A Heart to Heal Read Free

you.”
    â€œDon’t be foolish. You’re hurt.” He reached down, placed his hands beneath her arms and lifted her. The movement was so swift her head swam. She placed her hands on his chest to balance herself. His thumbs brushed the undersides of her breasts, making her nipples harden against his chest. It would be so easy to lean closer, wrap her arms around his shoulders. But this was Devin, the last man who would welcome her flirtation. And didn’t she just vow to take a break from men? It was one thing to walk into a relationship not knowing the man would break your heart. Completely self destructive when you knew the man had the power to crush you.
    As if sensing danger, he quickly stepped back and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Can you walk?”
    She took a small step and grimaced. “Yeah.”
    With a sigh he lifted her into his arms. “It’ll be faster if I carry you.”
    Her heart went into overdrive. He smelled good, a mixture of sweat and him that made her want to bury her face in the crook of his neck. If he had any clue how much he affected her, he’d drop her on the spot.
    Despite her internal warning, she went with her natural instincts and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “And more fun.”
    He glared at her. “Save your flirtations for someone else. I’m only helping because I’m a doctor and can’t leave you limping in the woods. ”
    Once again her natural inclination was self-destructive. How could she forget that Devin Jones hated her?

Chapter 2
    Devin ran through every curse word he knew as he carried Shayla to his truck. He’d known she was back in town. Half his patients were buzzing about what happened to her in Atlanta and were eager to fill him in. Helena was small, so he’d mentally prepared himself to see her. He’d expected it to be at the grocery store, if she came with her mom to a doctor’s appointment, or at some community event. He’d even imagined seeing her in Columbia now that her friend Tasha was married to his friend Jared. For each of those scenarios he’d thought out how he would react. How he would treat her with the cool indifference his best friend Malcolm had down to a science. He would participate in any necessary small talk, comment on the weather, and move along as if she wasn’t the woman who’d shredded his heart years ago.
    But for all that preparation, he hadn’t come up with a response to seeing her trip over her own feet after one glance at him. His concern pushed aside all thoughts of acting indifferent. Not surprising. He could never stay indifferent when it came to Shayla.
    When they reached his truck, he unceremoniously dumped her in the passenger seat and slammed the door. He should’ve let her limp home, but as a doctor he couldn’t leave her injured in the middle of the trail. Plus, Hangman’s Woods wasn’t the safe place it had been in the nineties. With dusk approaching, most hikers left as unruly teens and other folks with ill intentions began hanging along the trails.
    He jumped into the driver’s seat and started the engine. “You shouldn’t be running in the woods this late in the day,” he said as he drove out of the lot.
    She crossed her arms under her breasts, pushing the swells higher above her sports bra. He gripped the steering wheel and jerked his eyes away.
Focus on the road
.
    â€œI’ve wandered those trails too many times to count. I won’t get lost,” she said.
    â€œI know, but you haven’t been here in years. Once it gets dark all types of whack jobs start hanging there. Hikers don’t even camp anymore after a family was robbed two years ago.”
    â€œOh,” she said. “I’ll remember that next time.”
    He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “Don’t make a next time. Just stay off the trails close to dusk. I’d hate for you to get