Marta Perry - The Doctor Next Door

Mitch frowned. “I guess we both know what Rebecca thinks you should do.”

“She’s made that abundantly clear,” Brett said. His mouth twisted wryly. “She looked about ready to have me horsewhipped when I said I wasn’t back to stay.”

“I can imagine. She feels pretty strongly about Doc.”

“I know.” Brett turned the bluebird-patterned mug in slow circles on the tabletop. “I don’t quite know why she’s here, though. She could have gone anywhere when she finished her training.”

“That’s about when her father was diagnosed with cancer,” Mitch said. “You know how close they were. Rebecca came home to see him, and just stayed. Doc was in and out of the house all the time. John Forrester was a friend as well as a patient.”

“He was a good man.” John Forrester—quiet, unassuming, honest—had been part of Brett’s life for as long as he could remember. “I can understand why she came back then, but not why she stayed.”

“I guess she felt her mother needed her,” Mitch said. “Face it, Angela’s got a good heart, but she doesn’t have a whole lot of common sense. And when Quinn’s wife died, his little girl moved in with them. Rebecca’s got her hands full, I’d say.”

“Yes, I guess she has.” And probably a big debt she felt she owed Doc.

“One thing’s sure.” Mitch smiled, but his eyes were serious. “If Rebecca thinks anything you do will hurt Doc, she really will horsewhip you. I guarantee it.”

Rebecca couldn’t let it go. She paused in the parking lot outside the clinic, lifting her face to the September sunshine. That conversation with Brett ran through her mind over and over again.

He would leave. That was the bottom line. He’d try to solve Doc’s problems before then, but she knew the reality of the situation, even if he didn’t. He wouldn’t find a solution—not in a few short weeks, not even in a few months, probably.

That panicked sense of time running out gripped her again. What was she going to do?

She closed her eyes. Help me, Father. Please. You’ll have to guide me, because I don’t know what to do.

When she opened her eyes, the autumn colors seemed a little more golden. She took a deep breath, some of the tension in her shoulders ebbing. Now if she could just remember to leave the burden in God’s hands, instead of picking it up again, she’d be better off. She took another deep breath and walked into the clinic.

Brett was already there. He stood at the cabinet, looking over some files, and her heart thudded at the sight of him. He glanced up, sea-green eyes frowning, and waved a chart at her.

“Where are Alex’s medical records?”

She frowned right back. “Are you seeing him today?”

“No.” He eased away from the drawer, looking surprised that she’d question him. “But I’d still like to see them.”

She hesitated. What would Doc say to that? Brett didn’t really have any official standing, but…

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.