Page 7 of One Reckless Night

“Yes,” I said, crouching down so I was at eye level with her. “I need to talk to you about your son’s surgery.”

The father leaned forward, his hands clasped tightly. “What’s going on? Is everything okay? The nurse said he hadn’t been taken back.”

I took a deep breath, choosing my words carefully. “Your son’s tumor is in a very delicate location. The approach Dr. Mitchell wants to take is… conservative. But I believe we need to be more aggressive if we’re going to save his life. I don’t want to give you a few months. I want to give you years. If all goes well, decades. A long, natural life.”

The mother’s eyes filled with tears. She reached for her husband’s hand. “What does that mean?”

“It means I want to remove the entire tumor,” I said, my voice steady. “But Dr. Mitchell doesn’t agree with my approach. He’s not willing to take the risk.”

The father’s face hardened. “So, what are our options?”

“I can take your son to my facility in Key West,” I said. “I’ll perform the surgery there, and I’ll do everything in my power to save his life.”

The mother’s face fell. “Key West? But… we can’t afford that. The travel, the surgery… it’s too much. We barely got the insurance to approve this surgery. We had to take a second mortgage on our house just to pay our portion. We’re tapped out.”

I shook my head. “You won’t pay a dime. Not for the surgery, not for the travel, not for anything. I’ll cover all of it.”

The parents stared at me, their eyes wide with disbelief. “Why would you do that?” the father asked, his voice rough with emotion.

“Because your son deserves a chance,” I said simply. “And I’m not going to let money or politics stand in the way of that.”

The mother burst into tears, clutching her husband’s hand. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you so much. Please. Please help us.”

I stood up, nodding to Clair. “Dr. Morgan will give you all the details. We’ll get your son transferred as soon as possible.”

I stepped out into the hallway, Shawn following close behind. “Jared, you can’t just offer free surgeries to everyone,” he said, his voice low. “You’re not a charity.”

“Why not?” I asked, turning to face him. “I’ve got the money. And if I can save a life, why shouldn’t I?”

Shawn sighed, running a hand through his hair. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

“So I’ve been told,” I said, smirking.

Clair joined us a few minutes later, her notes clutched tightly in her hands. “They’re on board,” she said. “I’ll get everything arranged for the transfer.”

“Good,” I said, nodding. “Let’s get out of here.”

“How do you go from being a world-class dick to the nicest guy on the planet?” Shawn asked.

“I am who I am,” I said with a wink.

We left the hospital and climbed into my car, a sleek black sports car that purred to life as I started the engine. Shawn groaned as I peeled out of the parking lot, but I ignored him, weaving through traffic with ease. The private airport wasn’t far. Within minutes, we were pulling up to the tarmac where my jet was waiting.

As we boarded, I noticed Clair glancing at her phone. “What’s the hold-up?” I asked, sinking into my seat and opening my laptop.

“We’re waiting for the new researcher,” Clair said, her voice excited. “She’s hitching a ride with us.”

I shrugged, not particularly interested. Researchers were Clair’s domain, not mine. Let them get some results and then I might learn their name. I was about to dive into my emails when I saw an Uber pull up on the tarmac. I couldn’t see who got out, but Clair jumped up, her face lighting up.

“That’s her!” she said, practically bouncing on her toes. “Shawn, you have to meet her. I tracked her down at the hotel last night—she’s incredible. Her research on Alzheimer’s and TBI is groundbreaking.”

Shawn raised an eyebrow. “Sounds impressive.”

“It is,” Clair said, her eyes shining. “I can’t wait to pick her brain.”

I barely glanced up as the new researcher boarded the plane, but when I did, I froze. It was her. The woman from the bar last night—the one who’d walked away from me without a second glance. She was even more stunning in the daylight, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders, her curves accentuated by a fitted blouse and pencil skirt. She had a full figure, the kind that made it impossible to look away, and for a moment, I was completely captivated.

Clair practically dragged her over, introducing her to Shawn. “This is Dr. Amelia Pritchard,” she said, her voice brimming with excitement. “Amelia, this is Shawn, one of our senior surgeons.”

Shawn shook her hand, smiling warmly. “Nice to meet you, Dr. Pritchard. Clair hasn’t stopped talking about your work. Exciting stuff.”

Amelia smiled. “It’s nice to meet you too.”

Then Clair turned to me. “And this is Dr. Jared Welch.”

I gave Amelia a cocky smile, leaning back in my seat. “We’ve met.”

Her eyes narrowed, and I could practically feel the heat of her glare. If looks could kill, I’d be flat on the floor. But she didn’t say a word, just turned and followed Clair to her seat.

I risked a glance at her as she sat down, taking in the way her skirt hugged her hips, the way her blouse stretched just slightly over her chest. She was gorgeous, no doubt about it, but there was something else—something sharp and unyielding—that made her even more intriguing.

I couldn’t help but wonder if she was going to be a problem. But then again, I’d never been one to back down from a challenge. And something told me Dr. Amelia Pritchard was going to be one hell of a challenge.