A Doctor's Vow. Lois Richer

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СКАЧАТЬ to forgive,” Kent told her, his voice hoarse. “You were hurting. Your sister had just died. You were angry that God hadn’t healed her the way you expected and you lashed out. I understood.”

      “You always did.” Jaclyn’s voice softened to a whisper. “Of all the people in Hope, you were the only one who did. But I shouldn’t have let you take the fall, even for the few days it took to get my act together. I’m sorry.”

      “I’m glad I could help.” High-school Jaclyn had drawn his sympathy, but this woman disarmed him. His throat was dry. He took a sip of his tea but it didn’t seem to help. Nor did it stop the rush of awareness that she was the first woman to come into Lisa’s kitchen since—

      “You helped me more than you ever knew. I won’t forget that.” After an introspective silence her expression changed, her voice lightened. “I don’t suppose we could go into town and look at your dad’s building tonight? Don’t answer. I can see ‘no’ written all over your face. How about tomorrow morning? Say, seven-thirty?”

      “Do you ever give up?” he asked in exasperation.

      Jaclyn stilled. “Not when it comes to my dreams.”

      “This clinic is your dream?” Kent knew it was from the expression on her face. He also knew he wanted to help her achieve it. “I’ll ask a friend of mine to check out my dad’s old office as soon as he can. But be warned it will probably need a painting, at the very least. The company that opened the new silver mine on the other side of Hope was in there last and they weren’t gentle.”

      “Your dad’s retired now, I suppose? He and your mom were such a loving couple. I remember she once told my mom the ranch was your dad’s weekend toy but he intended to make it a full-time job after retirement.” She tilted her head to one side, studying the fancy kitchen. “Your mom must love this. Everything here looks brand-new.”

      “It is. My wife had it redone several years ago. My parents died in a car accident, Jaclyn. That’s why I came back to Hope.” Kent clamped his lips together.

      “Oh, no!” She shook her head sadly. “Losing your parents must have been hard.”

      “Yes, it was.”

      After a long silence, she asked, “Is your wife here? I’d like to meet her. There aren’t a lot of the kids from our class in Hope anymore. Since my parents sold our ranch right after I finished high school, I’ve kind of lost touch.”

      Kent stiffened. But he had to tell her. She’d hear it from someone in town anyway. Better that he laid out the bare truth. Maybe when she knew, she’d stay away and let him get back to his solitary life.

      “My wife was Lisa Steffens.”

      “I remember Lisa—”

      “She’s dead,” he blurted out.

      “Oh, Kent. I’m so truly sorry.”

      “She died in a fire. A fire I set.” Kent wished he could have avoided rehashing the past.

      Jaclyn blinked. She studied him for several moments before she said, “You didn’t do it deliberately. I know you and you couldn’t have done that.”

      “You don’t know me anymore, Jaclyn.”

      “I don’t think you’ve become a murderer, Kent.” She held his gaze. “Do you mind telling me what happened?”

      Jaclyn’s presence in his house made the place come alive as it hadn’t in a very long time. She brought color to the cold stainless steel, life to the gray tones that only reminded him of death and guilt. From somewhere deep inside a rush of yearning gripped Kent, a yearning to share his life with someone who would talk, listen and laugh with him. If only he could enjoy Jaclyn’s company and the hope that was so much a part of her aura—just for a little while.

      “Not tonight.” He drew back, regrouped.

      Once Kent had dreamed of happiness, a family, a future on this ranch. He’d failed Lisa and he’d never have that now. But he had to go on; he couldn’t get sidetracked by his crazy attraction to Jaclyn LaForge, no matter how strong. He admired her courage in returning to Hope, in sticking to her promise to her sister, but he desperately needed to resume his carefully structured world because that was the only way he could survive the guilt.

      It wasn’t his job to get Jaclyn a new clinic. He didn’t want to get involved. He didn’t want concerns about whether her foot would heal properly or get infected. And he sure didn’t want his heart thudding every time he saw her.

      Every instinct Kent possessed screamed Run!

      “I’ll meet you at the building tomorrow morning at eight,” he heard himself say.

      Chapter Two

      “This is a beautiful building. The windows give amazing light.”

      “Say it, Jaclyn. There’s a lot of work needed here.” Kent leaned against a doorframe, probably running a repair tab in his mind. Then his gaze rested on her.

      Jaclyn frowned. Maybe he was waiting for her to say she didn’t want to rent his father’s building.

      “Correction—more than a lot of work.” Kent kept staring at her.

      “Perhaps once all the borders are removed?” Jaclyn trailed her finger across a wall.

      “My mom went a little over the top with the borders,” Kent admitted. “She loved the themes and colors of southwest decorating.”

      His wife definitely hadn’t. Jaclyn wondered why Lisa had chosen the gray color scheme for her kitchen. High-tech certainly, but it seemed clinical, with nothing to soften the harsh materials or unwelcoming, austere colors. Her curiosity about Lisa’s death had been tweaked by Kent’s admission that he set the fire. Jaclyn knew there was no way he’d have deliberately hurt her. Kent had been in love with Lisa since seventh grade.

      While Kent became all business, talking about support beams and studs, her attention got sidetracked as her eyes took in an unforgettable picture. The handsome vet probably couldn’t care less what he looked like, but he was without a doubt what Jaclyn’s friend Shay would say was hunk material.

      A moment later Kent’s dark blue gaze met hers and one eyebrow arched.

      She’d missed something. Heat burned her cheeks. “Sorry?”

      “I said it’s going to be a while before you can move in here.”

      “A while meaning what, exactly?” She hadn’t been staring. Well, not intentionally.

      Liar.

      “Are you okay?” Kent tilted his head to study her. “You look kind of funny.”

      “I’m fine.” Jaclyn cleared her throat. Business. Concentrate on business. “You’re telling me there’s work that has to be done here, which I know. How long will that take?”

      “I can’t tell you that.” Kent frowned. “Since the mine opened last spring, a lot СКАЧАТЬ