Falling For The Single Dad. Lisa Carter

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СКАЧАТЬ Izzie scrambled onto the bed of the truck. The truck rocked. Caroline wobbled.

      “Careful, Monkey Girl...” His hand cupped Caroline’s elbow to steady her.

      The lady vet’s eyes cut from his hand to his face. He reddened and let go of her.

      “I realize we haven’t been formally introduced, but did you just call me a monkey?” Her lips curved into a smile. “Or should I assume that term of endearment was directed at Izzie?”

      He decided the turtle lady had a nice smile. Nice sense of humor, too.

      Weston’s hand tingled from the touch of her skin on his. If this was his reaction to the less-than-sociable lady vet, he needed to get out more.

      Izzie laughed. “Silly Daddy calls me his monkey all the time.”

      His Adam’s apple bobbed. He nodded like an idiot. And flushed again.

      Maybe the church ladies were right. Way past time for some female companionship. Nothing wrong with a friend from the opposite gender.

      Izzie scooped a handful of water. “What’s going to happen to Turtle Mama?” She allowed it to trickle through her fingers onto the turtle.

      The turtle lady gave Izzie what he guessed to be a highly redacted version of the surgical procedure.

      “Can I watch?”

      “I’m afraid not.” Caroline’s brow puckered. “We try, like at the people hospital, to keep everything as sterile—I mean germ free—as possible. Have you ever visited a people hospital before?”

      His daughter squeezed Caroline’s fingers and hopped from the bed of the truck. “Last fall when Max’s baby was born. Babies are so sweet.” Izzie sighed.

      Weston tweaked the end of Izzie’s nose. “Babies are also smelly and loud and take your favorite toys.”

      “You know Max Scott?” Caroline’s mouth pulled downward. “Of course you know the Duers, if you know Sawyer Kole. Everybody knows everybody in good ol’ Kiptohanock.”

      Her lips twisted. “You can’t flush a toilet at one end without the other end knowing.”

      Izzie snuggled under her father’s arm. “Max and I are sorta friends.”

      Weston grabbed Izzie into a headlock. “Sort of doesn’t quite capture it.”

      He ruffled Izzie’s red mane. “Try compadre in mischief. Best buddy in mayhem. Bonnie to Max’s Clyde. When they’re not aggravating the tar out of each other, that is.”

      Izzie laughed and broke free.

      Caroline reached toward Izzie’s tousled hair. “You messed up her—” She dropped her hand. “Not my business.”

      No, it wasn’t. Izzie’s hair and his parenting style—which he was all too aware lacked a feminine touch—was none of the lady vet’s business.

      She shoved the turtle pool farther into the truck and slammed the tailgate with a bang.

      Izzie plucked at Caroline’s shirt. “But how will I know if Turtle Mama is okay?”

      As if she couldn’t help herself, Caroline brushed a stray ringlet out of Izzie’s face. “I’ll give you a call later and let you know how Turtle Mama—I mean the turtle—is doing. Okay?”

      Her words were directed at Izzie, but she glanced at him. “I’ll get your cell number from Roland.”

      “Roland?”

      “Dr. Teague at VIMS.”

      Weston shifted. “I’m assuming you’re a doctor, too.”

      She dropped her gaze and stared at her coral-painted toes. “I don’t use the title much. Most people just call me Caroline.”

      Why did this feel like he was pulling line on a hammerhead shark? “Caroline... What?”

      Her gaze skipped to the top of the lighthouse before returning to him. “It’s Duer. Caroline Duer.”

      Weston rocked on his heels. “Seth Duer’s absentee daughter?” His heart raced. “The daughter who abandoned her family for her career.”

      Could he pick ’em or what? He scowled. Yet another instance of epic misjudgment on his part. Good thing he’d found out before it was too late. Too late for Izzie. And for him?

      Tensing, he pulled Izzie closer and put distance between them and Caroline. The gesture wasn’t lost on the intelligent lady vet.

      She swallowed. “I see my reputation precedes me.”

      Then her face blanked like a hurricane shutter nailed over a window. “And yes. I’m that Caroline Duer.”

       Chapter Four

      Recalling Weston Clark’s fierce scowl, Caroline felt tears burning her eyelids the entire journey from the Neck to VIMS. Izzie tugged on heartstrings Caroline didn’t know she possessed. And Caroline had been getting along so nicely with Izzie’s handsome ex–Coast Guard father, too, until—

      Until she told him her name.

      “What can’t be cured, must be endured.” A saying of her father’s, which had become a self-fulfilling prophecy for Caroline’s life thus far.

      At the sloshing sounds from the back of the SUV, Caroline monitored the Kemp’s ridley from the rearview mirror. She sighed as she bypassed Kiptohanock for Wachapreague. She might not be able to bring about reconciliation with her family, but she could make a difference in the endangered turtle’s life and with the other sea creatures she’d have a chance to save over the course of the summer.

      She was pleased to find her interns moved into the dormitory when she arrived at the makeshift surgical center. She’d need their assistance to help Izzie’s turtle mama.

      Caroline bit her lip. In her experience, it was best not to get too attached to the animals. Much less attached to humans, who were unpredictable and unreliable. When and if the female was deemed sea-ready, the turtle would be tagged for tracking and released into the open ocean once more.

      Hours later, Caroline emerged from surgery and wiped the sweat off her brow with her hand. Her students would settle the Kemp’s ridley into the tank and monitor the turtle’s vital signs.

      She’d managed to save all but a small portion of one of the turtle’s flippers. Barring infection, she was optimistic as to the turtle’s chances of survival and eventual release into the turtle’s natural habitat. Which, of course, was the ultimate goal of the pilot program.

      Behind the westerly horizon of the trees, the setting sun cast a molten glow upon the water in the harbor. Still in scrubs, she paused on the steps of the institute to take in the view of an Eastern Shore sunset. Her stomach growled. Lunch at the Island House with Roland had been hours ago.

      After СКАЧАТЬ