He froze, realizing that he was, indeed, shaking her. Grinning sheepishly, he hugged her once again.
Of all the challenges he’d faced, the thought of losing Jenny because of a misguided sense of responsibility was too frightening to contemplate. Even more frightening was the thought of losing her to someone else when he wanted to be the one she turned to in times of trouble.
To think he’d compared her to Patricia, imagining her unwilling to honor her responsibilities, unable to keep her commitments. Jenny had literally stuck with him through the fires of hell, to watch over him like a guardian angel.
The last of his doubts and fears disintegrated. He couldn’t let a woman like her go.
Twenty-four hours later, Jenny gazed upon what was left of Ruscoe Pharmacy. Everything in the basement was a total loss. The floor in her office had fallen through, destroying her entire pharmaceutical inventory. The goods near the main entrance of the store had been damaged by the heat, the smoke, and the water. Her antique furniture could be salvaged, but only with a great deal of effort.
All of her dreams, her desires, her plans for the future had literally gone up in smoke. Promise or not, fate had conspired against her. She couldn’t recover from this setback and didn’t intend to try.
As she peeked through the main entrance she was conscious of Noah’s comforting presence. He’d hardly left her alone since last night, except for a few hours early this morning. Although she’d encouraged him to go about his own business he’d hung around anyway.
‘How’s Bugs doing?’ Noah asked.
‘Great. Rabbit treats are on me for the rest of his days.’ She owed that ball of fur a debt she could never repay. Without him, she might easily not be standing where she was today. A cold chill enveloped her, in spite of the ninety-degree temperature, and she rubbed at the goose-bumps on her arms.
‘Herb’s going to the county jail as soon as he leaves the hospital,’ Noah mentioned. ‘Along with his customers. The police are also looking into the possible tampering with Earl’s car.’
The loose ends were finally being tied. ‘I’m glad.’
‘What are you going to do now?’ he asked, motioning to the structure in front of them.
Jenny managed a smile. ‘Rent a bulldozer?’
His gaze was intent through his glasses. ‘Seriously. What are you going to do?’
She stared at the smoke-blackened walls. ‘I am serious. I know when I’m beaten.’
Noah hesitated. ‘I was hoping you’d want to start over.’
‘I think the smoke addled your brain instead of mine. There’s no way I can afford to and I certainly don’t have the desire. I’ve done it too many times already. I can’t do it again.’ I’m sorry for letting you down, Uncle Earl.
‘Maybe not by yourself…’
‘That reminds me. I’ve got to get in touch with Zoe,’ she said, thinking aloud. ‘Unfortunately, her phone number is a small pile of ashes. I guess I could call Directory Assistance.’
‘Before you do that, why don’t you consider taking on an investor?’
Jenny narrowed her eyes. ‘I won’t bring anything to a business partnership. It’s all gone.’
‘No, it’s not. You can contribute yourself.’
‘In other words, I’ll be an employee.’
‘Not if the arrangement is something along the lines of what’s mine is yours.’
She stopped in her tracks, unable to believe what he was saying and unwilling to raise her own hopes. ‘What are you saying?’
‘I don’t want you to leave Springwater. Or, if you do, I want to make sure you’ll come back.’
‘Why?’
‘Because you’ll take a part of me with you wherever you go. I want my ring on your finger so you won’t forget that there’s a man in Springwater who promises to love and cherish you.’
She’d wanted to hear that for so long. Now that she had, she could hardly believe it. ‘You do?’
He nodded.
‘And you’re asking me to marry you?’
He acted amazed. ‘What did you think I was doing?’
Her spirits rose out of the ashes of her former despair. ‘I just wanted to make sure we were both on the same wavelength.’
‘We are.’
‘I distinctly remember you saying that you weren’t planning on getting married.’
‘That was then. This is now.’ He paused. ‘I can’t ask you to risk everything again if I’m not willing to do the same.’
His statement touched her, but she faced a more pressing problem. ‘But what about Prescriptions Plus? I can’t afford to compete—’
‘I spoke with them this morning. They’re willing to let you buy their franchise. You can take advantage of their name and all the benefits associated with being part of a chain and still retain ownership to do things your own way.’
His solution seemed too good to be true. ‘Really?’
He nodded, his eyes twinkling. ‘Yes, really.’
‘But what about—?’
‘We can deal with the details later. If you’re willing, that is.’
The hope she hadn’t wanted to experience refused to be denied. ‘I’m willing, but are you sure?’
He hugged her close. ‘If you ask me that one more time, I’m going to resort to drastic measures.’
She couldn’t resist being coy. ‘Which are?’
‘I’ll farm Carrie out to Mary Beth’s for the night and show you,’ he murmured.
She practically melted in his embrace. ‘So we can have a wedding? The church, bridesmaids, flower girls, the whole nine yards?’
Panic flitted across his face before stoicism appeared. ‘If that’s what you want.’
‘I’ll compromise,’ she said, imagining a small informal garden affair instead of the large, formal ceremony he dreaded and the elopement he preferred. ‘But I still have to finish out my contract with the school district.’
‘Can I talk you into breaking it?’
She pretended to be horrified, although she was secretly pleased at the wistful note in his voice. ‘Go back on my word? For a man who values keeping one’s promises, how could you think such a thing?’
Noah bent his head to brush his lips against hers. ‘It’s fairly easy,’ he said. ‘When I think of what waiting is going to cost me.’
‘It’s only nine months.’
‘Yeah, but we could have our first child by then.’
‘Actually, I’d like to have you to myself for a while,’ she said softly, fingering the placket of his shirt.
‘Then you shall,’ he said, bending his head to press his mouth against hers.
His kiss sent a tingle down to her toes. The Ruscoe Family era hadn’t ended—it was just beginning.
ISBN: 978-1-4603-5639-5
PRESCRIPTIONS AND PROMISES
First North American Publication 2001
Copyright © 2000 by Jessica Matthews
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