Page 14 of Blind Date with a #Doctor (Love Canyon: Blind Date #3)

Carter

Aspen is lit from within tonight. I see it in the way she glows under the ballroom lights, in the way she laughs so easily, so freely, her fingers laced with mine as she introduces me to her colleagues. I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud to stand beside someone.

She’s brilliant. Sharp. Confident. Effortlessly in control of any conversation she steps into.

I shake hands, make small talk, and watch as Aspen commands the room in a way that’s impossible to ignore. And the crazy part? She keeps looking back at me like I’m the one she’s excited to share this night with and for the first hour, I believe it.

I let myself sink into it—the easy way she touches me, the soft way she smiles, the way she tilts her chin up for a kiss every time I lean in. But then her ex-boyfriend Ryan shows up.

I see the exact moment Aspen notices him. Her entire body goes still, like some subconscious alarm went off inside her. And I don’t like that. Not at all.

I follow her gaze to where he’s stepping into the room—tall, polished, too comfortable. He belongs here more than I do. He’s used to this world in a way I’ll never be.

Ryan’s eyes land on Aspen and he smiles. The kind of smile that says he’s seen every version of her—the good, the bad, the private.

I hate that. I hate all of it. And when he starts walking toward us, I hate it even more.

“Aspen,” Ryan says smoothly. “You look amazing.”

Aspen takes a slow breath, straightens her shoulders. “Ryan.”

I don’t miss the way she locks her expression down tight. I also don’t miss the way he looks at her like he’s memorizing everything about her all over again. Then his gaze shifts to me.

“You must be Carter Reed.” He holds out a hand. I shake it, firm, controlled. He smirks. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Sorry I can’t say the same and it’s Dr. Reed.” I hate myself for being so insecure, but I hate that he’s seen my woman naked.

Aspen clears her throat. “What are you doing here, Ryan?”

He grins like he’s been waiting for her to ask. “I have some news.” His gaze flicks to me, then back to her. “I’ll be joining the firm next month.”

Aspen blinks. “What?”

Ryan shrugs. “Figured it was time to come home.”

Home, like he belongs here, like she’s part of the reason he’s coming back. Suddenly, I feel like an outsider in my own damn date.

Aspen’s face is carefully blank. I hate that I can’t read her, can’t tell what she’s thinking.

Ryan tilts his head, watching her. “You didn’t know?”

She shakes her head slowly. “No, I didn’t.”

And that? That’s when the doubt creeps in. Because I don’t know what this means. I don’t know if he means anything to her anymore. I suddenly feel very, very alone.

I watch them. I see the way Aspen struggles to find the right response. I watch the way Ryan watches her—comfortable, too familiar. And I’m seeing everything differently.

Maybe I was stupid to think I belonged here with her. This is her world. Polished attorneys, high-profile clients, a history I don’t understand. And Ryan? He fits into it. He understands it. He’s known her longer than I have.

He’s been a part of her life in a way I never will be and I hate how much that bothers me.

Aspen touches my arm, her voice soft. “Carter.”

I glance down at her. I don’t know what to do with my hands, where to put them, where to put myself. This night was perfect until five minutes ago. Until Ryan showed up and reminded me that Aspen used to belong to someone else. I’m afraid that maybe, in some ways, she still does.

Aspen is quiet on the way home. So am I. What I’m feeling isn’t just jealousy. It’s doubt and I can feel the weight of it.

I park outside her place, and she shifts to face me.

“Are you okay?” she asks, and she sounds hesitant. Like she can already feel me pulling away.

I could lie, could tell her I’m fine, that this doesn’t bother me. Instead, I make up an excuse. “I have an early morning,” I say, forcing a small smile. “Probably better if I don’t stay tonight.”

Her face falls, just for a second, but then she nods. “Okay.”

I kiss her softly, but it’s different. I can see it in her eyes. She’s confused and hurt.

When she steps inside, I sit in my truck for a long time, staring at the steering wheel, wondering if I just made a mistake.