the tension between the two men increased.
“You won’t be losing my business alone, Doctor. All of my parishioners—”
“We’re done here,” Jace said.
“Don’t be a fool, Doctor Merrick. Appearances can be deceiving, and she’s not as she appears.” His chest puffed with a swell of righteous indignation. “You’re new in town, but it’s my duty as a man of God to warn you that this woman is an abomination.”
Jace’s brows shot up in surprise. His blue eyes darkened to black as his face turned to steel.
“Miss Sutter has a name. And you’ve no right to speak of her this way.”
Pastor Hogle’s face gnarled in a scowl that sent chills down her spine.
“I earned that right, Doctor.” He shoved his hat on his head. “On the day she murdered my daughter.”
* * * *
The impact of the pastor’s words struck so hard that Jace saw stars. His surprise veered quickly to anger, but he couldn’t move. Even after Hogle stormed from the house, the man’s shocking speech reverberated through the room, keeping Jace rooted where he stood.
Jace turned to Maddie, cursing under his breath as he took in the sight of her. She sagged against the wall, her face alarmingly white. Tears welled in her eyes. He charged toward her.
“Are you all right?”
Her moan of anguish tore at his heart. She turned her head, closing her eyes.
“Madeline,” he said, stepping closer.
“I’m fine,” she croaked.
But she wasn’t fine. She was far from fine. His anger at Pastor Hogle burned like a scalding fury inside him, but he had to stay calm.
“Look at me,” he said softly.
She turned her face to the wall as if hoping to vanish inside it.
He grasped her shoulders. “Look at me.”
She recoiled from his grip. “I’m fine.” She struggled to move, but her knees buckled beneath her. She sank, blue skirts crumpling around her, as Jace caught her in his arms.
“Come sit down with me.”
She shook her head furiously, regaining her footing. “I don’t want to sit down.” She wrenched from his grasp, clutching the wall.
Jace touched her back. “They’re just words, Maddie. Words.”
“But he’s right!” She spun toward him, her eyes glazed and wild. “I killed them. It was my birthday, my foolish idea to picnic in the most remote spot on the mountain.” She swiped at her tears. “It was my fault, don’t you see?”
What he saw was the same survivor’s guilt that had plagued Kathy. The same desperation he’d been too busy, too arrogant—too heartless—to see.
“It was an accident. You have to move on.”
“I don’t have to do anything.” She lifted her chin. “I’m not going to the wedding.”
The pain in her voice told him she meant it. In one morning, she’d been set back three years. His anger at Pastor Hogle returned full force. “Maddie—”
“Leave me alone!” With that she shoved herself from the wall and fled the house.
* * * *
Jace had every intention of chasing after Maddie following her dramatic exit. Unfortunately, a medical emergency prevented him from getting any farther than the sidewalk, where he had been summoned directly to the Caldwell home.
Broken bones took precedence over Maddie’s emotional crisis, and by the time Jace had returned from riding up to Taborton to set Asa Caldwell’s ankle, it was well after midnight.
Maddie didn’t come to work the next morning either. Convincing himself she needed some time alone, he’d taken the coward’s way out and simply hoped for the best. The day after that, Jace’s practice opened officially. A steady stream of patients had kept his thoughts of Maddie at bay, but he’d decided that if she didn’t show up by day’s end, he’d ride out to check on her.
Mrs. Cleary had brought Joey to the office that morning for the first of the weekly visits Jace had suggested they institute in the wake of his accident. Jace sat at his desk, scribbling notes in Joey’s file. Fortunately, the bleeding hadn’t resumed
“You won’t be losing my business alone, Doctor. All of my parishioners—”
“We’re done here,” Jace said.
“Don’t be a fool, Doctor Merrick. Appearances can be deceiving, and she’s not as she appears.” His chest puffed with a swell of righteous indignation. “You’re new in town, but it’s my duty as a man of God to warn you that this woman is an abomination.”
Jace’s brows shot up in surprise. His blue eyes darkened to black as his face turned to steel.
“Miss Sutter has a name. And you’ve no right to speak of her this way.”
Pastor Hogle’s face gnarled in a scowl that sent chills down her spine.
“I earned that right, Doctor.” He shoved his hat on his head. “On the day she murdered my daughter.”
* * * *
The impact of the pastor’s words struck so hard that Jace saw stars. His surprise veered quickly to anger, but he couldn’t move. Even after Hogle stormed from the house, the man’s shocking speech reverberated through the room, keeping Jace rooted where he stood.
Jace turned to Maddie, cursing under his breath as he took in the sight of her. She sagged against the wall, her face alarmingly white. Tears welled in her eyes. He charged toward her.
“Are you all right?”
Her moan of anguish tore at his heart. She turned her head, closing her eyes.
“Madeline,” he said, stepping closer.
“I’m fine,” she croaked.
But she wasn’t fine. She was far from fine. His anger at Pastor Hogle burned like a scalding fury inside him, but he had to stay calm.
“Look at me,” he said softly.
She turned her face to the wall as if hoping to vanish inside it.
He grasped her shoulders. “Look at me.”
She recoiled from his grip. “I’m fine.” She struggled to move, but her knees buckled beneath her. She sank, blue skirts crumpling around her, as Jace caught her in his arms.
“Come sit down with me.”
She shook her head furiously, regaining her footing. “I don’t want to sit down.” She wrenched from his grasp, clutching the wall.
Jace touched her back. “They’re just words, Maddie. Words.”
“But he’s right!” She spun toward him, her eyes glazed and wild. “I killed them. It was my birthday, my foolish idea to picnic in the most remote spot on the mountain.” She swiped at her tears. “It was my fault, don’t you see?”
What he saw was the same survivor’s guilt that had plagued Kathy. The same desperation he’d been too busy, too arrogant—too heartless—to see.
“It was an accident. You have to move on.”
“I don’t have to do anything.” She lifted her chin. “I’m not going to the wedding.”
The pain in her voice told him she meant it. In one morning, she’d been set back three years. His anger at Pastor Hogle returned full force. “Maddie—”
“Leave me alone!” With that she shoved herself from the wall and fled the house.
* * * *
Jace had every intention of chasing after Maddie following her dramatic exit. Unfortunately, a medical emergency prevented him from getting any farther than the sidewalk, where he had been summoned directly to the Caldwell home.
Broken bones took precedence over Maddie’s emotional crisis, and by the time Jace had returned from riding up to Taborton to set Asa Caldwell’s ankle, it was well after midnight.
Maddie didn’t come to work the next morning either. Convincing himself she needed some time alone, he’d taken the coward’s way out and simply hoped for the best. The day after that, Jace’s practice opened officially. A steady stream of patients had kept his thoughts of Maddie at bay, but he’d decided that if she didn’t show up by day’s end, he’d ride out to check on her.
Mrs. Cleary had brought Joey to the office that morning for the first of the weekly visits Jace had suggested they institute in the wake of his accident. Jace sat at his desk, scribbling notes in Joey’s file. Fortunately, the bleeding hadn’t resumed
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