start on the demolition. I can do most of that myself and some of the actual renovation. There are a couple of guys I can probably persuade to do other work but it is going to take time.” He looked like he was waiting for her to say “never mind.”
But Jaclyn wouldn’t say that—getting this clinic operational again was her duty. The clinic had been her dream since the day after she’d buried her twin sister. They both should have graduated from high school but Jessica’s diagnosis had come too late, because of the shortage of doctors in Hope. The traveling doctors that visited each week didn’t catch the leukemia early enough. That wouldn’t happen to another child—not if Jaclyn could help it.
She had already checked the other buildings in town. This place was the best of the lot, but Kent was right. It needed a major overhaul.
“I have just over three months until I have to open. Can you do it?”
He frowned, his deep blue eyes impassive. Only the twitch at the corner of his mouth told her he’d rather be somewhere else. “I believe I can.”
Relief swamped her, stealing her restraint. She threw her arms around him and hugged.
“Thank you, Kent. Thank you so much.”
He froze, his whole body going stiff. After a moment he lifted one hand and awkwardly patted her shoulder before easing away. “I haven’t done anything yet.”
“I can see it finished.” She twirled around, her imagination taking flight. “Reception will be here, of course. I don’t remember what your dad had in this corner before, but I’ll get a child’s table-and-chair set for coloring. And we can put—”
“That was Arvid’s corner.”
“Arvid?” She stared at Kent as old memories surfaced. “Your dad’s parrot!” She grinned. “That’s an idea.”
“You’d put a parrot in a doctor’s office?” His nose wrinkled. “Isn’t that against health regulations or something?”
“Not as long as the cage is kept clean and the animal isn’t dangerous. It’s actually a great idea. I wonder where I’d find a parrot around here.”
“At the ranch. I’ve got Arvid out there, hanging in the sunroom for now. He stays there during winter, but soon I’ll have to bring him into the main house so he doesn’t get overheated.” Kent made a face. “He’s never really adapted to the ranch. He doesn’t like my dog. Or me,” he admitted.
“You’re sure it wouldn’t be too much for him? Would the kids overwhelm him?”
Kent laughed. She hadn’t heard that jubilant sound in years but the pure pleasure filling his face captivated her. In the moment, he looked carefree, happy.
“Overwhelm him?” His eyes twinkled. “You must not remember Arvid very well. The only thing that ever overwhelmed that bird was my mother’s broom.”
She giggled, sharing his mirth. But a moment later Kent’s eyes met hers and his smile melted away. In a flash his glowering expression was back.
“You’re certain you can get this place ready for me to use in time?” Jaclyn wished she could make his smile appear again. But she reminded herself that she didn’t have the time for personal relationships with grumpy vets, not even the ones who made her heart skip a beat.
“I’m not certain but I think so. I spoke to a couple of tradesmen this morning.”
“This morning?” And I thought I got up early. “And?” she asked.
“They’ll stop by later today to take a look. Then I’ll have a better idea.” He rubbed a hand against his freshly shaven chin. “You understand I can’t guarantee anything. At the moment there are just too many unknowns. All I can say is that I’ll do my best.”
“I understand. Your best is good enough for me.”
“I’m not sure you do understand.” He tipped her chin so she had to look at him. “Listen to me, Jaclyn. I have my practice and the ranch. I’m the fire chief, the mayor and I sit on several local boards. Right now Hope is a town divided over allowing the mine to open. Some folks saw potential, of course. But a lot thought the mine would bring problems. Which it has. And it’s cost us some of the small town security we’ve always enjoyed. That’s just a few of the reasons which caused a big split and left a lot of people hurting. I’m trying to help heal that rift.”
“You’re saying you will have to juggle a lot and that the clinic isn’t necessarily first on the list.” She nodded. “I get that and I accept it. I have to. I don’t have another option. I have a lot invested in getting this clinic going and I’m willing to do whatever it takes.” She caught his skeptical glance at her hands and smiled. “Just because I haven’t lived on a ranch for a while doesn’t mean I don’t know how to work hard.”
“Okay then. I’ll do the best I can.” Kent nodded once.
“And I’ll help however I can. Just ask.” Her beeper interrupted. Jaclyn glanced at it. “I have to go.”
“What will you do for offices in the meantime?” Kent asked.
“The hospital gave me a room to use for consulting, for now. Not that I need much. People here don’t seem willing to trust me.” She tried to swallow the bitterness.
“Folks in Hope take a while to embrace outsiders.” He blinked, obviously only then remembering that she wasn’t exactly an outsider. “I had my own struggle after Doc McGregor died. It took forever for people to let me treat their cattle.”
“And you weren’t even guilty of almost burning down the local church.” She grimaced. “Nobody’s going to stop seeing me as that stupid kid. Maybe it was dumb of me to think I could come back here.”
“No, it wasn’t. People here will get to know you. Some will remember you were just a kid who lost your sister. Besides, you and your parents repaired the damage. Not that it matters anyway. The church is in bad condition now.”
“Maybe I could find a way to restore it,” she murmured. “Maybe that would make them forget.”
“It’s a nice thought.” His tanned brow furrowed. “But it’s not just your past. Your family only lived here for a few years, Jaclyn—your parents left when you did and neither they nor you ever came back. I’m not trying to hurt you, but to folks in Hope, you are an outsider.”
“But I’m trying to help them!”
“I know.” Kent nodded. “But while you’ve been away things have changed. Because of the mine, people here are more suspicious than ever before.”
“Is that even possible?” she quipped.
“Oh, yeah.” He didn’t smile. “I told you the town had split over the mine, but I didn’t tell you that the split was caused by outsiders who set friends and neighbors against each other, using scare tactics, among other things. Everyone’s suspicious of everyone right now. But folks will come around. We need your clinic, Jaclyn.”
We need your clinic? She liked the sound of that.
“Don’t
