Jaci Burton: Hope Flames

She’d thought long and hard before coming back home to set up her practice, but buying out Dr. Weston’s practice had been a deal she couldn’t pass up. Plus, she’d wanted family in her life again, needed the comfort of familiar places and faces. It was scary enough going into debt, even though her parents tried to help with the loan for the practice, which she didn’t want. She’d been dependent before, and she’d never be that way again. This time she was doing it all on her own. But she was doing it with family close by.

“Do you need anything?” her mother asked.

“No, I’m good, Mom.”

“Your dad and I are worried about you, Emma. All the money you’ve poured into the business, plus your college-loan debt. It’s too much. We can help—”

“I’m going to be fine. You know I used some of the money Grandma left me in her trust to help fund the practice. It’ll start making money right away.”

“But it’s going to take years to pay off your college loans. It’s just you by yourself and it’s a huge burden. Why do that alone when you don’t have to?”

She took a deep breath, and let it out. “Because I have to do this myself. And you know why.”

Her mother was quiet for a few seconds, which Emma knew was a rare thing.

“I understand. Of course, I do. But, Emma, we’re here for you if you need us. No questions asked.”

Tears filled her eyes and she blinked them back. She’d already cried enough tears for a lifetime. Never again. “I know, Mom. That’s why I came home.”

LUKE DROVE DOWN the main highway. It was after rush hour, so the streets weren’t full of cars like they’d been an hour ago.

There wasn’t a lot of crime in Hope. It wasn’t a large town. Big enough to have a city council and a police force and a mayor, which Luke was glad about. It had given him a job and a purpose and a chance to show off what he was worth, but sometimes it got downright boring.

He wrote a lot of traffic tickets, and because the state highway ran through town, there were a lot of fender benders. He worked those, sometimes side by side with the highway patrol, which meant he often got to hang out with his friend Will, who was a state highway patrol officer.

But major crime? Yeah, not so much. Meth labs were big in Oklahoma, and small towns bred them, so there was that. A few drug arrests, break-ins, drunk and disorderlies, and kids doing shit they shouldn’t do, but the opportunities to use his gun were rare. Which was a good thing, although he did continue to hone his shooting skills at the firing range or out at the family ranch.

Someday he’d end up on a big-city police force. Tulsa didn’t have openings, and with the current budget cuts he was damn glad to have the job he held, so he wasn’t complaining. But he kept his eyes and ears open to the possibilities. Will often suggested he move over to HiPo, but he enjoyed being a city cop and it looked like that’s where he was going to stay for the moment.

Which was fine. He liked being in this town. This was home, and protecting it meant something to him.

The past few days he’d made some drive-bys around Dr. Emma Burnett’s place. Each time her parking lot was full of cars.

Good for her. He was glad to see she had customers.

“She seems to be doing fine so far, Boomer.”

Boomer, asleep in the backseat of Luke’s patrol car, had no comment. Likely because he was still pouting about not getting to run the past few days.

“You’ll be back in action soon enough, Boom.”

He should stop by the doc’s office and have her take a look at Boomer’s leg. Luke was due for his break anyway. Not that there was anything wrong with the leg, but it was almost closing time and she didn’t seem to have any clients right now. No point in not being diligent about his dog.

Yeah, and you want to see the hot doctor again .

No, that wasn’t it at all. Emma seemed like someone a guy dated more than once, which wasn’t at all his type. He pulled in and turned off the engine. Boomer’s ears perked up.

He called in to dispatch that he was taking a break, and he’d be temporarily unavailable.

“Come on, buddy,” he said, grabbing Boomer’s leash.

He remembered Rachel from the other day, when he’d stopped by to pay the bill he owed for Emma treating Boomer’s injury. He hadn’t seen Emma at all that day. She’d been in the back with patients.

“Hi, Officer Luke,” Rachel said with a wide smile.

She was good at remembering names. “Howdy, Rachel.”

She frowned and glanced down at the computer. “I don’t have you on the books for an appointment. Did I miss one?”

“No. And I know you’re about to close. I was just driving by and thought if Emma—if Dr. Burnett had a second, maybe she could do a recheck on Boomer’s leg.”

“Oh. Sure. Let me find out for you.” She picked up the phone and hit a button. “Hey, Dr. Emma. Officer McCormack is here with Boomer. Do you have a second to take a look at Boomer’s leg?”

She waited, smiling up at Luke the whole time. The girl was adorable, couldn’t be more than twenty-one or so, with short dark hair and glasses that only added to her appeal. She probably had ten boyfriends.

As it should be at that age.

“Okay, thanks.” She hung up the phone. “She’s finishing something up in the back. She told me to take you into one of the exam rooms, and she’ll be right there.”

“Great. Thanks.”

Rachel led him back to one of the rooms and he took a seat. Boomer, always happy to get out of the car, wagged his tail and paced around the exam room.

“You’re just bucking for another treat, aren’t you?”

Boomer showed his teeth in a wide smile and wiggled his butt.

“Yeah, some fierce police dog you are. Some burglar will wave a cookie at you, and you’ll let him run right by.”

Luke grinned. He knew better than that. On command and on duty, Boomer was as good a cop as any of them out there.

Emma opened the door and her dog Daisy came bounding in behind her, greeting Boomer with a fierce wag of her tail and a sniff. Boomer did the same.

Emma smiled at him, and he felt the gut punch. Not sure why someone in pink scrubs and tennis shoes with her hair messily piled up on top of her head could spark his libido, but there it was.

No. Not your type, remember? You’re here for the dog .

“Hi, Luke,” she said as she closed the door behind her. “Is something wrong with Boomer’s leg?”

“Honestly? Not a thing. He seems to be healing up fine, and I’m taking him on walks every day. But I had a free minute while I was on my shift tonight, and I saw you hadn’t closed yet, so I thought I’d drop by and have you take a look.”

“Oh, I’m glad you did. I’ve been thinking about . . . him.”

He couldn’t help but smile and wonder if it had really been Boomer she’d been thinking about, because there were those telltale spots on her cheeks again.

She was gorgeous when she blushed.

Okay, she was gorgeous without needing to blush.

She took Boomer with her and left the room, Daisy following behind them. He went, too, watching as she walked all around the clinic with Boomer, testing his leg strength. When they came back in, she moved Boomer’s leg back and forth, pressing on various parts of it. He tensed, waiting for Boomer to show signs of pain.

She looked up at Luke, her easy smile relaxing him. “He’s healing very well.”

He breathed out a sigh of relief. “That’s great news. He seemed to be doing okay, but I’m glad to hear it from you.”

But then she frowned. “You said you were on duty?”

“Yeah.”

“Why’s he with you?”