by Judy Duarte
“Were the girls still there?” she asked.
“Yes, but lucky for us, we found one of the ranch hands in the barn, and he got us something to wear into the house.”
“Now that kind of ranch life had to have been a real change of routine.” Kirsten turned to him and grinned, revealing eyes sparking with mirth and a smile a man could get used to seeing.
“It was also a lot of fun. In fact, there were times when each of us pondered the idea of becoming cowboys when we grew up.”
“What made you decide to become a doctor?” Kirsten asked.
“I was probably ten when the idea first hit me,” Jeremy said. “My older brothers and I had been playing in a tree house in our backyard. Nick was climbing up the steps and horsing around with J.R. who was right below him.
In the process, Nick lost his balance, fell and broke his arm. It was a compound fracture, and I remember seeing the way the bone jutted out of his skin.”
“So his injury inspired you?” she asked.
“It was definitely the first time the thought crossed my mind. I felt sorry for Nick, of course. I knew he was in a lot of pain. But I begged my mom to let me go to the E.R. with them, and for some reason, she gave in. I found the whole hospital experience fascinating and quizzed the orthopedic surgeon until he probably wanted to tape my mouth shut.” Jeremy chuckled, looking back on it all from the perspective of an adult.
“I wish I could say that I had an epiphany like that when I decided on my career,” Kirsten said. “But I didn’t.”
“So why did you choose to become an accountant?” he asked, thinking that she was a natural-born caretaker and might have made a good teacher or even a nurse.
“I’ve always been good at math, so bookkeeping seemed like the field to study. Looking back, I think that I was drawn to a career like that because it provides order and structure in my life.”
Something told him that was because her brother provided so much instability to her life, and at least the laws of math and accounting were constant.
Jeremy couldn’t help wondering if there was something he could say to her brother, something he could do to help him get back on track. He had a feeling it would make Kirsten’s life a lot easier.
When they reached her house, where Jeremy had left his car parked at the curb, Max was arriving at the same time and parked his small white pickup in the driveway—probably the vehicle his sister had helped him buy.
Max appeared to be in a slightly better mood than before, which made Jeremy think that maybe he’d been wrong about the guy after all.
“How did it go today?” Kirsten asked her brother.
Max shrugged, his expression more of a scowl when he turned her way.
If Jeremy had more time, he’d take Max aside and maybe ask him to join him for a beer. A man-to-man talk might go a long way. But then again, maybe he was only barking up the wrong tree.
Either way, he had to get back to the clinic.
“I’ll talk to you later,” Jeremy told Kirsten. He was tempted to kiss her goodbye but chose not to in front of Max.
“Okay.” She smiled, and he wondered if the same thought had crossed her mind, as well as the same decision. “Have a good afternoon.”
“You, too.”
As Jeremy opened the car door and slid behind the wheel, he overheard Max tell his sister, “Looks like this is becoming a habit.”
Jeremy wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but there was a lot of truth to it, he supposed.
For some reason, Kirsten Allen had become habit-forming—and one that might prove difficult to break.
Chapter Six
“What were you and the doctor doing?” Max asked Kirsten, as he followed her into the living room. “Playing house?”
Her hands tightened on the grip of the stroller’s handle, as she shot a look of disbelief at her brother.
Just moments ago, he’d made a comment about them seeing each other becoming a habit, something she was sure Jeremy had overheard. She’d been embarrassed but had to let it go until she could confront Max when they were alone. So she’d bitten her tongue and taken Anthony into the house.
But she wouldn’t hold back any longer. “You’re way out of line, Max.”
“On, come on. You’ve been hearing wedding bells and dreaming of having a baby of your own since you were a little girl. First you pretended to be my mother when we were kids. And now you’re pretending to be Anthony’s.”
Heat blasted her cheeks as she listened to his false accusations and pondered the absurdity of it all. Sure, she’d played with dolls as a girl. And she’d set them aside when her little brother was born, preferring to cuddle and play with the real thing instead.
But so what? Most little girls who’d been given a baby brother would have happily taken on a role like that. And the fact that Max was implying she had some kind of weird psychological need to…
Oh, for crying out loud, she had no idea what he was getting at, but she no longer cared.
“That’s it.” She parked the stroller near the sofa, turned on her heel and slapped her hands on her hips. “I’ve had it.”
His eye twitched, but he didn’t back down.
And neither did she. “Let’s get one thing straight, Max. I’m sick and tired of mothering you—no matter what you might think.”
“Good,” he finally said, although his voice lacked its previous bluster.
“And as for Anthony, he’s a precious little baby who needs a mother, since the one who left him here obviously doesn’t have a maternal bone in her body. So you should be thanking your lucky stars that I’m willing to be his aunt and help you out.”
Her brother’s shoulders slumped ever so slightly, although he kept his chin up.
Anthony began to fuss, no doubt preparing for a full-on you-woke-me-up wail. But rather than go to him, gently pick him up and shush him, as had become her habit this past week, she let him cry.
“Your son needs you,” she said. “He’s due for a diaper change and a bottle. And you’re on duty now.”
“That’s fine.”
Kristen strode across the room and retrieved her purse, which was on the shelf near the stairs. After slipping the strap over her shoulder, she headed for the door.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
As she reached for the doorknob, she paused long enough to look over her shoulder and say, “I haven’t decided. But I can assure you that I plan to enjoy the rest of my day—alone and free of any family responsibilities.”
Then she left the house.
The breeze kicked up a strand of her hair and blew it across her face, but she merely brushed it aside. After climbing behind the wheel of her car, she started the engine and headed to town.
She wasn’t sure just what she’d do there. Something unexpected and sure to make her feel better, she supposed.
If she were a woman from another generation, she might buy herself a new hat.
Now that was an interesting idea. She rarely indulged in shopping trips, and while she’d made it a point to curtail her spending until she landed another job and started receiving regular paychecks, she wasn’t going to worry about the expense right now. She had a credit card she rarely used and always paid off, so it was free from debt.
Besides, she had a date with Jeremy on Friday—and she wanted something new to wear.
“Dress warmly,” he’d told her.
She had no idea what he had in mind, but she decided to splurge on a new outfit. After all, if things worked out the way she hoped they would, the two of them would be going out again—maybe even regularly.
Deep down she knew she might be putting more stock in her budding relationship than she ought to. But she needed Jeremy in her life at a time like this, even if she couldn’t count on having him around later. He was so levelheaded, so wise, so easy to talk to, that she wanted to enjoy every opportunity she had with him.
As thoughts of Jeremy swept over her, she relived each heated
kiss they’d shared, as well as the rush of desire that had swept through her whenever they touched, whenever she caught a hint of his woodsy cologne.
Maybe, while out shopping, she ought to consider get ting some new lingerie—the slinky kind one might find at Victoria’s Secret.
Talk about looking forward to their next date.
As she turned onto the highway that led to the Red Rock shopping district, a niggle of insecurity burrowed deep within her, setting her on edge.
Jeremy was a nice guy—a doctor who was seeing low-income patients at the clinic out of the goodness of his heart. He’d make a fine catch for any woman, but why her?
Why would their chance meeting in a parking lot lead to romance?
He’d also offered to put in a good word for her around town and help with her job search. Was he trying to “fix” her, just like he would set a broken bone?
She tried to shrug off the momentary lack of confidence, instead choosing to believe that Jeremy truly had feelings for her, that he wanted to help because he was a caring person and being helpful was part of his nature.
Don’t get your hopes up, she told herself. Their relationship, whatever it was or might become, was only temporary. And they both knew it.
Besides, he came from a nice family—the Fortunes, for goodness’ sake. They wouldn’t be used to the kind of drama Max always put her through. Would it be enough to chase him off?
She certainly hoped not. She’d told him a lot of stuff already. Maybe it would be best to hold her tongue from here on out. To keep Max and his woes to herself.
That might be wise if she wanted something to develop between them.
But did she?
As tempting as it might be to throw caution to the wind and experience a wild and wonderful romantic relationship with Jeremy for as long as it lasted, she couldn’t help worrying that she might be setting herself up for heartbreak.
After all, if she let herself go and fell for him, saying goodbye and having him leave Red Rock might shake her very foundation.
And then where would she be?
Yet in spite of her apprehension, she couldn’t help daydreaming about becoming Dr. Fortune’s wife.
And wondering what it would be like to have a baby with him someday.
After Jeremy returned to the clinic, he put in a couple hours at work, first consulting with one of the pediatricians on a suspicious break that was clearly a case of child abuse and then turning in his report to a social worker. Next he talked to a sixty-two-year-old man about the advantages of a knee replacement. Despite the long consultations, his afternoon ended earlier than usual.
On his way back to the Double Crown Ranch, he stopped by the Fortune Foundation, a nonprofit organization that had been founded in Ryan Fortune’s memory.
Since Ryan had always believed in paying it forward, it had seemed only fitting to create a charitable organization that helped others in need. And Jeremy was proud of the work they did.
The three-story brick building, which had a day-care center on the ground floor and a playground in back, was located on the highway, just outside of town.
It was after four o’clock when Jeremy entered the lobby and took the elevator to the third floor, hoping to find Nick, his older brother.
At thirty-nine, Nick, the second born of William Fortune’s children, was a financial analyst for the foundation. And he’d never been happier.
Jeremy couldn’t help thinking about all the changes there’d been in Nick’s life these past two years.
Once a confirmed bachelor, he’d become a guardian of triplets. The baby girls eventually wound up in the custody of their aunt and uncle, but not before Nick fell head over heels in love with Charlene London, their nanny.
Now Nick and Charlene had a baby of their own, a cute little boy named Matthew, with red hair, green eyes and a splash of freckles, just like his beautiful mother.
As the elevator doors opened, Jeremy stepped into the lobby, where an attractive young woman with long brown hair sat behind a desk. He didn’t remember meeting her before and assumed she was new.
“Hello, there,” she said, in a soft, Southern drawl. “You look lost. Can I help you?”
He’d known exactly where he was going, although he’d been deep in thought. But he couldn’t see any point in chatting with the woman. He was here to see his brother.
“I’m looking for Nick Fortune,” he responded. “Is he available?”
“I’ll check and see. He’s been in and out all day.” Her gaze scanned the length of Jeremy, as though checking him out. Then she slowly got up and walked around her desk.
She was wearing a stylish black top, with a neckline that might be a smidgen low for an office job, a bright turquoise skirt and a pair of high heels that set off shapely legs. She was, Jeremy admitted, a very attractive woman—probably in her early twenties. Not that he was interested.
“I can let Nick know that you’re here,” she said.
Yet she continued to study him as though he were a chocolate éclair in a bakery window, leaving him feeling a little awkward.
“And your name is…?” she asked.
“Jeremy.”
Her smile nearly lit the room as she instigated a handshake. “My name’s Wendy. I’m an administrative assistant with the Fortune Foundation. Is there anything I can do for you?”
“I’m afraid not.”
She paused for a beat, her frown a bit pouty, reminding him of a Southern belle who’d been used to getting her way over the years.
Then she reached across the desk for the telephone receiver. As she did so, her bend-and-stretch motion caused her skirt to hike up and reveal a shapely length of upper leg.
He couldn’t help wondering if her movement had been deliberate, but before he could decide—and before she could page Nick—a door swung open.
Jeremy turned toward the sound and spotted his brother, who was wearing his customary business-casual attire, tortoiseshell glasses and spiky brown hair.
“Hey,” Nick said, picking up his pace as he approached the lobby. “It’s good to see you, Doc.”
Wendy returned the telephone receiver to the cradle, leaned against her desk and crossed her arms.
“I see you two have met,” Nick said, glancing first at Jeremy, then at his assistant.
“Not really.” A slow smile spread across Wendy’s pretty face as she looked at Jeremy.
“Meet Wendy Fortune,” Nick said. “She’s from the Atlanta branch of the family and new to Red Rock.”
“It’s nice to be formally introduced,” the young woman said.
“Jeremy’s my brother,” Nick explained. “He’s visiting from Sacramento and staying with Lily out on the Double Crown.”
Wendy’s smile faded, but she quickly recovered and laughed. “Another cousin? It seems as if every handsome man who walks into the Fortune Foundation ends up bein’ a relative of mine.”
“Not all of them,” Nick said, before asking her if he had any messages.
Wendy straightened, reached for a sheet of paper on her desk and handed it to him. “Mr. Landers called. And so did your wife. But she said it wasn’t important. She wanted you to pick up somethin’ on your way home.”
“Thanks.” Nick nodded toward his office. “Let’s go and talk where it’s quiet. It’s been a busy day.”
Moments later, Jeremy had taken a seat across from his brother’s desk.
“What do you think of our new hire?” Nick asked.
Jeremy shrugged. “She’s a little flashy, I suppose. But if she can do the job…”
“That’s just it. I’m not sure if she can—or how serious she is about being here—not just at the foundation, but in Red Rock. Her father called last month, asking if we could put her to work as a favor to him. She’s the youngest of six kids and dropped out of college a couple months ago. Her dad’s a little exasperated with her, and he’s hoping that a move to Texas and a job with the Fortune Foundation will give her some direction
in life.”
“How’s it working out?”
“I don’t know. All right, I suppose. She’s got a good heart, but she’s clearly more interested in striking up a romance than in looking for productive things to do.”
“She was a little flirty,” Jeremy said.
“A little?” Nick laughed. “Didn’t you see the way she zeroed in on you?”
“Truthfully?” Jeremy slowly shook his head. “I really wasn’t paying that much attention to her.”
“You must have a lot on your mind, then.”
He did—a beautiful accountant who had him tied up in knots.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Nick asked.
“I just came by to pick your brain. I’m looking for a program of some kind that would help a high school dropout get his GED.”
Jeremy was hoping to encourage Max to continue his education in the evenings. Of course, he was doing it mostly for Kirsten. The less she had to worry about when it came to Max and his welfare, the easier her life was going to be.
Nick reached for his iPhone and searched the files. Then he made a note for Jeremy on a yellow sticky note. “Here’s the name and contact information for the woman who’s in charge of the adult education department at the local high school. She’ll be able to answer all your questions.”
“Thanks.” Jeremy studied the number he would call as soon as he got back into the car. “I’m also going to need information about day-care options, especially for an infant.”
When Kirsten went back to work, Max would need to find someone to watch Anthony for him.
“We offer day care on the first floor,” Nick said. “But I’m not sure of the age requirement. When you go downstairs, stop by the director’s office.”
“All right, I will.”
Nick sat back in his chair. “So who are you trying to help?”
“Just a friend.”
Jeremy must have gotten a dreamy look in his eyes while thinking of Kirsten, because Nick straightened, leaned forward and placed his hands on the desk. “Is this a lady friend?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Because Wendy’s pretty hot. And you didn’t give her the time of day. Even before you knew she was our cousin.”