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that he laid out the bare truth. Maybe when she knew, she’d stay away and let him get back to his solitary life.
“My wife was Lisa Steffens.”
“I remember Lisa—”
“She’s dead,” he blurted out.
“Oh, Kent. I’m so truly sorry.”
“She died in a fire. A fire I set.” Kent wished he could have avoided rehashing the past.
Jaclyn blinked. She studied him for several moments before she said, “You didn’t do it deliberately. I know you and you couldn’t have done that.”
“You don’t know me anymore, Jaclyn.”
“I don’t think you’ve become a murderer, Kent.” She held his gaze. “Do you mind telling me what happened?”
Jaclyn’s presence in his house made the place come alive as it hadn’t in a very long time. She brought color to the cold stainless steel, life to the gray tones that only reminded him of death and guilt. From somewhere deep inside a rush of yearning gripped Kent, a yearning to share his life with someone who would talk, listen and laugh with him. If only he could enjoy Jaclyn’s company and the hope that was so much a part of her aura—just for a little while.
“Not tonight.” He drew back, regrouped.
Once Kent had dreamed of happiness, a family, a future on this ranch. He’d failed Lisa and he’d never have that now. But he had to go on; he couldn’t get sidetracked by his crazy attraction to Jaclyn LaForge, no matter how strong. He admired her courage in returning to Hope, in sticking to her promise to her sister, but he desperately needed to resume his carefully structured world because that was the only way he could survive the guilt.
It wasn’t his job to get Jaclyn a new clinic. He didn’t want to get involved. He didn’t want concerns about whether her foot would heal properly or get infected. And he sure didn’t want his heart thudding every time he saw her.
Every instinct Kent possessed screamed Run!
“I’ll meet you at the building tomorrow morning at eight,” he heard himself say.
Chapter Two
“This is a beautiful building. The windows give amazing light.”
“Say it, Jaclyn. There’s a lot of work needed here.” Kent leaned against a doorframe, probably running a repair tab in his mind. Then his gaze rested on her.
Jaclyn frowned. Maybe he was waiting for her to say she didn’t want to rent his father’s building.
“Correction—more than a lot of work.” Kent kept staring at her.
“Perhaps once all the borders are removed?” Jaclyn trailed her finger across a wall.
“My mom went a little over the top with the borders,” Kent admitted. “She loved the themes and colors of southwest decorating.”
His wife definitely hadn’t. Jaclyn wondered why Lisa had chosen the gray color scheme for her kitchen. High-tech certainly, but it seemed clinical, with nothing to soften the harsh materials or unwelcoming, austere colors. Her curiosity about Lisa’s death had been tweaked by Kent’s admission that he set the fire. Jaclyn knew there was no way he’d have deliberately hurt her. Kent had been in love with Lisa since seventh grade.
While Kent became all business, talking about support beams and studs, her attention got sidetracked as her eyes took in an unforgettable picture. The handsome vet probably couldn’t care less what he looked like, but he was without a doubt what Jaclyn’s friend Shay would say was hunk material.
A moment later Kent’s dark blue gaze met hers and one eyebrow arched.
She’d missed something. Heat burned her cheeks. “Sorry?”
“I said it’s going to be a while before you can move in here.”
“A while meaning what, exactly?” She hadn’t been staring. Well, not intentionally.
Liar.
“Are you okay?” Kent tilted his head to study her. “You look kind of funny.”
“I’m fine.” Jaclyn cleared her throat. Business. Concentrate on business. “You’re telling me there’s work that has to be done here, which I know. How long will that take?”
“I can’t tell you that.” Kent frowned. “Since the mine opened last spring, a lot of locals have gone to work there. The place offers good wages, decent benefits and steady work which means there aren’t a lot of qualified trades available in Hope anymore.”
“But? I can hear a ‘but’ in there.” She smiled and waited.
“I’ll start on the demolition. I can do most of that myself and some of the actual renovation. There are a couple of guys I can probably persuade to do other work but it is going to take time.” He looked like he was waiting for her to say “never mind.”
But Jaclyn wouldn’t say that—getting this clinic operational again was her duty. The clinic had been her dream since the day after she’d buried her twin sister. They both should have graduated from high school but Jessica’s diagnosis had come too late, because of the shortage of doctors in Hope. The traveling doctors that visited each week didn’t catch the leukemia early enough. That wouldn’t happen to another child—not if Jaclyn could help it.
She had already checked the other buildings in town. This place was the best of the lot, but Kent was right. It needed a major overhaul.
“I have just over three months until I have to open. Can you do it?”
He frowned, his deep blue eyes impassive. Only the twitch at the corner of his mouth told her he’d rather be somewhere else. “I believe I can.”
Relief swamped her, stealing her restraint. She threw her arms around him and hugged.
“Thank you, Kent. Thank you so much.”
He froze, his whole body going stiff. After a moment he lifted one hand and awkwardly patted her shoulder before easing away. “I haven’t done anything yet.”
“I can see it finished.” She twirled around, her imagination taking flight. “Reception will be here, of course. I don’t remember what your dad had in this corner before, but I’ll get a child’s table-and-chair set for coloring. And we can put—”
“That was Arvid’s corner.”
“Arvid?” She stared at Kent as old memories surfaced. “Your dad’s parrot!” She grinned. “That’s an idea.”
“You’d put a parrot in a doctor’s office?” His nose wrinkled. “Isn’t that against health regulations or something?”
“Not as long as the cage is kept clean and the animal isn’t dangerous. It’s actually a great idea. I wonder where I’d find a parrot around here.”
“At the ranch. I’ve got Arvid out there, hanging in the sunroom for now. He stays there during winter, but soon I’ll have to bring him into the main house so he doesn’t get overheated.” Kent made a face. “He’s never really adapted to the ranch. He doesn’t like my dog. Or me,” he admitted.
“You’re sure it wouldn’t be too much for him? Would the kids overwhelm him?”
Kent laughed. She hadn’t heard that jubilant sound in years but the pure pleasure filling his face captivated her. In the moment, he looked carefree, happy.
“Overwhelm him?” His eyes twinkled. “You must not remember Arvid very well. The only thing that ever overwhelmed that bird was my mother’s broom.”
She giggled, sharing his mirth. But a moment later Kent’s eyes met hers and his smile melted away. In a flash his glowering expression was back.
“You’re