Spellbound Falls [5] For the Love of Magic by Janet Chapman Read Free Book Online Page B

little group in a couple of weeks.”
    “You’re going to be busy getting married and
giving birth
. Mayday is less than six weeks away.”
    “Julia’s such a great event planner that all I have to do is show up,” Carolina said, blatantly ignoring the last part. “And I want to help with your women’s clinic, because I’m planning to start one in Pine Creek when we move back next fall.”
    “Caro.”
    “I’ve already talked to Maude, and she suggested that if I can find a local nurse willing to spend the summer interning with her in Spellbound Falls, she might be able to persuade Dr. Bentley to split his time between both towns.”
    Rana picked up her pace as she wondered why she was surprised, since Carolina had obviously inherited her love of community service from her. “It took more
divine
persuasion than I’m comfortable with for us to get Roger, and now you want to ask the poor man to open a second birthing clinic almost three hours away?”
    A pause as pregnant as the woman on the other end of the line came through the earpiece. “Are you saying Mackie was instrumental in getting Dr. Bentley?”
    “I believe it was Olivia’s idea for your brother to
gently inspire
Roger to come practice medicine in the wilds of Maine.” She gave a soft laugh. “I’m sure our paying off his school loans in return for a five-year contract didn’t hurt, either.”
    “I understand midwives have to be supervised in this century, but I’m still surprised you hired a male doctor.”
    “That was Olivia and Peg and Julia’s suggestion, since the clinic will also offer family medicine,” Rana explained. “They pointed out that folks around here are still quite traditional and would feel more comfortable with a man being in charge. In fact, they suggested we look for someone in his late sixties or early seventies, white-haired or balding, with a cranky bedside manner. Oh, and if he has an accent, it better be Canadian.”
    “Are you serious?” Carolina said on a gasp. “Who wants a cranky doctor?”
    “Peg also thought recruiting a hunter or fisherman would be easier than finding a woman willing to move to the middle of nowhere.”
    “What about the crisis center? Please tell me you aren’t searching for a man to run a shelter for abused women.”
    “Not actively,” Rana said. “Olivia claims we can’t discriminate on matters of gender or age or race, but she’s confident we’ll find a qualified
female
administrator.”
    “A woman who likes to hunt and fish?”
    “I seem to recall you went hunting with Alec.”
    “Just once,” Carolina muttered. “It was more boring than fishing. Alec left me sitting on a rock freezing my backside for three hours, and the only critter I saw was an obnoxious red squirrel. It ran up a tree beside me and proceeded to tell the entire forest I was there, until I finally got it to shut up by tossing it bites of my apple. Oh, speaking of men,” she rushed on. “Have you heard you’re getting a police chief?”
    “It’s been decided, then? Olivia told me the councilmen from Spellbound and Turtleback were only
discussing
the idea.”
    “Well, they finally agreed. Duncan called Alec Saturday night and said he tried to hire Rowan or Dante or Micah, but Nicholas refused to give up one of his men. Father suggested he offer the position to Niall MacKeage, but Duncan is against it.”
    “Why? Niall would make a wonderful police chief. Besides being a laird, he was a great warrior back in the twelfth century. That’s why your father brought him here as a potential husband for
you
.”
    “Yeah, well, Jack Stone had to drag Niall into the police station when some parents complained that he was stalking their sixteen-year-old daughter.”
    “Stalking?” Rana said in surprise. “But that doesn’t sound like Niall. Wait,” she said with a laugh. “He would see nothing wrong with pursuing a pretty young lass, as most twelfth-century girls are married and have a babe by the time