The Good Doctor Read Free

Clark didn’t like Ryan’s symptoms any more than she did. “I’ll call Ryan and see if he’s free.”
    She took her little blue cell phone from her purse. A few minutes later, after a brief conversation with Ryan in which they all agreed on a time, she closed the phone and dropped it back into her handbag.
    â€œRyan said to make sure to tell you he’ll pay you double your usual fee because he knows this is an inconvenience.”
    â€œRyan’s a friend. There won’t be a fee, not for tonight.”
    â€œHe won’t like that.”
    Peter smiled. “Maybe not, but it will be my only condition for examining him.”
    â€œI can see why he respects you,” she said softly.
    Silent communication passed between them and because of their concern for Ryan, a bond was formed. However, that bond seemed to be more personal than professional.
    Standing, she met his gaze. “It was good to meet you, Dr. Clark. I don’t want to take up any more of your time.”
    â€œIt’s Peter,” he corrected her.
    â€œPeter,” she murmured.
    Holding her gaze, he seemed to be waiting for something. Finally, with a wry smile turning up the corners of his lips, he asked, “And should I call you Dr. Fortune or Violet?”
    She felt her cheeks turn hot and couldn’t remember the last time she’d blushed. “Violet’s fine,” she decided, feeling much too warm in the small office.
    When he rose to his feet and came around the desk, they were standing very close. “Ryan is lucky to have you in the family.”
    â€œHe and my dad have always been close. I grew up respecting him, and he’s like a favorite uncle. I don’t want anything to happen to him.”
    â€œThis could be serious.”
    She already knew that, the possibilities having kept her awake the past few nights. Still, she realized Peter felt he had to put the probability into words, so that she could take it as a warning, so that she wouldn’t deny what might be the cause of Ryan’s problems. “I know this could be serious. But on the other hand, stress and tension could cause symptoms, too.”
    â€œThat’s possible. We’ll proceed one step at a time.”
    Feeling as if she could stand there all day just looking at Peter, absorbing his strength, his concern and his compassion, she gave herself a mental shake. She didn’t need any of those things from him. Ryan did.
    With a deep breath, she stepped away from Peter’s powerful aura and walked toward the door. “You don’t have to see me out. Ryan says he knows where your house is located, so I guess I’ll see you tonight.”
    â€œTonight,” Peter agreed, his deep voice making the word sound like a commitment.
    As Violet escaped into the hall and closed the office door behind her, she knew Dr. Peter Clark’s commitment was to Ryan Fortune.
    Â 
    â€œThat’s the one—number seven-seventeen.” Ryan directed Violet to Peter Clark’s house on the western outskirts of Red Rock.
    Developments were springing up randomly in the small community, and it was getting larger. When Violet was growing up and her family visited Ryan and his family on the Double Crown, she loved their little excursions into Red Rock with its rural fields, its round parklike town square with the white gazebo, its ice-cream parlor and family restaurants. Not that Violet had ever wanted to live here. She loved New York City and that was her home.
    â€œI can’t believe all these houses just sprang up over the last year,” Ryan grumbled. “Pretty soon Red Rock’s going to stretch out and meet San Antonio.”
    Red Rock was a twenty-mile drive from San Antonio. “I don’t think you have to worry about that quite yet.”
    â€œThe garage door’s going up. Peter must have been watching for us.”
    Peter Clark’s house was a country-ranch style and angled