Free Courting the Doctor's Daughter by Janet Dean Page B

The gentle way you talked to the boy and his mother, the way you soothed Homer’s fear. All signs of a good doctor.” He glanced at Mary. “My daughter’s nagging me to get help with my practice so I’m sure she’ll have no objections. If you’re willing, the job is yours.”
    Mary stifled the gasp rising to her throat. Just like that? Her father would take this man’s word, without seeing his credentials?
    “I suppose I could remain in town awhile. As long as you understand it won’t be permanent.”
    Her father smiled. “God may have another plan for your life, young man. But for now, that’s good enough for me. The pay isn’t much, but you’re welcome to use the apartment above my carriage house cost-free. And I have an empty stall for your horse.”
    “Thanks. I’ll take you up on that. If it’s all right, I’d like to give your address to my housekeeper back home so she’ll know where I can be reached.”
    A housekeeper implied wealth. Why was a doctor peddling medicine, staying in a cheap room instead of a fancy hotel? Why would he take this job? Too much about Luke Jacobs didn’t make sense.
    “Mary, will you write down the address?”
    She hesitated, unwilling to comply, but what could she do? Luke’s gaze turned on her. Doubtless her eyes conveyed her feelings. He gave an almost imperceptive nod. She scribbled on a slip of paper and thrust the address at Luke.
    His eyes bore into her like augers. “Thanks.”
    “I have a motive for my generosity,” her father said. “You’ll be close at hand for late-night house calls.”
    Luke chuckled, but Mary saw nothing funny about her father’s offer.
    The two men shook hands. “Come to church on Sunday. Ten o’clock. It’s a good way to get acquainted, let the town see the new doc—at least those patients who attend First Christian.”
    Luke smiled, flashing that dimple. “Sounds good. I’m afraid my church attendance has been sporadic since I left New York.”
    Luke Jacobs had been thrust into her world. The prospect flooded through her, filling her with foreboding and…worse, oh, far worse, with anticipation. Her gazedarted to Luke. She found him looking at her, his eyes dark, penetrating as if he’d read her mind. He shot her a grin. Inside her chest, her heart tripped then tumbled. Mary sped out of the surgery, barely able to take it in.
    Luke Jacobs would be working with her father.
    With her.
    In this office.
    Every day.
    She wanted to scream no, yet how could she protest when she’d badgered her father to slow down?
    Mary’s stomach lurched. Luke Jacobs couldn’t be God’s answer to her prayer.
    He was exactly the wrong man.
     
    Josiah Kelly scuttled in, bent over, grimacing in pain. Mary took one look at his face and ushered him toward the surgery. As she passed the backroom, she glimpsed her father and Luke deep in conversation. The muscles in her neck stiffened. Even three days after entering the practice Luke’s presence in the office shook her. Her father looked up. “Be right there.”
    Bent and gnarled, Mr. Kelly took a seat, cradling his dishrag-wrapped right hand like a newborn babe. “Burnt it trying to make myself some lunch,” he said, nodding and sending his wispy gray hair flapping. “Never cooked a day in my life until Betsy up and died on me. Now look what happened. She could’ve been more considerate.”
    Knowing the pain of a burn and the risk of it festering, Mary’s heart went out to Mr. Kelly. Still, she pitied Betsy, who’d endured over forty years with this cantankerous man who now blamed her for dying, like she’d done it out of spite.
    Maybe Betsy had. Marriage didn’t guarantee anyone’s happiness. “My father will be right with you, Mr. Kelly.”
    “He’d better be.” The old gentleman let out a hiss. “This thing stings worse’n a nest of hornets. How am I going to cook? My daughter lives miles away. Ain’t nobody in this town who cares about an old man.”
    “Once the ladies at