The Doctor's Not-So-Little Secret by Kirk Cindy

Author:Kirk, Cindy [Kirk, Cindy]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises
Published: 2012-04-01T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

By the time she and Joel reached the mountains surrounding Jackson, the throb in Kate’s foot had morphed into a dull ache. He pulled the truck into the circular driveway in front of the large stone-and-log home, stopping right in front. He wanted to carry her into the house but Kate refused. Still, she did lean on his arm as she hobbled from the truck to the front porch.

Joel rang the bell, his worried glance shifting between her and the closed door. Clearly unhappy about having her stand for so long, Kate swore if the door hadn’t opened when it did, he’d have scooped her up into his arms and walked in unannounced.

“Happy Independence Day,” Lexi greeted them as the door swung open. Her welcoming smile faded as she caught sight of Kate’s one-legged stance. “Oh, my goodness, what happened to you?”

With the area around the toes turning black-and-blue, Kate knew her foot wasn’t a pretty sight. Still, she managed a smile as she shuffled onto the marble flooring in the foyer. “A drunken cowboy stepped on my foot when Joel and I were walking to Alpine Field.”

Joel muttered something uncomplimentary about the man. Even though Kate didn’t catch it all, she got the gist. Bottom line, the guy was lucky he’d gone on his drunken merry way by the time Joel realized what had happened.

“So you two—” Lexi paused and brought a finger to her lips “—were at Music in the Hole together?”

Joel looked at Lexi as if she’d spoken gibberish. “Of course we were together.”

“Of course you were together.” That familiar matchmaking spark flickered in Lexi’s eyes. A spark that Kate knew must immediately be extinguished.

“Didn’t you hear, Lexi? Chloe asked me to keep her dad company while she’s out of town.” Kate forced a laugh. “Whether he wants me around or not.”

Joel opened his mouth to protest but Kate shot him a warning glance. This was the agreement. For both of their sakes it was important to stick to the plan.

“Nick, David and Travis are trying to get a baseball game going,” Lexi said to Joel. “They told me to send you back when you arrived.”

He began shaking his head. “Kate needs—”

“She’ll be fine.” Lexi put her hand on Joel’s shoulder and gave him a little shove. “I’ll take care of her.”

To Kate’s surprise, Joel planted his feet and fixed his gaze on her. “Will you be okay?”

A lump formed in Kate’s throat. She blinked rapidly, keeping the tears at bay. How long had it been since someone wanted to care for her? Still, this was a game and she had a part to play.

“I’ll be fine.” She gave a dismissive wave, her voice casual and offhand, just as she’d intended.

“If you do need anything—”

“If I do—” Kate slanted a pointed glance to the brunette who’d been silently taking in every nuance “—I have Lexi.”

“Absolutely,” the social worker said. “I’m extremely dependable.”

“Thank you,” he said, finally satisfied.

As Kate watched him stride off, the ache in her heart became stronger than the ache in her foot.

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