Teresa Hill by Luke’s Wish Read Free Book Online Page A

here. He’d have to do it. No self-respecting gentleman would have left her alone with her tears.
    Joe wasn’t afraid of those tears. He had three sisters, after all. One of them was always crying. He walked across the room and put his hand on her back. “Doc?”
    She froze, caught her breath, then turned around slowly, cautiously, as if she couldn’t believe she’d been caught like this. Her eyes were red and glistened with unshed tears. Her nose was a little red, as well. Tear tracks led down her cheeks, giving way to splotches of wetness on her dark blue blouse, and her mouth was trying to work itself into a smile, but failing.
    She looked utterly miserable. And adorable. And very kissable.
    He wanted to kiss her. That definitely wasn’t part of the plan. He was just supposed to make her feel a little better, to hold her until she managed to dry her tears—no kisses involved.
    She hung her head, apparently not willing to meet his gaze any longer. Joe dipped his head low and tried to get her to look at him again.
    “Wanna tell me what’s wrong, Doc?” he invited, making himself comfortable leaning against the side of her desk while she remained seated in that huge chair.
    She swiped at her tears, missing half of them in her haste, then couldn’t stop more from falling.
    “Come on,” he said gently, leaning closer, thinking about pulling her into his arms. “You can tell me.”
    He figured he owed her. After all, she’d made him laugh this morning on the phone. The idea of her being stern with a kid just did him in. It was as hopeless as the idea that he’d be able to leave her alone like this.
    No way, he told himself.
    She rolled her chair back so she could get away from him, but he slid across the desk until he was right in front of her, half sitting on the edge of it. He leaned over, catching her chair by its arms, then reached for her hands, instead. With one fluid motion he pulled her to him, had her plastered against him and clinging to him, this trembling mass of woman, smelling incredible and feeling like a frightened kitten that needed to be gentled to his touch and taught that she had nothing to fear from him.
    He drank in the scent of her, because she did smell very good. And she was a tiny little thing, all silky hair and shaky breaths and tears. They just kept falling.
    “Tell me,” he said again, knowing she wouldn’t feel better until she got it out.
    Her face was pressed against his chest, the contact muffling the sound as she whispered to him, “I was just talking to Abbie.”
    “Abbie?” He stroked her hair and bent down closer. “Who’s Abbie?”
    “A little girl. A nine-year-old girl. And she was crying and telling me that life just isn’t fair. Which I knew already. But why did she have to learn that at nine? Why does any kid?”
    “I don’t know, Doc.” He sighed and tightened his arms around her, because she was still trembling badly.
    He should have known this had something to do with a kid in trouble. Any woman who went to so much trouble to help little children not to be so afraid at the dentist obviously had a major soft spot where kids were concerned.
    He wondered just what this Abbie was to her. Obviously she cared about the little girl very much. “Tell me about Abbie.”
    “She lives in Seattle and I haven’t seen her in months. And I miss her so much,” Samantha whispered.
    Joe held her through the worst of it, until her sobs subsided and the trembling ceased, until he felt some warmth come back into her and then tension as she became aware of exactly where she was and who she was with.
    He felt her stiffen in his arms, felt her pull away slightly, then saw her staring at him as if she was suddenly afraid. Then she couldn’t get away fast enough. Color flooded her cheeks and she jumped back, hitting her chair. She probably would have fallen if his hands hadn’t shot out and grabbed her again.
    “Steady,” he said. “I don’t bite.”
    Warily she dried her