LITMIR.BIZ

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charms. She had a notorious record with unreliable men. Why would Lucas be any different? After all, she knew next to nothing about him—other than he was a lousy housekeeper. He’d dismissed his desperately needed maid service. And he went out of his way for strangers he found squatting in his house. Wait. She was supposed to be listing his negative qualities.

      She needed to make an important point not only to him but also to herself. “You know, I would have been fine on my own. You didn’t have to ride to my rescue.”

      “I had to go out anyway.”

      “And you just happened to be going in the same direction.”

      “Something like that.”

      The car rolled to a stop at an intersection. Lucas glanced at her. His probing eyes were full of questions. Like what was a small-town girl doing in the Big Apple? And how had she befriended his aunt? And the number one question that was dancing around in his mind: Why was she going to the hospital?

      He didn’t push or prod. Instead he exuded a quiet strength. And that only made it all the more tempting to open up to him—to dump the details of the most tragic event in her life into his lap. No, she couldn’t do that. No matter how nice he was to her, letting him in was just asking for trouble.

      Afraid he’d voice his inevitable questions, she decided to ask him a few of her own. “What’s the story with the house? Why does it look frozen in time?”

      Lucas’s facial features visibly hardened. “I haven’t had time to deal with it.”

      “Have you owned the place long?”

      “My family has lived there for generations.”

      Wow. She couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to have family roots that went that deep. Her relatives were the here-today-gone-tomorrow type. And they never bothered to leave a forwarding address. Once in a while a postcard would show up from her mother. Her father... Well, he’d been out of the picture since she was young.

      She tried not to think about her lack of family or her not-so-happy childhood. It didn’t do any good to dwell on things that couldn’t be changed. The only thing that mattered now was the future. But there was one thing she could do to help Lucas hold on to a piece of his past.

      “You know the house is in desperate need of repairs, especially the upstairs,” she said, longing to one day have an opportunity to work on an impressive job such as his historic mansion. “I’m an interior designer and I have some contacts that could help—”

      “I’m not interested.”

      The thought of that stunning architecture disintegrating for no apparent reason spurred her on. “But houses need to be cared for or they start to look and act their age. And it’d be such a travesty to let the place fall down—”

      “It’s fine as is. End of discussion.”

      She wanted to warn him about the leaking roof, but he’d cut her off. She doubted anything she said now would even register in his mind.

      With a huff, she turned away. Frustration warmed her veins. Here was a problem that could so easily be resolved and yet this man was too stubborn to lift up the phone and ask for help. If only her problems could be fixed as readily.

      Her thoughts filled with the possible scenarios for today’s meeting with Molly’s specialist. This surgeon was their last hope. Kate prayed he wouldn’t dismiss the case as quickly as Lucas had dismissed the problem with his house.

      She tilted her head against the cool glass. It soothed her heated skin. She stared blindly ahead, noticing how even at this early hour, the city was coming to life. An army of people with umbrellas moved up and down the walks while traffic buzzed by at a steady pace. Her world might be teetering on the edge, but for everyone else, it was business as usual.

      Now was not the time for self-pity. As the towering hospital came into view, she straightened her shoulders and inhaled a deep breath, willing away all of her doubts and insecurities.

      “Which entrance should I drop you at? Emergency?”

      “No. I told you I’m fine. Fit as a fiddle.” She forced a smile to her lips before gathering her things.

      “You’re sure?”

      “Absolutely. The main entrance will do.”

      “You know hospitals aren’t a great place to be alone. Is there someone I can call for you?”

      He surprised her with his thoughtful offer. How could a man be so frustrating in one breath and sweet in the next?

      “No, thanks. I have some people waiting for me.”

      He pulled the car over to the curb. “Are you sure?”

      She nodded. What she failed to tell him was that the people waiting for her consisted of the medical staff. No family. Except for Molly. She was all the family Kate needed.

      “Thank you for everything.” She jumped out into the rain. “I just have to grab my suitcase.”

      Lucas swiveled around. “Leave it.”

      “But I—”

      “Obviously you have enough to deal with already. Besides, I’m planning to work from home today. Call me when things are wrapped up here and I’ll give you a lift to your hotel.”

      She had to think fast. Without an umbrella, the rain was soaking her. She really should end this here and now, but she’d feel more confident for the meeting if she wasn’t lugging around an old suitcase. Lucas was only offering to keep her possessions for a few hours, not asking her to run off and have a steamy affair or anything. The errant thought warmed her cheeks.

      “Thanks for the offer, but I’m not sure how long I’m going to be.”

      “No problem. Let me give you my number.”

      In seconds, she had his number saved on her cell phone and was jogging up the steps to the glass doors. Thoughts of Lucas slid to the back of her mind. She was about to have the most important meeting of her life.

      She refused to leave until she heard: “Yes. We will help your daughter.”

       CHAPTER FOUR

      “I THINK WE can help your daughter but—”

      Kate’s heart soared. She’d been waiting so long to hear those words. It took all her self-restraint not to jump for joy. She wasn’t sure what the surgeon said after that as the excitement clouded her mind.

      For months now, they’d traveled to one hospital after the other. Every time she located a place that offered a possibility of hope, they were there. Now at long last they had come to the right place. The weight of anxiety slipped from her shoulders and left her lighter than she’d been in recent memory.

      When a stack of papers was shoved in front of her, she glanced down, spotting her name and a very large dollar figure. Her excitement stuttered.

      “What is this?” She couldn’t move her gaze from the staggering dollar figure.

      “That is the amount you’ll need to pay up front if we are to perform the operation.”

      This couldn’t be right. She had health coverage and it wasn’t cheap. “But my insurance—”

      “Won’t cover this procedure.” Dr. Hawthorne steepled his fingers and leaned back in his chair. “It doesn’t cover experimental procedures. I’m willing to donate my time, but in order for the hospital to book the O.R. and the necessary staff, you’ll need to settle this bill with Accounts Receivable.” He paused and eyed her up as though checking to see if she fully understood. “You also need to be aware that this is an estimate. A conservative one at that. If there are complications, the bill will escalate quickly.”

      Kate

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