Defying Destiny by Olivia Downing

Author:Olivia Downing [Downing, Olivia]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Romance, Paranormal, Fiction
ISBN: 1463764537
Google: EMf-ygAACAAJ
Amazon: B005R2UAGK
Publisher: CreateSpace
Published: 2011-09-28T02:32:35+00:00

CHAPTER 25

There was no reason for Dr. Jared Sabin

to continue to visit the young woman

staying at the inn, but he came every day—

sometimes more than once—to check on

her. He brought his medical bag, but

hadn’t opened it for several days now. He

was taking things slowly, but he hadn’t

given up on her, because whether she

knew it or not, she did need someone to

lean on. He wanted to make sure he was

visible when she finally crumbled.

Jared climbed the treacherous steps to

the inn’s front door and let himself inside.

The snow had stopped the day before, but

a storm of ice pellets had struck in the

middle of the night. The entire town was

one slippery mess. The soft jingle of the

bell above the front door alerted the inn’s

proprietor. Mr. Gordon Smithy stuck his

head out of the small supply closet

beneath the stairs. The little hair on the

man’s head was gray and sticking out at

odd angles.

“Ah, Dr. Sabin, come to check on

Maralee again?” There was a knowing

grin plastered across the old fellow’s

face.

“How is she today?” Jared asked. He

removed his glasses and wiped them with

his handkerchief before putting them back

on.

“I don’t know. She’s been up in her

room all morning. She hasn’t come down

for breakfast.”

Jared knew it probably wasn’t

anything to worry about, but he couldn’t

stop his heart from thudding with dread.

“I’ll just go and check on her then,” he

said nonchalantly and started up the stairs

to her room. He knocked rapidly on

Maralee’s door.

“Maralee, it’s Jared. Are you all

right?”

She didn’t answer his summons. In

fact, he heard no indication she was even

in the room. He placed his ear to the door

and he heard a faint sniffling sound. He

tried knocking again.

“Maralee? Can I come in?”

“Please g-go away,” she called.

“I’m coming in.” He opened her door

and stepped into the dimly lit room.

It took him a moment to locate her. She

was sitting in the corner of the room on the

floor, her knees drawn up to her chest, her

face wet with tears. Her long black tresses

stood in stark contrast to her white

nightgown and pale face. Jared dropped

his medical bag and rushed to her side.

His heart panging with concern, he

touched her hair. She flinched away from

him.

“What is it? Are you hurt?”

She shook her head, placed her hands

on his chest, and tried to push him away.

He refused to budge. Instead, he wrapped

his arms around her and held her

awkwardly while she struggled to regain

her freedom.

“Tell me what’s wrong.” He couldn’t

stand to see her cry. It was worse than

watching her stare off into space with that

lonely, regretful look on her lovely face.

“It’s nothing.” She covered her face

with her hands and gave into his gentle

embrace at last.

Holding her felt right. He wished she

would allow it more often. “It’s obviously

something or you wouldn’t be so upset.

You can tell me anything,” he whispered.

“As a friend, as your doctor.”

She shuddered, and then gasped, “I’m

not pregnant.”

He released her immediately and

stared down at her with his mouth hanging

open. She turned into the corner and

sobbed against the wood-paneled wall,

clinging to it for support. When he

recovered from his initial shock, he

touched her shoulder.

“You wanted…you wanted to be

pregnant?”

“No,” she whispered. “Yes. No! I

don’t know.

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