Semiautomatic Marriage. Leona Karr

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СКАЧАТЬ poked his head out of his office. “I thought I heard your voice, Adam. Come in. I saw you drive away with Dr. Leigh. Bring me up-to-date.”

      “There’s not much to update,” he confessed as he dropped into one of the leather office chairs. “I spent a couple of hours with her. She listened, asked a few questions and said she’d be in touch.”

      “Do you think she’ll come around once the shock of all this wears off a little?”

      “Damn, I don’t know what to think. We both know she could be in danger the minute she steps inside Horizon Pharmaceuticals. Carolyn is as sharp as they come, and it’s a given that she won’t be played for any kind of patsy. One way or another, she’ll educate herself about the business, and without realizing it, she may bring to light something that will force a killer into action.”

      “Do you think that’s what happened to her grandfather?” asked the lawyer.

      “I’m convinced of it.” Adam ran agitated fingers through his hair. “Someone is determined to use Horizon for the shipment of black-market drugs, and Carolyn could be an innocent victim of their treachery if she gets too close to the truth.”

      “Well, you’ll have a better chance to protect her if you’re on the scene as her husband. Didn’t you explain that to her?”

      “I didn’t want to scare her into agreeing to my plan, but I gave her enough background for her to realize that this isn’t just a parlor game someone is playing. I’m not sure she’s convinced that Horizon is involved. I wish I had more concrete evidence to support the theory that someone in the company is raking in big bucks by diverting these drugs overseas.” He sighed. “For some reason, I was hoping to appeal to a deeper commitment to see justice done.”

      “That’s a lot to expect from a young woman whose been treated as disposable by almost everyone in her life. You have to admire her for her accomplishments.”

      “I do. Very much.” He felt admiration and a great deal more, he silently admitted. Carolyn Leigh had touched him on more levels than he thought possible. An unbidden sweet heat curled deep within him when he looked at her, and it had been a long time since he’d wanted to touch a woman, to feel her skin beneath his fingertips and lips. He shifted uncomfortably in the leather chair as if Bancroft might be able to read his lustful thoughts.

      “What are you going to do now?”

      “I’m trying to make up my mind. It’s a delicate balance, trying to put pressure on her, or backing off and hoping that she’ll come around before it’s too late.” Adam’s jaw tightened. “One thing’s for sure. Come hell or high water, I hope I’m with her when she innocently steps into a situation that has all the earmarks of internal combustion.”

      CAROLYN GLANCED AT the clock. Five-fifteen. The clinic closed at six, so she had time for one more patient. She signaled for Rosie to send someone into her examination room.

      “Hello,” she said, smiling at the young Mexican couple with a baby who’d entered the examining room. The father spoke halting English.

      “You make José well?” he asked anxiously. They were itinerant farm workers and their six-month-old baby had taken ill with a cough and fever. The mother looked no older than seventeen.

      Carolyn quickly examined the infant and determined that his illness was due to strep throat, which could be controlled with antibiotics. The medication needed to be taken for two weeks. Since it was expensive, Carolyn checked their supply of sample medications. She plucked three small bottles from the shelf, an amount that would cover the two-week period.

      As she held them in her hand, ready to give to the anxious parents, she glanced at the label. Horizon Pharmaceuticals.

      Her hand tightened on the bottles. Since the rest of the samples had been safely given out, Carolyn rationalized that they must have contained genuine safe antibiotics.

      But what if they weren’t safe? Adam’s compelling voice echoed in her ears. Her mouth went dry, and for a long moment she just stood there staring at the bottles in her hand. In her mind’s eye she saw herself handing over medication that was faulty—and could kill.

      “Miss Doctor, something is matter?” asked the young man, worried by Carolyn’s sudden stillness.

      “No, nothing,” she quickly assured him. She disposed of the bottles in her hand and handed him three that had come from a different supplier. She spoke slowly and carefully, making sure he understood when to give the medication to the baby.

      “Bless you, bless you,” the mother kept saying as Carolyn walked them out to the waiting room with them.

      Rosie quickly locked the door after them. “Whew, what a day. Dr. McPherson took off early and left me with a mound of paperwork.” She eyed Carolyn’s preoccupied look with suspicion. “You look miles away. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you had a man on your mind.”

      “How did you know?” Carolyn took a deep breath and gave Rosie a tentative smile. “I’m thinking about getting married.”

      Chapter Three

      Adam stood up as Carolyn and a dark-haired young woman came out of the clinic. He’d been sitting on one of the benches on the small porch outside the front door. According to a posted sign, the clinic closed at six. It was a few minutes past, and he was wondering what to do if she didn’t appear soon.

      When she saw him, a startled expression crossed her face. He gave her a warm smile in the hope of defusing some of her expected indignation.

      “I wanted to make sure you had a way home,” he said quickly. “Your car was gone from the parking lot, and I didn’t know whether it was running or not.”

      He tried to read her reaction as she walked slowly toward him, and steeled himself for a brisk rebuttal or an ice-cold glare. What he never expected in a million years was for her to give him a bright, welcoming smile.

      As she moved to his side, she said, “How sweet of you, darling.”

      When she slipped a possessive arm through his, Adam had trouble masking his astonishment. Was this the same woman he dropped off only a few hours ago?

      “I was just talking about you and our whirlwind courtship,” Carolyn continued, still smiling. “Rosie, meet Adam Lawrence, my fiancé.”

      Rosie gave him a frank, measuring look. “I can’t believe this.”

      Neither can I, Adam admitted silently, thankful for the experience he’d had in shifting his perspective on a second’s notice. Smiling pleasantly, he said, “Nice to meet you, Rosie.”

      “Likewise, but I tell you, this is a doozy of a surprise. Imagine Carolyn keeping something like this a secret! I’ve been telling her she should be looking around for someone to keep her tootsies warm at night, but every time I tried to line up some available guy, she’d give me that ‘Cool it, Rosie,’ look. Now I know why. Are you from around here, Adam?” she asked, and added pointedly, “What do you do?”

      Adam sensed Carolyn stiffen. Her muscles tensed as if she was going to try to answer. Before she could, Adam said smoothly, “Well, it’s kind of hard to explain what I do, Rosie. I guess you could say my title is corporation efficiency expert. What that СКАЧАТЬ