Healing The Md's Heart. Nicole Foster

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СКАЧАТЬ her own sense of self, her ideas of love and commitment. Red flags immediately went up and he knew one thing for certain. He had to get to know Lia Kerrigan a lot better before allowing his son to get any closer or investing more of himself in her.

      They rode along in an awkward silence for several minutes, the only sound a muffled clop of the horses’ hooves through tall grass. Ahead of them, the sound of the kids’ talking and laughing made happy music on the breeze.

      When he turned to her, he found her watching him, her eyes now veiled in caution. “I’ve scared you, haven’t I? You didn’t grow up at all the way I did.”

      “No, I didn’t. In fact, you’d probably call my life dull compared to yours. My parents, who were quite a bit older than is typical by the time they decided to adopt, loved me and doted on me, but I never felt spoiled, exactly. We didn’t have a lot of money, but we did have a lot of love in our house, Mom and Dad for each other and each of them for me. I guess that’s why I grew up being naive to the fact that all marriages are not so idyllic.” Unwillingly, the memory of the day Amber walked out on Noah and him reared up from the dark corner of his mind where he’d shoved it. He shook his head in remembered anger and pain. “Mine certainly wasn’t.”

      “I’m sorry. I’ve never been married, but I have been through more breakups and separations, mostly because of my parents’, than I can count. It hurts every time, especially if you don’t see it coming.”

      “I should have. I did, probably. I just didn’t want to see it because it didn’t fit the image in my head. It wasn’t supposed to happen. Not to me. Not to Noah. When I married, I married for life, just like my parents. For better or for worse—all that idealistic stuff.”

      “And now?” Lia asked, brushing aside an errant strand of hair the light wind had blown across her cheek. “What do you believe?”

      Duran watched the delicate play of her slender fingers over her smooth, flushed skin. Looking at her—strong, radiant with health and vivacity, yet soft with caring and tenderness toward him and Noah—he wanted to say he felt nothing but hope, that his beliefs were unshaken despite his ex-wife’s abandonment.

      But that would be a lie. The truth was his idealism had been shaken to its core. And despite the genuineness of Lia’s compassion and kindness, he had to remind himself to remain on guard, to be wary even though it felt so natural to be vulnerable to her. Like no other woman he’d met, from the start something about her relaxed his usual defenses. He almost couldn’t help but open himself to her, yet he knew he had to resist that impulse for Noah’s sake and his.

      Finally he shifted in his saddle and twisted to look at her. “I believe people still find that kind of love, the kind that lasts a lifetime. But I also believe those people are few and far between.”

      Lia’s smile fell away, betraying her disappointment at his answer. “That’s too bad. I was hoping that if anyone could have optimism about love and marriage it would be you. Because of your parents, I mean.”

      “I haven’t totally lost it,” he said lightly. “But I’ve definitely gotten out of the habit of thinking it’s going to be a part of my life. I’ve been on my own for so long now that it’s hard for me to imagine myself ever finding someone I’d be willing to share it with again.”

      “Yes…” She glanced away, focusing on the path ahead. “It’s hard, when you’re afraid of losing someone you love.”

      It wasn’t exactly his meaning and at first he thought she was referring to Noah. But his next impression was that it was more about her vulnerability or one she thought they shared.

      They once more fell into an uneasy silence, avoiding looking at each other, until thankfully, the kids turned around then, Tommy helping Noah swing his mount around, starting back toward them.

      Pulling their horses up nose to nose with Lia and Duran’s, Noah was all smiles. “The pond’s up there. Can I go with everybody else?”

      Cort and Josh caught up to them then and Cort grabbed Noah’s reins. “We’ll go with them. You and Lia can take your time.”

      “You won’t have any trouble findin’ us,” Josh said with a nod toward the kids. “Just follow the noise.”

      “Watch me, Dad, I can ride,” Noah said gleefully. With that he gave Peggy a nudge in the flanks and the old horse picked up the pace ever so slightly, following obediently in the path of the other horses.

      Duran laughed at his son’s enthusiasm as the group moved off, the awkwardness with Lia forgotten in his happiness at seeing Noah enjoy himself. “This was a great idea. He’s having a blast. Thanks for riding out here with us.”

      “My pleasure,” Lia said, her tone shifting from intimate friend to kindly, as if she’d put back on the mantle of professionalism.

      Duran followed Lia on a path that led them out from under the beating sun on open grazing land, into a wooded hideaway. He dodged low-lying branches and scrub bushes until the dense green foliage opened up around a lush, blue pond, little shards of sunlight sparkling atop it, dancing the lazy summer afternoon away.

      The rest of the group had already tethered their horses where they could sip cool water and nibble on thick grass. Noah now sat with Sammy on the edge of an old wood dock, pants rolled up, bare feet splashing in the inviting water. Anna and Tommy had already abandoned them and, after shedding their jeans, had jumped in the pond to swim.

      “Can I go swimming, Dad?” Noah called out as Duran lowered himself to the ground. “Can I? I know how.”

      “If it’s okay with you, I promised Sammy,” Josh said.

      “Don’t worry,” Cort added. “Josh and I grew up swimming here and I bring my kids all the time.”

      Lia, dismounting next to him, nodded to Duran’s brothers. “You’ve got some pretty good lifeguards here.”

      “Go ahead,” Duran told Noah. “Just stay close. I’ll be right here.”

      With a whoop, Noah followed Sammy’s example and stripped down to his boxers. Both boys jumped off the end of the dock in a cannonball that left Lia and Duran partly drenched in cold pond water.

      The two boys’ heads sprang up in moments. What they saw sent them bursting into uncontrolled laughter. With a quick high five, they paddled off toward a big tree with a rope swing that flew over the pond.

      Lia and Duran exchanged looks, then burst out laughing, too. “They got us,” Duran said. “Sorry.”

      “No apologies necessary,” Lia said as she swiped a strand of soaked hair from her eyes. “It actually felt great. I was sweltering.”

      A glance passed between Cort and Josh and by some silent agreement they moved off a few feet, eventually giving in to the calls and challenges from the kids and joining them in the water.

      Still smiling, Lia turned and moved to a shady patch near a stand of trees.

      Duran followed behind, unable not to notice the way her damp T-shirt clung to every curve, the way the skin was exposed as her shirt lifted when she reached up to refasten her ponytail.

      She smoothed her hands over her face and neck, wiping away the last droplets of water and he wanted his hands there. The urge to touch her СКАЧАТЬ