A Man She Can Trust by Roxanne Rustand

Author:Roxanne Rustand
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2006-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

ON THE LONG drive home, images of Patsy had flashed through her thoughts. She grieved for the life lost far too young and for the children who would mourn their mother for years to come.

The frightening incident with that other car and the possibility that someone had tampered with her battery paled in comparison.

During med school and her residency she’d listened to the warnings about keeping distance between doctor and patient. Death happened, and getting too close led to burnout.

But it was still difficult to keep that distance with children and young adults, and this case had hit her especially hard. Even back at Chapel Hill, after she’d changed into sweats and thick wool socks, Jill couldn’t stop shaking.

Grant called her to the kitchen.

The fragrance of hot coffee filled the room, along with buttered whole wheat toast and the omelettes he always used to make with sautéed onions, mushrooms and cheddar cheese.

He frowned at her approach. “You should have taken a good, hot bath. You’re still chilled to the bone. This food can keep, if you’d rather warm up.”

She eyed the table he’d set, and wished she had an appetite. He’d always been a far better cook than her. “I’m fine, really. I’ll feel better after I eat, and this looks wonderful.”

He sat across from her and polished off his own meal, then watched her push her food around her plate. “Maybe we’d better talk.”

She managed a weak smile. “I’m just not as hungry as I thought, I guess.”

“No surprise, with the night you had. I’m really sorry about Patsy, by the way. Knowing death is inevitable doesn’t make it easier.”

“Not for her family, certainly.” She cradled her coffee cup in both hands, savoring its comforting warmth. “I feel sorry for her young kids. They’ll grieve for her now, and at every big event in their lives.”

“Sad business all the way around.” He topped off her cup from the carafe he’d left on the table, then leaned back in his chair. “You sure didn’t need any extra stress tonight.”

She took a steadying breath. “That other car sure scared me.”

“Did you catch the license? The make and model?”

“Are you kidding? It was dark. My windows were still frosted.”

He reached across the table and took her cold hands in his. “It might have been my crank caller tonight, trying to intimidate you. I don’t want to think what he might try next.”

“We don’t know it was the same guy. Could’ve been some teenagers, fooling around. And my battery could’ve been a coincidence.” But she didn’t really believe it. Not with her stomach still clenched in a cold knot of fear. Not with the darkness outside, and the vast acres of forest around the house providing a prowler ample cover.

Perhaps sensing her worry, Sadie lumbered heavily to her feet from her favorite spot over an old-fashioned heat grate in the floor and came to rest her head on Jill’s lap.

Grant patted his waist for his absent cell phone. “Guess I’ll need to use your phone,” he said, pushing away from the table.

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