Luke

by R. C. Ryan

  “Sorry, Uncle Leonard. I tried Dr. Miller’s number, with no response. I won’t be able to go with you. This is an emergency. Huck Whitfield and his son, Ben, came in while you were loading up the truck. Ben put his hand through a window, and the cut looks deep. I’d hoped to pass them along to Rob Miller, but since he’s still not here, I have to stay. From the looks of that boy’s arm, I’ll be another hour or more.”

  Old Dr. Cross gave a sigh. “That’s what I was afraid of. Even on Christmas Eve, we always seem to get slammed with one emergency or another. That’s why I arranged for a doctor here, just in case.”

  Anita gave him a gentle smile. “Please don’t worry, Uncle Leonard. You go ahead and have a lovely dinner with the Malloy family. I’ll stay here and take care of business.”

  The two men exchanged a look before Burke said, “We’ll wait for you.”

  “There could be complications. I don’t want to hold up the entire Malloy family on Christmas Eve.”

  Burke considered before nodding. “All right. But don’t you worry, ma’am. I’ll take Dr. Cross out to the ranch now, and I’ll head right back for you.”

  “That’s awfully generous of you, Burke. But you could end up missing dinner.”

  “Wouldn’t be the first time, ma’am.”

  She gave him a grateful smile. “All right. But you’d better phone first. Like Uncle Leonard said, I could get slammed with more emergencies. And I can’t leave unless my replacement arrives.”

  Burke nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll call, and no matter how late it is, someone will be here to drive you to the ranch. When Miss Gracie issues an invitation, it’s like a royal command.”

  “Please give Miss Grace my apologies for this hitch in her plans.” With a grin, Anita sprinted back to the door of the clinic.

  As she stepped inside, she had to shake snow from her dark hair.

  Squaring her shoulders, she headed toward the examining room. Even Christmas, she thought, couldn’t stem the flow of emergencies. Hadn’t she known, when she completed her medical studies, that this would be her life? Not that she regretted it. Not a bit of it. Nor did she regret her move from a bustling city hospital to this sleepy little small-town clinic. Here, finally, she was doing what she’d always dreamed of. Seeing to every sort of medical emergency possible, from setting broken bones to removing tonsils. From dealing with preschool illnesses to arranging end-of-life care. As her uncle had promised, this place offered her the chance to follow her patients from childhood into old age. These strangers were no longer patients but were slowly becoming her neighbors and friends. Her family. She couldn’t think of a more rewarding gift than the chance to live out her life in this sleepy little town of Glacier Ridge, with its fascinating assortment of characters, and this homey little clinic, which had taken over her life.

  And if she felt a twinge of regret at missing her chance to spend more time with a handsome cowboy, she reluctantly pushed it aside. For now, she would give all her attention to Ben Whitfield and get him home in time for Christmas with his family.

  Fall in Love with Forever Romance

  TOO HOT TO HANDLE

  By Tessa Bailey

  Having already flambéed her culinary career beyond recognition, Rita Clarkson is now stranded in God-Knows-Where, New Mexico, with a busted-ass car and her three temperamental siblings. When rescue shows up—six-feet-plus of hot, charming sex on a motorcycle—Rita’s pretty certain she’s gone from the frying pan right into the fire…The first book in an all-new series from New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey!

  SIZE MATTERS

  By Alison Bliss

  Fans of romantic comedies such as Good in Bed will eat up this delightful new series from Alison Bliss! Leah Martin has spent her life trying to avoid temptation, but she’s sick of counting calories. Fortunately, her popular new bakery keeps her good and distracted. But there aren’t enough éclairs in the world to distract Leah from the hotness that is Sam Cooper—or the fact that he just told her mother that they’re engaged…which is a big, fat lie.

  MAYBE THIS TIME

  By Jennifer Snow

  All through high school, talented hockey player Jackson Westmore had a crush on Abby Jansen, but he would never make a move on his best friend’s girl. He gave her the cold shoulder out of self-preservation and worked out his frustrations on the ice. So when Abby returns, newly divorced and still sexy as hell, Jackson knows he’s in trouble. Now even the best defensive skills might not keep him from losing his heart…

  LUKE

  By R.C. Ryan

  When Ingrid Marrow discovers rancher Luke Malloy trapped in a ravine, she brings him to her family ranch and nurses him back to health. As he heals, he begins to fall for the tough independent woman who saved him, but a mysterious attacker threatens their love—and their lives. Fans of Linda Lael Miller and Diana Palmer will love the latest contemporary western in R.C. Ryan’s Malloys of Montana series.

  DUKE OF PLEASURE

  By Elizabeth Hoyt

  Sent to defeat the notorious Lords of Chaos, Hugh Fitzroy, the Duke of Kyle, is ambushed in a London alley—and rescued by an unlikely ally: a masked stranger with the unmistakable curves of a woman. Alf has survived on the streets of St. Giles by disguising her sex, but when Hugh hires her to help his investigation, will she find the courage to become the woman she needs to be—before the Lords of Chaos destroy them both?

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