Page 22 of Rescuing Dr. Marian (Made Marian Legacy #1)

When I’d said as much to Tommy the other night, though, those hazel eyes had twinkled at me, and he’d shaken his head.

“Sometimes it takes people a minute to find their footing in a new situation,” he’d reminded me gently.

“Why don’t you talk to him and find out what his deal really is?

Or, at the very least, give him a fair shake and a chance to prove himself? ”

This made sense, so I’d decided to see what Jasper was capable of .

“Any questions?” I asked the group.

“What about the dog?” asked Jenna, a guide from Utah who’d been skeptical of Chickie from day one. “She’s still pretty young. Can we rely on her?”

I glanced down at Chickie, who was sitting at perfect attention despite the chaos around us. “Consider her a student, just like yourself. She’ll rise to the challenge today, or she won’t. Since this is a learning experience for everyone, there’s no failure here, only opportunity for more learning.”

As the teams finished their gear checks, I caught sight of Tommy in my peripheral vision.

He was crouched next to his medical kit, walking one of his students through proper medication dosing for altitude sickness.

Even from this far away, I could hear the patience in his voice, the way he turned a complex calculation into something his student could actually understand and remember.

The guy was a natural teacher. Hell, he was a natural at most things he tried, which should have been annoying but somehow just made me want to watch him work.

Or take him back to the cabin and watch him being a natural at other new things?—

“Foster?” Sarah’s voice snapped me back to attention. “We ready to move out?”

Right. Yes. Focus.

“Yeah. Gear up,” I called. “Let’s move before our storm comes in.”

The first hour on the trail was exactly what I’d expected—controlled chaos as my team tried to remember everything they’d learned while navigating terrain that seemed designed to trip them up. Gradually, though, they found their rhythm.

Jasper proved he had the backbone for leadership, making decisive calls about witness interviews and search patterns while keeping everyone focused on the task at hand. Sarah backed him up without trying to take over, and even Jenna started working with Chickie instead of around her.

“Hold up. Our twelve o’clock, about forty yards,” Jasper called out, pointing a finger. His voice carried easily across the rocky terrain. “Marcus on scope, see anything?”

Marcus pulled up his binoculars, scanning the tree line. “Nothing yet. Wait—is that fabric caught on that pine branch?”

“Good eye, Jasper,” Tommy called, adjusting his medical pack as his group picked their way up the slope to join mine. “Foster, remind me again why you couldn’t have hidden our victim somewhere with less elevation change? My quads are filing a formal complaint.”

“Lightweight city boy,” I muttered, shooting him a wink. “Forty-five minutes of hiking and you’re already whining. What happened to all that residency stamina?”

“That was standing stamina. For twelve-hour shifts in climate-controlled buildings with vending machines every fifty feet.” Tommy paused, making a show of pressing his hand to his chest. “This is cruel and unusual punishment.”

“Marcus,” I called to one of the students, giving Tommy a chance to catch his breath. “What’s your next move?”

“Assess the evidence quickly but carefully,” Marcus replied promptly. “And maybe leave Dr. Marian here to recover? ”

“Hey!” Tommy protested with a breathy laugh. “I’ll have you know I was an excellent rock climber in college.”

“ Was being the operative word,” I teased, steadying Tommy’s elbow as he nearly slipped on loose rock. “When were you in college again? When the Beatles were hot?”

“How about Imagine Dragons? I’m only thirty-two, you ass. Two years younger than you, I might add.”

Chickie bounded ahead of the group, nose to the ground, tail wagging frantically. She’d definitely caught something.

“At least someone’s doing their job properly,” I observed, watching Chickie work. “Unlike certain medical professionals who are too busy complaining to notice we’ve got visual contact with our target.”

Tommy glanced at the “injured hiker”—actually Robyn in a torn shirt and dramatic fake blood—waving weakly from behind a boulder about twenty yards ahead. “I’m here in a supervisory role, Sheriff. My team can handle the medical assessment. I run a tight ship.”

He dropped his pack and stretched. “Where are those endorphins I learned about in medical school?” he asked with a grin.

“I thought you were one of those good-boy types. Didn’t Matthew say you two went to the same gym?”

He grinned. “Working out in a New York gym is different. Surprisingly low altitude variance, for one thing. And much thicker air.”

My cohort stood nearby and chuckled at Tommy’s teasing. Jasper asked, “Wishing we’d had this drill in Brooklyn instead?”

Tommy shrugged and pulled one knee up in an exaggerated glute stretch. “Nah. I’ve always loved this mountain. There’s nothing I miss about New York—except I wouldn’t mind if someone would set up some food trucks out by the trailhead.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, the sound echoing off the rocks and trees around us. “Not likely, Doc. But how about we take these guys out for pizza and beer tonight?”

“If you’re talking about Timber, you’ve got a deal.”

We were standing closer now, the familiar rhythm of our banter pulling us into our own little bubble despite the crowd around us. Tommy’s eyes were bright with laughter, and I caught myself staring at the way the light caught the gold flecks in his irises.

Dangerous territory. We were supposed to be professional out here.

Thankfully, Omar, one of the med cohort students assessing the “victim,” asked Tommy a question, causing him to move closer to Robyn for the response.

My SAR group and I huddled together to determine the best way to extract her back to the trailhead safely.

Forty minutes later, when we’d finished rigging up the ropes and harness and successfully sent Robyn off in a fictional ambulance, we began our walk back to SERA from the trailhead.

Tommy and I ended up at the back of the pack, watching the students chatting excitedly ahead of us, proud of a job well done.

This—this day, this rhythm, this partnership between our teams—was what happiness could look like. Two people who were good at their jobs, good together, building something that mattered.

Tommy glanced over at me. “This kind of medicine… it’s exactly what I went to medical school for. The improvisation, the teamwork, working with limited resources…”

He trailed off, but I caught the wistful note in his voice. The longing.

Then stay , I wanted to say. Stay here and do this kind of work. Stay close to me.

Instead, I deflected. “Better than standing in some fluorescent-lit ER all day, right?”

Tommy glanced at me for a beat before plastering on a smile. “In summer, maybe. In winter, the ER seems downright cozy compared to dangling off a rock face in the ice and wind.”

I thought back to that exact same scenario I’d been in only six months before.

“Been there,” I muttered, making him laugh.

“No shit?”

I nodded and met his eyes. “The day I met you, actually.”

Before I could tell him the story, Robyn appeared. “Great work today, you two,” she said. “Tommy, can I grab you for a quick debrief before lunch?”

He smiled at her, an expression that seemed more genuine than the one he’d given me.

The sharp bite of jealousy surprised me.

I knew Robyn was interested in Tommy, if her flirty smiles and the way she swished her ponytail were any indication, but I hadn’t sensed any particular interest on his part .

You’re being ridiculous , I warned myself. And besides, it doesn’t matter. This is a summer fling. Physical only, remember?

I knew better than to want more than that.

Didn’t I?

As the teams dispersed and headed for lunch, I found myself standing alone at the trailhead with Chickie, watching Tommy disappear down the path.

Even from here, I could see him falling into easy conversation with Robyn and the students around them, his natural charisma drawing everyone to him like a magnet.

Chickie whined softly and pressed against my leg, as if she could sense my mood shifting. I reached down to scratch her ears, grateful for her uncomplicated affection.

“Come on, girl,” I said, shouldering my pack. “Let’s go get something to eat.”

But as we walked toward the dining hall, I couldn’t shake the image of Tommy’s face when he’d talked about this kind of medicine. The way his whole expression had lit up, like he was remembering who he used to be before hospital politics and city life wore him down.

And I couldn’t stop wondering what would have happened if I’d been brave enough to say what I was really thinking.

Stay. Please. Just stay.

Let’s figure it out together.