Jacqueline Diamond - A Family at Last

“I know that. I’m only asking you to wait a little longer. If Jeremiah really did kill Norbert Anglin, those fibers might prove it. Once Barry clears his record, he’ll have a second chance at the life he always wanted.”

“We have no guarantee it will work.” Chris wrapped his arms around his knees. “I want to fight for you because we belong together. But I have needs, too, Karen. I’ve been on a roller coaster ever since I got back to town. Please promise to marry me. We’ll work the rest out later.”

“I can’t,” she said miserably. “Not now.”

“I won’t force the issue tonight,” he conceded, “but neither am I willing to continue seeing you on the sly. If this business with the fibers doesn’t work out, you’re going to have to choose.”

“I know.”

Karen’s heart felt close to bursting. The prospect of betraying her brother went against her character, right down to her soul. Yet she couldn’t bear to lose Chris.

Somehow she had to find a way to say yes.

Dear Reader,

Although A Family at Last is the third book set in Downhome, Tennessee, it stands by itself. Readers of the previous two books will enjoy meeting old friends, but new readers won’t have any trouble jumping into the story.

This time, the town in need of doctors has landed pediatrician Chris McRay. Although nursing home director Karen Lowell once loved him, his testimony sent her brother, Barry, to prison for a crime he didn’t commit.

In an attempt to clear his name, Barry has focused on Chris—even going so far as to accuse him of committing the murder himself. But Chris is determined to put those rumors to rest.

Karen doesn’t know whom to believe or where her loyalties lie. The tricky part is that as Chris fits back into the community, she discovers she’s falling in love with him all over again.

None of them has considered that even in a close-knit town like Downhome, the real killer might still be on the loose. They’re going to have to put aside their divided loyalties and work together if they want a happy ending.

Hope you enjoy their story! Please e-mail me at jdiamondfriends@aol.com and visit my Web site at www.jacquelinediamond.com.

A Family at Last

Jacqueline Diamond

www.millsandboon.co.uk

HARLEQUIN AMERICAN ROMANCE

913—THE IMPROPERLY PREGNANT PRINCESS

962—DIAGNOSIS: EXPECTING BOSS’S BABY

971—PRESCRIPTION: MARRY HER IMMEDIATELY

978—PROGNOSIS: A BABY? MAYBE

1046—THE BABY’S BODYGUARD

1075—THE BABY SCHEME

1094—THE POLICE CHIEF'S LADY * Конец ознакомительного фрагмента. 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.

1101—NINE-MONTH SURPRISE * Конец ознакомительного фрагмента. 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.

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

Through the gathering dusk, Karen Lowell stared at the one-story brick pediatric clinic in the Green Hills area of Nashville, Tennessee. She had to summon the courage to march inside that building, even if it meant making a complete fool of herself.

She had to stop Dr. Chris McRay from ruining her life.

And her brother’s. And a lot of other people’s. Maybe even his own.

She opened her car door and stepped into a blustery February wind that buffeted her dark green coat. She should have come here months ago, she reflected as she hurried across the parking lot. She’d blamed work and family pressures, but in all honesty, cowardice had kept her away.

Chris had no business returning to his hometown, even if it did desperately need a pediatrician. Karen had opposed hiring him and now he’d set a date less than three weeks away for his arrival.

Before he made the move, someone had to change his mind. Karen couldn’t delay any longer.

She knew practicality wouldn’t sway Chris, who must have already weighed the reduction in income he’d receive by moving to Downhome. Instead, she had to hope he’d retained a shred of common decency.

It was a lot to ask of a man who’d lied on the witness stand. A man who’d sent her innocent brother to prison to cover up a crime he himself had committed.

A man who’d gotten away with murder.

Although her hands felt clammy, Karen refused to let nerves get the better of her. Murderer or not, Chris posed no immediate danger. In fact, to a casual observer, he no doubt appeared quite likable.

He’d been all smoothness and charm when he’d interviewed for the clinic job. As director of the town’s nursing home, Karen had served on the three-person physician search committee, which meant she’d had to sit there acting civil. Afterward, she’d voiced her opposition forcefully, but the other committee members had prevailed.

No wonder, considering how few applications they’d received. Chris was clearly the best qualified, on the surface. And few people in town wanted to confront the miscarriage of justice he’d perpetrated fifteen years earlier.

Karen stepped through the glass door into the inviting warmth. At this hour—a few minutes past five—no one occupied the front counter, which was festooned with red crepe paper and Valentine’s Day hearts. A waiting room opened on each side, one marked for well-child checkups and the other for ailing youngsters.

She hadn’t meant to arrive so late. However, her justification for taking a day off work and making the hour-and-a-half drive to Nashville had been to attend a continuing-education seminar at Vanderbilt University. The seminar had ended half an hour ago, and then she’d become mired in traffic on Hillsborough Road.

Childish laughter and a whiff of cinnamon issued from the waiting room to her right. Above the din, a man urged the youngsters to settle down. Despite the calm words, that voice sent chills through Karen.

Cautiously, she eased into the doorway. Through clusters of balloons, she spotted a group of enthusiastic toddlers and preschoolers gathered around a white-coated figure who sat on the carpet.