Her Risk To Take by Toni Anderson Read Free Book Online Page B

gotten married the summer after graduation and Sarah swore she’d never seen two people happier or more suited. The wedding had been perfect. Their lives together had been perfect. The only time she’d seen them fight was when Becky was diagnosed with breast cancer. She’d been pregnant with Tabitha and had refused treatment until the baby was born, but by then it was too late. She’d died not long after she’d first held Tabitha in her arms, and Sarah had thought for a long time she was going to lose her brother, too. Ryan had never really gotten over it, but he seemed to have pulled back from the brink of self-destruction. He was finally beginning to get to know his daughter, but Sarah knew he remained heartbroken.
    She’d ached for him. Mourned with him. And done her best to fill in for a mother who had loved her little girl with her whole being. Sarah had made it her quest to fill Tabby’s life with the happy memories all kids deserved. It was the least she could do. She grabbed her medical bag and Tabitha’s lunchbox, and they held hands as they headed to the daycare attached to the hospital.
    Looking after this beautiful little girl helped take her mind off her bruised feelings.
    Sarah led Tabby through the long corridor and pressed the buzzer to get into the daycare. It was supposed to be staff children only, but they’d made special dispensation for her. Good job considering the shortage of doctors they’d had lately.
    They had a new Attending Physician starting on Christmas Day, poor soul. And as soon as Sarah finalized plans with the local family practitioner in Stone Creek, they were going to have to hire another one.
    She kissed Tabitha goodbye, promising to pick her up at four sharp so they could get back in time for a big family supper. She’d see Cal then. They’d talk. Another wave of emotion hit. Maybe it would do them good to have a few hours apart. Time to cool off. To think about whether or not they had a future together as a couple.
    Just because she loved him didn’t mean she was blind to his faults. Life wasn’t all flowers and love songs—and come to think of it, most love songs ended in a bitter twist.
    She put her jacket and bag in her locker, pulled on her white coat and slung her stethoscope around her neck, took a deep breath. Here goes . She pushed through the doors, and into chaos.
    Five miles beyond Stone Creek, County Hospital served a town of about fifteen thousand and a large, mainly rural community. They saw everything from dismemberment via farm equipment, gunshot wounds, car accidents, and the usual daily quota of aches, pains, fevers and childhood injuries.
    She wanted to be busy. She needed the distraction. “Who’ve we got up first, Madge?” she asked the charge nurse.
    “Mrs. Henriksson in exam one, Dr. Sullivan. May I say how very attractive you look today, girl? Is that for the benefit of our hot new orthopedic surgeon?”
    Sarah shot Madge a wry look. She’d worn the red wraparound dress with her tall black boots as a way of bolstering her deflated spirits. She’d forgotten she was avoiding the attentions of one Reilly Spencer. She stuck her tongue out at the nurse she’d known for years. “Warn me if you see him,” she whispered.
    “See who?” A deep voice spoke from behind her.
    Sarah whirled. Crap . “Just a patient. How’re you settling in, Dr. Spencer?”
    His eyes ran down her red dress before skipping back to her face. The guy looked genuinely interested. Considering she’d cried half the night and hadn’t slept a wink, she was surprised he didn’t run screaming through the big double doors. He squeezed her arm in an overly familiar gesture, and his warm breath stroked her ear as he leaned in. “Let me know if you need any help.”
    “I will, thanks.” She moved away and shot Madge a glare over her other shoulder. She could imagine the nonsense the senior ER nurse was filling his head with. Hasn’t had a date in years. Dedicated to her work