Trey Williams left an abusive home
life when he was just a teenager and started living on the streets. Without a
high school diploma and no way to get a job, Trey turned to a life of
prostitution. One night, Trey gets jumped by a group of hooded strangers.
Beaten and broken and with nowhere to go, Trey is taken to the Belt Buckle
Ranch to recover from his injuries.
Doctor Jon Perry is called out to
the ranch for a medical emergency. When Jon sees Trey, he’s shocked by the
young man’s condition. Jon stays by Trey’s side, nursing him back to health. He
feeds Trey, changes his bandages, and bathes him. Jon cares for Trey and, over
time, their relationship grows. But Trey has difficulty adjusting.
While Trey’s body may be healing,
his memories still haunt him. In order to have a future, he’s going to have to
face the past
Story Excerpt:
Trey Williams slept as the pain medication worked its way
through his system. When the car started bouncing along a gravel road, he
slowly peeled his eyelids open and looked
around. A surge of relief swept through his
system, and moisture filled Trey’s eyes
as he choked back a sob. The gratitude he felt toward Oliver and the
rest of the men rocked the foundation of Trey’s life, and he knew things would never
be the same again.
When the car passed under a large
wooden sign that read Belt Buckle Ranch,
Trey tried to smile, but his swollen lips wouldn’t even twitch. Trey glanced
around and took in the beautiful surroundings. Large, snow-capped mountains set
up the backdrop for the most picturesque place Trey had ever seen in his life.
The land was sprinkled with snow, showing small patches of greenery throughout
the open space.
Looking back, Trey realized that
signing himself out of the hospital against doctor’s orders wasn’t the best
idea, but he couldn’t stand the smell of the sterile environment. It brought
back a lot of memories from his childhood. The place made him physically ill, and even though he had been beaten to a
bloody pulp, he couldn’t force himself to stay. Once he was conscious, Trey checked
himself out and left.
He
hadn’t taken into account the amount of pain he’d be in once the IVs
were removed and the pain medication left his system. Trey barely made it back to
the apartment before collapsing in agony.
When
the car came to an abrupt stop, Trey pushed the memory away. He wasn’t
there any longer, so there was no sense
in thinking about it. Coming back to the present,
Trey’s eyes landed on a group of men standing on the porch of a two-story ranch
house. They started walking toward the car,
and Trey’s body shook uncontrollably as fear
consumed him. He knew the men weren’t going to hurt him, but the feeling
wouldn’t subside.
Oliver seemed to sense his distress. He jumped out of the car and
intercepted the group, sending them away.
Taking a few deep breathes, Trey tried
to calm his frayed nerves. Once the group had dispersed, Trey was relieved. Not
just because of his anxiety, but because he didn’t want anyone else staring at
him as if he were a circus freak. Having Oliver, Hank, and Robbie look at him
with pity shining brightly in their eyes
was bad enough.
The door opened, and Oliver leaned in the car. He wrapped his right arm
around Trey’s waist, holding him close. “Lean on me. Take your time. I don’t
want you to hurt yourself.”
Trey nodded. He prepared himself
for a severe amount of pain before moving his left leg. He stepped on the ground and shifted his weight. He started to
stand, but Oliver took over, helping Trey to his feet in one fluid motion.
“I’m Dr. Jon Perry,” an older gentleman,
in his early forties, introduced himself. “But, you can call me, Jon.”
The man had tousled brown hair with silver strands painted throughout the thick
locks. His eyes were kind, and he had a
gentle smile. Looking at the man gave Trey an automatic sense of peace.
“I’m
going to wrap my arm around your waist so that I can help you inside. We
have to walk up a flight of stairs to one of the guest rooms. If you need to
stop for a break, just let us know.”
Dr. Perry and Oliver allowed him to
lean on them, holding him securely as they walked toward the house. With each
step, Trey felt himself growing weak and tired, but he pushed himself to keep
going. By the time he stepped over the threshold of the large farmhouse, Trey was wheezing.
Oliver and Dr. Perry immediately
stopped. They gave him a few minutes to catch his breath and pull himself
together. Panting heavily, Trey’s head dropped forward,
and he closed his eyes. He couldn’t ever remember being so weak. Then again, he’d
never been beaten within an inch of his life.
“Hank,” Oliver said. “Can you get
me some water, please?”
After a couple minutes, Trey stood
up a little straighter and lifted his head. Oliver pressed the water bottle
against his lips. A few drops dribbled out,
and Trey licked the opening, trying to take a drink of the water, but his
swollen mouth wouldn’t cooperate. Most of the cold
liquid ended up on the front of his shirt, but he did manage to take a few
small sips.
“I’m good,” he told them.
“We’re going to take one stair at a
time,” Dr. Perry told him.
Trey nodded in agreement. He knew
they couldn’t stand in the entryway all day, but he wasn’t sure how much more
he’d be able to take. The pain medication was wearing off. Every ache and pain
rushed through his system. Lifting his foot, Trey stepped up. He took a few
stairs before stopping once again.
