Sacred Trust by Hannah Alexander Read Free Book Online

for two, or even the appearance of one.
    If Lauren took offense at his small act of rebellion, her expression hid it well. She leaned back and rested her feet on the rail of the chair he had discarded. “Dig in, Doc. I know you’re hungry. I don’t think you’ve eaten anything since lunch, have you?”
    â€œBreakfast, actually. Late breakfast.” He bent his head in a short, silent blessing, then looked up to find Laurennodding with approval. Big deal. The nurse in KC had pretended to approve of his faith, too, at first, until it got in the way of other things she wanted.
    â€œFound a church yet?” Lauren asked, watching Lukas overstuff his first tortilla.
    â€œNot yet. I haven’t had a chance.” He took a large bite, the force of which pushed half the meat and veggies back onto the plate from the wrap. The smoky heat so filled his mouth and senses that for a few seconds he didn’t realize Lauren had resumed talking.
    â€œâ€¦Covenant Baptist, just about four blocks from where you live.”
    Lukas shot her a wary glance as he chewed and swallowed. “You already know where I live?” He’d just been there a few days.
    â€œOh, don’t worry, I’m not checking up on you. The real estate agent who sold you the place is a friend of mine,” she explained as he took another bite and washed it down with water. “You don’t grow up in a small town like Knolls without getting to know most of the other natives. Everyone’s talking about the new full-time E.R. doc, and they probably all know where you live.”
    Lukas gulped another bite without comment. He, too, was from a small town, and because of that he knew he probably wouldn’t be accepted here as one of them for twenty years.
    â€œSo do you think you’ll come?” she asked.
    He stopped chewing and looked at her.
    â€œTo church Sunday.”
    â€œI’ll probably go somewhere.” He built another fajita, this time with less filling, while Lauren chatted on about the hospital.
    He learned quite a few interesting facts about his newplace of employment, such as the doubled volume of patients seen through the emergency department since Mrs. Estelle Pinkley took over as administrator five years ago. The lady had, according to Lauren, brought the hospital out of the computerless dark ages and out of debt for the first time in over a decade.
    â€œBut you’d better watch yourself,” Lauren warned as Lukas finished his last bite of chicken. “The E.R. director doesn’t want a full-time physician working here.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    She shrugged. “With Dr. George, who knows? He fought Mrs. Pinkley about the computers, too. He’s about ready to retire, and he doesn’t like change.”
    Lukas glanced around to find the waiter flipping around the Closed side of the sign in the front window. “Looks like we should be leaving. Will they give us a ticket at the cash register?”
    â€œDon’t worry, I paid it already.”
    Lukas reached into his pocket and pulled out a ten-dollar bill. He smiled as kindly as he knew how and placed the money on the table in front of her. He knew as he left that he was behaving like a jerk. It bothered him. Lauren seemed like a good, caring person, and she was probably just being kindhearted to a newcomer. Still, he wasn’t going to take any chances.

Chapter Four
    T hursday morning Lukas arrived at work later than usual, dripping with dew from the light rain outside. He could have kicked himself for oversleeping. The shift change would just have to be with the emergency department director, Dr. Jarvis George.
    â€œMorning, Judy. Any patients waiting?” Lukas asked as he checked his mail cubicle.
    â€œGood morning, Dr. Bower.” The E.R. secretary for today’s shift turned from her computer and smiled at him. “Dr. George is in the laceration room sewing a nursing-home patient who was