Renee Ryan - Claiming the Doctor's Heart

Unexpected Love

After losing her high-powered job, Olivia Scott finds herself back home in Colorado. She never imagined she’d be taking care of kids, let alone being the nanny to longtime crush Dr. Connor Mitchell’s adorable twin girls. But what began as a favor to the handsome widower is growing into something more. Connor’s confused by his growing feelings for his best friend’s little sister. She’s become a beautiful woman with a caring soul, but he can’t risk his—or his girls’—heart. Olivia’s planning to head back to her city life. Unless this small-town doctor can convince her to stay…forever.

Village Green: Offering love, faith and a place to call home in Colorado

“You’re good with the girls.”

The compliment sent heat crawling toward her cheeks.

She hadn’t forgotten Connor was still in the room with her. She just hadn’t realized he’d turned around and was now watching her closely. Intently.

What did he see on her face? Longing? Regret? Her wish to do things differently this time around?

Olivia glanced up, hearing the gratitude in his voice. Their eyes met across the short distance between them.

At this close range she could see every nuance of color in his golden eyes, and every unfiltered emotion, a few she didn’t recognize or understand. “I can’t think of anything I’d rather do than watch your girls this summer.”

“I can’t think of anyone I’d rather watch them.”

He didn’t smile as he said the words, yet something pleasant shifted between them, something that went beyond words, something Olivia couldn’t quite define.

Maybe she wasn’t supposed to try. At least not right now.

RENEE RYAN

grew up in a small Florida beach town. To entertain herself during countless hours of “lying out,” she read all the classics. It wasn’t until the summer between her sophomore and junior years at Florida State University that she read her first romance novel. Hooked from page one, she spent hours consuming one book after another while working on the best (and last!) tan of her life.

Two years later, armed with a degree in economics and religion, she explored various career opportunities, including stints at a Florida theme park, a modeling agency and a cosmetics conglomerate. She moved on to teach high school while coaching award-winning cheerleading teams. Several years later, with an eclectic cast of characters swimming around in her head, she began seriously pursuing a writing career. Renee lives in Nebraska with her husband and an ornery cat. Visit her online at www.reneeryan.com.

Claiming the Doctor’s Heart

Renee Ryan

www.millsandboon.co.uk

In his heart a man plans his course,

but the Lord determines his steps.

—Proverbs 16:9

To my fabulous husband, Mark.

Not only for inspiring Connor,

both in character and looks, but for being with me

every step of the way this time around.

I seriously couldn’t have finished this book without you. I love you with all my heart.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Epilogue

Dear Reader

Questions for Discussion

Extract

Chapter One

Make a plan. Work the plan. Adjust when necessary.

Olivia Scott had rescued countless companies from financial ruin with that particular strategy. Why not use the same winning formula in her own life?

No more excuses. No more waiting for the perfect moment to come along. With only six months before she turned the Big 3-0, and nothing tying her to her old life, this was her chance to strike out on her own.

“If not now, when?”

Her bold words echoed in the empty kitchen of her childhood home, disappearing beneath the hum of the refrigerator.

Olivia squared her shoulders, refusing to allow any more darkness in her heart this morning. Losing her job didn’t have to be a bad thing. Nor did she have to regret finding out her ex-boyfriend only thought of her as a convenience. Better to know before she agreed to marry him, instead of after.

Olivia dropped her forehead to the kitchen table, squeezed her eyes shut and drew in several long, calming breaths.

Moving back to Colorado from Jacksonville, Florida, could be a blessing in disguise. The very nudge she needed to stop dreaming about opening her own tearoom and start making it happen.

Step one: make a plan.

Olivia lifted her head, turned on her laptop and looked around the kitchen while the machine booted up. Nothing had changed. The white enameled sink still had the long crack in the middle. The golden handles on the dark cabinets were original, as was the terra-cotta tile floor at her feet. This had been her mother’s domain, where she’d taught Olivia natural ingredients were always the best.

She really missed her mother.

Sighing, Olivia turned her attention back to the computer screen, clicked on the Village Green’s Chamber of Commerce official website and scrolled through the registry of businesses.

Some were new. Most had been around for generations.

She clicked on the link to a chocolate shop, frowned when she saw it had gone out of business six months ago and sat back in her chair. Wasn’t that interesting?

She returned to the search engine, typed in the words Colorado and Chocolatier and—

A wet nose nudged her hand.

Looking down, she steeled her heart against large, pleading brown eyes. “No, Baloo, I can’t go for a walk right now.”

Leash clamped between his teeth, her brother’s ancient black Lab shivered from head to toe. “No, really, I can’t. Maybe later, I’ll...”

Well, why not?

What better way to organize the ideas swirling around in her head? It wouldn’t hurt to avoid her two brothers, either, or their questions concerning her sudden arrival last night.

Losing her job had only been the first painful loss she’d endured before coming home. She hadn’t planned to bunk in her childhood bed, in the house she and her brothers had inherited when their parents died in a car crash ten years ago. Yet here she was.

A canine whine pulled her thoughts back to the present. Olivia made a face at the fifty-pound dog. “I’m not fooled, you know. I just let you out a half hour ago.”

The dog danced sideways to the back door, gave a pitiful swish of his tail, then pawed at the wood.

“All right, O impatient one.” Olivia drew the leash from his mouth and snapped it into his collar. “Let’s go.”

Once outside, instead of heading toward Main Street, she turned south. She wasn’t in a talkative mood. The fewer people she ran into this morning, the better.

It was an idyllic summer morning, in a small town straight out of a 1950s television show. Flowers bloomed in the tidy lawns along the lane. Birdsong filled the air. In the near distance, the majestic Rocky Mountains punched their craggy peaks into the clear blue sky.

She breathed in the smell of pine and fresh Colorado air.

“You’re not in Florida anymore.” That, she decided, was another blessing from her job loss.

Delighted to be outside, Baloo trotted next to her, head high. A few blocks later he stopped to sniff the base of a blue-and-white rectangle sign. Olivia didn’t have to circle around to the other side to read the words scrolled across the silhouette of a church with a tall steeple. She knew them by heart. Village Green, Colorado. Founded 1899. Population: 15,902. Elevation: 4,984.