In Care of Sam Beaudry by Kathleen Eagle

Author:Kathleen Eagle [Kathleen Eagle]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781408920442
Publisher: Harlequin Mills & Boon Ltd.

Maggie wrapped her arms around herself and stared at the open office door. So that’s him. The picture in Star’s scrapbook had been doctored up in her mind with weasel features, so he wasn’t quite as unappealing as she’d imagined.

“You’re unusually quiet,” Sam said. “Considering.”

“I’m processing.” She turned to him. She wanted to hug him, but he didn’t look like he wanted to be hugged. She glanced at the chair just vacated by Randone, rejected taking a seat in favor of turning glance into stare. “You get a reality check, you want to take a few minutes to process.”

“I know what you mean.” He went to the window. “What did I know and when did I know it? That’s the big gut-check question. Why did I let her down? Was it ignorance, or was I just plain spineless?”

“She made her own choice.”

“She wasn’t thinking.”

“Apparently she was in love.” She wondered what he saw beyond the window, but she had a feeling she wouldn’t know even if she walked over there and stood beside him. “And you were, too. I’m afraid you still are, which means I need to—”

“Hey, I let her down.” He shrugged. “Simple as that. If I hadn’t walked away she might still be alive.”

“It’s not about ignorance or cowardice, and you know it.” She took a seat on the corner of his desk. “You’ve got a massive hero complex going on, Sheriff. You join the military, you become a lawman, you defend, protect and serve. You could have saved her, but she was in love with another man, so you walked away. That’s quite a burden.”

“We’re two of a kind, Maggie. You like to save people, too. That’s why you’re a nurse.” He turned away from the window. “I’m not in love with her. I haven’t been for a very long time.”

“It doesn’t matter now.”

“Doesn’t it?” He drilled her eyes for truth almost the way he had Randone’s. “I’m free to love someone else. Are you?”

“I love my son. I’m not free to get into anything that might not be good for him. Any relationship, anything that could be a losing proposition for him. You’ve got your baggage, I’ve got mine, Sam, and these days you pay extra for every piece, every pound, every…” She blew a sigh toward the outline of long-forgotten leakage in the old ceiling. “No, I’m not free.”

“Fair enough.” He moved a few folders, sat beside her on the desk and laid his hand over hers, which rested on her thigh. “That’s what I like about you, Maggie. You don’t beat around the bush.”

“Has there been anyone else since Merilee?”

“Another bag, you mean?”

“Maybe you’ve almost gotten over her, but she comes back into your life more desperate than ever, and being Sam Beaudry…” She looked up at him, raised her brow. “Torches get reignited.”

“Yeah, sometimes, if the carrier gets reunited.” He gave her a pointed look. “That was no reunion you were witnessing through the ICU window. That was a sad refrain. Merilee, Merilee, Merilee, Merilee, go gently down the stream.

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.