The Doctor Takes a Wife by Laurie Kingery

Author:Laurie Kingery
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense
Published: 2011-09-27T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

On the day after Prissy’s mother’s funeral, Anson left to take his mother home to Burnet to be buried.

During the farewells in the courtyard, Anson said, “Dr. Walker, would you mind if I spoke to Miss Sarah for a moment?”

Sarah saw Nolan blink in surprise, but after darting a glance at Sarah to see if it was all right with her, he nodded slowly.

Anson took Sarah by the elbow and steered her just out of earshot of the others.

“Miss Sarah, I hope you’ll forgive me if I speak frankly, since I’m about to leave,” he said, gazing down at her, his dark eyes earnest. When she said nothing, he went on. “I—I’m sorry we didn’t get to know one another better, that I didn’t meet you before you met that Yankee doctor.” He nodded toward Nolan, who stood by Prissy’s father, who was still so weak he’d been pushed outside in a wheeled chair. Nolan was trying very hard to keep his eyes averted from them. Sarah could tell, but there was a certain tenseness about him that told her he was very aware of them.

She wouldn’t have been female if she wasn’t at least a little flattered by the ruefulness that tinged the eyes of Anson Tyler, who remained handsome even in his grief. She couldn’t help wondering, if she hadn’t already met Nolan, if she would have found Anson more appealing. But it was no use pondering the matter. She had met Nolan first, and because of that, her heart was already occupied.

“Anson, I—” she began, struggling to find the right words, but he interrupted her quickly as if to spare her.

“But I know I’m leaving you in good hands,” he said. “I’ve come to respect your Dr. Walker. He’s a good man, even if he is a Yankee.”

The admission touched her, for it represented a complete reversal of his earlier, automatic enmity toward Nolan.

“Thank you, Anson. And I believe there’s a wonderful lady out there, just waiting for you to find her. Perhaps you ought to come back to Simpson Creek some day—she could be part of our Spinsters’ Club.”

“Maybe I will.” A spark of the charm that was so much a part of Anson Tyler reappeared in his eyes.

Once Anson had departed, and Nolan had helped Prissy’s father back inside, Nolan took his leave, for he had many ill people to attend to.

Mayor Gilmore called his daughter and Sarah into the parlor.

Sarah was braced for this talk. Prissy’s father would express his thanks for her help nursing the family and for what she had taught his daughter, tell Prissy he needed her in the house and offer Sarah the help of Antonio and the use of the wagon to move her things back to the ranch.

Mayor Gilmore cleared his throat and dabbed at red-rimmed eyes with a rumpled handkerchief. “Sit down, both of you girls,” he said, then waited as they did so. “Your mother was so proud of you, Prissy—proud of how sweet and

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