The Doctor's Newfound Family Read Free Page A

doctor said. “What I don’t understand is why a refined couple like that was out wandering this neighborhood at night.”
    Behind him, the girl stirred and moaned. Taylor passed Mathias to Abe Warner and grasped her delicate hand. As her eyes fluttered open, he was struck by the flecks of golden color in her beautiful, green gaze.
    She blinked, managed to focus, and tried immediately to sit up.
    Taylor gently restrained her. “Lie still. You’ve had a bad shock and you need a few more moments to gather your wits before you try to stand.”
    Her eyes widened, misted. “Mama and Papa are both gone, aren’t they?”
    Taylor knew better than to lie to her. “Yes. I’m afraid so. Are you the eldest of their children?”
    She continued to stare at the ceiling of the dimly lit room and act as if she hadn’t comprehended.
    “Miss?” Taylor chafed her wrist in his hands to help revive her. “Miss? Can you hear me?”
    He saw her gather herself, mentally, before she answered, “Yes,” and again endeavored to rise. This time he assisted her and carefully helped her down from the bar. She seemed steadier on her feet than he’d expected, so he released her.
    To his surprise, she squared her shoulders, lifted her chin and addressed him boldly. “Thank you for your efforts on behalf of my parents, Doctor. I left home in a rush and neglected my reticule but perhaps my father’s purse contains enough to satisfy your fee.” She paused briefly then added, “Unless he has been robbed.”
    “Do you think that’s what led to this?”
    “Of course,” she replied, yet there was something odd in her expression. Something that alerted the doctor to the possibility that she was hiding something.
    “Would you like me to help you make final arrangements?” Taylor asked.
    “Thank you, but that won’t be necessary,” Sara Beth answered. “I’m sure Mr. Warner can assist me.”
    “Well, please accept my condolences. If there isanything I can do for you in the future, feel free to call upon me. My office is located at the corner of California and Montgomery streets, above the Wells Fargo & Co. office.” He withdrew a card from his vest pocket and presented it to her. “My name is Taylor Hayward.”
    For a brief moment, he thought she might refuse to take the card. Then, she pocketed it without comment.
    The doctor turned to Abe Warner. “Can you handle everything in here for now?”
    “We’ll be fine.” The apple-cheeked old man gave a wistful smile. “If I can manage my mischievous monkeys and all the birds and other critters in here, a few little boys won’t cause me no trouble.”
    Taylor hoped Abe was right. He had an unsettled feeling about leaving the children in the elderly man’s care, yet it looked as if their sister was old enough and wise enough to eventually provide a stable home for them.
    She was an extraordinary young woman, he mused. Her fortitude in the face of disaster was not only unusual, it was inspiring. Most women he had encountered, of any age, were flighty and prone to getting the vapors over the littlest fright or disappointment. Miss Sara Beth Reese had fainted, yes, but for good reason. And she had quickly pulledherself together and regained her sensibilities in a way that truly amazed him.
    Polite society required that he keep his distance unless summoned, of course, but he would nevertheless try to stay abreast of the little family’s circumstances. Taylor had had the benefit of the support of both his parents all his life and he couldn’t imagine how he’d have managed without his father’s wise counsel and his mother’s tempering gentleness and abiding Christian faith.
    He glanced back at the Reese children as he stepped outside. They had gathered around their big sister and were clinging to her as if she were the only lifeline from a sinking ship. He hoped—and prayed—that that was not so. There were many opportunities in San Francisco these days, but there were also many