Harlequin Medical Romance December 2015, Box Set 1 of 2 by Tina Beckett Read Free Book Online

pumped through his veins at the open disbelief in Abbie’s voice. Suddenly, he was very sure he was doing the right thing.
    And if this little farce got out? Well, worse things had been said about him—at least from what he’d heard here and there.
    Leaning down to her ear, he whispered, “I’ll explain later. Just play along.”
    Out loud, he said, “It’s recent. We’re keeping it quiet. For now.” Another half-truth. Their going out had been recent. And he was pretty sure Jess wanted it kept quiet.
    Jess didn’t agree. Or disagree. But a little of the sneer left her sister’s face.
    â€œSo what you said at the party... All of those texts Martin got wasn’t about you trying—”
    Jess finally found her voice. “I’ve told you that. Many times, Abbie. Martin and I have been over for a long, long time. He loves you. Not me.”
    So it was true. Jess had once been engaged to Abbie’s husband. And Abbie thought her sister still had the hots for him.
    He looked at her with new eyes. If he had to choose between the sisters right here right now, there would be no question as to who he’d go with.
    Jess. Hands down.
    â€œI guess I owe you both an apology, then.”
    â€œNo, you—”
    Dean squeezed her shoulder to stop the words. Abbie did owe her an apology, from what he’d seen. A big one.
    â€œBut as for the baby...” The woman’s glance went back to her child. She leaned forward a little. “What’s that on her leg?” She pointed at the incubator and tapped the side of it. The newborn startled for a second, then relaxed.
    â€œWhat?” Jess shook off his hand and moved closer.
    â€œThere. That red thing on her calf.”
    There was a small red mark the size of a thumbprint on the side of the baby’s leg.
    The relief on Jess’s face was almost comical. “It’s just a little birthmark. A port wine stain. It’s nothing.”
    â€œA port what?” Abbie trailed her fingers over the Plexiglas side as if tracing the mark. “Will it go away?”
    â€œProbably not, but it’s nothing serious. I promise.”
    There was a pause before Abbie spoke again. “I don’t want people to make fun of her.”
    There was a note of sadness—or maybe it was fear—in her voice. It made Dean take a closer look, seeing something of himself in her words. Had Abbie been made fun of at some point by someone? It would explain some of that angry defensiveness she seemed to carry around with her. He’d had a little of that himself when he’d been younger. More so after his dad went to prison and his mum took off for parts unknown when he was just sixteen.
    Dean had been angry all right. Angry at his parents. Angry at the group home he’d been placed in. Angry at life in general. Until he’d learned to harness that anger and put it to good use. And that included not pinning his hopes on any one human being. At some point, they all let you down.
    â€œI’m sure they won’t,” Jess said. “Why would they?”
    Her sister sniffed as if she was not about to listen to anything Jess had to say. Then she stood. “I think I’ll go back to my room. I’m knackered.”
    She’d still made no move to touch her baby, and that bothered Dean more than he wanted to admit. Everyone had his or her own way of dealing with emotional pain, but to shut off physical contact with her own child?
    Well, hadn’t he wished from time to time that his father had cut off physical contact? But he hadn’t. It had taken putting Dean’s mum in hospital that last time to keep the man from hurting them again.
    â€œDo you want someone to walk you back to your room?” he asked.
    Abbie shook her head. “I can manage. You’ll ring me if there’s any change?”
    Dean might have thought the words were meant for Jess, except she was looking