One Heart to Give (Heart's Intent Book 1) by Dawn Brower Read Free Book Online

thought what it might do to her to watch him with another woman. Then Jessica had dumped her pregnancy on him and all of her insecurities no longer mattered. There was no decision to make, it’s been made for her.
    If she could go back she might change things, before it’d been too late to do anything about it. And at least try and see if they had what it took to make it as a couple. She’d do it if it might make a difference. Sadly she didn’t think it would. What ifs didn’t change the outcome. All that mattered was what happened, there was no changing the past. The truth was that her plan to keep him in her life had backfired and she lost him anyway. He married Jessica and started a family with her. She didn’t have his friendship. It had been her choice. All of it had. She didn’t regret leaving without saying goodbye. Ren wouldn’t have allowed her to put distance between them any other way.
    Their time had passed, and she couldn’t get it back. No amount of wishing would make it so. But the things she still remembered—watching him play baseball, the laughs around the bonfire, playing card at his parent’s house—those memories would always haunt her. Reflecting on how things could have been wouldn’t do her any good. She’d made her choices.
    “It seems like you were more than friends.”
    Dani’s gaze flew toward Claire’s. “You’re wrong. We were never more than the best of friends. I haven’t seen Ren since high school. We went our separate ways. He married his high school sweetheart and I met Matt.”
    “But you and Matt really are just friends.” Claire placed her hand on Dani’s shoulder. “I recognize how a woman looks at a man she loves. I look at Matt the same way every day and he doesn’t see it. That’s how you look at the doctor.”
    “Am I that obvious?” She’d thought she hid her feelings better.
    Claire frowned. “Only to a woman who’s in a similar situation. If it helps, I didn’t see a wedding band on his finger. Are you sure he’s married?”
    “No, and I’m not going to ask him.”
    It’d be tantamount to asking him if he wanted to be with her. Dani wasn’t ready to open herself up to that kind of pain. Her heart was beginning to wake up, and her walls wanted to tumble down. One little push from him and they would crash around her. Until then, she would hold on tight to the edges and hope she survived this encounter.
    “If you want my advice…”
    “I don’t,” Dani interrupted her.
    She laughed lightly. “You’re going to get it anyway.”
    Dani rolled her eyes. Her assistant was getting cheeky. She didn’t say a word that would be encouraging, and it was the last thing she wanted to do.
    “Matt’s in there fighting for his life. He could’ve died today.” Claire’s voice cracked as she spoke. “I’d have lost the chance to tell him how I feel about him. I’ve been foolish, and I’m not going to keep making the same mistakes.”
    Claire should tell Matt she loved him. “You’re right. He needs to know.”
    “Ren does too. The way he looked at you…” She paused and took a deep breath. “If Matt had just once stared at me with such intensity I never would’ve held in how I feel. That sexy doctor wants you. He may even need you. I don’t know what happened between you two, but you need to fix it.”
    She was wrong, Ren didn’t want her, and never had. He might need her though. They were the best of friends once; maybe she should set her feelings aside and go to him. Whatever was going on in his life she could at the very least be his friend again. It wasn’t his fault she stupidly fell in love with him.
    “I don’t think Ren wants me in the way you think.” Dani shrugged. “But I will think about what you said. I won’t make any rash decisions. In the meantime, go drop off that paperwork. I’ll call Mr. Nettles in the morning.”
    Claire nodded. “Don’t avoid him. This is a mistake you can rectify if you let go of your fears.