles down the road.

“I know,” David assured him.

Something in the older man’s tone made Colby glance at him. The inflection seemed to suggest that however much Colby might love Valerie, he didn’t love her enough. But he did! He loved her so much that he’d sent her out of his life. It seemed that no one, not even David Bloomfield, could appreciate the depth of his sacrifice.

“Rowdy Cassidy will be a much better husband for her than I ever would,” Colby said, steeling himself against the pain his own words produced.

“Maybe, but I doubt it,” David responded, walking over to his wicker rocking chair and lowering himself into it. “I don’t suppose you’ve noticed, but Valerie and I are a lot alike.”

Colby grinned. The similarity hadn’t exactly escaped him. Here were two people who each possessed a streak of stubbornness that was wider than the Mississippi. Both were intelligent, intuitive and ambitious. Hard-working. Single-minded.

“She’d never be happy living here in Orchard Valley,” Colby said, his gaze returning to the driveway. He couldn’t seem to make himself look away. It was as if that road was his only remaining connection to Valerie.

“You’re right, of course. Valerie would never be content in a small town again. Not after living in Houston.”

The reassurance should have eased the ache in his heart, but it didn’t. He told himself there was no reason to linger. Carrying on a polite conversation was beyond him, yet he didn’t seem to have the energy to leave.

“Did I ever tell you how I met Grace?”

“I believe you did.” Valerie must be three or four miles down the road by now, Colby estimated.

“Our courtship was a bit unusual. It isn’t every day a man woos a woman from a hospital bed.”

Colby nodded. Before long, Valerie would be close to the interstate, and then it would be impossible to catch her. Not that he was going to chase after her.

“Grace wasn’t keen on marrying me, for a number of reasons. All good ones, I might add. She loved me, that much I knew, but to her mind love wasn’t enough.”

David’s words diverted Colby’s attention from the road. He swiveled his gaze to the older man, who was rocking contentedly as though they were discussing something as mundane as the best bait for local trout.

“Grace was right. Sometimes love isn’t enough,” David added.

“In your case she was wrong,” Colby mumbled, displeased. For the first time he understood where this discussion was leading. Valerie’s father was going to force him to admit that he was as big an idiot as Stephanie and Norah had claimed. Though he might be a little more subtle about it.

“Not really. I knew I’d need to make some real changes before Grace would agree to marry me, but I was willing to make them because I knew something she didn’t.”

“What was that?”

A wistful look came over David, and his eyes grew hazy. “Deep in my soul, I knew I’d never love another woman the way I loved Grace. Deep in my soul, I recognized that she was the one chance I had in this life for real happiness. I could’ve done the noble thing and let her marry some nice young man. There were plenty who would’ve thanked me for the opportunity.”

“I see.”

“I have to tell you, though, it was the most difficult decision of my life. Marrying Grace was the biggest risk I ever took, but I never regretted it. Not once.”

Colby nodded. David was telling him exactly what he wanted to hear. He, too, had made his decision; he’d set Valerie free to find what happiness she could. Rowdy Cassidy was waiting in the wings, eager to step into his place. Eager to help her forget.