Free Small Town Doctor by Marissa Dobson Page B

look at the SUV, and her fears came true. So much for the perfect day, now she had to face two of her biggest opponents. Her parents. During the past few years, every time she spoke to her parents it turned into a fight. One she didn’t want to have in front of James or with Abbi in hearing range.
    “I can turn around.”
    “It’s no use, they’ll only follow. You’re about to meet Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael. My parents.” She let out a low growl. “If I find out who called them I’m going to have their head on my wall.”
    “What?”
    “Last time they made an impromptu visit it was because town gossip started swirling again and someone from Clearwater called my parents. They showed up at my door at two in the morning.” She turned to look back at Abbi. “I damn near shot them that night.”
    “What?” He asked again as they neared her parents’ waiting SUV.
    “You’re beginning to sound like a stuck CD,” she joked. “Come on, do you think I would really be out here all alone with my daughter if I didn’t have protection? There are animals in these woods, not to mention anyone could show up and there’s no way to get help. I don’t have a phone and the cell I have for emergencies only works about a mile up the mountain.”
    He stopped the truck behind the SUV just as two people started to climb out. “No, I figured you had a gun, I guess I’m just shocked you almost shot your parents. I’ll have to give you some kind of warning when I come to visit.”
    With the truck in park, she tipped her head back to her daughter. “Could you take Abbi into the house and put her to bed? Whatever brought my parents here isn’t something she needs to overhear.”
    “Sure.” He palmed the keys before placing his other hand over the door handle. “By the way, no one listens to CDs any longer, it’s all digital music now. You’re going to have to update you smartass comments if you’re going to face the real world.”
    With that he managed to lighten the mood and ease the building tension. “James…” She paused for a moment, waiting for him to turn back to her. “I know we discussed you staying to keep an eye on Abbi again, but I understand if you’d like to leave. My parents are a handful, and she’s doing okay.”
    “Does that mean you’d like me to leave?”
    She glanced toward her parents where they stood waiting by the rear of the SUV. “No, I’d rather you stay but—”
    “Then consider me your bodyguard.” He reached over and laid his hand on hers. “It’s going to be okay.”
    “You don’t know my parents. Whatever brought them here means only one thing, they came willing to fight for what they think is right.” She laced her fingers between his and soaked up the comfort of having someone at her side. “Delay will only make Mom angry, so let’s do this.”
    “Once I get Abbi into bed I’ll come back out.” He opened the door, stepped out, and made his way around the truck while she took one last moment for herself. She needed to prepare to deal with her parents.
    She wasn’t sure, but it seemed as if they had become more difficult to deal with now that she lived life on her own terms. They wanted to control her, force her to live the life they thought she should have. Up until that night with Josh, she had been willing to please them, but after she witnessed the murder everything changed, and her parents didn’t like it one bit.
    “This is my life and I have the right to live it however I want.” With a dose of encouragement, she grabbed hold of the door handle. “I can do this.”
    “After facing your fears today, I know you can handle this, and I’ll be right there with you once I get the little one to bed,” he whispered as he lifted Abbi into his arms.
    The minute she stepped out of the truck, her mother was on her. “Ella Louise Carmichael, where the hell have you been? You’ve had your father and I sitting out here for the last two hours.”
    “Mom, if I had known