THREE
AT THE SOUND OF FOOTSTEPS coming up the front steps, Erin froze.
The dead-end lane leading to her house meant no one ever simply drove by. It was dark and quiet out here—even now, at eight o’clock in the evening. What had possessed her to choose such an isolated location?
Lily and Tyler, playing with their newest LEGO set in a corner of the dining area, looked up at Erin, then exchanged worried glances when the caller knocked on the door.
She gave them a reassuring smile and, moving to the entryway, pulled back the lacy curtain from the window in the door and flipped on the porch light.
Connor?
A stranger might have been preferable to finding him standing there, his expression cold and distant. What on earth was he doing here?
Taking a deep breath, she unlocked the door and released the safety chain. “Yes?”
His eyes widened. “Erin?”
The awkward moment lengthened as they stared at each other.
“This is the guy.” Drew came to stand next to her, his chin lifted at a belligerent angle. “The one we saw in town that first day, and then yesterday, in the woods. I told you!”
Erin rested a hand on Drew’s tense shoulder. “Kids, I’d like you to meet Dr. Connor Reynolds.” She introduced each of the children, then frowned at Connor. “The boys said you seemed angry at them and that you looked ‘really mean.’”
“I sure didn’t intend to frighten them.” Connor gave a low laugh. “And I’m not sure how ‘mean’ I could have seemed, with Maisie begging them to pet her.” He snapped his fingers, and a huge yellow lab appeared in the doorway at his side, her eyes warm and friendly and her tail wagging. “They were a long ways from here, in a fairly rugged area. I only asked them if their parents were close by, and they took off running.” He lowered his voice. “You may have heard about the wolves around here. I’ve seen fresh tracks several times since last weekend, and I was worried about the boys being alone.”
Frowning, Erin studied Drew. “You were supposed to stay within sight of the house.”
“We didn’t go far,” Drew retorted, a dark flush rising in his cheeks.
His gaze dropped, and she knew he was hedging. “You didn’t follow the rules, then. We’ll talk about this later.”
Drew glared at Connor. “Yeah, right—like we did anything wrong. Big deal.”
“Why don’t you boys go on upstairs while I talk to Dr. Reynolds,” she said firmly. She turned back to Connor as his words registered. “When I saw you in town, I assumed you were just vacationing. You live around here?”
“I moved into my uncle Ed’s place on the hill a week ago.” Connor cleared his throat. “He owns all of the surrounding property, including this cabin, and Hazel down at Dolby Realty said you had some questions. I’m not sure if I can help, but…”
“Ed Hadley is your uncle? I knew you were from northern Wisconsin, but…” Her thoughts spinning, Erin stared at him before finally finding her voice again. “I—I’m sorry. Please, come in.”
He hesitated, then stepped inside the hallway.
There’d never been much love lost between Stephanie’s wealthy family and Erin’s. Though they’d been related, the social chasm between them had been far too great, and the families barely knew one another. After college graduation, Erin had only seen her second cousin at a few rare reunions, and with the exception of the brief encounter at Stephanie’s funeral, she hadn’t run into Connor at all.
When had he grown so tall, so broad through his chest and shoulders? She hadn’t noticed at the funeral, but maturity had added layers of muscle and an air of confident masculinity, and the years had sculpted his face into rugged, intriguing angles.
His silver-blue eyes, framed with thick black lashes and sweeping brows, had changed most of all. The careless sensuality of youth was now shadowed with experience and hints of hidden pain. Intriguing.
He was far more polite today than when she’d seen him last, but she knew what lurked beneath the handsome surface of this man. Flustered, she asked, “Are…you’re planning to practice in Blackberry Hill?”
“I start covering Ed’s clinic tomorrow, but just for the next three months or so, while he considers retirement.”
“Retirement?” The dapper old skunk had never once mentioned that he was planning to take off before she ever arrived, leaving a nephew in his place.
A nephew, Erin thought grimly, whom she could have happily avoided for the rest of her life without a moment of regret. “Dr. Hadley and I met when I interviewed here. He convinced me to take my job at the hospital, and then offered me his rental house. I looked forward to working with him.”
Something akin to wariness flashed across Connor’s face. “You’re working at the hospital?”
“Right. I guess we’ll run into each other, if you admit any patients.” She gave him a forced smile. “I’m the new administrator.”
“I didn’t recognize your married name. Congratulations.” His handshake was warm and strong, though he didn’t appear delighted over the news.
“Thanks.”
“Ask him,” Lily stage-whispered into the growing silence. “Please?”
Shaking off her odd reaction to Connor’s touch, Erin tipped her head toward Lily. “The kids have been begging for a dog. I’d feel safer with one around, but the Realtor found a clause in the fine print of my contract stating no pets. Can you ask Ed for me?”
Probably without conscious thought, Connor’s fingers had been rubbing Maisie behind her ears and under her collar. Now, he looked down at the dog with open affection, and she lifted her nose to return that obvious adoration in full measure. “Go ahead. I’m sure it’ll be okay.”
“But the contract.” Erin had to raise her voice to be heard over Lily’s whoops of excitement. “Should we—”
“I’m sure you and the kids will take care of any problems a dog might cause. Ed gave me free rein here, because he’s so confident I’ll decide to buy him out.” Connor laughed. “I guess he doesn’t know me that well.”
And I don’t, either. Not anymore. “So you’ll be leaving this winter?”
He shrugged. “I might find some rural area out West…or head back to the bright lights and big city. I have no desire to settle in one place.”
A city—exactly what she planned to avoid. After Erin’s small-town childhood, the bustle and crime and anonymity of city life made her feel dehumanized and alone no matter how many people jostled her at a bus stop or shoved past her on a busy sidewalk.
This town already felt like home, and knowing Connor Reynolds would soon be on his way out of Blackberry Hill should have given her a sense of peace.
So how could she possibly feel regret?
FACING MADGE WHEELER and Grace Fisher across a conference table on Monday morning made Erin feel as if she was taking a stand against two elderly but determined bulldogs. Both of them were a good two hundred pounds of solid experience and steely determination.
And both of them were looking back at her with narrowed eyes and pursed lips, clearly suspicious of her intentions.
“This hospital has provided good service to our town for over fifty years,” Madge said stubbornly. “I don’t see how changing everything is a good idea.”
Grace, the less defensive of the two, merely gave Erin a patient smile. “Maybe it’s a good idea, trying to get more specialists out here. But they aren’t going to come. George tried that years ago.”
“We