The Perfect Couple

by Valerie Hansen

  “No way, lady. I came here to pay up and I intend to do just that. Your brother-in-law works for me, remember? The last thing I need is to have my foreman think I'm dishonest.”

  “I'm sorry. I'll see that Susan doesn't do anything like this again,” Kara promised, chagrined. Her voice grew more faint. “It wasn't fair.”

  That sincerely apologetic attitude gave Tyler pause. The woman wasn't acting nearly as mercenary as he'd imagined she would. She hadn't even pocketed the money he'd shoved at her.

  He had an attack of conscience. “I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean to scare you.”

  “You didn't,” she said.

  “Then why are you shaking?”

  Kara stood taller, her chin jutting out, and alibied, “I'm probably just hungry.”

  “Didn't you eat that pizza?”

  “I managed half a slice before you got here.”

  “Well, no wonder you're shaky. Come on.” Without waiting for her consent, he ushered her into her office where the open pizza box rested in plain sight atop a file cabinet. He took the money from her hands, tossed it onto her desk and said, “You go wash up. I'll wait here.”

  “That's not necessary,” Kara insisted. “I'm fine.”

  “No, you're not. And it's my fault. First I made you work overtime, then I kept you from enjoying your dinner.” He scanned the office. “Got a microwave?”

  “In the back. I use it to warm food for some of the animals.” The wary look on his face made her smile in spite of her unsteadiness. “It's perfectly clean if that's what you're worried about. Anyway, I prefer my pizza cold.”

  “Good. Me, too. Go wash up while I find us some napkins.”

  “Us?”

  Tyler shot her a lopsided smile. “If you don't mind, I'll join you. I was so busy blowing my stack I forgot to eat. I've just realized I'm famished.”

  Kara shrugged. “Sure. Why not?” Taking a deep, settling breath she left the room. There was no way she could tell anyone, especially not Tyler Corbett, why she'd been trembling. Hunger had nothing to do with it. When he'd burst in and shouted at her, her panicked response had been instinctive. Fresh fear had taken control. Alex's legacy of intimidation lived on.

  After two years, she'd thought she was through being frightened. Tonight, when Tyler had confronted her, uncalled-for dread had returned as if it had never left.

  Procrastinating, she splashed water on her face at the bathroom sink and stared into the mirror. “I'm going to be okay,” she said to the image. “I'm smart and capable and I can make it on my own. It doesn't matter what Alex thought. He can't hurt me anymore.”

  And God loves you, she heard echoing in her head, in her heart. Kara nodded as she reached for a towel to dry her face. Remembering that she was a child of God was the most important part of her ongoing healing. It was His opinion that was important. No one else's counted.

  “I looked in on Road Kill while you were gone,” Tyler said. “He's asleep. I watched and he's breathing fine.”

  “I know. I checked him just before you charged in.”

  Tyler shrugged. “Yeah, well, I'm sorry about that. I'd had a pretty rough day. I had to throw away my favorite shirt and I'll probably have to give up my good jacket, too, thanks to the mess he made of it when I was trying to keep him warm.”

  “You don't need to throw the clothes away. A little household hydrogen peroxide will get rid of those stains. I use it all the time.” She walked over to the file cabinet and picked up the flat, white pizza box, then returned to him and held it out. “Here. Help yourself. I could never eat all this anyway.”

  “Are you positive? Now that I think about it, I feel kind of bad about inviting myself.”

  “Nonsense. Somebody has to clean up the leftovers. If it hadn't been you, it would have been someone else.”

  Tyler took one slice and laid it on a paper towel. “You mean you have a steady stream of clients pounding on your door at all hours, begging for food?”

  “Not as a rule. I was thinking of my dogs at home. They love leftovers.” She placed the box on her desk and served herself.

  “I'm taking food out of the mouths of your pets?”

  “I won't tell if you don't. Besides, this has pepperoni on it. It doesn't agree with them.”

  “Oh, I get it.” He started to smile. “Protect the dogs by feeding the spicy stuff to the testy client.”

  “Something like that.” Circling the desk she plopped down in the leather chair and leaned back, pizza in hand. It was strange to be sharing an impromptu meal with a man again. The fact that they were alone in her office, the office that used to belong to Alex, made the encounter seem even more bizarre.

  With that thought, Kara's appetite vanished. She laid the pizza aside on a paper towel and tried to suppress a shiver. Tyler Corbett wasn't acting at all intimidating. Yet she found herself nervous, as if an obscure threat lurked in the otherwise tranquil environment.

  Thoughts of her late husband continued to intrude and refused to go away. Alex wouldn't have liked her eating at this desk. His desk. Alex wouldn't have approved of sharing a meal with a client, either, even if the person was also a friend. And he'd have been absolutely furious if she'd opened the door after hours and welcomed a man who'd once threatened a lawsuit. A man like the one casually perched on the edge of the desk across from her. Her mouth went dry in response to her mental rambling.

  Tyler noticed Kara's psychological retreat. One minute she'd been fine. The next, she was looking at him as if he were an escaped criminal, ready to hold a knife at her throat. As far as he could tell he hadn't done anything to trigger that kind of reaction, except raise his voice when he'd arrived. Surely, that couldn't be what was bothering her now. She'd seemed normal enough, even friendly, once he'd apologized.

  Tyler got to his feet and wiped his hands on a paper towel. “Well, I guess I should be going.” He expected Kara to observe polite custom and disagree before finally giving in when he insisted on leaving.

  Instead, she stood and headed for the office door. “That's probably a good idea.”

  Dumbfounded, he stared after her. “Who put the burr under your saddle?”

  “No one.” Starting down the hall she called back, “I'll unlock the front for you.”

  There was nothing more to say. Tyler grabbed his hat and coat and stomped out the glass door as soon as she'd jerked it open. He strode quickly to his truck. Kara Shepherd might be good with animals but she sure lacked the normal social graces where people were concerned. No wonder she'd stuck with that underhanded bum she'd married. They'd been perfect for each other.

  Tyler jammed the truck in reverse and floored it. It didn't matter what that woman thought of him. After all, she was Shepherd's widow. The widow of the swindler who had cost him the health of his herd and nearly ruined everything he and Deanne had worked for.

  He swung onto the highway. It would be just fine with him if he never had to deal with Dr. Kara Shepherd again, personally or professionally. And as soon as he got Road Kill bailed out, that was exactly how it was going to be.

  Kara maintained her composure until Tyler was gone. Then she collapsed against the wall, hugging herself. What was it about her that brought out the worst in men? First her father. Then Alex. And now…

  She wanted to weep, to wail, to wallow in self-pity. Blinking, she waited for the flood of tears that usually accompanied such poignant retrospection.

  Nothing happened! No hysteria, no devastating gloom, not even one solitary tear.

  Kara was astounded. She took a deep, slow breath. She was healing! The nightmare was finally coming to an end.

  Overcome with a sense of God's presence she closed her eyes, lifted her hands in praise and accepted the gift with a whispered, “Oh, thank you, Father.”

  The simple prayer didn't begin to express the soul-deep joy suddenly filling her heart. Peace flowed over her, enveloping her in the warmth of her Heavenly Father's abiding, miraculous love.

  Chapter Three<
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  Kara wasn't in her office when Susan arrived the following morning. She tracked her down in the kennels and held out the handful of crumpled currency she'd found on the desk.

  “What's all this?” Susan asked. “You moonlighting as a bank robber?”

  “Nope. It's payment of a bill.”

  “Really? Hey, that's great!”

  “No, it isn't.” Kara scowled. “It came from Tyler Corbett.”

  Susan looked around quickly. “He's here?”

  “Not any more. But he was last night. And he was not particularly impressed by your efficiency.”

  “Oops.” She made a penitent face. “I get the idea you're not crazy about it, either.”

  “That's an understatement. Now he thinks I don't trust him to pay his debts.”

  “Well, you don't, do you?”

  Kara took a moment to mull over the question. If she judged by their past association she shouldn't trust the man at all. Yet for some crazy reason, she did.

  “I believe he'll pay for the puppy's care,” she finally said. “As for what happened before, well, that was between him and Alex.”

  “But, I thought…”

  “Nothing is certain where Alex was concerned,” Kara said. “I know he did a lot of work for Corbett's ranch. But I don't know how accurate his record keeping was. That's why I dropped the idea to sue for the money after Alex died.”

  “You think he may have overcharged the ranch?”

  Kara shrugged. “I hope not. Unfortunately, we'll never know for sure.”

  “But it is possible?” Susan was clearly disturbed by the thought.

  “Oh, yes.”

  “I never dreamed Alex was like that.”

  Kara felt the urge to go on, to tell her sister everything. There was a great deal about Alex Shepherd that had remained hidden in the painful, private core of their supposedly perfect marriage. If she'd spoken out when Alex was living, maybe Susan could have offered some helpful advice. Now, however, the only benefit of confessing would be to know that someone else shared her suffering. Kara didn't want to lay that kind of burden on anyone.

  She pressed her lips into a thin line. That wasn't completely true. She hadn't wanted advice or familial concern when Alex was alive. She still didn't. She'd purposely kept her misery to herself because she'd felt partly responsible for her bad marriage. Even now, that kind of thought kept nagging at the fringes of her consciousness, refusing to be banished.

  Standing as tall as her five-foot-two-inch stature would allow, she said, “My husband is gone. I don't see any reason to discuss him, if you don't mind.” The statement came out sounding so harsh she softened it with a tender smile and added, “Hey. Come on, Susan. It's a beautiful day and we should be praising the Lord that we have our whole lives ahead of us. Let's not dwell in the past, okay?”

  To Kara's relief, her sister returned her smile and agreed. “Okay. It's a deal. So, let's talk about the patients. How's the infamous Road Kill Corbett doing this fine morning?”

  “He's pretty chipper, considering. Last time I looked, he was happily shredding the newspapers we'd lined his cage with and tossing the soggy bits up in the air.”

  “Cute. Kind of like his owner, don't you think?”

  Kara knew exactly what Susan was up to. Her loving but meddlesome older sister had been trying to play matchmaker for her ever since Susan had arrived in Arkansas. It was easier for Kara to pretend she'd misunderstood than it was to talk Susan out of continuing to do so.

  “You'd know more about that than I do,” Kara said sweetly. “You live on the Corbett ranch so you'd be far more likely to notice the condition of Mr. Corbett's newspapers after he's done reading them.” She stifled a giggle.

  “Very funny. You know I didn't mean Tyler tears up the paper with his teeth, like the puppy. What I meant was, don't you think he's kind of cute?”

  “In what way?” Kara was determined to remain emotionally uninvolved. Anything to discourage her sister.

  Susan threw up her hands. “I don't know. His eyes are gorgeous, so dark and brooding. And he has great hair. I wish Mark's was half as thick and nice.”

  “I can recommend a good coat conditioner,” Kara teased. “It works wonderfully for all my dogs.”

  “You just aren't going to take me seriously, are you?”

  “Why should I? You're not making any sense. First you tell me Mr. Corbett is still madly in love with his late wife, then you turn around and ask me if I find him attractive. That's ridiculous.”

  “Well—” Susan cast a sly smile her way “—nothing is carved in stone. Maybe he'll change his mind once he gets to know you better.”

  “No.”

  “Of course he will. You're smart, and pretty, and—”

  Kara interrupted. “I mean, no, I don't intend to get to know the man any better than I already do. I've had enough of Tyler Corbett to last me a lifetime.”

  Susan was grinning. “I notice you didn't say you think he's ugly.”

  “He isn't ugly, he's—” Blushing, Kara broke off in midsentence.

  “Aha! I thought so. You did notice how good-looking the guy is. Maybe there's hope for you yet.”

  “I am not interested in getting involved with another man, no matter how good he looks in a Stetson,” Kara insisted. “Not ever. And certainly not a person as opinionated and short-tempered as Tyler Corbett.”

  “Don't be so sure. After all, just because a man isn't quiet and refined like Alex was doesn't mean he won't be every bit as easy to get along with, once you get to know him.” Susan paused, studying her sister's pained expression. “What's the matter? What did I say? You look like you're about to cry.”

  Kara swallowed hard and steeled herself for the well-rehearsed denial she was ready to recite. Then it occurred to her that to do so would be to perpetuate a lie. What kind of practice of her faith would that be? Instead, she managed a smile and a diversion.

  “I didn't get much sleep last night. I'm over-stressed.” That was certainly true. She eyed the crumpled money Susan was still holding. “I had company, remember?”

  “Did he yell at you?” Susan asked, chagrined.

  “A little. Don't worry about it, okay?” Turning, Kara looped an arm around her sister's shoulders and guided her toward the front desk. “It's almost time to open and you haven't put out the display of flea collars that came in yesterday. Think you'll have time to do it this morning?”

  “Sure. No sweat.” Susan smiled slightly. “I'm sorry if I seemed too pushy. I just hate to see you all alone like this. I feel kind of sorry for Tyler, too, so I thought—”

  “What part of no don't you understand?”

  She brightened, her eyes twinkling. “Hey. I've got an idea. How about the new manager at the feed store? Would you like to meet him? I hear he's single.”

  “Susan…”

  “Okay, okay. But you can't enjoy being a recluse. I know you too well to believe that. There's a man for you somewhere. I'll just have to keep looking till I find him.”

  “Aaargh!” Wheeling, Kara gave up and headed for the kennel. There was no reasoning with Susan when she was in one of her Ms.-Fix-It moods. As the younger of the two sisters, Kara had always looked up to Susan and admired her, even after they'd become adults. But this was one battle Susan was going to lose. No way was Kara going to allow herself to become romantically involved with another man. It was too scary an idea to even consider. She'd had her fill of men. And of marriage.

  Shaking her head to punctuate her decision she made her way between the rows of smaller animal cages, her mind wandering. Yes, Tyler Corbett was good-looking. More than that, his tenderness toward helpless animals had spoken to her heart. But that was the end of her involvement. At this point, she didn't even care if she collected the full amount due for treatment of the injured pup he'd brought in. It would be worth it to write off the remainder of the bill if that meant she wouldn't have to face Tyler again.

  Kara shivered. Truth to tell, she fou
nd she was actually starting to like him.

  That inclination scared her far more than anything else had for a long, long time.

  Kara was still insisting she wanted nothing to do with romance a week later, even though she was driving toward the Corbett ranch.

  “This is all Susan's fault,” she said to the drowsy puppy lying on the car seat beside her. “So help me, if she tries anything funny I'm going to disown her.”

  The pup thumped its thin tail and rested its chin on her lap, looking up at her with sad, brown eyes.

  “If it wasn't for you,” Kara told him, “I wouldn't be doing this.” She laid her hand on his head and smoothed his fur. The cut by his ear was almost healed. His broken leg would take longer.

  Recalling her recent conversation with her sister, Kara sighed in resignation.

  “So, what are we going to do with Road Kill?” Susan had asked that morning. “We haven't had a single call on that lost-and-found ad you had me put in the paper.”

  Kara remembered making a face. “I don't know. I can't take him home with me. My neighbors are already complaining about the greyhound getting out and chasing game, and the rest of my dogs barking too much. Not to mention my cats hunting wild birds.”

  “Well,” Susan had drawled, “I could always deliver him to Tyler.” She paused and arched her eyebrows. “Of course, since Mark works for him it might be better if I didn't make him mad. Again.”

  “Meaning?” Kara had a feeling she wasn't going to like the answer.

  “I just thought, if you took the pup out to the ranch, I'd be off the hook and Mark wouldn't have to defend my actions to his boss, like before.” She began to pout. “I'm still in the doghouse over that bill I hand delivered.”

  “No doubt.”

  “Well?”

  Kara's eyes narrowed as she studied her seemingly innocent sister. “No tricks.”

  “Cross my heart.” Her index finger traced an invisible X on her chest. “I just want to find a good home for the poor puppy, that's all. There's plenty of room on the ranch and nobody cares how much noise those dogs make.”