Healing Dr. Fortune (8 page)

Yet there was something else going on inside of her, something that was more than a physical reaction to an arousing kiss. And while her mind insisted it was happening too soon, that she barely knew Jeremy Fortune, it didn't seem to matter.

He was a dedicated physician who donated time to the clinic and to people who were in need. And he'd gone above and beyond for Max, something he didn't have to do.

So what else was there to know about him?

Jeremy Fortune was one in a million, and Kirsten couldn't help what she was feeling. She was falling in
love with him. She didn't know if she should thank her lucky stars—or pull back and protect herself from the heartbreak. Because when he left Red Rock and returned to California, it was going to break her heart.

But she couldn't think about that now. Not when she was locked safely in his embrace, yearning for more of his touch, more of his taste.

As the kiss finally came to an end, leaving her wanting so much more than what they'd just shared, Jeremy ran his knuckles along her cheek.

“Sleep tight,” he said, his voice husky.

“You, too.”

Then she watched him head for his car, wishing she could call him back, that she could invite him inside and ask him to stay the night.

His stay in Red Rock is only temporary,
she reminded herself.
Hold on to your heart.

But she feared it was too late for that.

As she let herself into the house, closing the door quietly behind her, she overheard Max talking on the telephone in one of the bedrooms. She didn't usually listen in on his calls, but she couldn't help tuning into this one.

“You've got to be kidding,” he said, his voice loud enough to wake the baby. “Is this a joke, Courtney? I knew something wasn't adding up.”

Kirsten froze in her tracks, then slowly eased closer to the hallway that led to the bedrooms. She wished she could hear both sides of the conversation, but would settle for hearing only one.

“So I'm not listed as the father on his birth certificate?” Max asked. “Then who is?”

Kirsten hung on to each beat of the lull in conversation.

“Oh, for cripe's sake, Courtney. What do you mean you don't have his birth certificate? The hospital had to have given you one when you checked out after having him.”

Kirsten wished she could hear the explanation Courtney was giving.

A surge of uneasiness rushed through her, as she realized that Max might not have legal custody of Anthony.

She wondered what rights he actually had.

Could he even take the child to the doctor if he was sick? And what if Courtney wanted the baby back?

Should he take a paternity test?

Max swore under his breath, then slammed the receiver down hard. Clearly, whatever Courtney had said upset him.

Kirsten waited in the living room, near the hallway.

She was almost afraid to confront him, to ruin the sense of calm she'd been expecting from him when she got home tonight. But how could she not let him know what she'd overheard?

So she eased to the doorway of the bedroom, where Anthony was lying on the center of the bed. Max sat on the edge, near the telephone.

“I couldn't help overhearing a bit of your conversation with Courtney,” she said. “What was that all about?”

Max blew out a sigh, then raked a hand through his hair. “Courtney's a flake.”

Kirsten had gotten that vibe the first time she'd met her, but Max had been so smitten that he hadn't seen it back then. But rather than blurt out an I-told-you-so or make him feel any worse than he did right now, she tried to be respectful of him and whatever he was going through.

So she took a seat on the side of the bed, next to him. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not really, but I probably should.” He rolled his eyes, then heaved a sigh. “When Courtney and I split up seven months ago, I didn't even know she was pregnant. Heck, I was completely shocked when she showed up with Anthony last week.”

“I can understand your surprise. But I really admire you for stepping up to the plate and being such a good dad.”

“That's just it,” Max said. “To be honest, I'm not sure if the baby is mine or not.”

“Did she just tell you that?”

“Not exactly. I had my doubts before. But how could I turn away a child that
could
be my flesh and blood?”

Kirsten saw the angst in his eyes, and her heart swelled with pride that he'd taken in the baby and was assuming responsibility, even if there was some question as to Anthony's paternity.

“We can have his DNA checked,” she said.

But what would they do if the baby didn't belong to Max? Just hand him back to Courtney?

God, Kirsten couldn't do that to the poor little guy. He deserved so much better.

“Where is she?” Kirsten asked.

“I don't know. She wouldn't tell me. Apparently, she's hiding out.”

That was really strange. Kirsten glanced at Anthony, who hadn't asked to be born, to be pawned off on a man who might or might not be his father. And her heart went out to him.

What would make a woman walk away from her own child? If Kirsten had a baby, she'd want him to be with her all the time.

Was Courtney really a flake, like Max had said? Or was she in some kind of serious trouble?

Kirsten bit down on her bottom lip. “Do you think we ought to try to find her? Maybe she's in trouble and needs our help.”

Max chuffed. “I'd have to say that looking out for Anthony is a big help to her already.”

“But you don't have legal custody.” Kirsten tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “And that could be a problem.”

“I don't know,” Max said. “I need some time to think about what to do.”

Kirsten might have pushed or prodded him in the past, but she was learning to respect him, to let him make those calls from here on out.

As Anthony began to cry, Kirsten turned to him and picked him up. “What's the matter, sweetheart?”

“He's hungry,” Max said. “I'll get his bottle.”

Kirsten held the baby close and kissed his head, her lips skimming his downy soft hair. A maternal feeling fluttered over her, and she wasn't sure if she should be happy or sad.

What if she bonded with Anthony, only to learn that Max wasn't his father? What if she had to hand him back to Courtney?

Her heart crunched at the thought—not so much at losing him, but being forced to hand him over to someone who might not be good to him.

“Everything is going to be okay,” she whispered, hoping she could keep her promise. “You can trust me, Anthony. I won't let anything bad happen to you.”

When Max returned with the bottle of formula and handed it to her, she placed the nipple into Anthony's mouth, then watched the baby greedily latch on as if he were starving.

“Was he good for you?” she asked her brother.

“Yeah. He and I watched a little TV. The last two nights he didn't wake up until four, so I decided to keep him up tonight. I thought he might sleep until morning.”

“That might work. I guess we'll have to see what happens.” As Kirsten fed the baby, she studied his sweet little face. He was precious, whether he was Max's baby or not. And he really deserved a better mom than Courtney.

She looked at the phone, wondering if she ought to call Jeremy and ask his advice. He was so wise, so levelheaded. He would know just what to do, what steps they ought to take.

But she couldn't dump this on him. He didn't need to deal with all the Courtney drama.

Is that what you're really worried about?
an inner voice asked, forcing her to face the ugly truth.
You're not trying to protect Jeremy, you're trying to protect yourself and the whisper of a dream that might come true.

A momentary rush of guilt swept over her as she realized that was just what she was doing.

She might have come to the conclusion that she was falling for him, but ever since meeting him in the parking lot of the clinic, she'd told herself that a relationship with her was just a passing fancy to him. That it wouldn't last, that he'd return to California and not look back. But she wasn't so sure about that anymore.

After all, he'd gone above and beyond to help her brother, getting him a job on the family-owned ranch.

That had to mean something.

He had to be seeing the possibility of a future with her. She'd felt it in the heat of his touch, seen it in the intensity in his gaze.

And if that were the case, she wasn't about to do anything that might mar the beauty of what they were feeling or destroy the dream that had taken root in her heart.

Sure, all the stars would need to align first. And she would have to pray that her luck held out. But she couldn't still the rising hope that one day she would become… Jeremy Fortune's wife.

O
n Saturday morning, Jeremy drove to Kirsten's house to pick up Max and take him to the Double Crown. He wanted to personally introduce Kirsten's brother to both Lily and Ruben.

He also looked forward to spending some time on the ranch hanging out with the hands, something he hadn't done since he'd been in high school.

After parking his car at the curb, he walked up the steps to the porch. But before he could lift his hand to ring the bell, Max swung open the door, boasting a Texas-size grin.

“I really appreciate you taking me out to the Double Crown,” he said.

“No problem.”

Max, who was dressed in a black T-shirt, worn jeans
and a pair of scuffed boots, held an old Stetson in his hands. He was clearly ready to go, but Jeremy didn't want to take off without getting a chance to talk to Kirsten.

Before he could ask to see her, she slipped up behind her brother.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hey,” he repeated.

A buzz of attraction and a temporary lull in conversation left him feeling a little bit like a love-struck teen who'd been approached by the head cheerleader and was struggling to find his voice.

Kirsten was wearing a pair of jeans and a white blouse today. Her hair hung loose on her shoulders, and her eyes seemed especially blue. Just looking at her set his heart on end.

“Does Max need a lunch or anything?” she asked. “I made one just in case, and packed it in a cooler.”

“No, he'll be fine. The Double Crown provides meals for their hands.”

There was another lull, another awkward moment.

Jeremy really needed to go, to get the show on the road, but with Kirsten standing there, close enough to catch a whiff of her floral-scented shampoo, close enough to touch, his feet seemed to take root on the porch.

There was, he supposed, only one way to remedy that.

“Would you like to take a ride out to the Double Crown with us?” he asked her. “You can meet Lily while you're there.”

Her eyes sparked and her smile deepened. “It sounds
like fun.” Then her expression began to fade. “But I probably shouldn't barge in on her like that.”

“You'd be keeping her company,” Jeremy said, realizing there was a second reason to take Kirsten along. “It'll do Lily good to have someone to talk to.”

Waiting for word on Jeremy's dad had taken a real toll on her. Hell, it had taken a toll on
all
of them.

“Then that settles it,” Kirsten said. “If you wouldn't mind transferring Anthony's car seat from my vehicle to yours, I'll pack his diaper bag.”

At that, Max chimed in. “I'll make the switch. I just need both sets of keys.”

Moments later, they were all seated in Jeremy's rented sedan and heading out of town.

Max was unusually talkative, which was a pleasant surprise. His attitude had certainly made a complete one-eighty turn, and Jeremy hoped that meant he was going to work hard at proving himself to both Ruben and Lily. If he didn't, they wouldn't keep him around.

When they reached the ranch, both Kirsten and Max scanned the acres upon acres of grazing land that lined the road.

“I can't get over the size of the place,” Kirsten said.

Max merely studied the expanse of property in awe.

As they reached the sandstone wall that surrounded the buildings and the living area, Jeremy gave them a little of the history.

“Ryan Fortune's father, Kingston, bought this place nearly fifty years ago. Back then, the original house was a simple adobe structure with a flat roof trimmed with
rough-hewn wood and tile. It had the same sand color as the wall around it now. But over time, as Kingston's family and his holdings grew, he added on and made renovations. But he did his best to maintain its original style.”

“It's beautiful,” Kirsten said.

Jeremy agreed.

Max, on the other hand, seemed taken by the large barn of weathered wood that stabled horses, the corral and fenced-off areas for branding time and the outbuildings. When he noticed the three-bedroom ranch-style home in the distance, he asked, “Who lives there?”

“That's Ruben and Rosita's house.” The foreman and his wife had lived on the ranch for as long as Jeremy could remember. In fact, they'd raised their family there.

After parking in the shade of one of the few trees located near the main estate, Jeremy and his passengers got out of the car.

“Lily should be in the house,” Jeremy said. “I'll introduce you to her first. That way, Kirsten and the baby can hang out inside while I take Max to meet Ruben.”

He led them through the arched entryway and the wrought-iron gate that opened to the courtyard, with its large purple sage plants, twining vines and bare rosebushes that would be lush and colorful again in a few short months.

“You must love staying out here,” Kirsten said, clearly taken with the Double Crown.

“I do.” And he was glad he could share it with her.
Maybe someday the two of them could go horseback riding. He hadn't done anything like that since he was a teenager.

Jeremy escorted his guests along the curved stone walkway to the adobe steps that led up to the antique wooden door.

He rang the bell to let Lily know they'd arrived, but he didn't wait for her or the housekeeper to answer. Instead, he let Kirsten and Max inside.

“Lily?” he called. “We're here.”

“I'll be right there,” she said.

Moments later, the lovely older woman swept into the foyer, her dark eyes glimmering as she graciously welcomed both Kirsten and Max to her home.

Once the formalities were over, her gaze quickly drifted to Anthony. “What a beautiful baby.”

“Thank you.” Kirsten smiled down at the child, yet didn't explain that he belonged to her brother. But that was okay; Jeremy had already filled in Lily on the details.

In fact, upon hearing how Max had assumed responsibility for the baby he hadn't known about and learning that he was trying to better himself by taking the GED, Lily had been impressed and agreed to hire him.

Of course, she might have agreed anyway—strictly as a favor to Jeremy.

“Can I get you some coffee and breakfast?” Lily asked.

“No, thanks,” Jeremy said. “I'm sure Max is eager to get outside and meet Ruben.”

Max, who held his cowboy hat in his hands, nodded. “That's right, ma'am. Besides, I ate earlier. But thank you for the offer.”

“You're welcome.” Lily smiled. “Then do what you have to do. I'll take Kirsten into the great room, where we can visit and play with the baby.” She reached out to stroke Anthony's cheek with her index finger.

As she did so, Kirsten smiled at the bundle in her arms.

Again, Jeremy was struck with the thought of Kirsten holding his baby, but he quickly shook it off.

Slow down,
he told himself. He'd hardly gotten to know her himself. Yet he couldn't deny the feelings she'd evoked in him, unfamiliar yet warm and blood-stirring feelings he had to admit that he liked.

“I love babies,” Lily said, reminding Jeremy that bringing Kirsten and Anthony along had been a good idea. Having visitors was sure to help her keep her mind off her worries—at least for today. And he couldn't help feeling a rush of pride, knowing that he'd pulled something like that together.

Of course, it was too soon to know for sure if everything would fall into place, but it appeared that his efforts just might end up being a win-win for everyone involved.

He sure hoped so. In a way, he'd stuck his neck out for Max. And he'd hate to think he'd made a mistake by bringing him to the ranch and asking Lily and Ruben to take a chance on hiring a stranger.

So far, so good, though. Max had been polite and
appreciative. He'd also shown signs of having a work ethic, although whether he'd follow through on it was still left to be seen.

Jeremy bumped Max's arm with his and nodded toward the door. “Come on. Let's go find Ruben.”

Then he took Max out into the yard, leaving the women alone.

 

After the men headed outside, Lily turned to Kirsten and smiled. “Would you like to join me in the kitchen for a cup of tea and some blueberry muffins?”

“That sounds nice.” Kirsten tightened her grip on the handle of Anthony's carrier and followed Lily through the great room, which was dominated by a large open hearth on one wall.

She slowed her pace and noted the curved, wooden-framed glass doors that opened up to a lovely courtyard. Even in February, the plants out there were lush. She wondered what it would look like during spring and summer, with the flowers blooming.

As she followed her hostess to the kitchen, their shoes clicked upon the tile floors, where hand-woven rugs in Native American and Mexican patterns had been carefully placed.

The farther Kirsten went into the house, with its mixture of both modern and antique furnishings, the more impressed she was with the decor.

When they entered the large functional kitchen with all the modern conveniences, Kirsten noticed that it still reflected the same Southwestern influence as the rest
of the house and couldn't help sharing her impressions. “Your home is beautiful, Lily. You must love living here.”

“Thank you. I do. In fact, I can't imagine living anywhere else.”

Kirsten understood the feeling. At one time, she hadn't been able to imagine living in any other house but the one she'd purchased on her own and decorated to suit her. Yet the longer she knew Jeremy, the more she was thinking about California.

Would she like it there?

Oh, for Pete's sake, she scolded herself. How could she allow a question like that to even form in her mind? At this point, she had no reason to believe Jeremy would even invite her to go with him to California. And even though she sensed their relationship was becoming stronger each day and that they were growing closer, she didn't want to make any unwarranted assumptions until he gave her reason to do so.

As Lily poured water in a teapot and put it on to boil, she asked, “So how long have you and Jeremy been dating?”

“Actually, we've only formally gone out a couple times. But we've been seeing each other a lot.”

“I thought that you might be.” Lily smiled. “I haven't seen much of him lately.”

“I'm sorry.” Kirsten knew that Lily was just as worried about Jeremy's father as he was—maybe more so. And that was why he'd been staying with her and offering his support.

“Please don't be sorry about him being away from the ranch,” Lily said. “I'm a romantic at heart and can appreciate it when two people are attracted to each other.

Besides, it's time for Jeremy to loosen up and have some fun. He's been so focused on his medical practice over the years that I was afraid he would let life pass him by.”

“It's been fun for me, too. Meeting Jeremy has been a real blessing.” Not only was he a perfect gentleman and one of the nicest guys in the entire world, he'd also taken Max under his wing. And Kirsten would always appreciate that—no matter what direction their relation ship took.

“I felt the same way you do when my friendship with William took a romantic turn,” Lily said. “We were going to get married on New Year's Day.” Her eyes grew wistful and misty, and the tone of her voice softened. “But he didn't make it to the ceremony.”

Kirsten's heart went out to the older woman. “I can't imagine how terrible that must have been for you. How terrible it still must be.”

“At first, people suspected that he'd gotten cold feet and took off to avoid marrying me, but I knew better than that. He was looking forward to the wedding as much or more than I was.” Lily took two teacups and saucers from the cupboard, placing one in front of Kirsten and the other for herself. “Then three days after his disappearance, his wrecked vehicle was found. He'd been involved in an accident. Or rather, his Mercedes was.”

Jeremy had mentioned that to Kirsten. And the fact that there hadn't been any sign of William.

“We wondered if he'd been kidnapped, which could be the case,” Lily added, as she pulled several choices of tea from the pantry. “But we never received a call or a ransom note.”

Kirsten couldn't help thinking that there'd been some other kind of foul play, yet what?

And why?

As the kettle began to whistle, Lily removed it from the stove and poured water into each cup. “I can't explain it, but I have a very strong feeling that William will return. That he'll be all right. And that we'll be able to marry one day.”

“I can understand you wanting to hold on to hope,”

Kirsten said.

“It's more than that.” Lily returned the kettle to the stove. “You may not believe this, but I can almost hear a voice whispering to me and telling me to hang in there, that he'll be home soon. That everything will be okay again.” Lily gave a little shrug. “I'm sure that sounds odd to you.”

“No, it doesn't.” Kirsten knew how difficult William's disappearance had been on Jeremy, and she suspected the other brothers felt the same way. But it had to be especially difficult for Lily, who'd lost Ryan to death and then found love again with William.

How sad to be alone once more. She hoped the family would get news soon—one way or the other. Yet in spite
of her best wishes for a happy resolution, a realization shuddered through her.

If and when William was found, Jeremy would no longer have a reason to stay in Red Rock.

 

The hours seemed to fly by as Kirsten and Lily spent the day together. In spite of their age difference, they really hit it off.

Maybe that was because Kirsten had missed having a mother figure in her life. Or maybe that was only part of it, since she truly liked Lily Fortune as a person.

They'd had a light lunch of lentil soup and homemade French bread, which was unbelievably delicious.