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relaxed somewhat. “Grandpa’s had a rough year. He lives with Mama now. I help out as much as I can. It’s why I’m so thankful to have the practice here, where I can be nearby.”

      He hadn’t ever figured her for the kind to strike out on her own. “How’d you open your own practice?”

      Ruby spoke as he went through the exercise. “My course instructor, Lana, used to work for a firm down in Austin. When it got bought out by one of the bigger firms—that happens a lot these days—she got tired of the atmosphere and offered to set up a partnership with me.”

      He hadn’t seen this Lana nor had anyone referred him to her. “Is she here in Martins Gap now?”

      “Of course not. She’s got her own clientele back in Austin. I’m the satellite office. But she comes out once a week.” Ruby looked up, a peculiar squint to her eyes. “We collaborate on our more difficult patients.”

      “So I’ll meet her, then.” It pleased the rascal side of him to be thought of as a “more difficult patient.”

      “Not if I can help it.” She slipped the band off his knees and motioned for him to go back to the silly toe touches. “I owe Lana a great deal. I’d like to spare her your particular brand of charm if possible.”

      Luke stared at her. This new Ruby had a spine he’d never seen before. Soft as a kitten? Not Ruby Sheldon. Not anymore. As a matter of fact, he couldn’t entirely say this cat didn’t have claws. Maybe it was better if they didn’t talk about their past.

      “You like what you do? I mean, you can make a living at it, even out here?”

      “I get a lot of hours at the medical center, and I do some home health care for seniors like Grandpa to fill in the gaps. I’m not rich like some rodeo stars,” she grasped his foot and pushed it toward him, stretching out the tendon. “But I do okay. Between the two of us—Lana in Austin and me out here—we’re able make it work. I had Dad’s life insurance policy to help me get set up. Mama figured Dad would have wanted it that way. ’Course, that was before Grandpa got really sick.”

      “I’m not rolling in dough, just in case you were wondering.” He didn’t know why he said that. “Not yet, that is.”

      Ruby stopped moving his foot. “I figured. You wouldn’t be here if you had any other options.”

      Ouch. “I have options. I just wanted some quiet.”

      That made her laugh. “I have never known you to crave quiet in your entire life.”

      “Well, maybe I’ve changed since we...” He’d started a sentence that wasn’t safe to finish.

      “I certainly hope you’ve changed since you left me behind.” She gave the last three words a bitter edge.

      Double ouch. “So I guess we are gonna talk about it.”

      “No.” She pushed against his foot, harder this time, and he waited—in vain—for it to hurt. “We’re not.”

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