job. Can’t stand animals, either. And all
those years in vet school? Those sixteen-hour days I worked just to get myself through? Oh, those were for fun, not because
I actually have a goal that I’ve been dreaming of since I was a kid.”
She reached out with one emphatic finger and poked him in the chest. “And I’ll tell you something else. To somebody with your
bank balance, my life may not look like much, but you had better believe that I’m pretty darned happy with it, and all of
your grandfather’s money wouldn’t do so much for me that I’d ever manipulate him or prostitute myself to get it.”
Her eyes met his defiantly, and Max could tell that she was ready for him to argue. But he didn’t. Instead, he simply waited,
watching as she faced him expectantly, her lips compressed and her shoulders tense. He waited, as her quick and shallow breathing
slowed, and the hard lines of her face slumped into wary uncertainty.
She took one more ragged breath, and Max could see that she was trying to bolster her own rage, to pull it around herself
like chain mail.
“I’ve had enough of this,” she said, and turned her back on him. “Good-bye.”
He moved quickly, catching her by the arms and turning her around to face him again.
Carly gasped, and tried to pull away. “What do you think you’re—”
“Look at me.”
“What… ?” A flush crept over her cheeks as he held her. He stared down at her, trying to see the truth behind the startled
blue shimmer of her eyes.
Integrity in others was the last thing that Max expected to meet when confronting the world. He had seen too many adjustable
morals to have any illusions left about the inherent goodness of humankind, especially where money was concerned. But as he
searched Carly’s face and saw nothing but clear, unwavering honesty, his cynicism broke under the rising force of his instinct.
“I’ll be damned,” he said slowly, stunned. “You’re telling me the truth.”
There was a rush of release in saying the words, and also a strange feeling of vertigo as he understood their deeper meaning.
Carly Martin was not his enemy. It was possible that she wasn’t even his opponent. But if she wasn’t any of those things,
then who exactly was she?
Carly let out a shaky sigh. “Of course it’s the truth,” she said. She sounded as if she was trying to be stern, but Max felt
her tremble under his hands.
“I don’t know why Henry gave his house to me,” she said. “Honestly, I don’t. And this foundation that he wants me to set up
… I don’t know how to do it. I’m only twenty-eight, and I’m still learning how to be a vet. I’ll do the best job that I can,
but I can think of a hundred people who would be better at it than I.”
“He obviously had a reason for choosing you,” Max said.
“I’ve been thinking about it for days, and I can’t come up with any reason except…”
“What?”
“Well, I wonder if he thought that he could rescue me, like he rescues his pets.”
Max realized that he still had his hands on her arms. Her skin was soft under his fingers. He frowned, and let go. “Rescue
you from what?”
“From my partnership at the clinic. He even offered me an interest-free loan to open my own practice, but the situation is
so complicated… I haven’t felt sure that I should take him up on it.”
“Why not?”
“There are so many legal issues with Rich… What I was trying to say to you, before, is that our partnership is contracted
for three more years, and I’d forfeit everything I’ve invested if I broke the contract.”
“He won’t let you leave?”
“Believe me, there’s no way he’ll let me pull out my money early. So, unless I decided to walk away from all of my savings,
I’d have to get a lawyer, and go to court, and even so, I’d probably lose. I can’t put myself through all of that. It’s too
stressful.”
“No more stressful than staying where you
those years in vet school? Those sixteen-hour days I worked just to get myself through? Oh, those were for fun, not because
I actually have a goal that I’ve been dreaming of since I was a kid.”
She reached out with one emphatic finger and poked him in the chest. “And I’ll tell you something else. To somebody with your
bank balance, my life may not look like much, but you had better believe that I’m pretty darned happy with it, and all of
your grandfather’s money wouldn’t do so much for me that I’d ever manipulate him or prostitute myself to get it.”
Her eyes met his defiantly, and Max could tell that she was ready for him to argue. But he didn’t. Instead, he simply waited,
watching as she faced him expectantly, her lips compressed and her shoulders tense. He waited, as her quick and shallow breathing
slowed, and the hard lines of her face slumped into wary uncertainty.
She took one more ragged breath, and Max could see that she was trying to bolster her own rage, to pull it around herself
like chain mail.
“I’ve had enough of this,” she said, and turned her back on him. “Good-bye.”
He moved quickly, catching her by the arms and turning her around to face him again.
Carly gasped, and tried to pull away. “What do you think you’re—”
“Look at me.”
“What… ?” A flush crept over her cheeks as he held her. He stared down at her, trying to see the truth behind the startled
blue shimmer of her eyes.
Integrity in others was the last thing that Max expected to meet when confronting the world. He had seen too many adjustable
morals to have any illusions left about the inherent goodness of humankind, especially where money was concerned. But as he
searched Carly’s face and saw nothing but clear, unwavering honesty, his cynicism broke under the rising force of his instinct.
“I’ll be damned,” he said slowly, stunned. “You’re telling me the truth.”
There was a rush of release in saying the words, and also a strange feeling of vertigo as he understood their deeper meaning.
Carly Martin was not his enemy. It was possible that she wasn’t even his opponent. But if she wasn’t any of those things,
then who exactly was she?
Carly let out a shaky sigh. “Of course it’s the truth,” she said. She sounded as if she was trying to be stern, but Max felt
her tremble under his hands.
“I don’t know why Henry gave his house to me,” she said. “Honestly, I don’t. And this foundation that he wants me to set up
… I don’t know how to do it. I’m only twenty-eight, and I’m still learning how to be a vet. I’ll do the best job that I can,
but I can think of a hundred people who would be better at it than I.”
“He obviously had a reason for choosing you,” Max said.
“I’ve been thinking about it for days, and I can’t come up with any reason except…”
“What?”
“Well, I wonder if he thought that he could rescue me, like he rescues his pets.”
Max realized that he still had his hands on her arms. Her skin was soft under his fingers. He frowned, and let go. “Rescue
you from what?”
“From my partnership at the clinic. He even offered me an interest-free loan to open my own practice, but the situation is
so complicated… I haven’t felt sure that I should take him up on it.”
“Why not?”
“There are so many legal issues with Rich… What I was trying to say to you, before, is that our partnership is contracted
for three more years, and I’d forfeit everything I’ve invested if I broke the contract.”
“He won’t let you leave?”
“Believe me, there’s no way he’ll let me pull out my money early. So, unless I decided to walk away from all of my savings,
I’d have to get a lawyer, and go to court, and even so, I’d probably lose. I can’t put myself through all of that. It’s too
stressful.”
“No more stressful than staying where you
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