Imaginary Lover by Sandra Chastain

Author:Sandra Chastain
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780345541918
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2013-12-09T08:00:00+00:00

The bank manager opened Dusty’s account and issued her temporary checks. She didn’t have enough money for a car. But she could buy a bicycle with a big enough basket to carry her groceries home. The hardware store owner attached double baskets to the rear of her machine and supplied her with a security lock.

At the grocery store she purchased three bags of food. Two went into the baskets, and one was tied around the handlebars. By the time she rode back into the yard, she felt as if she were back in charge of her life.

Nick didn’t appear until late afternoon, sticking his head in the door and sniffing appreciatively. “I don’t know what you’re cooking, but if it tastes as good as it smells, I might have to marry you.”

“It’s good. I just tasted it.”

He walked through the house and picked up the spoon. “May I?”

“You may. Then you have to call somebody named Bill. He says that the procedure has been approved, and you’re going to help. I’m glad.”

Nick swallowed the marinara sauce and put the spoon back on the counter. “He’s wrong. I’m not going to help. I can’t.”

“Well, maybe I misunderstood, but I was sure that’s what he said.”

“No, you didn’t misunderstand,” Nick said, and turned to leave.

Dusty didn’t like the sudden stiffness of his stance, nor the pallor that turned his face to chalk. Something was wrong. She searched her mind for a way to find out. “Nick, I saw you today, driving a blue van.”

He paused. “Yes.”

“David said you go with the art teacher. Why didn’t you say something?”

“It’s nothing. I only drive the van on the mornings when she visits the hospital. Some of the children are pretty sick. I can be of more help to the teacher in that kind of situation.”

Even when he didn’t have the confidence to treat them, Nick was drawn to children. Just as she had been when she’d tried to help the police officers’ widows and their children.

“Did something happen today, something different?”

He turned and gave her a quick hard look. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I was in David’s office when he got a call from someone, something about you examining a student.”

“Damn! I knew that was mistake. But I couldn’t let it go.”

Dusty cut the temperature down to simmer and walked over to Nick. “Come along, Doctor, and tell me what happened.”

He allowed her to lead him to the sofa, where he sat down and leaned back, closing those dark eyes and letting out an oath. “I should never have examined the boy. What if I’m wrong?”

“Wrong about what, Merlin? What’s wrong with the kid?”

“Somebody has been using him as a punching bag. He was being very brave, trying to hide his bruises. It might not be obvious to others, but I knew.”

“Of course you did, Nick.”

“How can I be sure?”

“Any doctor would recognize those kinds of wounds. I’d recognize them. I sure saw enough.”

“Dusty, I don’t know whether it was the doctor in me who knew or just the human being.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.