Линда Гуднайт

Lone Star Dad


Скачать книгу

      Moving back to Gabriel’s Crossing had seemed like the best solution when Derrick began acting out. Here was a familiar place where she knew people and had roots that she could share with him, a place where he could learn small-town values, a place with a mortgage-free home in the country and a medical practice that needed her. Now she wondered if she’d done the right thing.

      Maybe she should move back to Houston, away from the danger of Quinn Buchanon.

      She scrubbed harder, soaping her wrists, zoned out in thought. Houston didn’t have Quinn, but her parents’ city had plenty of other worries, especially concerning her nephew.

      She loved it here in Gabriel’s Crossing, loved living in Nana and Papa’s house with its wonderful memories and quiet woods and pretty yard. Nana had planted something for every season, even winter, when the red berries against deep green holly fed the birds and the spirit. Spring would soon arrive and Nana’s lilacs and forsythias would brighten the world.

      She didn’t want to move again.

      Since she’d joined Dr. Ramos last September, her practice had grown rapidly. She loved knowing her patients on a personal basis, seeing them at church and in stores. People liked her personal involvement, her follow-up phone calls, the smart, concerned care she gave. She was a good certified registered nurse practitioner, and she wanted to practice in a rural town where doctors were in short supply. Gabriel’s Crossing was perfect. Almost.

      Derrick was furious with her about the kittens and had locked himself in his room with his computer, refusing to come out until this morning. Oddly, he’d been up and dressed but his eyes were red rimmed and tired, as if he hadn’t slept much.

      He worried her out of her mind. And she felt guilty about the baby kittens. Had Quinn fed them? Would he?

      Quinn. The biggest problem of all.

      Lord, what am I supposed to do? I can’t break my promise, but I can’t return to Houston. Derrick is better off here in a small town where I can keep a close eye on him. But what if—

      Someone tapped on the exam room door. “Gena?”

      “Come on in.” She glanced up.

      Alabama Watts, both nurse and friend, poked her head around the door edge. “Mr. Chard in room three and little Clara Jameson in five are both ready. And Dr. Ramos wants you to take his patients for the next couple of hours. He had an emergency at the hospital.”

      Gena shut off the water and reached for a paper towel.

      She was needed here. Badly.

      “Who’s first?”

      “Mr. Chard. I set up a suture tray. His hand is wrapped in a towel but bleeding through. Chain saw bit him, he said.”

      “Ouch. Let’s go see.”

      The rest of her day was wildly busy, so by the time she arrived home, the sun had set. She parked the SUV under the carport and opened the side entry door, frowning to see no light glowing from Derrick’s room. The bus ran by the house around four. He should have been home three hours ago.

      “Derrick?” She tossed her keys and bag on the kitchen counter and went to his room.

      The door was shut. She tapped. “Derrick, honey. I’m home.”

      Nothing.

      “Are you hungry?” Wasn’t he always?

      Still no answer, so she tried the doorknob and found it unlocked. With a deep breath, she stepped into his bedroom. It was empty. His laptop was open and on but dark. His books had been dumped on his unmade bed. If he had homework, he’d likely not done it.

      With an exasperated growl, she knew where he’d gone. Quinn’s. The kittens.

      Wearily, she rubbed at her temples.

      She’d been foolish to believe she could avoid anyone in a town this small. Derrick’s blatant disregard for her rules meant he was sure to do exactly what she forbade.

      As she started out, some gut instinct stopped her. She stared at Derrick’s laptop.

      She’d not checked his history in a while, and from his weariness this morning, she suspected he’d stayed up late last night trolling the internet. With him out of the house, it was a good time to have a look at his search history without starting another war.

      She tapped the touch pad and the screen lit up.

      Facebook. Dandy. He wasn’t old enough to have an account. But when had she been able to stop Derrick from doing something he wanted to do?

      She stared at the selfies of the handsome young boy with the sullen mouth and that blasted black hoodie pulled low over his eyes.

      With a tap, she refreshed the screen and scrolled, checking out his friends and messages.

      The more she read, the colder she got. One “friend” flashed gang signs and puffed on something that looked suspiciously like a marijuana joint. One urged him to hitch his way back to Houston. Another bragged about a “piece” he’d stolen from his old man.

      A piece? As in a gun?

      “Oh no. Not guns and drugs.” She’d thought the shoplifting episode was scary. “He’s not even twelve!”

      But the young and angry, she knew from her clinic experience in the inner city, were prime targets for gangs and trouble. Derrick was both.

      Holding her stomach, she closed the laptop and left the room, reeling. What if he’d read the messages and run away? Houston was miles and miles from Gabriel’s Crossing.

      Frightened now, Gena grabbed her keys and loped for the Xterra, praying he was at Quinn’s place with the kittens. Even there was better than on the road to Houston.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4QAYRXhpZgAASUkqAAgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/sABFEdWNreQABAAQAAABQAAD/4QRPaHR0cDov L25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wLwA8P3hwYWNrZXQgYmVnaW49Iu+7vyIgaWQ9Ilc1TTBNcENl aGlIenJlU3pOVGN6a2M5ZCI/PiA8eDp4bXBtZXRhIHhtbG5zOng9ImFkb2JlOm5zOm1ldGEvIiB4 OnhtcHRrPSJBZG9iZSBYTVAgQ29yZSA1LjAtYzA2MSA2NC4xNDA5NDksIDIwMTAvMTIvMDctMTA6 NTc6MDEgICAgICAgICI+IDxyZGY6UkRGIHhtbG5zOnJkZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMTk5 OS8wMi8yMi1yZGYtc3ludGF4LW5zIyI+IDxyZGY6RGVzY3JpcHRpb24gcmRmOmFib3V0PSIiIHht bG5zOnhtcE1NPSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvbW0vIiB4bWxuczpzdFJlZj0i aHR0cDovL25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wL3NUeXBlL1Jlc291cmNlUmVmIyIgeG1sbnM6eG1w PSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvIiB4bWxuczpkYz0iaHR0cDovL3B1cmwub3Jn L2RjL2VsZW1lbnRzLzEuMS8iIHhtcE1NOk9yaWdpbmFsRG9jdW1lbnRJRD0ieG1wLmRpZDowQkQ1 RjkwM0YzMjA2ODExOTA4MThFRjcyMDAwNDZCMSIgeG1wTU06RG9jdW1lbnRJRD0ieG1wLmRpZDo0 QUE2QzAyRjg4MDcxMUU2QjFEQ0ZFQkMyNDdDNUNEMyIgeG1wTU06SW5zdGFuY2VJRD0ieG1wLmlp ZDo0QUE2QzAyRTg4MDcxMUU2QjFEQ0ZFQkMyNDdDNUNEMyIgeG1wOkNyZWF0b3JUb29sPSJBZG9i ZSBQaG90b3Nob3AgQ1M1LjEgTWFjaW50b3NoIj4gPHhtcE1NOkRlcml2ZWRGcm9tIHN0UmVmOmlu c3RhbmNlSUQ9InhtcC5paWQ6MENENUY5MDNGMzIwNjgxMTkwODE4RUY3MjAwMDQ2QjEiIHN0UmVm OmRvY3VtZW50SUQ9InhtcC5kaWQ6MEJENUY5MDNGMzIwNjgxMTkwODE4RUY3MjAwMDQ2QjEiLz4g PGRjOmNyZWF0b3I+IDxyZGY6U2VxPiA8cmRmOmxpPkdvb2RuaWdodCwgTGluZGE8L3JkZjps