by Amy Vastine
“Hey,” a voice called, accompanied by the sound of the door sliding open. Iris’s head appeared. “Looks like you two have got things sorted.”
“Pretty much,” Tag said.
Ally sniffled and nodded.
“Good. You can sew up the details later. I think I’d make a stunning maid of honor. Tag, you can thank me with a raise and a company car. But right now, we need you guys back in here. Ally, your grandpa is here with Laurel, and apparently we still need to solve another problem.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
BACK INSIDE THE HOUSE, Ally recited the entire conversation she’d had with Dr. Boyd.
“Then he gave me the ultimatum. All I have to do is quit, and it will all go away. He’ll make sure the complaint doesn’t get filed, and that Tag gets elected.”
Throughout the tale, Laurel had been on her phone, only glancing up occasionally. Anyone would have guessed she was barely paying attention until she looked at Ally. “How did you leave it? What answer did you give him?”
“I almost agreed to resign on the spot, but something about this whole situation doesn’t sit right. Why does he want me to quit so badly? I mean, I know he doesn’t like me, but his attitude toward me has always seemed over the top. I decided to run it by Flynn first. Flynn was having lunch with my grandpa, so I was able to tell them both about the meeting at the same time. Flynn said I needed to talk to Tag and find out if what Dr. Boyd said is true, about the endorsements. And that’s as far as we got.”
“Boyd likes to believe he has even more power and influence than he does,” Flynn supplied. “Before Ally quit, I thought she should make sure he wasn’t bluffing.”
Bering said, “It is true about the endorsements. With Tag’s background as a paramedic and his contract with the hospital, the lack of support from the medical community would raise a lot of questions. And that lack of support, not to mention losing the financial backing, could be enough for Tag to lose the election.”
Shay asked, “What does Ally’s resignation achieve that having her fired doesn’t? And why threaten her with the election?”
“She goes away much more quickly and quietly,” Laurel supplied. “No one would think to blame Boyd if she quits. He wants Ally gone and Tag is just additional leverage.”
“She’s right,” Flynn agreed. Pulling out his phone, he began tapping on the screen.
Abe said, “I think this is mostly about me.”
“You?” Ally looked at her grandfather.
“Yes. I had a coffee date scheduled with Laurel, and she showed up right after you left. I mentioned this trouble with Boyd, and she gave me some information.”
“I believe Abe is right.” Laurel explained, “I recently interviewed Kip Patton for a story and learned that Dr. Boyd had formally applied to consult on this medical app that Kip’s company is developing. It’s one of those apps where a person can enter their symptoms and find out what might be wrong with them. Except Kip wants to have an option where people can see what alternative treatments might be helpful, in addition to a modern medical approach. That is what Kip and Abe have been discussing for some time now.”
“That sounds cool,” Hannah said.
“Yes, it does. The problem for Boyd is that Kip has just offered the consulting position to Abe. Because of Abe’s reputation along with his background in modern and traditional medicine, he can offer both perspectives. Then there’s the fact that he’s about a million times more personable.”
“Wow. Papa, congratulations!” Ally said. “This is amazing. Is this the business meeting you mentioned? It was with Patton? You’re going to do it, right?”
Her grandfather grinned at her. “Yep. It is a pretty neat deal. I was going to do it, but I don’t want to if it means you’re going to lose your job. Boyd has it in for me and you shouldn’t suffer because of it.”
“You’re the one who told me there were lots of jobs, remember? And this is way more important. This app could potentially reach millions of people.”
Laurel agreed. “It will. For sure. But, needless to say, if Abe accepts, Dr. Boyd will be out of the picture.”
“Not to mention the money Boyd will lose out on,” Iris added.
Laurel nodded. “Kip said Boyd is furious about it all. You know what an egomaniac he is. Apparently, he’s been spending the money before he’s made it. And now he’ll do anything to see Abe discredited.”
Hannah asked, “But why not just file the complaint? Why force Ally to resign? What does that accomplish?”
“I’m guessing the complaint isn’t strong enough or is completely bogus,” Laurel supplied. “But he’s hoping the threat of it will be enough.”
“What do you mean?” Hannah asked.
Tag, who had been quietly absorbing the information until this point, chimed in, “It means he’s not going to stop at simply forcing Ally out, is he?”
Laurel answered, “Exactly what I’m afraid of, Tag. His plan seems to hinge on Ally resigning. After which, he’s going to leak false information about her use of alternative treatments on a disgruntled patient. She will have already quit, giving credence to the claim and making herself look guilty. Then he’ll discredit both Abe and Ally in one fell swoop. This will create a scandal and, if you were still running, your association with Ally would look really bad. It could be disastrous for your campaign.”
Shay asked, “What can we do?”
Flynn said, “I have an idea. Ally, remember the patient you sent to me a couple of weeks ago? The young woman?”
“Yes, of course.” Gareth’s friend, Kyla.
“She told me a story about a doctor who, against her wishes, gave her parents information about her medical condition.”
“She told me the same story. It was the reason she was scared to see a doctor.”
“Yeah, well, she told me the name of the doctor.”
Ally frowned at Flynn. “Flynn, are you saying what I think you are? Because you can’t use her name without her permission and she wouldn’t give it. And I wouldn’t want her to. She’s afraid of her father.”
“But Boyd doesn’t know that. We don’t need to use her name. I don’t think we even need a formal complaint. If Laurel is right, he doesn’t have one, either, not a good, solid one, anyway. I think I should pay him a visit and gently suggest that one could be filed against him as easily as the one he’s contrived against Abe.”
Ally raised her hands in protest. “Flynn, no. If you go to him with this and threaten him, he will hate you, and I think we’ve all seen what hatred does to the man. He’ll make your life, your job, unbearable. He could find a way to get you fired.”
“I don’t care.”
“I do. You have to finish your internship at the hospital.”
Iris agreed. “She’s right, Flynn. You have to stay out of it.”
“I’ll do it,” Tag volunteered. “I’ll take care of this.”
“I’ll go with you,” Abe said.
Bering stepped forward. “Tag, if you go and threaten him, he’ll rescind your contract with the hospital. Even if you’re not running for office, he could smear your name over this. Ruin your reputation. He could harm your business, too.”
“I could not possibly care less about my business, Bering. Or my reputation. I care about the patients, but if I can’t transport them someone else will. No one else can do what Abe and Ally do.”
Ally felt a fresh wave of love for the man standing beside her. If she had any lingering doubts about what he’d told her outside, they were gone now. Despite the crisis raging around them, she was happier than she’d ever been in her life. She knew now that no matter what life threw at them, their love would be more than enough. Tag had just put her first, exactly like he’d vowed. And in the grandest way.
By consensus, it was decided to strike while the iron was hot. A group discussion ensu
ed, dissecting the complexities of the situation. Flynn advised Tag and Abe on how they should handle Boyd. Laurel added her knowledge of what was at stake for Boyd. Shay called Jonah and had him write a letter outlining the unnamed patient’s complaint against Boyd. It had no legal teeth, but their goal at this point was to scare him into complying.
* * *
TAG WAS EXHAUSTED, running on caffeine, adrenaline, the sheer force of his will and his newly declared love for Ally. The last made him feel like a superhero. He was ready to finish this. Boyd had to be stopped and he wanted to be the one to do it. He wanted Ally happy, and he wanted to start a life with her free of worry and stress. Just the thought of that possibility kept him focused on the task.
Flynn informed them Dr. Boyd was a creature of habit and usually spent about two hours doing paperwork in his office every day after lunch. So, less than two hours later, Tag and Abe entered Dr. Boyd’s office suite to find Cora perched on the edge of the sofa. Tag was surprised to see her away from her usual gargoyle-like post behind her desk in front of Boyd’s office.
“Hello, Cora. We’re here to see Dr. Boyd. Is he in?”
“I’m afraid not, Tag. Dr. Boyd is…gone.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I don’t know what harm it would do to talk about it now. No one told me not to… And I’m just…sitting here, wondering what to do.”
Tag sensed bad things brewing. “We would appreciate hearing whatever you feel comfortable telling us, Cora.”
“Okay. Well, Mr. Patton came in to see Dr. Boyd this afternoon. They were in the office for about a half hour with the door closed. Mr. Patton came out, told me goodbye, and I thought everything was fine and dandy. But then, a few minutes later, Dr. Boyd came out and asked me to write a resignation letter for him. I did. Then I emailed it to him, and a short time later he came out of his office with the letter in an envelope, a box and his briefcase. He asked me to personally deliver the letter to the board president, which is what I just returned from doing.”
“Do you know where he went?”
“No. He didn’t say.”
“Okay, well, thank you, Cora.”
Tag and Abe headed back into the hallway. Silently, they walked until they reached the lobby. They stopped, and Tag turned to Abe. They eyed each other speculatively for a moment before Tag said, “In all the scenarios that played out in my mind about what was going to transpire here today, this wasn’t one of them.”
Tag expected Abe to wax philosophical at this point about how life rarely went as planned or karma or something.
Instead, he quirked a brow at Tag and said, “Huh. Same goes for me, but I’ll take it. I’m getting too old for a dustup, but I’ll admit that’s where my mind was mostly. This guy is a piece of work.”
Tag laughed.
“The important thing here, as far as I’m concerned, is that you were willing to do this for Ally.”
“I would do anything for her, Dr. Mowak.”
“I can see that.” Abe grinned. “I’m beginning to think you’re not quite as dense as I once feared.”
“Thank you. I think. Now, let’s go deliver the news.”
When they returned to Tag’s house, everyone was still there, plus a few extras, Aidan, Janie and Gareth.
“What happened?” Iris demanded.
“Why are you back already?” Shay asked.
Tag held his arms out and let them fall to his sides. “Boyd resigned. Kip Patton beat us to the punch, and I think we have you to thank for that, Laurel.”
She shrugged. “Sounds like we have Kip to thank. And he didn’t say anything to me about it.” Phone in hand, she said, “I’m going to call him.”
Tag looked at Ally, and though he spoke to the whole room, the words were for her. “It’s over.”
His family had questions, which Abe did his best to answer while Tag crossed the room to Ally. Taking her into his arms, he hugged her close.
“Not over,” she whispered. “Finally beginning.”
The breath he released felt cleansing. “You got that right.”
Keeping her hand tucked securely in his, he faced the room in time to hear Laurel’s explanation.
“I just spoke to Kip. Before his company hires a consultant, they do an in-depth background check on the individual. The check revealed that Dr. Boyd and the clinic in Iowa he left before coming to Rankins have recently been named in an ongoing investigation of insurance fraud. Kip has passed this information on to the Alaska Medical Board.”
Flynn looked up from his phone. “None of my sources know where he’s gone. But since Kip has alerted the authorities, it’s only a matter of time before they catch up with him.”
Tag listened to the surprised and happy chatter for another few minutes before letting his gaze travel around the room.
“Hey, guys, can I have your attention here?” When the room went quiet, he continued, “Now, I love all of you people and you know I’d do anything for you. Well, except be your senator. Almost anything else, yes. But, right now, I need you all to do something for me.”
“I wonder what that could be?” Iris said, giving him a wink and picking up her bag. “Flynn, can I give you ride?”
Tag grinned. “Iris, as usual, knows what I’m thinking. What I need is for you all to get out of my house so I can be alone with the woman I love.”
Ally squeezed his hand, and he could feel her smile. Love and happiness and exhaustion stirred into him in this oddly perfect way. His body felt light and his eyelids heavy, and for the first time in weeks, peace settled over him as he realized he finally had everything he wanted. Everything he needed. Almost.
“And then,” he added, “I’m going to take a nap.”
* * * * *
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Heartwarming title.
You’ve got to have heart…. Harlequin Heartwarming celebrates wholesome, heartfelt relationships imbued with the traditional values so important to you: home, family, community and love.
Enjoy four new stories from Harlequin Heartwarming every month!
Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!
Other ways to keep in touch:
Harlequin.com/newsletters
Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
HarlequinBlog.com
Join Harlequin My Rewards and reward the book lover in you!
Earn points for every Harlequin print and ebook you buy, wherever and whenever you shop.
Turn your points into FREE BOOKS of your choice
OR
EXCLUSIVE GIFTS from your favorite authors or series.
Click here to join for FREE
Or visit us online to register at
www.HarlequinMyRewards.com
Harlequin My Rewards is a free program (no fees) without any commitments or obligations.
ISBN-13: 9781488085017
Bachelor Remedy
Copyright © 2018 by Carol Ross
All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this ebook on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 22 Adelaide St. West, 40th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5H 4E3, Canada.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirel
y coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and ™ are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office and in other countries.
www.Harlequin.com
He’s not the only one who needs saving…
But maybe they can save each other?
Dark, brooding, dangerous…and possibly suicidal. Renegade rancher Justin Cade was exactly the kind of man former Army chaplain Brielle Thompson needed to avoid after escaping the horrors of Afghanistan with an honorable discharge—and PTSD. The whole point of moving to the remote Rocky Mountains of Colorado was to leave the darkness behind, not fall back into it. But falling she is…
“What are you afraid of, Justin?”
That snapped his spine straight. “Nothing.”
“Then prove it. I dare you to spend the next ten weeks here, at the clinic.”
“Dare?” Was she joking? This wasn’t kid stuff… To him, it was life-and-death. And the way Brielle got under his skin, opened him up, was downright dangerous. If he accepted, he’d need to keep his distance. “I’m not going to any group talks.”
She pondered that a moment then sighed. “Fine. Go only if you want to, which I’m betting will be plenty.”
“You’re pretty sure of yourself.”
“I am.”
He found himself smiling. When was the last time he’d smiled for no reason? He liked Brielle’s gumption.
“So,” she pressed, looking so flushed and vibrant he wagered touching her would be like grabbing hold of an electric fence. He could feel the spark from where he sat. “Do we have a deal?”
He shoved back his chair and held out his hand. “Dare accepted.”
Dear Reader,
Welcome back! I’ve been eager to share the next story in my Rocky Mountain Cowboys series with you. The Cade and Loveland ranching families, neighbors who’ve been feuding for over a hundred years, are full of such interesting and complicated characters. They each face, and overcome, personal challenges in unique and inspiring ways.