Sometimes you can go home again

The only reason Dr. Ashleigh Wilson is back in her hometown is to help her pregnant sister—and maybe repair their relationship. She’s certainly not here to see her ex-husband, Dr. Kyle Jennings, or mend any fences with him. Too bad he doesn’t accept that. Worse, the more time they’re together, the more the old attraction flares!

Even if she still has feelings for him, Ashleigh is not staying. Because that would mean facing the past and all she left behind. Kyle, however, seems convinced they have another shot at happiness. And after a few persuasive kisses, Ashleigh begins to wonder if he’s right….

“I get why you’re here.

Your sister needs you.

Your whole family needs you.”

Kyle slammed the lid closed on the trash can. “Just don’t take your failings out on the rest of us.”

Ashleigh stood so quickly her chair nearly tipped over. “My failings?” Such nerve. So he did blame her for the miscarriages. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

He shrugged. “Physically.”

What did he want from her? Didn’t he realize how difficult this was? Coming back to the town where her life had fallen apart.

She stepped to the opposite counter, her back to him. A single tear rolled down her cheek—she’d be damned if she’d give him the satisfaction of seeing her wipe it away.

“I get it.” Her voice was hoarse with emotion. “You don’t want me here.”

“If only that were true.”

Before she could spin around and ask what he meant, he had vanished from the kitchen.

Dear Reader,

How often have you thought someone’s life was “perfect,” only to discover they were hiding their difficulties or insecurities?

Sisters Ashleigh and Paula each think the other has the “perfect” life. Two years ago, Ashleigh’s infertility and inability to cope led her to flee everyone and everything, including her husband and her career as a pediatrician. Now she has returned to the small town of Grand Oaks, Virginia, to help her estranged sister, Paula, through her unplanned, high-risk pregnancy—whether her sister wants Ashleigh’s help or not. As if dealing with her stubborn sister isn’t enough, Ashleigh won’t be able to avoid Kyle, the ex-husband she’s convinced she failed by not giving him the family he deserves.

What a joy it is to be able to share Ashleigh and Kyle’s reunion story with you. I love mixing former lovers with current situations. The characters think they know each other so well, until they’re proven wrong.

This is my first published novel and I’m thrilled it’s a Mills & Boon Superromance book. I’ve been reading Mills & Boon books for more years than I’d like to admit. Being published by them is an honor. I truly hope you enjoy this story as much as I loved writing it.

Please visit my website at www.lisadyson.com or send me an email at lisa@lisadyson.com. I’d love to hear from you!

May your life always be your idea of “perfect,”

Lisa Dyson

A Perfect Homecoming

Lisa Dyson

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lisa Dyson has wanted to create stories ever since she got an A on a writing prompt in fifth grade. She devoured the Nancy Drew series as much for the mystery as for the relationship between Nancy and Ned. So it came as no surprise to her that her stories revolve around romantic relationships.

Before she stayed home to raise her three sons and volunteer for every sport and activity her children participated in, Lisa worked as a medical assistant and a secretary/administrative assistant. She grew up in a small eastern Pennsylvania town and now lives a short distance from Washington, D.C., with her husband and their rescue dog with a blue tongue, appropriately named Blue. She has three grown sons and a daughter-in-law, as well as three adorable grandchildren. When she’s not writing, reading or spending time with family, she enjoys travel, volunteer work and rooting for her favorite sports teams.

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To those who ache for a family of their own, may they discover the way that’s right for them.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

So many people have supported me, taught me and believed in me. I will never be able to express my gratitude sufficiently, but I’ll try.

Thank you,

Romance Writers of America and especially the amazing members of the Washington, D.C.,

Romance Writers chapter for providing workshops, mentoring and friendships;

My ever-supportive critique partners, Darlene Gardner and Diane Gaston, for teaching me so much and never doubting this day would come;

My brilliant editor, Karen Reid, for her insight and patience;

My family and friends, who knew I would succeed and made me want to keep reaching for my dream, and,

A special thank you to my husband, Michael, for his unconditional love and support.

Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

EPILOGUE

Extract

CHAPTER ONE

ASHLEIGH WILSON SWITCHED the phone from one ear to the other and stopped Aunt Viv in midsentence. “Tell me what’s going on with Paula. Is the baby okay?” Her pulse accelerated in anticipation of news about her pregnant sister.

“The baby is fine, at least for now,” Aunt Viv said. “Paula’s blood pressure is high and she just needs to follow doctor’s orders.”

“What has her doctor suggested?” Getting specifics could take some work. She needed to get Aunt Viv to focus and stop haphazardly jumping from one subject to another.

“Her doctor wants her on bed rest, but that’s easier said than done with two boys to take care of.”

“Well, she has no choice.” Even though she hadn’t practiced in over two years, Ashleigh’s physician-educated brain reviewed the possible outcomes if Paula’s condition worsened. Preeclampsia, preterm labor...a multitude of possibilities. High blood pressure could mean a lot of things. How high was high? Slightly high or very high? “Do you know her actual blood pressure numbers?”

“Paula didn’t say.” Aunt Viv hesitated a few seconds before adding, “Maybe you should call her and find out.”

Ashleigh swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” How would she begin a conversation with the sister she hadn’t spoken to in almost two years?

Her heart ached for the emotional turmoil her sister must be going through. Pregnancy complications came with unwarranted guilt. Ashleigh knew that firsthand and it took all her willpower to keep her own memories at bay.

“Where’s Scott in all this?” Ashleigh asked. “Can’t he take leave to care for Ryan and Mark?” Surely Paula’s naval officer husband could handle this. Their boys were seven and nine, not quite old enough to fend for themselves but not helpless, either.

“He’s in some ocean somewhere in his submarine,” her aunt said.

Ashleigh remembered now. Her brother-in-law left about a month ago. Aunt Viv kept her informed about goings-on in their southern Virginia hometown of Grand Oaks, but that didn’t mean she retained it all.

“And I’m still recovering from my knee replacement surgery or I’d be at Paula’s right now,” her aunt said. “My physical therapist would throw a fit if I overdid it.”

“Is Mom still in Maryland with Grandma?” Ashleigh headed down the hall to her bedroom. She opened the empty suitcase she’d unpacked barely an hour ago after a business trip to Philly.

“Last I heard,” Aunt Viv said, “your mom was real excited about the Alzheimer’s facility she found up there.” Her aunt sniffled. Grandma hadn’t recognized anyone for at least six months.

“Now that Grandma’s having other health issues, I’m sure Mom won’t want to leave until they’re resolved.” Ashleigh opened drawers, pulled out clothes and stuffed them in her suitcase.

Without being asked, Aunt Viv reported on other family members, beginning with Scott’s twin sisters. “Janie is expecting in a few weeks, so she can’t travel from Texas, and Belle is in Germany for her job.”

There were five siblings in total on Scott’s side. In addition to his twin sisters who were otherwise occupied, his older sister had a special-needs child who required constant supervision, so she was out, too.

“Kyle is always around to help.” Aunt Viv spoke cautiously, as if afraid the mere mention of Scott’s brother might upset Ashleigh.

A loud bang sounded. She’d unintentionally slammed a drawer shut.

“What was that?” Aunt Viv asked. “Are you okay?”

“It was nothing. I’m fine.”

She took a deep breath, blocking the painful memories the man’s name elicited.

“Is he still working extra shifts in the emergency room?” Ashleigh reached for the throw pillow on her bedroom chair and collapsed into the seat cushions. She hugged the pillow tightly, as if the inanimate object could take away her deep-seated pain.

“Sure is.” Aunt Viv confirmed that he had little time to spare. “The hospital’s lucky to have such a dedicated doctor.”

Ashleigh swallowed a comeback.

“Would Paula accept hired help?” Ashleigh finally asked, already knowing the answer. “I’d be happy to arrange and pay for it.”

Silence. “I already offered. She doesn’t want a stranger in her house. She claims she can get by on her own.”

That was Paula—always stubborn and never wanting help.

“That’s ridiculous!” Ashleigh’s heart rate soared as her own blood pressure rose. “How can she be so nonchalant about her pregnancy?”

Probably because, unlike Ashleigh, Paula had experienced two near-perfect pregnancies and didn’t have a clue what high-risk felt like.

Until now.

She tossed the pillow aside, stood up and headed to the bathroom to gather her toiletries.

“Maybe it’s not as bad as I thought,” Aunt Viv said. “Her doctor is probably taking precautions.”

Her aunt was successfully baiting her. “That doesn’t mean she shouldn’t follow her doctor’s orders.”

“You need to come home, Ashleigh. Make sure Paula does what she’s told.”

Tears threatened and speaking was difficult. “I’m already packed.” Ashleigh zipped her suitcase and wheeled it to the living room.

“Really?” Aunt Viv didn’t sound too surprised. Wasn’t that why she’d called Ashleigh? “That’s wonderful. I’m sure Paula will appreciate it.”

Ashleigh doubted that, but she didn’t care how Paula felt about it. The only thing that mattered was making sure her sister didn’t do anything stupid to threaten the precious life she carried.

Even if it meant Ashleigh would have to face everyone and everything she had left behind, including Kyle, the ex-husband she’d once loved with every cell of her being.

* * *

FIFTEEN MINUTES AFTER hanging up with Aunt Viv, Ashleigh was ready to go. How much gas was in her car? She hadn’t paid attention after returning home from the airport. Could she make it out of town before filling up? The drive to Grand Oaks would take about two hours.

Two hours until she came face-to-face with her past.

Maybe she could see about hiring someone to help her sister once she got to town. Paula likely wouldn’t want Ashleigh around very long. Their last blowup had been a big one.

She took a final look around her apartment. Lights off, her single plant watered, thermostat set. She’d lived alone for the past two years—no pets, not even a goldfish—because she traveled so much for her job. And because she preferred it that way.

Ashleigh scooped up the pile of unopened mail from the kitchen counter and dumped it into her laptop bag, which also held her work folders. She needed to consider ways to placate both her clients and her boss without taking an actual leave of absence.

She locked her apartment door behind her, thumped her suitcase down the two flights of stairs to the building’s entrance and loaded her car.

Ashleigh’s cell phone slid out of her purse and lay staring up at her from the passenger seat. Should she call Paula to let her know she was coming? She tossed the phone back into her purse.

She wouldn’t give her sister the opportunity to tell her not to come. Ashleigh would never forgive herself if something went horribly wrong with Paula’s pregnancy.

Ashleigh shuddered at the thought and turned up the volume on the country music radio station, hoping to blast her own painful memories out of her head.

The April afternoon was overcast and traffic heading south on I-95 was heavy but moved at a steady pace to the I-85 exit. Before she knew it, she’d left the interstates for the country roads she knew so well.

The closer she got to Grand Oaks, the more frequently her painful memories came to the forefront of her mind. Though she and Paula had said such ugly things to each other the last time they’d spoken, Ashleigh dreaded seeing her ex-husband more. Avoiding him would be difficult enough in a town of three thousand, but he would almost definitely be a frequent visitor at Paula’s. Could she endure the inevitable mental and physical tolls?

She consciously relaxed her death grip on the steering wheel.

Aunt Viv had said Paula was renting the Dormans’ old house instead of staying in base housing in Norfolk, in order to be closer to family while Scott was at sea. Two blocks from her destination, Ashleigh was again tempted to call her sister. Maybe a phone conversation would make it easier for Paula to accept Ashleigh’s help rather than her just barging her way into her sister’s life.

Ashleigh pushed the idea aside again. Paula had thought nothing of interfering in Ashleigh’s life when she’d had marital problems. Just let Paula try to stop her.

This time it was Ashleigh’s turn to butt into her sister’s life.

* * *

PAULA LAY ON her left side, obeying her doctor’s order of bed rest, when there was a rap on the front door of her modest Cape Cod rental home.

The door squeaked as it opened and she heard the voice she’d been dreading. “Paula?” Ashleigh had made record time.

Aunt Vivian had called earlier to say Ashleigh was coming, but Paula hadn’t expected her sister to arrive until early evening or later. Paula hadn’t wanted her to come at all.

She had several friends in town who’d already stepped up with food and offers of help with errands and watching the boys. She could manage without her sister, but Aunt Viv refused to tell Ashleigh not to come. Why hadn’t Paula contacted Ashleigh herself?

“Paula?” Her older sister shouted this time.

Paula took a deep, bracing breath. “In here,” she called from her first-floor bedroom.

With each approaching foot-pad, Paula’s pulse quickened and her anxiety grew. The last time she and Ashleigh had spoken—correction, screamed at each other—had been right before Ashleigh left Grand Oaks for good more than two years ago.

Her sister stopped at the bedroom doorway, dressed in impeccably fitted jeans and a loose top cinched at her narrow waist. Her thick, blond hair was caught in a casual knot at the back of her head.

In other words, perfect as usual.

“How are you feeling?” The strap of Ashleigh’s purse slipped from her shoulder to her elbow and her medical bag hung from her left hand. No “hello” or “hey there.” Ashleigh spoke as if Paula were her patient rather than her only sibling.

“I’m fine.” Paula wasn’t about to list the multiple annoyances she experienced because of her pregnancy. She and Ashleigh might not see eye to eye on certain things, but complaining about her swollen feet, lack of energy and backaches, as well as this stupid bed-rest thing, would just be mean.

Paula soothed her baby bump, imagining what her independent doctor-sister was thinking.

Something in the neighborhood of How could one person be so needy?

Ashleigh had always been the perfect one. Voted head cheerleader, always made straight A’s, dated and eventually married the star quarterback, went to a great college and then entered medical school. She’d even survived multiple miscarriages and a divorce, only to snap right back to her perfect life.

Then there was Paula, the little sister who’d struggled with acne in high school and could barely do a proper cartwheel—forget perform a respectable cheer. Instead of finishing college, she’d married Scott when she got pregnant with Mark. Now her husband was deployed and she could barely take care of her family because this surprise third pregnancy had her bedridden in torn pajama pants tied under her expanding belly and an old T-shirt of Scott’s.

She blinked to clear the moisture building in her eyes. She hadn’t even taken a shower today.

“Aunt Vivian called me.” Ashleigh’s words were clipped.

“I know.” Paula wasn’t about to act as if nothing had happened between them. “She called me, too.”

“She said you’re confined to bed because of high blood pressure?”

Paula wished Ashleigh would stop acting like her doctor, but how to phrase it without sounding petulant? Then they’d fight, her blood pressure would rise even higher and once again she would be at fault.

She inhaled deeply and let the breath out slowly before replying. “My doctor is worried about preeclampsia.”

“Rosy Bausch is your doctor?” Ashleigh asked.

Paula nodded.

“How far along are you?”

She didn’t have to think about it. “Thirty-two weeks.” Her doctor had mentioned it several times at her appointment yesterday afternoon.

“Any blurred vision or headaches?”

“No.”

“Abdominal pain?”

“Nope.”

“Good.” Ashleigh set her purse down and opened her medical bag. “Have you been checking your blood pressure?”

Could their conversation be any cooler? “Dr. Bausch wants me to come in to her office weekly.”

“Was your urine protein elevated?”

“No, but she’s going to check that weekly, too.” Paula nearly addressed her sister as Dr. Wilson but caught herself in time. Ashleigh didn’t seem in the mood to appreciate Paula’s sarcasm. “You didn’t have to come,” Paula began.

“Of course I did,” Ashleigh shot back. “You’re my sister.” She paused and leveled her gaze at Paula. “No matter what.” Ashleigh’s lip quivered, her vulnerability finally evident.

So Ashleigh wasn’t as unaffected as she let on.

Paula’s eyes welled up and she swallowed thickly, determined not to cry, even on hormone overload. They should talk—

The front door slammed and the house filled with her seven-year-old’s wails.

“Ryan?” Fear for her child had Paula straightening into a sitting position. She cleared her throat when her voice broke. “I’m in my bedroom. Are you okay?”

Ryan cried harder.

“Paula, stay there.” Ashleigh moved in Ryan’s direction.

“There’s something wrong with him.” Paula spoke through gritted teeth while swinging her legs over the side of the bed.

Ashleigh narrowed her eyes at Paula. “If you don’t lay back down right now, I’m going to call an ambulance and have you admitted to the hospital.”

“That’s ridiculous!”

“It won’t be ridiculous if you go into premature labor,” Ashleigh spit. “Trust me, it’s not an experience you ever want to have.”

* * *

RYAN LIMPED INTO the bedroom, right past Ashleigh. He headed directly to the side of the bed in front of Paula, who hadn’t lain back down but hadn’t rushed to Ryan’s side, either. His forehead was scraped and his jeans were torn at the knee, but more significantly, he cradled his left forearm with his right hand.

Except for being two years older and crying, Ryan looked the same to Ashleigh as he had the last time she’d seen him. Spittin’ image of his dad, as well as his Uncle Kyle.

The lump in her throat kept her from speaking.

“I fell off my bike, Mommy,” he sobbed.

“Tell me where you hurt.” Paula looked about to burst into tears herself.

Ashleigh’s medical training kicked into high gear. She moved in closer and knelt next to Ryan.

“Hi, Ryan.” Ashleigh kept her voice calm. “You might not remember me, but I’m your aunt Ashleigh.”

“Mommy has pictures of you.” Ryan hiccupped, his deep blue eyes reminiscent of his uncle’s.

“How are you feeling?” Ashleigh moved some hair back from his scraped forehead to look closer and felt around the rest of his skull.

“My arm really hurts.” Ryan’s face scrunched as if in pain.

“I’ll bet it does.” Ashleigh spoke gently, her attention now on his arm as she carefully probed the limb. Possibly a simple fracture, but an X-ray would tell for sure. “Do you hurt anywhere else, Ry? Like your neck or back? Your legs, belly?”

Ryan shook his head.

“Do you remember if you fell asleep after you fell?”

“No. I was awake. Only babies take naps.”

“Good.” Ashleigh grinned, then caught Paula’s eye while gathering supplies from her medical bag. “Do you have a scarf or maybe a receiving blanket I can use to immobilize his arm until I can get an X-ray?”

Paula pointed to her dresser. “In the middle drawer are scarves.”

“Hop up here on the bed next to Mommy,” Ashleigh told Ryan. While she cleaned and bandaged Ryan’s head and scraped knee, she spoke to Paula. “I’m going to take him into the hospital for an X-ray.” So much for avoiding her emergency-room-doctor ex-husband.

“Kyle’s not at the hospital today,” Paula said, as if reading her mind. “He mentioned at dinner last night that he took today off to do some painting.”

Ashleigh stiffened. Kyle had been able to maintain a relationship with both their nephews and her sister, but Ashleigh hadn’t even seen a picture of the boys in two years.

She consciously relaxed her neck and shoulders. She shouldn’t be surprised at Kyle’s involvement. He was probably a big help while Scott was deployed.

Retrieving a scarf from the drawer, she wove it under Ryan’s injured arm and tied it behind his neck. “Is Rich Miller still in the building down the street from my old office?”

“As far as I know,” Paula said. “We’ve never needed an orthopedist before.”

“Rich is the best, especially for kids,” Ashleigh said. “Are you okay with him if he’s needed?”

“Yes,” Paula agreed.

Ashleigh didn’t want to scare Ryan by mentioning his arm could be broken. The orthopedist would take over Ryan’s care if the X-ray showed a break.

She turned to her nephew and effortlessly took on her pediatrician persona. “Ryan, you and I are going to go get a special picture taken of your arm so we can see what’s going on inside.”

Ryan’s eyes widened. “Can I see the picture?”

Ashleigh couldn’t contain her smile. “Of course. Now why don’t you use the bathroom while I make sure your mom has everything she needs. Can you manage without using your hurt arm?”

He bobbed his head rapidly, hopped off the bed and skipped out of the room—definitely not the same sobbing child from a few minutes ago.

Ashleigh turned her attention to Paula. “Does he normally play outside by himself?”

Paula’s eyes grew wide at Ashleigh’s not-so-subtle implication. “He went bike riding with his friends, not that it’s any of your business.”

“He’s still my nephew and I’m concerned about his welfare.”

“You haven’t seen him in two years,” Paula whispered angrily.

“That was your choice,” Ashleigh reminded her.

Paula glared at her. “You left town.”

There was so much Ashleigh could say in response, but now was not the time.

“I want to take your blood pressure before I go.” Ashleigh pulled her blood pressure cuff from her bag and attached it to Paula’s arm. Having an injured child was bound to raise anyone’s blood pressure. “Where’s Mark?”

“Playing at a friend’s house.” Paula stiffened, her words curt. “The mother is supposed to bring him back around six.”

They were silent as Ashleigh listened to Paula’s rapidly pumping blood with her stethoscope.

“Not bad, but higher than it should be,” she told Paula as she removed the cuff. “Just close your eyes and take some deep breaths. I’ve got everything else covered.”

Ashleigh silently packed up her medical bag, afraid to say anything that would inflame Paula and raise her blood pressure.

Like why couldn’t you have been loyal to me when my marriage was falling apart, instead of taking Kyle’s side?

* * *

ASHLEIGH HAD NEVER driven a minivan, but Ryan was too young to ride in the front seat of her two-seater sports car, so she’d taken Paula’s vehicle. One more reminder that Paula had been blessed with a growing family while Ashleigh had been denied a single offspring.

The mile drive to the hospital provided an abundance of memories. From the quaint shop where she and Kyle had shared a bowl of bubble gum ice cream on their first date in high school, to the tiny apartment they lived in before they bought the historic home that still housed Ashleigh’s pediatric practice.

The office where she no longer worked.

Knowing that Kyle wouldn’t be at the hospital was a relief. Though it only prolonged the inevitable no more than a day or two.

She’d deal with Kyle and her myriad of emotions when the time came.

Meanwhile, Ryan kept up a constant dialogue during the short drive, forcing Ashleigh’s mind away from the memories that haunted her.

“And my friend Jarrod can do a wheelie,” Ryan was telling her.

“Wow! That’s impressive. Is he the same age as you?”

“He’s a year older and doesn’t have training wheels anymore.”

“Were you trying to do a wheelie when you fell?” Ashleigh’s suspicion was confirmed by Ryan’s sheepish nod reflected in the rearview mirror.

Rekindling her relationship with her nephew wasn’t the time to lecture him on his foolishness. She’d leave that to his mother.

“Here we are,” she told Ryan after she maneuvered the minivan into a parking space in the hospital visitor lot. Back in the days when she had privileges here, she’d been able to park in the staff lot, which was closer to the entrance.

Once again, she shoved away those memories and walked Ryan across the parking lot and through the automatic doors leading to the emergency entrance. The sound of a siren got louder as an ambulance pulled up to the hospital.

“Dr. Wilson.” The middle-aged receptionist, Kathy something, gave her anything but a warm welcome.

Another convert to the Kyle camp.

The woman’s flowery perfume battled with the hospital’s unforgettable smell. But the nasty combination of illness, medications and antiseptic made her nostalgic nonetheless.

“How are you, Kathy?” Ashleigh realized how much she’d missed this place, no matter what kind of reception she received. Would this punch in the gut happen every time she ran into someone she once knew?

After exchanging cool pleasantries, Kathy’s attention turned to Ryan. “Oh, dear! Let me put this poor boy into the system.”

She returned to her computer and took down his information, including the insurance info Paula had sent along. She ushered them right back into a curtained area. “Dr. Phillips should be in to see Ryan shortly,” she said before leaving them alone.

Not more than two minutes went by before the curtain was pulled back, but it wasn’t Dr. Phillips. Ashleigh’s heart leaped into her throat.

Kyle.

Her ex-husband looked even better than she remembered. His thick, dark hair was matted, a product of his longtime habit of moving his protective eyewear to his head when not in use. He had a healthy tan and the corners of his deep blue eyes crinkled ever so slightly. Rather than make him look older, they made him more attractive. Even when those gorgeous eyes barely glanced at her before landing on Ryan.

She blanched at Kyle’s insolence. Not that she blamed him. She’d been out of his life long enough for him to go on without her.

He did his customary tug at the neck of the T-shirt he wore under his blue scrubs and cleared his throat. Kyle was the only man she’d ever known who looked hot in scrubs.

“Hey, buddy.” Kyle bypassed Ashleigh and spoke directly to his nephew, who sat cross-legged on the gurney. “What happened?” He gently removed the scarf from the boy’s arm and handed it to Ashleigh without taking his eyes from Ryan.

As their nephew related the tale, Ashleigh took a mental inventory of Kyle, searching for battle scars, perhaps, that matched her own. She saw none.

Hers weren’t visible on the outside, either.

CHAPTER TWO

IF ASHLEIGH HAD THRIVED without him, Kyle didn’t want to know. He purposely kept his eyes and attention averted, unprepared for his inevitable physical reaction whenever she was near. Instead, he concentrated on Ryan as the boy explained how he got injured.

“I thought we talked about that wheelie stuff,” Kyle admonished gently.

Ryan hung his head, the expression on his face reminiscent of his father back when Scott and Kyle had been young and adventurous.

“At least wait until your training wheels are off before you try any of those tricks,” Kyle reminded him.

Ashleigh drew in an audible breath, probably upset that he would approve what she would consider dangerous behavior. He turned his head partway in her direction. “Better a wheelie than something worse.” He paused and made the mistake of catching her eye. She’d always been a stickler for safety and rules, even though she used to flip backward off someone’s shoulders onto a hardwood floor as a high school cheerleader.

“I was told you weren’t working today.” Ashleigh’s comment was more of an accusation than a question.

“Multicar accident on Hamilton.” He’d been about to go home when Paula called him about Ryan. Thankfully, she’d given him a heads-up that Ashleigh was in town and was bringing the boy in.

Ashleigh turned back to Ryan. “Maybe you should wait until there’s an adult with you before you try a wheelie.”

Ryan looked to Kyle for confirmation, but the emergency room doctor on duty interrupted them.

“Hey, Hank.” Kyle turned from the gurney and greeted him, shaking the older man’s hand when he came through the curtain before making the proper introductions. “Dr. Ashleigh Wilson, this is Dr. Hank Phillips. He joined the staff about a year ago.”

While the two shook hands, Hank ran his other hand through his thinning gray hair. “Are you Paula’s sister? The resemblance is remarkable.”

Kyle should have mentioned Ashleigh was Ryan’s aunt. Even if she hadn’t kept in contact with the boy.

“You’ve met my sister?” Ashleigh’s eyebrows rose.

“Oh, yes.” Hank chuckled. “She’s included me in several of their holiday gatherings since my kids all live a few time zones away.”

The color drained from Ashleigh’s face.

Kyle wondered how she liked hearing that this stranger played a bigger role in her family’s lives than she had.

Ashleigh changed the subject back to Ryan. “From the way Ryan’s holding his arm and the radial pain on contact, I’m pretty sure it’s a simple break.”

Hank turned to examine Ryan. “How you doin’, buddy?”

Meanwhile, Kyle went against his better judgment and scrutinized a preoccupied Ashleigh.

Dr. Ashleigh Wilson. He’d never minded that she’d kept her maiden name when they’d married. An homage to her father, Dr. Clayton Wilson—a man Kyle had been proud to know.

Ashleigh was a little thinner since the last time he’d seen her, pounds she couldn’t afford to lose. Other than that, she looked even more beautiful than he remembered. His fingers itched to touch the loose tendril that escaped from her casually knotted hair. He longed to place his lips on the skin beneath it, to taste the sensitive spot on her neck that never failed to make her suck in her breath....

“Kyle?” From Hank’s tone, it wasn’t the first time the man had addressed him. All three of them stared at him.

He blinked twice. “Yes?”

“Do you want to go to Radiology with Ryan?” Hank narrowed his gaze and cocked his head in puzzlement.

“Of course.” Kyle then said to Ryan, “Let’s get you a wheelchair to ride in. Dr. Hank wants to take a picture of your arm.” Ryan’s eyes lit up as expected.

“Can we do a wheelie in it?” Ryan asked.

“We’ll see.” Kyle avoided Ashleigh’s gaze.

“But you and Aunt Ashleigh will both be there,” Ryan said. “Didn’t she say I needed an adult? Now I have two.”

“Aunt Ashleigh is going to wait for you here.” Kyle needed a break from her after that barely controlled fantasy.

“No,” Ashleigh countered. “I’m going with you.”

Kyle shrugged. “You’ll have to wait in the Radiology waiting room.”

Ashleigh’s cheek muscles tensed and she narrowed her eyes at Kyle. The daggers were locked and loaded.

“Hospital regulations,” he said pleasantly before she could argue. “You no longer have privileges at this hospital.” Her choice, but he didn’t say it aloud.

“You’re a pediatrician, as I recall.” Hank appeared oblivious to the tension in the room. “Where are you practicing now?”

Ashleigh’s color heightened. “I’m no longer practicing medicine. I work out of Richmond as a hospital fund-raiser.”

The reality of Ashleigh’s words hit Kyle in the pit of his stomach. Ashleigh had given up the career she adored because she could no longer bear to be around children.

* * *

ASHLEIGH FUMED AS she sat on the thinly padded vinyl chair in the radiology department waiting room. How dare Kyle exclude her? She was every bit the doctor he was, even if she hadn’t cared for patients since she left town.

She was perfectly happy working as a hospital fund-raiser. Turned out, she was pretty darn good at coming up with unique ways to get people to part with their money.

Which didn’t mean she never regretted giving up medicine—specifically working with children. She loved being in an office full of laughing and crying little ones, the noise and confusion never more than she could bear.

Until her last miscarriage.

That was the child she was supposed to finally carry to term. She’d made it into her second trimester and had begun telling people she was pregnant.

She crossed her arms over her abdomen and bent forward in pain at the vivid memory of that first wave of cramps that had ended her dream of giving Kyle the child he deserved.

“Are you okay?”

Ashleigh straightened at the young woman’s voice. “Yes, I’m fine.” Ryan sat in his wheelchair in front of a woman in purple scrubs. Her name tag read “Molly,” but she didn’t look familiar. She didn’t appear to recognize Ashleigh, either.

“Ryan’s all done.” Molly had a perky lilt that matched her smile. “Dr. Jennings and Dr. Phillips asked for him to wait with you while they consult with the radiologist.”

Ashleigh’s jaw clenched. She was being shut out again. She’d known the radiologist, Jim Gorman, since preschool. Under other circumstances she’d barge into his office, but she decided not to push the issue. In the short time she’d been at the hospital, several old acquaintances had given her a wide berth. They obviously weren’t fans of hers since the divorce.

Molly turned and left them alone in the waiting area.

“How’s your arm feeling?” Ashleigh asked Ryan.

“Okay, I guess. They let me see the picture of my arm bone. It was cool!” He busied himself locating hidden pictures in a kids’ magazine someone had given him, so Ashleigh didn’t say anything more.

She leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes for a moment before realizing the voices around the corner were speaking about Kyle.

“It’s a shame about Dr. Jennings,” one female voice said.

“I know, he’s so nice. And cute, too.” The other female let out a quiet moan.

Ashleigh listened carefully, assuming they were discussing how she’d divorced poor Dr. Jennings, when two other people deep in conversation entered the waiting room. As they walked past her to the reception desk, Ashleigh could no longer hear the women.

So she rose from her seat and pretended to search for a magazine on the vertical acrylic rack bolted to the wall, while tuning her ears to the conversation around the corner.

She could only pick up certain words, but they were important words.

Accident, lawsuit, brain injury.

* * *

PAULA ROLLED FROM her side to her back and stared at the bedroom ceiling until she was ready to scream. Or at least until she found herself out of breath, forcing her to roll back onto her left side.

A few minutes ago, Mark had slammed the front door to announce his arrival and now she heard him rooting through kitchen cupboards searching for a snack.

“Don’t spoil your dinner,” she yelled.

“I won’t,” he promised, and she believed him. He’d been going through a growth spurt and he consumed food and outgrew clothing before the money left the checking account.

Paula struggled to a sitting position. Propping herself up with pillows against the headboard, she took her laptop from the drawer next to her bed and turned it on.

She needed to let Scott know what was going on. Kyle had confirmed Ryan’s arm was broken when he called about a half hour ago, but she didn’t want her husband to know the doctor had put her on bed rest. He had enough stress with his job and he didn’t need to have to worry about her, too.

“This is all my fault.” She spoke quietly to the empty room, choking up. “All my fault.”

As she typed an email to Scott, her fingers kept hitting the wrong keys because her eyes had blurred from gathering tears. She blinked and they rolled down her cheeks and onto the overstretched but clean shirt she’d put on after her shower.

She should be out of tears—she’d spent her entire shower sobbing. Bed rest. They sounded like the cruelest words ever. She should have taken her son to the emergency room.

She wiped the moisture from her cheeks and concentrated on the email.

Hey, Scott, I miss you so much. I hope you’re safe in whatever ocean you’re navigating.

Mark is doing well. He got an A on his spelling test this week and you know how much trouble he’s had in the past. He also had an assist in his soccer game. They lost three to one, but he was happy anyway.

Unfortunately, Ryan had a bike accident this afternoon and his arm is broken. Before you panic, it’s a simple break, no surgery needed. He’ll be in a cast for four to six weeks. Kyle is making sure he’s well taken care of. In fact, Kyle has been a huge help with the boys while you’ve been away. We should do something nice for him when you get back.

I saw the doctor today and my blood pressure is a little higher than it should be. Again, no need to worry. I’m doing exactly what she says.

Believe it or not, my sister arrived this afternoon. Aunt Viv called her and blew my situation all out of proportion. Ashleigh got here right before Ryan got hurt, so she was able to take him to the E.R. I have no idea how it went with her and Kyle, but she should be home with Ryan any time now.

I think that brings you up to speed. Always remember, I love you bunches and can’t wait until you’re back in my arms.

Paula hit Send and closed her laptop. She leaned her head back, missing the top of the pillow and hitting the headboard instead. Scooting to a more comfortable position would take too much energy. She simply shut her eyes and breathed deeply...until the next interruption came.

Her friends, Rhonda and Jean, had both brought over casseroles earlier and now apparently word was out that she was bedridden because she’d gotten several phone calls with offers of help.

Unsure if she drifted off or not, her eyes popped open at the tinkling sound of a text message on her cell phone. She reached over to the nightstand to pick it up.

Scott. He must have read her email already because he wanted to video chat.

She pulled her computer onto her lap again and opened the program that would bring his face into their bedroom.

“Hey, Paula,” Scott said when they connected. “How are you?” His usually laughing blue eyes were filled with concern and she couldn’t help but feel his love.

“Okay.” She tried to keep her tone light, but her voice cracked. She put a hand to her mouth.

“Everything will be fine, P.”

His soothing tone allowed her to take a few calming breaths.

“Do you need me to come home?” he asked. “I can talk to the chaplain and apply for hardship if this blood pressure thing is serious.”

“No, no, that’s okay. Everyone’s been so nice, offering help and bringing meals so I can take it easy. And I told you Ashleigh’s here.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, how’s that going?”

“Kind of chilly,” she admitted. “But we haven’t spent much time together yet. Ryan’s injury interrupted us.”

“Maybe her visit is what the two of you need to work things out.”

“Yeah. Exactly what I need right now to keep my blood pressure down,” she joked.

“Just follow doctor’s orders.”

“I know.” She tried to sound upbeat but failed.

“Talk to me,” he coaxed.

She gulped, unprepared to delve into her emotions. “You know how unhappy I was when I found out I was pregnant,” she began in little more than a whisper. It was supposed to be her time now that the boys were in school all day. She could finish her degree and then get her master’s in physical therapy. She’d finally have something to be proud of, an accomplishment of her own.

“This isn’t your fault, Paula,” Scott pointed out. “You accepted this pregnancy a long time ago, unless you changed your mind?”

“Oh, no!” she cried. “Of course not! I already love this baby more than I ever expected to.” She swallowed.

“Stop thinking you’re to blame.” Scott’s tone was firm. “For both you and the baby.”

Easier said than done.

She deliberately changed the subject because he’d never convince her that she wasn’t responsible and then they’d only get into an argument. So they discussed Ryan’s injury until voices carried from the front door.

Ashleigh and Ryan had returned.

“They’re back from the orthopedist,” Paula told Scott. “Do you want to say ‘hi’ to the boys?”

“Sure.” He put his index finger up and Paula did the same, getting closer to the screen until it appeared as if the tips of their fingers touched. “I love you, P.” This time his voice broke slightly.

“I love you, too, Scotty.” Tears spilled down her cheeks. “Let me call the boys.”

“I’ll be home soon.”

She tried her best to smile and then turned her head in the direction of her bedroom door to call the boys.

Was that Kyle’s voice, too?

What she wouldn’t have given to be a fly on that hospital wall when he and her sister saw each other again after two years.

* * *

ASHLEIGH WAS SURE there must be steam coming out of her ears as she parked Paula’s minivan in the driveway. Ryan had chosen to ride in Kyle’s truck—not that she could fault the boy—and now Kyle walked right into her sister’s home as if he lived there.

Ashleigh couldn’t imagine feeling less connected to any of them.

She took a minute to gather herself, refusing to give in to hurt feelings. They’d all successfully gone on with their lives without her.

So what?

So had she. In fact, she needed to check in with a few clients. She walked to her car and retrieved her suitcase from her trunk. She wheeled it up the walkway, along with her briefcase and medical bag. Her purse hung over her shoulder and she made it to the front door before it slipped down her arm.

Debating whether to knock or walk in, she straightened her back and entered her sister’s home.

Voices came from Paula’s bedroom, but Ashleigh chose to avoid Kyle. Instead, she parked her things off to the side of the front door and went into the kitchen to brew a cup of tea.

While waiting for the water to boil, she considered Paula’s house. Aunt Viv had mentioned that the older couple who’d owned the house for longer than Ashleigh had been alive had passed away within weeks of each other. Rather than putting the house up for sale in the depressed real estate market, their children had chosen to update and rent out the home. Ashleigh hadn’t been upstairs yet, but more than likely, the Cape Cod contained a full bath and two bedrooms on the second floor, one for each of the boys. Paula’s bedroom appeared to be the only bedroom on this floor. Where did that leave Ashleigh?

She sighed. Looked like she’d have to make do with the living room sofa for who knew how long. The one decent hotel was fifteen minutes out of town and that would make school mornings more hectic than necessary. Plus, if Ashleigh didn’t sleep in the house, then Paula would have to get up with the boys if they needed something during the night.

The teakettle whistled. Since there were several tea flavors to choose from in Paula’s cabinet, Ashleigh decided to ask if she’d like a cup. Not like in the past when they could practically read each other’s minds. Or at least not complain if the wrong kind of tea was brewed for them.

Ashleigh started back down the hall as Kyle exited Paula’s bedroom.

“I’m giving them some time alone,” he told Ashleigh, implying she shouldn’t interrupt Paula and her boys.

“Asking Paula if she wants tea will only take a second.”

“She never passes up a cup of tea,” Kyle said. “Any flavor that’s decaf.”

Ashleigh hated when he answered a question before she could ask it. Or maybe she hated the fact that he knew her sister better than she did.

She turned on her heel, annoyed when he followed her to the kitchen.

He pulled out a cup of his own from the cupboard when she didn’t offer him one and brewed himself a single cup of coffee.

“You’re pretty comfortable here,” she said before she could stop herself.

“I come over a few times a week,” he said. “Dinner, helping with Mark’s homework, yard work. You know.”

She nodded, even though she didn’t know. The last few months of their marriage, he’d put in so many hours at the hospital that she’d barely seen him. Eating one meal a week together, maybe two if she was lucky, had been the extent of their interaction. Much less time than he’d been giving her sister and nephews.

There were countless comebacks on the tip of her tongue, but she held them in, unwilling to begin a fruitless argument.

Kyle took lemon juice from the fridge and held it out. “For Paula’s tea.”

Ashleigh’s fingers shook as she took the bottle and added a splash to the tea. How could she have forgotten how her sister preferred her tea? Had two years turned them into strangers?

Kyle sipped his coffee, set the cup on the counter and pulled out a spoon, efficiently swirling the liquids in Paula’s cup together. When he picked up the cup to take it to her sister, Ashleigh realized she’d been mesmerized, remembering how those fingers used to manipulate her until she lost complete control of both body and soul.

Kyle left with Paula’s tea. Ashleigh didn’t argue, needing a minute to slow her breathing. She sat at the kitchen table and dunked her tea bag up and down, staring at it until her eyes blurred.

“Hi, Aunt Ashleigh!” Mark’s sudden appearance in the kitchen doorway startled her.

“Mark! You’ve grown so much!” Ashleigh stood to hug the grinning nine-year-old who came almost to her collarbone even in her three-inch wedge heels. She was about to ask how school was going, but he ran off when Ryan called him.

Mark was no sooner gone than Kyle appeared in the kitchen doorway. “I’ll help the boys move Ryan into Mark’s room before I go.”

“I don’t want to kick him out of his room.” She stared at the swirls in her tea.

“He’s fine with it,” Kyle said. “Mark has bunk beds.”

Of course he’d already finalized details. He practically lived here.

“Scott doesn’t mind you spending so much time with his family?” The snotty question flew from her mouth before she could stop it.

Two years ago she’d have done anything to get him to show a little emotion. She’d gone so far as to divorce him, but even that hadn’t produced a reaction. Now he was silent until she turned to look at him and realized with alarm that she’d made him angry. Narrowed eyes and pursed lips were his tell.

Yep, definitely angry.

She wasn’t sure if she’d been trying for that reaction or not. Maybe she’d wanted some kind of response from him. Anger, joy, resentment, pleasure. Anything but steely control.

Whatever his emotion, Kyle’s words were deliberate. “Before he was deployed, Scott asked me to look after his family. If you have a problem with it, then maybe you should go back to your life in Richmond.”

A slap in the face would have been less painful than his contempt.

Ashleigh kept a tight rein on her own emotions. Act cool. “Whatever.”

“No, not ‘whatever.’” His voice rose in volume as he set his coffee down too fast. It sloshed over the top and onto the table. He turned to the sink for a paper towel, jerking the roll so hard that the sheets unraveled. He tore off a single sheet and cleaned up the mess in one infuriated swipe.

He held the used towel over the trash can and glared at Ashleigh. “I get why you’re here. Your sister needs you. Your whole family needs you.” He slammed the lid closed on the trash can. “Just don’t take your failings out on the rest of us.”

Ashleigh stood so quickly her chair nearly tipped over. “My failings?” Such nerve. So he did blame her for the miscarriages. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

He shrugged. “Physically.”

What did he want from her? Didn’t he realize how difficult this was? Coming back to the town where her life had fallen apart?

She stepped to the opposite counter, her back to him. A single tear rolled down her cheek—she’d be damned if she’d give him the satisfaction of seeing her wipe it away.

“I get it.” Her voice was hoarse with emotion. “You don’t want me here.”

“If only that were true.”

Before she could spin around and ask what he meant, he and his coffee had vanished from the kitchen.

CHAPTER THREE

“THIS IS PURR-FECT,” Paula said on a sigh to Kyle, and took another sip of her tea. “Thank you.”

“Ashleigh’s idea.” He spoke more harshly than he intended. No need to take his frustration out on his sister-in-law. “Hungry?”

She narrowed her eyes and tipped her head. “I could eat. The kids are probably hungry, too.”

“Anything in particular?”

“A couple of friends stopped by with casseroles, but I’m not sure what’s there. I told them to stick the food in the fridge.” Paula set her cup on the bedside table and straightened herself up against the pillows. “Amazing how quickly news gets around this town.”

“Tell me about it. I’ll go check it out and let you know what’s there.” He was about to leave but stopped at Paula’s next words.

“You’re staying for dinner, aren’t you?” Paula’s expectant look told him she didn’t want to be the only adult in the house with Ashleigh.

“Sure.” He couldn’t hold back his grin. He gave her a wink and chuckled. “As long as you promise not to let your sister get to you.”

She sighed. “I’m trying.” Then she groaned and threw her head back. “Believe me, I’m trying.”

“I know this has been a stressful day, but everything’s fine now.” He stepped closer, touched her shoulder to comfort her as he would his sisters. That was what he’d always considered Paula—whether or not he was married to her sister or she was married to his brother. “Just close your eyes for a few minutes and breathe.”

“Yes, Doctor.” She giggled, did as she was told, but then opened one eye to a squint. “That’s not the first time today I’ve been told to do that. Maybe you and Ashleigh have more in common than you think.” She shut her eye again and leaned back as if cutting off any retort he might have.

“Maybe.” They just weren’t the things that allowed them to be in the same room together without friction.

Paula may have taken his side in the divorce, but he was acutely aware that she’d never given up hope that he and Ashleigh would reunite.

He turned to leave but not before her lips turned up slightly in amusement.

Kyle didn’t know what else to say, so he went directly to the kitchen. No sign of Ashleigh or her tea. He opened the fridge to discover three casseroles, as well as a salad.

He removed the food and set it on the counter for a better look. Lasagna, chicken enchiladas and some kind of mystery pasta casserole labeled with cooking directions. Not caring which they ate, he decided to leave it up to Paula. He strode out of the kitchen and turned right to go down the hall, nearly knocking Ashleigh down in the process. Instinctively, he grabbed her upper arms to keep her from falling.

“Sorry.” They both spoke at the same time.

Kyle hadn’t been this close to Ashleigh in years. He hadn’t touched her bare arms, inhaled her distinctive scent or seen those blue eyes up close in so long. Their azure color always reminded him of the island paradise where they’d honeymooned.

As brand-new doctors, they couldn’t afford an expensive vacation. At the time, he had just been hired by the Grand Oaks Community Hospital as an E.R. doctor and Ashleigh’s dream of becoming a partner in her father’s pediatric practice was about to come to fruition.

Both had agreed they wouldn’t spend money they didn’t have. So when they discovered their siblings had pooled their money to give them a honeymoon as a wedding present, they were ecstatic.

The trip had been idyllic. No work, no worries, only each other. Swimming and snorkeling during the day, dinner alfresco on their private balcony in the evening and making love whenever the mood struck.

If only they had been able to avoid the devastation and heartbreak that followed.

“Kyle?” Ashleigh’s whisper interrupted his reverie. He immediately released her, dropping his hands to his sides as if burned.

“Sorry.” He stepped back and searched for something more to say. He rubbed his palms against the outside of his thighs to erase the tactile memory of her. “I was going to ask Paula which casserole she’d like for dinner. Maybe you should see if there’s one you prefer.”

Ashleigh replied by bobbing her head as she walked past him into the kitchen.

Fool! How could he have allowed her to see him so vulnerable?

He strode to Paula’s room and rapped louder than he should have on the doorjamb.

Paula’s head jerked in his direction. “Is everything okay?” She set aside the magazine she’d been flipping through.

“Yes.” He paused. “No.” Another pause. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Ah.” Paula’s eyebrows rose. “Ashleigh strikes again.”

“I said I don’t want to talk about it.” He racked his brain to remember the choices for dinner and finally recited the list. “Do you have a preference?”

“Enchiladas sound good.” She patted her abdomen and referred to her baby. “Bam-Bam likes spicy food. Too bad I can’t have a margarita with it, but Jean said she made some corn bread. I think it’s in a pan on the counter and there should be a salad in the fridge, too.”

“Sounds good.”

Kyle returned to the kitchen where Ashleigh was turning on the oven.

“I was just preheating to three-fifty,” she said. “I didn’t know which one we were cooking.”

He took the enchilada casserole from the counter and put it into the oven, setting a timer according to the written instructions. He found the corn bread and pulled out the salad. A noise behind him was a reminder that Ashleigh was still in the kitchen.

She’d gotten out plates, silverware and napkins, butter for the corn bread and dressing for the salad. Now she sat at the table, hands folded.

“Kyle?” Her tone was soft.

He gave her his attention, saying nothing.

“At the hospital today,” she began, visibly swallowing. “I heard some talk about a lawsuit. Are you in trouble?”

His jaw clenched so tight he was in danger of cracking a tooth. “I’d rather not discuss it.” He turned his back to her.

* * *

ASHLEIGH KNEW WHAT that meant. He didn’t want to discuss the lawsuit with her.

After a moment of staring at his back in disbelief, she straightened her spine and rose slowly. She carefully pushed her chair in and left the kitchen, gathering every ounce of self-respect she could muster. She needed a moment alone to pull herself together—just one moment.

She headed to the powder room located off the living room. She entered, closed the door and leaned her forehead against the natural finish of the oak door. Slow, deep breaths finally calmed her.

What kind of trouble was Kyle in? Was it bad?

Maybe she could help him. She didn’t know how, but he could have at least told her what was going on. They’d been married for three years, together since high school. Fifteen years total. Didn’t that count for something?

They’d been through so much together.

Hadn’t she been the one he’d come to when he didn’t get accepted into his first choice of college? And she’d gone directly to him when her father was diagnosed with prostate cancer the spring of their sophomore year in college.

He’d dropped everything, including studying for a major exam, to come to her when she’d called in tears. He’d held her through the night, breaking the dorm curfew rules and not caring when her roommate came in. She’d woken in his arms, both of them fully clothed, and she’d realized for the first time how much he truly meant it when he told her he loved her.

When had they stopped coming to each other? Had it been after the miscarriages? Or had it begun before that?

They’d led busy lives as physicians, but they always made time to catch up with each other—an occasional lunch, a late-night glass of wine in bed.

Kyle couldn’t have been more supportive during her first miscarriage. By the third, he’d made several contacts around the world with infertility experts.

At the same time, Ashleigh couldn’t handle the pressure. She was failing to produce a child and didn’t know how to deal with it. Kyle had always been the one she turned to, but now he spent all of his free time looking for answers.

Ashleigh washed her hands, taking extra time to run her wrists under the cool water. She dried off and braced herself to face whatever came next. Then she slipped out of the bathroom and went directly to her briefcase near the front door.

She took refuge in the living room, using the Mission oak coffee table to spread out her files.

From the sounds of it, Kyle was upstairs—likely helping the boys move some of Ryan’s things into Mark’s room. Several minutes later, Mark came down to retrieve Ashleigh’s suitcase, insisting he could get it upstairs himself.

“Ugh,” Mark grunted. Her suitcase probably weighed as much as he did.

Ashleigh grimaced as her luggage hit the wall halfway up the stairs.

“Let me give you a hand.” Kyle came to his aid before Ashleigh could rise from the sofa.

“I got it,” Mark insisted, breathless.

Shortly after, the house became quiet as Ashleigh stared blindly at her client folders, unable to make sense of her notes.

She leaned her head back on the tweed sofa and closed her eyes. The sound of voices carried from Paula’s room. It sounded like Kyle and Paula were talking.

“She’s going to find out,” Paula was saying. “Whether you tell her or she hears it from someone else, there are no secrets in this town.”

“She just arrived today.” Kyle was clearly frustrated. “I thought there’d be more time.”

At first Ashleigh assumed they were talking about the lawsuit he refused to discuss, but then she wondered if there was something else. Was he involved with someone?

She was suddenly light-headed. Was someone sharing his life, his bed? Maybe even his heart? Her throat closed and her breath nearly choked her.

“Why don’t you tell her?” Paula was saying. “Then it’s all out in the open.”

Ashleigh strained to listen. She never eavesdropped and now she’d done it twice in the same day.

“I don’t want her in the middle of it.” His words made Ashleigh’s heart clench. “She made her choices and they didn’t include me. She has her own life and so do I.”

He had no clue about her solitary life back in Richmond. Her clients, mostly hospital boards and large nonprofit corporations, were her main providers of interpersonal communication. She didn’t date, didn’t want to date since that could result in a relationship and she couldn’t do a relationship.

What would she lead with? This can’t go anywhere because I’m unable to bear children. Where did that piece of information fit? Right before dessert on the first date seemed a little presumptuous. After the third date? The eighth?

There was way too much to consider.

It wasn’t as if she didn’t have a social life. She had a few casual friends she hiked with and this past winter they’d skied a few times. She’d even gone to dinner with a former medical school classmate when she was in San Francisco last fall on business. Unfortunately, he’d gotten the wrong idea, leaving her to explain how she wasn’t looking for a relationship, not even a one-night stand.

When he took offense to her noncommittal explanation, she finally spilled her real reason and left the restaurant in tears.

That was when she made the decision to never date again. Period.

The oven buzzer went off and Kyle’s hurried footsteps sounded as he came down the hallway from Paula’s room and into the kitchen to turn it off.

He stepped out of the kitchen to call up the stairs to the boys, “Dinner in five.” He glanced over at Ashleigh a mere second, then called to the boys again, “Get washed up.” Laughter and scuffling accompanied their nephews as the water flowed through the pipes until Mark and Ryan came bounding down the stairs.

After she put her files away and washed her hands in the powder room, Ashleigh entered the kitchen to find Paula sitting at the table, her boys on either side of her.

“What are you doing out of bed?” The words had sounded much less accusatory in Ashleigh’s head.

“I invited her to sit at the table to eat,” Kyle said, taking sides against her. Not surprising but painful, nonetheless. “Much less stressful than having the boys eat in the bedroom with her.”

“We enjoy eating meals together,” Paula explained as if Ashleigh was some clueless twit when it came to family dynamics. “Especially with Scott gone.”

Ashleigh pinched her lips shut to keep from saying something snarky in front of the boys. Kyle and Paula had made their positions clear. It was the two of them against her.

Well, game on.

* * *

IF NOT FOR HAVING the boys at the table, dinner could have been a disaster.

Mark and Ryan took over the conversation, eager to tell how Ryan could climb up to the top bunk in Mark’s room with just one good arm.

“We took the sheets off Ryan’s bed,” Mark said. “And Uncle Kyle helped us put clean ones on. He said we made the bed perfectly. Like Dad does on his sub.”

“You guys are going to a lot of trouble for me,” Ashleigh told them. “I’m supposed to be here to help out, not make more work.”

“That’s okay, Aunt Ashleigh,” Ryan said. “We had fun with Uncle Kyle.”

“Yeah,” Mark agreed. “We always have fun with him.”

Ashleigh blinked several times, her demeanor projecting sadness if you knew her well enough to read it. Which Kyle did.

After dinner, Paula returned to her bedroom, herding the boys with her to finish their homework.

Ashleigh worked alongside Kyle as they cleaned up the dinner dishes and put away the leftovers. There was no need for conversation. They worked silently, diligently avoiding any possibility of physical contact. Nevertheless, his fingers itched to touch her while they were in such close proximity, causing him to be extra wary. The adage “if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen” repeated over and over in his head.

Relieved to be done without incident, Kyle was about to make his escape when Ashleigh spoke up.

“Kyle?”

He turned to her.

“Can I talk to you a minute?” she asked.

The subject could be anything and he wasn’t up to getting into a battle with her.

He opened his mouth to say just that when Ryan and Mark came running down the hall.

“Mom asked if you’d start the shower for us,” Mark said.

“Sure,” Kyle agreed, thankful for Paula’s timing. “I’ll be right up. Let me grab a plastic bag to wrap Ryan’s cast.” As the boys ran up the stairs, Kyle turned to Ashleigh. “Our discussion will have to wait.”

He didn’t stick around for a reply and left the kitchen with the plastic bag and no remorse. He stayed upstairs while the boys took turns showering so he wouldn’t have to deal with Ashleigh again.

“This is ridiculous,” he mumbled to himself, and slowly descended to the first floor to find her.

She was on the phone in the living room. From the little he could make out on her side, it sounded like a personal call.

Not that he cared. She could have a hundred boyfriends. It was none of his business.

Yeah, that’s why the sudden weight on his chest made breathing a chore.

With Ashleigh on the phone it was the perfect opportunity to get the boys tucked into bed and vamoose. So he did just that.

He took a minute to check on Paula and nearly made it to his truck.

“Kyle!”

He could have easily ignored Ashleigh, but he’d never been a coward.

Although he’d also never claimed to be brave, either, especially when it came to his ex-wife.

He reluctantly turned to Ashleigh, allowing her to catch up to where he stood next to his truck.

He turned his car keys over and over in his hand while he waited for Ashleigh to speak her mind. Because if he stopped twirling them, he knew he’d clench his fist so hard it would set off his vehicle alarm.

* * *

ASHLEIGH’S HEART BEAT wildly as she struggled for the words that might allow the two of them to peacefully coexist. They’d never return to the days when they were a couple, but she couldn’t stand feeling like an outsider. Her relationship with her sister didn’t have a prayer of improving until she could convince Kyle she wasn’t the enemy. He was the first step toward family harmony.

“Thanks for waiting.” Her words came out weak and raspy. She coughed to clear her throat. If not for her boss refusing to end their phone conversation until he was satisfied that she would follow up with her clients, then she wouldn’t have had to run after Kyle and get so out of breath.

Kyle leaned back against his truck. “You wanted to talk?” The jingling of his keys rattled her nerves.

She swallowed with difficulty. “I wanted to apologize.”

Silence.

“For things I said earlier,” she continued. “Like about spending so much time with Paula and the boys.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but she raised a hand to stop him.

“I know it’s been hard on my sister, not having Scott around to help out. Especially since she’s pregnant.” She brushed an errant hair off her face. “Thank you for being there for them. You’re a busy person with a demanding job and I appreciate how much you’ve given to my family.”

“They’re my family, too.” His monotone fairly oozed disdain.

“Of course they are. And I know it’s difficult for you to have me around.” Her heart beat faster. “Difficult for everyone.”

The slight twitch in his right eye indicated a chink in his self-control. “If you expect me to forget the past and act like everything’s fine, then you’re going to be disappointed.”

She shook her head and took a step toward him. “No, no. I understand that, but I’d like us to call a truce while I’m here.” She paused. “For Paula’s and the boys’ sakes.”

And because I can’t stand being considered an outcast, especially by my own family.

She took his silence as agreement and went on. “I came here to help Paula get through her pregnancy and it’s imperative we not upset her. If we can be civil until after she delivers, I promise I’ll do my best to keep our contact to a minimum.” She took a quick breath. “I’ve only ever wanted the best for everyone.” She paused. “Most of all, for you.”

Ashleigh reached across the few feet that separated them to touch his arm. He jerked away.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” His eyes blazed.

“I don’t know what you mean. Please lower your voice.” She swung around to see if anyone had overheard them.

The late-April sun had set an hour ago. The currently deserted neighborhood was shadowed by the bluish white of the mercury-vapor streetlights and the occasional porch light, but the neighbors would come wandering out if they heard raised voices.

“You’re playing me,” he accused.

“What?” This time her voice was too loud. She lowered the volume. “I have never ‘played’ you.”

“Sure you have,” he said stiffly. “You do it to everyone. You soften people up to get them to do what you want them to. I have to give you credit. You’re successful ninety-nine percent of the time.”

Ashleigh’s hackles rose because he was right—she went on the offense. “What is it you think I want you to do, Kyle?” If he’d figured out that she wanted to know about his lawsuit, then she’d kick herself for being transparent.

“You tell me,” he spit. “Tell me exactly what you want from me.”

Angry tears clouded her vision at his uncharacteristic harshness, but she refused to show weakness. “I don’t want anything from you except some civility while I’m here.” She crossed her arms over her chest, rubbing at the goose bumps on her upper arms caused by her blatant lie.

“Done.”

“Good. Now what do you want from me?” she asked. “What can I do to make things easier?”

He barely paused long enough to consider his answer. “Go home. Go back to your precious new life.” His words slashed at her. “There are enough people around to take care of things here.”

She could barely speak over the lump in her throat. She should fight him, except she was tired of arguing. And anyway, wasn’t that what she wanted? To return to her life in Richmond and not look back?

“You’d love that, wouldn’t you?” She straightened her spine, surprised by her own words. “Well, think again. You can’t tell me what to do. This is my family and I’m not going anywhere.”

“You’d rather risk Paula’s health by sticking around?”

Ashleigh couldn’t believe he’d said that. “That’s not what I’m doing. I’m taking care of her boys so she can rest like she’s supposed to.”

Kyle didn’t say anything, simply turned to his truck.

She didn’t want to leave the conversation unfinished. “Wait.” This time she did touch his sleeve. His bicep flexed at the contact.

He clicked his truck locks open as his head spun around. In the low light, she could see he wasn’t immune to her. His breathing accelerated and the heat coming off his body intensified.

She drew her hand back when she realized the same was true for herself.

He grabbed her hand and jerked her close, his eyes fixed on hers. She couldn’t pull her gaze away, no matter how much she tried.

His body was solid and unyielding, as was his expression. He was furious. She placed a hand on his chest and he swore. His mouth was hot and rough when it captured hers. Her eyes closed and her world tilted.

Their issues were put on hold. No hurt, no betrayal, no misunderstandings.

Only lust. Pure, unadulterated lust.

She’d spent the past two years avoiding thoughts of them together like this and now the heat was spreading through her body like a spark to kindling.

If she stopped to dwell on all she’d lost, there would have been pain. Indescribable agony. Now here she was, rediscovering the magic between them, reviving the sexual claim they had on each other with no thought about where this was headed or what the consequences might be.

No thought whatsoever.

Her arms encircled his waist and her splayed hands moved upward, recognizing his solid back muscles by touch alone. Her fingers moved then, to the deep ridge in his lower back where his firm backside began. All the while, his mouth was doing delicious things to hers, as if the past few years hadn’t happened.

Perhaps they had a chance at civility after all.

Kyle drew away abruptly, taking a step backward. They stood a foot or more apart. A sudden chill enveloped her.

“Sorry.” His tone was gruff as he ran a hand through his hair. “That shouldn’t have happened.”

He turned his back to her, missing her hand fly up to cover her silent, openmouthed gasp.

He retrieved his keys from the curb where they must have fallen when he grabbed her. Then he continued with purpose around the truck to the driver’s side.

His door was halfway open when she said, “Kyle?”

He stopped, his expression unreadable in the darkness.

Her heart sank. Not only had she gotten the wrong message from his kiss, but now things between them had definitely gotten more complicated.

If that was even possible.

“Never mind,” she whispered.

CHAPTER FOUR

PAULA HAD BEEN in and out of bed all night. Why couldn’t OBs understand that complete bed rest was virtually impossible when your pregnancy bladder acted like an alarm clock? Of course, every time she got out of bed and moved around it woke Bam-Bam, who was instantly ready to shake, rattle and roll.

Nothing like a kick in the ribs to keep you awake.

She finally gave up and decided to read for a while, but she must have fallen asleep because a knock on her bedroom door startled her awake.

“Come in.” Daylight peeked through the front window where the curtains met and the book she’d been reading lay across her chest. She searched the covers for her bookmark and set the book next to her.

Ashleigh entered, carrying a tray that, from the delicious smell, must be breakfast.

“Good morning.” Ashleigh’s words sounded more cheerful than her expression conveyed. “I hope you still like eggs on a raft. I came to ask you before I started cooking, but you were asleep.”

“I haven’t had that in years!” Paula’s ho-hum attitude changed slightly for the better. “The boys like scrambled eggs, so that’s what I usually fix.”

Ashleigh set the tray down. Along with the poached eggs on toast were hot tea, orange juice and blueberry yogurt. Perfect, just like Ashleigh.

“You didn’t have to go to so much trouble.” Paula pushed aside her mental insults because she couldn’t wait to dig in. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Ashleigh helped Paula get the tray settled and glanced around the bedroom. “Is there anything else you need? The boys are finishing breakfast and I started a load of laundry.”

Paula swallowed her first mouthful of food and shook her head. “No, this is wonderful.” She cut off another bite of toast and ran it through the perfectly done yolk. “Grandma used to make this for us.”

Ashleigh’s eyebrows rose. “I remember.”

She probably hadn’t expected Paula to solicit a conversation, but what the heck. They needed to start somewhere. This pregnancy still had several weeks to go.

“Remember that day she spent so much time teaching us how to crack eggs without breaking the yolk?” Ashleigh’s hint of a smile at the memory seemed genuine.

“And the number of eggs we wasted!” Paula took a sip of tea and it sloshed close to the edge of the mug when she unexpectedly chuckled. “We must have gone through close to two dozen and there was more shell than egg in the bowl.”

“Then Grandpa came into the kitchen, asking what all the racket was about.” Ashleigh’s lips curved into a smile. “And we were astonished when he demonstrated his perfect, one-handed crack of an egg. That day he became my hero.”

Paula sobered, recalling her deceased grandparents’ loving relationship. “I remember the way he always looked at Grandma and I used to think, ‘That’s how I want my husband to look at me.’ I was about eight or nine at the time.”

“That’s exactly what you’ve got,” Ashleigh reminded her in a quiet voice.

“I know. We both have men like that.” The words escaped Paula’s mouth before she realized what she was saying. “I didn’t mean—”

Ashleigh stiffened, crossed her arms over her chest and turned toward the bedroom door. She did an immediate one-eighty. “I need to say something.”

Paula had an apology ready on her lips, but instead she waited for Ashleigh to continue before making things worse.

“I know it’s awkward having me around but I’m not leaving.” Ashleigh kept her eyes averted. “I’m here for the duration.”

That was the last thing Paula expected Ashleigh to say. “Where did that come from?”

Ashleigh’s lips quivered as she spoke. “Kyle and I—” She cleared her throat. “We talked last night. He wants me to go back to Richmond. That way there would be less stress on you.”

Paula couldn’t believe her ears. She hadn’t wanted Ashleigh here in the first place, but she’d known it was for the best. Not because she and the boys needed someone they could count on, but because she and Ashleigh needed to work things out.

“Kyle said that?” Paula’s words came out harsher than she’d intended. “You know, I’m getting pretty sick and tired of everyone making decisions for me without even consulting me.”

“He just wants what’s best for you—we both do,” Ashleigh said.

“We?” Paula spoke sharply, her temper flaring. “Since when are you and Kyle we?” She could feel herself becoming irrational, but it ticked her off that everyone was ganging up on her.

“Paula—”

“I don’t want to hear any more.” She’d lost her appetite and shoved the food tray to the other side of the bed.

Paula didn’t want anyone’s help. She wanted to manage on her own like she always did.

The mix of emotions flowing through her was enough to make her want to bawl her eyes out. But she’d be damned if she’d give Ashleigh the satisfaction of knowing she’d upset her.

“You really should eat.”

Paula stared at Ashleigh until she silently picked up the tray and stood at the end of the bed as if waiting for Paula to say more.

Instead, Paula got her oversize, pregnant self out of bed and walked into the bathroom with her head held high. She slammed the door, essentially ending the conversation with the stranger who had never felt less like a sister than right at that moment.

* * *

KYLE TOOK A healthy swig of coffee in the nearly empty hospital cafeteria. His cell phone rang. The caller ID read “Paula” so he answered immediately.

“Is everything okay?” His heart rate accelerated. Paula rarely called, preferring to text instead.

“No,” Paula barked into his ear. “Everything is not okay.”

Was she in labor? He didn’t have a chance to ask before she continued. “What right do you have telling Ashleigh to go home?”

This was not good. How much did Paula know about last night? “So you’re okay? Physically?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Still pregnant, still on bed rest, and now I’m ticked off. What did you say to Ashleigh?”

“I thought you didn’t want her here.” Kyle remembered to moderate his voice in the public cafeteria.

“I don’t,” she shot back. “But she’s my sister, in case you’ve forgotten.”

“No, I haven’t forgotten,” he said gently. “Do you want me to ask her to stay?” Please say no. After he’d kissed Ashleigh last night, he’d wanted to kick himself.

He’d also wanted to kiss her again, and again, if truth be told. He’d always been physically attracted to her, no matter what was going on emotionally.

“It doesn’t matter.” Paula’s voice caught. “She told me she’s here for the duration. Even if I asked her to go, she wouldn’t. Not that she’s ever listened to me.” A sound like a sob came from Paula.

“Are you crying?” He couldn’t tell if she was angry or sad, but he knew better than to point out her irrationality.

Another sob. “No, I’m not crying,” she said before succumbing to actual crying.

“Listen, would it help if I talked to her and apologized?”

“I don’t care. I’m tired of people plotting behind my back.”

“You know that’s not what we’re doing.”

“Really?”

“We’re trying to do our best for you and your baby.”

Paula sniffled. “I know. I’m sorry.” She sobbed, a choking sound that nearly broke Kyle’s heart. “I just want to be back in charge of my life.”

Kyle grasped for something to say. “This will all be over soon and you’ll forget about the bad stuff when you hold your baby.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Paula ended the call and Kyle wasn’t sure if he was supposed to talk to Ashleigh or not.

* * *

LATER THAT MORNING, after Ashleigh got the boys off to school and knew Paula would be okay until lunchtime, she headed out to run some errands. Paula’s stress level would be lower without Ashleigh hanging around. Besides, she had her cell phone with her if an emergency arose.

First off was her pediatric practice to see how things were going.

“Good morning, Dr. Wilson.” Cammie Varrone, the fortysomething office manager, greeted her with a welcoming smile. “I didn’t realize you were in town.”

Ashleigh returned her smile. “I’m helping out my sister. She’s having some pregnancy complications.” That sounded like a reasonable answer, as long as no one asked about her relationship with her sister.

“Tell her we’re wishing her well and let us know if we can do anything.”

“That’s very kind of you,” Ashleigh said. “Is Dr. Mitchell in?”

“He’s returning calls in his office. His first patient isn’t due for another fifteen minutes.”

Ashleigh pointed to the closed door that led to her father’s office when he’d owned the practice. “I’ll peek in for just a minute.”

She knocked quietly on the door and heard, “Come in.” She slowly opened the door and stuck her head in the room.

Stan Mitchell’s eyes widened and he smiled. He held up one finger and ended his phone call. “Let me know if the fever continues with the new antibiotic.” He hung up the phone, rose slowly from his chair and came around the desk. “Come in, come in! It’s so good to see you!” He hugged Ashleigh and it crossed her mind that this man she didn’t know that well was giving her such a warm welcome, while others she’d known for years had barely acknowledged her presence.

He held her at arm’s length and looked at her. “So how are you? What brings you here?”

She quickly updated him on her life and explained in minimal terms why she was in town. Yet, during their conversation, she got the distinct feeling that there was something wrong with Stan.

“Are you feeling all right?”

“Busy as usual,” he said. “You know how it is.”

When Ashleigh moved to Richmond, Stan had taken over the pediatric practice she’d inherited from her father upon his death. Stan had grown up in Grand Oaks but had spent his medical career at a children’s hospital on the West Coast. The high stress level had worn him down, so he’d gratefully accepted the position in Grand Oaks.

“Well, just make sure you’re taking care of yourself.” Ashleigh wasn’t convinced he was simply overworked. “I can help out while I’m in town, you know. Come in a few hours a day to give you a break.”

“What about your sister? I thought you were here for her.” At least Stan didn’t give her a flat-out no.

“She doesn’t need me twenty-four seven—in fact she’d probably like the break. The boys are in school during the day, so I can come in the morning, go home to get Paula lunch and then come back for an hour or two until the boys get home.”

Stan lowered himself onto the corner of the desk. “If you think you can do it all, then I’d be grateful. I am feeling kind of worn-out these days. My wife’s been complaining that I barely have enough energy to eat dinner.” He laughed, but Ashleigh’s concern heightened. “I probably need some B vitamins to perk me up.”

They set up a schedule for the rest of the week and Ashleigh went on her way. Other than forcing him into a doctor’s office for a physical, she wasn’t sure what else she could have done. Next time she saw him, though, she’d push the physical idea. One step at a time.

* * *

AFTER A QUIET MORNING in the E.R., there had been a sudden rush of patients when Kyle was about to take an early lunch break. Now it was nearly one and his starvation was finally appeased after finishing a turkey sub and two apples.

“There you are.” The young female voice behind Kyle startled him. “You didn’t answer your page so they sent me to look for you.”

He turned to answer the young student nurse. “What’s up, Katelyn?” He checked the beeper at his waist, wondering why he hadn’t felt it. He must have been really hungry not to notice.

“Dr. Mitchell was brought into the E.R. with an apparent heart attack. Ms. Snyder thought you’d like to know,” she said, referring to the E.R. ward clerk.

“Stan Mitchell?” The guy was in his mid-fifties. At the girl’s timid bob of her head, Kyle rose from his chair, nearly knocking it over in the process. “Thanks,” he said over his shoulder, and hurried through the busy hallways to the E.R.

“What’s Dr. Mitchell’s status?” he asked breathlessly of the E.R. ward clerk.

“He’s in curtain three,” she said. “His wife is over there.” She pointed toward the waiting room where a petite blonde was wringing her hands.

Kyle turned on his heel to speak to Stan’s wife, unable to recall her first name. He pulled a metal chair closer to the youthful-looking woman probably in her mid-forties and sat. “I’m Kyle Jennings, Mrs. Mitchell. Stan took over my ex-wife’s pediatric practice.” The term “ex-wife” would never flow smoothly off his tongue.

She nodded her head. “Yes, I remember you. We met at that hospital fund-raiser.” Her eyes were red and puffy. “Is Stan going to be okay? One minute he was talking to me at lunch and the next—”

“I’m going to see how he’s doing and I’ll let you know.” Kyle stood and put a hand on her shoulder. He squeezed it gently before hurrying off to curtain three.

The E.R. doctor on duty exited from Stan’s curtained area. “How is he?” Kyle asked.

“Lucky,” Chuck Borden answered. “His wife was with him and was able to get the first responders there quickly. She did chest compressions until they took over. They almost lost him in the ambulance.”

Unbelievable. The cardiologist on duty would order tests to find out how much damage Stan’s heart had endured. At least now he had a good chance of recovery.

“I’ll let his wife know he’s stable and that she can come sit with him.”

Chuck nodded and made a notation on Stan’s chart.

As Kyle walked back to the waiting room, a thought occurred to him. Ashleigh would have to deal with Stan’s health issues and necessary absence since she still owned the practice.

Kyle wasn’t sure why she hadn’t sold it. Beyond family, it was her last tie to the town.

Now he needed to figure out how to get someone else to make the call to Ashleigh to let her know Stan’s condition.

He dialed her pediatric practice from memory and the office manager answered. Cammie was the perfect choice to pass on the news about Stan to Ashleigh.

* * *

AFTER LEAVING HER pediatric office, Ashleigh spent the morning stopping at a few of her favorite places in town. There were some things she couldn’t get in Richmond that she’d grown accustomed to in Grand Oaks. Like the homemade bread from Mama’s Bakery on Market Street and a fresh supply of dry red wine from Mossy Oak Vineyard.

She’d barely pulled into the parking lot of the vineyard, located about two miles out of town, when her cell phone rang.

Why would someone from her pediatric practice be calling? “Hello?”

“Dr. Wilson?”

“Yes?” Ashleigh answered.

“This is Cammie, um, Cammie Varrone, the office manager at Dr. Mitchell’s—I mean your— pediatric office.”

“Yes, Cammie, what is it?”

“Well, I’m afraid Dr. Mitchell is in the hospital—”

“Oh, no! What happened? Is he all right?” Ashleigh’s heart was in her throat as she waited for details. She’d barely left him a few hours ago.

“He apparently had a heart attack,” she said with a trembling voice.

A heart attack? He was too young for that, she thought, even though the doctor in her knew he wasn’t. “How bad?”

“They’re not sure how much damage his heart sustained.”

“Thank you for letting me know. I’ll call the hospital and see if they have an update.”

“Um, Dr. Wilson?”

“Yes?” Was there more?

“We have no one to take over Dr. Mitchell’s caseload.”

Cammie didn’t know about Ashleigh and Stan’s schedule, so Ashleigh filled her in. “What about Dr. Charles?” Livvy Charles had a pediatric office in the next town over and served as Stan Mitchell’s backup. Ashleigh couldn’t handle the practice full-time and take care of her sister and nephews, too.

Silence. “She’s on maternity leave,” Cammie finally said. “Her baby was born a few days ago and Dr. Mitchell has been seeing her patients.”

Of course he was.

“Okay.” Ashleigh sighed. “Let me figure out what to do and I’ll get back to you.”

“I’ve canceled all the well-baby and physical appointments for today, but I don’t know what to do about the rest.”

Ashleigh considered her options. The pediatric practice was still her responsibility—she should have sold it before moving to Richmond.

“You did good, Cammie. Give me half an hour and I’ll be over to figure out how to handle this.”

They disconnected and Ashleigh remained in the vineyard parking lot to make some phone calls. Unfortunately, no one was available to step in and no one knew anyone they could recommend.

After nearly fifteen minutes, she finally hit upon Samantha Collins—an old medical school colleague who could fill in temporarily. The only problem was that Samantha couldn’t come for a few days due to teaching obligations. But Ashleigh could deal with that.

Ashleigh let out a relieved sigh. “Thanks so much, Sam.”

“This will be fun,” she told Ashleigh. “I don’t get to practice nearly as much since I took this teaching job at the medical school.”

They spoke for a few more minutes before Ashleigh ended the call. There was no way around it. She would have to take over the practice until Sam got here.

Now she—and Paula—had no other choice. Ashleigh would have to find someone to help out at her sister’s, at least part-time.

Ashleigh made a few more phone calls and ended her search for household help successfully.

She called Paula. “How’s it going?”

“Fine.” Paula’s lack of enthusiasm wasn’t a surprise.

“Stan Mitchell had a heart attack.” Ashleigh hadn’t meant to blurt it out, but she’d lost the ability to converse normally with her sister.

Paula gasped. “Is he okay?” Ashleigh related what she knew about Stan and then told her about the young woman who would be helping out.

“Mrs. Baxter, next door to you, has a twenty-two-year-old granddaughter who’s looking for work. She says the two of you met last Christmas. Emma graduated from college in December and is willing to help out until she finds a full-time teaching job. Her degree is in elementary education.” Ashleigh paused a second. “She can get the boys off to school, do laundry and grocery shop. Then I can take over when I get home.”

Paula was quiet for an uncomfortably long time. Ashleigh was about to speak when Paula finally said, “I guess that will work.”

“Then I’ll see you after I get things straightened out in the office. Emma will come over right away.”

Ashleigh put the car into Reverse and backed out of the space.

So much for the wine.

Not long after that, Ashleigh pulled up in front of Paula’s. “I’m here,” she called out cheerfully when she entered the house.

“I’m still in bed,” Paula groused, her tone of voice cool.

Her sister was sitting up in bed, paperwork spread out around her that appeared to be bills. Her hair was damp and secured with combs away from her face. Her creamy complexion was flushed. She looked at Ashleigh, apparently waiting for her to speak first.

“Did it work out with Emma?” Ashleigh asked.

Paula shrugged unenthusiastically. “I guess so.” She wasn’t about to make this easy, was she? “She just left.”

“What did she make you for lunch?” Ashleigh asked.

“I told her I wasn’t hungry.”

Unacceptable. Lunchtime had come and gone a few hours ago. Keeping her censure to herself, she went to fix Paula some lunch, whether she wanted it or not.

* * *

LESS THAN AN hour later, Ashleigh was entrenched in her former office at the pediatric practice her father opened in the late sixties. She drummed her fingers on the desk as she waited to see her first patient in two years.

She took in the strangely unfamiliar surroundings. This was Stan’s domain now, with his diplomas and awards displayed on the walls. Pictures of his wife and two grown daughters were arranged on the credenza, along with a photo of a black lab with a stick in its mouth.

Stan initially told her he wanted to work part-time after putting in so many grueling hours at his last job. Ashleigh expected to have her work cut out convincing him to return to his hometown, but it hadn’t taken much coaxing after he realized he’d be able to play golf and tennis at the refurbished country club. As soon as they’d settled into their newly renovated farmhouse on ten acres outside of town, his wife had jumped right into the Grand Oaks Garden Club.

How was Linda doing now? Ashleigh could only imagine how worried she must be.

She was reaching for the phone on the desk to call her when a knock sounded at the door. Cammie must be coming to tell her that her first patient was in exam room one. “Come in,” she called out. “I’ll be right—”

It wasn’t Cammie at the door, but Kyle. Her mouth stopped functioning.

He yanked at the collar of his button-down shirt. His sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, and her gaze was drawn to his forearms. The instantaneous memory of running her hands down his arms to entwine her fingers with his had her blood heating to a rapid boil.

“I saw your car parked outside and figured you’d heard about Stan.” His voice was both solemn and sexy.

She nodded hesitantly and recovered her voice. “How is he?”

Kyle filled her in on Stan’s condition, ending with, “He’s scheduled for a triple bypass tomorrow.”

Ashleigh did the recovery calculation in her head. “So he won’t be able to come back to work anytime soon.”

“That’s if everything goes smoothly.”

There was an uncomfortable silence until Kyle finally spoke. “Stan put his own stamp on this office, didn’t he?” He gestured to the mementos spread around the space.

“I remember coming here as a little girl when it was my dad’s office.” Her throat thickened with emotion. “He had that huge oak desk that had been passed down from his grandfather. The one I used to use.” She’d put it in storage when she moved away from Grand Oaks.

“He would set me right here.” She motioned to the area on the desk in front of her. “And he would point his finger at me and say, ‘You can be anything you want to be. Just because I chose medicine doesn’t mean you have to.’ Then he’d wink and say, ‘But it sure would be nice to work next to you.’” Then he would pull a lollipop from the desk drawer and hand it to her.

“He was a great guy,” Kyle said with a sad smile. “It’s too bad the two of you didn’t get to live out his dream for longer than that one year.”

A cloud of melancholy blanketed her as the memories of her now-deceased father bombarded her. “He used to tell me how, back when he first opened the practice, people would pay him in chickens and vegetables or even cigarettes when money was scarce. Especially the families who had someone serving in Vietnam, leaving the women to deal with everyday life at home, including their sick children.”

“Those must have been tough times,” Kyle said.

Ashleigh nodded. “My dad would make house calls back then. Not only to those with sick children, but he regularly visited homes where food was scarce. He’d bring them the food other patients had paid him in, saying he couldn’t use all of it before it would spoil.”

Kyle spoke gently. “I always considered him as much a mentor as a father-in-law.”

Ashleigh missed her father so much, but he would have been extremely disappointed in her. He wouldn’t have liked knowing she’d left town when her marriage failed, abandoning the practice he’d built.

Kyle walked over to the credenza under the window to look at Stan’s framed photos. He finally broke the silence with a change of subject. “Stan won’t be able to work for a while. Do you have anyone to help out with the practice?”

Ashleigh related her plan to fill in until Samantha arrived.

“What about Paula? You can’t be two places at once.”

“I’ve got someone coming in to help while I’m here. Paula’s not happy about it, but I’ve given her no choice.” Paula’s compassion for Stan was the only reason she gave in about hiring help.

“She understands, though, right?”

Ashleigh met his dark blue questioning gaze. “I guess so. Not that she’s pleased about it.” She stood and shoved the wheeled desk chair back into the bookshelves. Blood rushed in her ears. “Can’t blame her, though. First, she didn’t want me here, and I tell her that I’m here whether she likes it or not. Then I say I’m sorry but I have to help out somewhere else and, oh, by the way, here’s a stranger I hired to take care of you.”

She knew her voice was getting louder and louder, but she couldn’t help herself.

“It’s not like you’re responsible for Stan’s heart attack.”

Ashleigh turned away, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m not sure that’s a true statement.”

“Ashleigh?”

She didn’t say anything. The guilt was eating her up. Stan wasn’t well this morning. Why hadn’t she suggested he see a doctor right then and there?

She spun in Kyle’s direction, changing the subject before she blurted out the truth.

“Anyway, Kyle, I’m not sure why you care so much about what’s happening with me and this practice. You’re the one who told me to go home last night!” Ashleigh came around the desk until she was a few feet from him. She lowered her voice to an angry whisper. “‘You’re not needed here,’ you said. Well, if I took your advice, then I’d never have a chance of repairing my relationship with my sister. Or maybe that’s what you’re hoping. As long as Paula and I are estranged, then I won’t be back to visit and you won’t have to risk running into me.”

His jaw dropped open and he quickly snapped it shut.

A knock sounded on the door and Cammie stuck her head in. “Your first patient is waiting in exam room one.” She was gone as quickly as she’d appeared.

Kyle didn’t say a word. Said nothing to contradict Ashleigh’s statement. He merely left the office and never looked back to see the hurt that had to have been apparent on Ashleigh’s face.

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