Love Rescued Me Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Epilogue

  Love Rescued Me

  By

  Debra Kayn

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Love Rescued Me

  Author's Note

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Epilogue

  Author Bio

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Love Rescued Me

  1st Digital release: Copyright© 2008

  2nd Digital release: Copyright© 2011

  3rd Digital release: Copyright© 2014

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the purchaser of this e-book ONLY. No part of this e-book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without prior written permission from Debra Kayn. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  www.debrakayn.com

  Author's Note

  Thank you for buying Love Rescued Me. This was one of my first books accepted for publication many years ago. While my writing style has changed over the years, I look back on my earlier books and still see a story worth sharing. I hope you enjoy Love Rescued Me.

  Chapter One

  For the second time in twenty minutes, the Skamania County Sheriff ambled past the entrance to Doctor Samantha James's veterinary clinic. Samantha narrowed her eyes, and moved away from the glass doors and out of view. The good citizens of this town might appreciate the fact that their sheriff did his job of keeping the peace, but she'd rather he darken someone else's doorstep.

  With only two days left to organize and set up the place for the grand opening, she didn't need the added distraction of someone spying on her every move. She stuck out her lower lip and blew the bangs out of her eyes. The waiting room contained most of the boxes the moving company delivered, which she still needed to unpack and sort into the other rooms.

  Samantha lifted another carton and walked down the hall to examination room two. She paused and smiled, her gaze drawn to the height chart taped to the wall beside the door, a reminder that the previous owners of the building ran a child daycare center. It was hard to believe she now owned her own clinic.

  The first time the realtor had walked her through the building, she'd grown excited over the fenced-in backyard outfitted with play equipment. The extra-large tractor tires and heavy-duty bark chips would work perfectly for the animals exercise area.

  With all the extra rooms, the inside of the building more than matched her needs, and having an upstairs apartment meant she could live on-site. That'd save her money, and she wouldn't have to hire someone to stay over to care for the animals when needed.

  As she hefted the box higher onto her hip and stepped into the room, the cardboard container slipped out of her grasp and landed with a clatter. She groaned. The idea of having to replace broken equipment right before she'd planned to open was enough to leave her cursing under her breath.

  After paying for the move, purchasing the clinic, and sinking all her money into new supplies, she didn't have much left in her bank account for more. She tilted her head and read the label on the side of the box. Oh, thank God.

  Stainless steel feed bowls, designed and constructed to withstand even the most rambunctious dog, lay safe within the box. Samantha picked up the container. If she didn't get a grip, she'd be in no shape to greet her new patients come Monday morning.

  It didn't help that she was still shaken up from the sheriff's hasty introduction yesterday. Exhausted after her long trip, she'd barely stepped foot into town before he came bumbling toward her. She didn't need any cop harassing her—she'd suffered enough of that back home.

  Her life had become a tangled web of destruction—the main reason for her move to Skamania. She plopped down on a chair in the exam room, wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, and then closed the lid on the box. Damn it, Parker, you should be here with me.

  All alone, Samantha missed her brother more than anyone could ever know. Because of Parker, she'd left behind everything familiar to her and had made the huge decision to move out to the boonies and start over.

  The state prison where her brother resided drew her to the small country town of Skamania. Living only an hour away from Parker allowed her to take advantage of Sunday visitations. With eighteen months remaining of his sentence, she believed it best to set up roots somewhere different in order to give him a new start on life when he joined her again.

  Samantha stood and brushed off her pants. She picked up the box and hurried down the hallway. Now wasn't the time to dwell on how she'd failed her brother. She needed to move her butt and get organized.

  "Hello?" a female voice called from the direction of the waiting room. "Anyone here?"

  Samantha quickened her steps to the front of the clinic in search of her visitor.

  "Good morning, I'm Samantha James." She held out her hand and smiled.

  Instead of a handshake, the woman thrust a plate toward her. "I'm Luce Garwood. I thought you might like some fresh doughnuts while you're busy setting up shop."

  The petite, slightly plump lady sported an adorable grin that reminded Samantha of a loveable and welcoming Saint Bernard puppy. Luce motioned for her to take a doughnut.

  The sweet, homey smell of pastries filled the room and tickled Samantha's nose. Her stomach growled, and she quickly snatched a chocolate éclair.

  "I guess it's obvious that I skipped breakfast this morning." Her mouth curved around the bite.

  "I figured. There's something about moving that makes a person forget to keep up their strength." Luce's hand flew to her forehead. "Oh, damn, I forgot the coffee." She stepped toward the door. "I'll be right back."

  Samantha shook her head in amusement and followed the woman out the door, curious as to where she ran off to so fast. Luce walked around the corner of the gas station across the street and disappeared from view. Samantha chuckled, turning to go back inside, when she nearly bumped into the sheriff she'd met yesterday, who'd pl
anted himself in front of the clinic door. Her mouth turned down, and her jovial mood vanished in a flash.

  "Evening, ma'am." Sheriff Dickerson tipped his head.

  His narrow, dark eyes pinned her to the spot. His rotund body remained relaxed, but nothing about him fooled her.

  "Sheriff." Samantha swiveled around him, but he shifted his stance and blocked her exit. "If you'll excuse me, Sheriff, I need to get back to work."

  "You know what they say. All work and no play..." The toothpick he clenched between his teeth wiggled.

  "Excuse me." Samantha wondered how the town hired someone who seemed to enjoy invading people's personal space. She could definitely smell his sour breath, and that was too close for her comfort.

  Leaving the walkway, she stepped out onto the grass to move around Sheriff Dickerson. Goose bumps broke out on her arms, although the sun shone and the temperature hovered around eighty degrees. She went back inside, closed the clinic door behind her, and moved farther into the waiting room in case the sheriff decided to peek through the glass door. After her experience with the police department in Portland, she couldn't fault herself for being so nervous.

  Five minutes later, the swish of the draft stopper on the bottom of the door dragging across the tile startled Samantha. She turned toward the door, her hand on her chest, but only Luce entered carrying two coffees.

  "Here's our coffee. You can't eat doughnuts without a good cup of joe." Luce offered Samantha one of the steaming, disposable cups.

  Samantha's hand trembled, and she grasped the drink with both hands to prevent it from spilling. She placed the liquid beneath her nose and inhaled the warmth.

  "Lordy, girl, look at you. Did someone just tell you Elvis died?" Luce rubbed the side of Samantha's bare arm.

  "I...I'm okay. Did you happen to see the sheriff outside?"

  "Sheriff Dickerson? No." Luce shook her head. "Oh, God! Do I need to call him? Did something happen?" Luce set her coffee on a nearby box and led Samantha to a chair.

  "No, I don't need any help. He only startled me. I didn't see him behind me when I followed you outside, and then boom...he was there. I'm being silly, I know." Samantha shivered.

  "Aw, you're new in town. Once you get used to living in Skamania, you'll realize you can't sneeze without someone asking if you're coming down with the sniffles."

  Samantha liked that part of small-town living. It gave her a sense of community spirit that lacked in the bigger city back home. She smiled at Luce. No, what bothered her was the way the sheriff gave her the creeps. Every time he came around, her skin crawled.

  "Here, have another doughnut. You need more sugar." Luce held the plate out for Samantha.

  She eyed the powdered doughnut and picked it up with her thumb and middle finger. She leaned forward to take a bite so the sugary dusting didn't coat the front of her shirt.

  "I know I'm going to regret this later when my pants don't button." She sipped her coffee. "I swear, these are the best doughnuts I've ever eaten."

  Luce's smile grew. "I own Luce's Café." She pointed her thumb over her shoulder. "Right behind the gas station on the back of Main Street."

  The coffee helped calm Samantha. She found herself relaxing and enjoying Luce's chatter.

  Luce drained the rest of her coffee. "I better get out of your hair. I'll leave the doughnuts, but make sure you get something substantial in that body. You'll need to keep up your strength."

  Samantha rose from the chair and walked Luce to the door. The midmorning treat filled her stomach, but the conversation with another female bolstered her energy.

  "Thank you, again, for the breakfast." She smiled. "I'll come over soon to try out your restaurant."

  "I know you will. Everybody who's anybody ends up at Luce's. Just prepare yourself. It usually becomes a habit." Luce waved over her shoulder.

  After closing the door, Samantha surveyed the room and decided to jump right back into working. With no one around to talk with, she carried on a continual one-sided conversation in her head. The more she unpacked and organized the clinic, the better prepared she'd be.

  So many things needed to get done before she opened the clinic. She needed to hire someone to help with the front office and another person to assist in surgeries. She imagined one person might work for a while, since she'd probably have time to help out at the front desk and answer phones if her schedule wasn't full. Clientele took time to build up, and she wasn't expecting a steady rush of new patients once the doors were open.

  The success of the clinic rested entirely on her shoulders, and she was doing everything possible to better her life. She felt positive for the first time since leaving Portland. She no longer had to worry about the nasty cop who tormented her over Parker's situation, or the thought of bringing Parker home to a place that only brought out bad memories.

  All in good time...a line her mother used to quote. All in good time.

  Samantha balanced precariously between two stacks of boxes and lifted a filing cart out of the way. With all the containers scattered about, it proved impossible to move the oversize cart toward the back of the room without a degree in acrobatics. Her arms shook, and she yelped as she tottered backward.

  "Umph!" Samantha landed with a thud, her butt squashed into one of the bigger boxes on the floor as the cart flew out of her hands. She grunted and strained to lift her body out, but the laws of gravity worked against her. "Damn that extra doughnut."

  Her knees touched her chin, and her feet dangled over the rim of the box. A giggle bubbled out. She resembled one of those nerds in high school that always got dumped into the garbage can by a bully, and couldn’t extract themselves.

  "Hey, anyone here?"

  Samantha's head popped up. Someone was in the clinic. A very masculine someone, from the sound of it.

  She frantically rocked back and forth with the same kind of determination she'd seen many times with cows giving birth to an oversize calf. Come on, come on!

  "Damn it."

  She bent her head forward, banging herself in the eyebrow with her knee. She squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed the pain.

  "Hey?"

  "I'm...uh...back here." She rubbed her forehead and hoped if there was any swelling her hair might hide it.

  The echoing sound of boots against the tile flooring grew louder the closer the man came to discovering Samantha's embarrassing situation. Heat traveled up her neck and settled on her cheeks—a phenomenon she believed cursed her for being born a redhead.

  "Dr. James?"

  The man had entered the right room, but with all the boxes stacked about, Samantha remained hidden. "I'm back here, behind the boxes."

  A very handsome, tall man stepped over and around the obstacle course. He planted his feet in front of her and shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans.

  "You look like you find women stuck in boxes every day." She wrinkled her nose.

  "Can't say that I do." The man circled her, his head bent at an odd angle to view the box.

  "Are you looking for a handle, because I can tell you there isn't one." She snorted.

  "Not a handle. I thought maybe there might be a wind-up mechanism, and if I turned it, you'd pop out of the box." The man grinned. "You're name wouldn't happen to be Jill?"

  "Jill?" She shook her head. What was he talking about?

  "You know, Jill in the Box...like Jack in the Box." The man chuckled.

  She rolled her eyes. "Okay, the fun and games are over. Instead of gawking, do you think you might lend me your hand and help me out of this stupid box?" Samantha raised her arm. She'd lose her temper if he didn't stop the sideshow act.

  Her self-respect demanded that she take control of the situation. She wished to keep what little credibility she had in this new town. With her kind of luck, she'd become known as "the wacky doctor who murdered the first person who came in to make an appointment." She clamped her teeth together and managed to hold her temper in. "Please. I'm stuck."

 
; She grasped his offered hand, using his weight to pull herself up, and for a brief moment, she stood belly to groin against a giant of a man. Samantha tilted her chin. She was sure he reached at least six-foot-four inches tall, and his shoulders stretched for miles.

  The man lifted the corner of his mouth, and the skin crinkled around his hazel eyes. She lowered her gaze to his hand, afraid if she didn't stop staring she'd emit a schoolgirl giggle. The only thing lacking was his ability to hold a decent conversation.

  The new view didn't bring her the distraction she wanted. The size of his hands matched the rest of him, and she found herself utterly fascinated by the fact her fingers disappeared entirely within the tough interior of his. She gave her head a little shake. He was just a man, and she wasn't raised in a convent. There was no reason for her to act this way.

  Samantha's head reached chest level on the man, and she read Skamania County Forest Ranger on the front of his buttoned-up shirt.

  Samantha eyed him with a mix of curiosity and trepidation. She crossed her arms over her chest and fought the urge to step back. If he wanted to play the waiting game, she'd win. Besides, she wasn't the one that came seeking the vet.

  An eerie, low-pitched howl tore through the air, startling her and the man. She sprang into action, shouldering her way past the Paul Bunyan wannabe and out the clinic door.

  Chapter Two

  The howl came again, and Samantha pinpointed the location. She walked over to the brown government truck. Her jaw fell open and she forced herself to close her mouth. She'd never seen such a beautiful animal in her life.

  A shadow fell over her shoulders, and judging from the way the sun suddenly disappeared, she knew the Ranger man towered behind her. She slowly turned her head.

  "Is this your wolf?"

  He nodded.

  "Why do you have a wolf?" She clenched her hands, her eyes wide in disbelief. Washington's law prohibiting people from owning wolves was one of the strictest rulings regarding wild animals.

  "It's shot." Ranger Man lifted his brow. "You're a vet."

  Samantha ran back into the clinic and did her best imitation of Donkey Kong, tossing barrels in her quest to clear boxes out of the way. She searched for the one container labeled "leashes and constraints."