by Elle Kennedy
“Amelia,” Emma said, sounding genuinely happy to see her. “We’re thrilled to have you.” She opened the door wider. “Come in.”
Chloe stepped into the spacious front hall and shrugged out of her coat. Emma took it from her, hanging it in the closet by the door.
“I brought dessert,” Chloe said, holding out the pie dish. “Sawyer mentioned something about brownies, but I figured I’d bring something, anyway.”
“Thanks. That was really sweet of you,” Emma answered with a smile.
Chloe glanced around, admiring the wood-paneled walls and pretty oil-painted landscapes hanging in the space. “You have a lovely home.”
Emma grinned. “Technically you should be saying that to Derek. He owns the ranch now.”
“Really? I had no idea.”
“He doesn’t advertise it. My brother is a doctor first and a rancher second, but Mom and Dad left him the homestead in their will because Derek’s always been the most responsible Colton in the bunch.” Emma anticipated Chloe’s question before she could voice it. “Don’t worry, there’s no hidden resentment or anything—I think Gunnar and Tate were as relieved as I was that we didn’t have to take on the responsibility of this place.”
Emma led her into the great room, which featured endless ceilings, comfortable brown leather couches and a stone fireplace. Derek’s teenage sister, Piper, sat on one of the sofas, holding a blond-haired toddler in her arms. On the floor, Derek’s
brother Tate was sprawled on the thick rug next to a second toddler. Although the two little boys were identical, they clearly had their own distinct personalities—the one on the couch was content to sit calmly in Piper’s arms, while the terror on the floor busied himself with a set of colorful blocks, shrieking in delight each time Tate leaned over to tickle him.
“Violet Chastain’s twins,” Emma said, noticing Chloe staring. “We’re babysitting Mason and Hudson tonight so Violet and Gunnar can have some alone time at the cabin.”
Chloe tore her gaze from the adorable little boys, ignoring the rush of longing that filled her belly. She focused on Tate, who greeted her with a warm smile. “Hey, Amelia. Where’s Mr. Perfect?”
She shot him a blank look.
“Derek,” Tate clarified with a crooked grin. “You know, the perfect doctor, perfect brother, perfect everything.”
The amusement dancing in Tate’s aqua eyes told her it was all in good fun, but it didn’t surprise her that Derek’s siblings called him Mr. Perfect. The man epitomized perfection—handsome, talented, kind, sexy. Derek Colton was the real deal, no doubt about it.
“He’s not here?” she said, frowning.
“Derek doesn’t live in the big house,” Piper spoke up as she intercepted the toddler’s chubby hand before he could grab a hunk of her wispy blond hair. “His house is next door.” The teenager glanced at Tate. “He texted me just now saying he’s on his way.”
“Have a seat,” Emma said to Chloe. “Can I grab you a drink? Wine, beer, iced tea?”
“An iced tea would be great.”
Chloe felt a tad awkward as she settled on the couch opposite Piper and folded her hands in her lap. This was her first official social visit since she’d moved to Eden Falls, and though she’d met all of Derek’s siblings before, being surrounded by so many people at once was daunting. As an only child, she’d always wished for a brother or sister, someone to laugh with and spill her secrets to, someone other than herself who she could rely on.
Her discomfort grew the longer she sat there, watching the scene before her. Tate teasing Piper, the happy squeals of Violet’s twins and Emma’s throaty laughter as she returned to the room with Sawyer hot on her heels.
Sawyer grinned when he spotted Chloe, making a beeline for her. “You came,” he said happily. He fixed a stern look in his sister’s direction, then glanced back at Chloe. “I hope Piper wasn’t annoying you.”
Chloe stifled a laugh. “Don’t worry—Piper has been a perfect lady.”
The boy snorted. “Right. The perfect giant lady, maybe. Piper is freakishly tall.”
“Hello? I’m sitting right here, twerp,” Piper said, waving her hand in the air. “At least have the decency to insult me behind my back.”
“But it’s more fun to do it to your face.”
Chloe and Tate exchanged an amused look as the duo continued to bicker. Despite the insults being traded back and forth, it was clear that Piper and Sawyer adored each other.
The Coltons were an unusual bunch, Chloe thought as she listened to the group chatter amongst themselves. Different ages, sizes, races, hair color, eye color. Charlotte and Donovan Colton had run a nonprofit organization for inner-city children, and Derek had laughingly told her that they liked to bring their work home with them—case in point, the six children they’d adopted.
As she sipped the iced tea Emma brought her, the photographs displayed on the fireplace mantel caught her attention. Setting the drinking glass on the pine coffee table, Chloe stood and headed for the hearth, smiling as she focused on a photo featuring a happy, distinguished-looking couple.
“That’s my mom and dad,” Sawyer said, coming up beside her. “I didn’t know them all that well. I was just a baby when they died.” His somber expression brightened as he pointed to the framed photo next to the first one. “And that’s me and Piper.”
Chloe grinned. “Yeah, I can see that.”
Sawyer then proceeded to point out each and every person in each and every picture, even the ones featuring only himself. Eventually, Chloe quit paying attention, until her gaze snagged on a photo of Derek with a pretty, raven-haired woman. The woman’s features hinted at both American and Asian descent, and she was utterly petite, the top of her head barely coming up to Derek’s shoulders. Both were beaming at the camera, but Chloe noticed that the smile didn’t quite reach the woman’s
eyes. There was something so very sad about the woman in the picture.
“That’s Aunt Tess,” Sawyer said in a low voice, leaning closer to Chloe as if he didn’t want anyone to overhear.
“Aunt Tess?” she whispered.
“Derek’s wife. She died.”
Shock blasted through her, but Chloe did her best to hide her reaction. Derek didn’t wear a wedding ring—she’d definitely looked—but in the month she’d been working for him, he hadn’t once mentioned a deceased wife. Judging by Sawyer’s hushed tone, she got the feeling “Aunt Tess” wasn’t a common topic of conversation in the Colton household.
“Finally,” Tate said dryly.
Chloe turned around in time to see Derek stride into the room. Her heart did an involuntary somersault and she berated herself for the silly response.
Still, it was so hard not to drool over the man. Without the white coat and scrub bottoms he wore at the clinic, he looked far more approachable. Much more...well, sexy. His khakis were loose but couldn’t hide the long, muscular legs beneath them, and his black sweater molded to his broad, rippled chest. Lord, the man definitely worked out—no way had he acquired that rock-hard physique by handling a stethoscope and taking someone’s blood pressure.
She tore her eyes off his chest, moved them to his face and offered a timid smile. “Hey, Doct—Derek,” she quickly amended.
His easy smile warmed her insides. “Hey, Amelia. Glad you could make it.”
“I appreciate the invitation.”
Their eyes locked from across the room, and Chloe could have sworn she heard the air crackle. Or maybe it was the sound of her heart hammering against her breasts. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so drawn to a man. Even her husband hadn’t intrigued her the way Derek Colton did.
She gulped.
You don’t have a husband. You’re Amelia Phillips.
“Come on, little dudes, go to Julia.”
Piper’s voice jolted Chloe from her thoughts. A dark-haired woman—Julia, Chloe assumed—scooped up the toddlers, propped one on each of her hips and headed for the door.
&n
bsp; “That’s our nanny,” Sawyer explained, tugging on Chloe’s hand.
“She’s going to watch the little terrors while we eat,” Derek added. “Violet’s nanny also has a much-deserved night off.” He shook his head in amazement. “I don’t know how Violet does it. Those two never seem to run out of energy.”
“I don’t know how Gunnar will do it,” Tate corrected with a laugh.
“Dinner’s ready, guys!” Emma called, poking her head into the living room.
As the group trudged toward the kitchen, Chloe felt a hand on her arm. She jumped in surprise, then relaxed when she realized it was Derek.
“Always so jumpy,” he murmured.
“You startled me.”
“You’re easily startled, aren’t you, Amelia?”
The contemplative note in his deep voice heightened her unease. She met his gaze and saw that his brown eyes were studying her, searching, probing, as if he were trying to bore right into her head.
She managed a faint smile. “I need to stop being so skittish, huh? I think it’s the move—new town, new job, new friends. It always takes me a while to adjust to new situations.”
After a beat, he nodded and gently squeezed her arm. “It’ll take some time, but I have a feeling you’ll fit right in. Come on, let’s have some dinner.”
* * *
Family dinners topped Derek’s list of favorite events, probably because they’d been so important to the couple who’d adopted him when he was three years old.
Charlotte and Donovan Colton had been the strongest, most loving people he’d ever met. They’d taken not just one child into their home, but six, and Derek and his siblings had grown up surrounded by so much love that his heart now boasted a big hole thanks to the loss of his parents.
Derek had insisted on keeping the tradition of weekly family dinners that had meant so much to his parents. Surrounded by his brothers and sisters, he felt a sense of peace that had been lacking in his life the past couple of years. Ever since Tess’s accident, he’d been having a tough time finding his footing again.
Professionally, he was as confident and composed as ever, but when he walked into his empty house at night, that cool and collected air he’d mastered dissolved, leaving him with a deep ache in his gut and a rush of loneliness. Despite everything they’d gone through, everything she’d put him through, he missed Tess. Or maybe he missed the woman she’d once been, the sweet girl he’d fallen in love with during college. Either way, he couldn’t deny the emptiness he felt, the sorrow that consumed him whenever he found himself alone with his thoughts.
“So your family lives in Missouri, then?” Emma asked.
Derek raised his head, realizing his mind had wandered. Emma’s question had been directed at Amelia, whose expression creased with pain.
“My mother passed away about fifteen years ago,” Amelia admitted. “But yes, my father’s in Missouri.”
Derek sensed there was more to the story, but the flicker of sorrow in Amelia’s big hazel eyes told him not to go there. His little brother, however, had yet to perfect the art of tact.
“Your dad lives alone?” Sawyer asked between mouthfuls of his meat loaf. “He didn’t get married again after your mom died?”
“Sawyer,” Tate chided. “Enough with the Twenty Questions.”
“It’s okay,” Amelia said softly. “I don’t mind.” Her fork toyed with the mashed potatoes on her plate, but she seemed to have lost her appetite. “My father didn’t remarry. He’s actually living in an assisted care facility just outside of St. Louis.”
Derek’s heart clenched as he met her eyes.
“Early-onset Alzheimer’s,” she revealed, as if she’d heard his silent question.
Derek nodded. “When was he diagnosed?”
“When he was fifty-five. That was ten years ago.”
“I’m sorry, Amelia,” Emma spoke up. “That must be so difficult, seeing someone you love go through something like that.”
Amelia cast her eyes downward. “It’s been very difficult.”
A lull fell over the table, until Tate cleared his throat and changed the subject. As Tate and Emma began discussing the investigation into the missing Amish girls, Derek discreetly studied Amelia from across the table. The revelation about her father was the first nugget of information he’d gleaned from her since he’d hired her three weeks ago, but it still wasn’t enough.
Amelia Phillips fascinated him like no other woman ever had. On the surface she seemed so fragile, but after working with her, he knew she had a core of steel. She was incredible with patients, met any challenge head-on and, when she let her guard down, displayed a witty sense of humor that never failed to make him smile.
But what else did he really know about her? She’d gone to college in California and worked there as a nurse for eight years, then moved back to Missouri and spent the next ten years doing God knows what before resuming her nursing career. Why such a long hiatus? Why had she moved to Pennsylvania? And why on Earth was she still single? Considering her youthful beauty and sweet demeanor, he couldn’t fathom that.
By the time dessert was served, Derek wasn’t any closer to getting the answers to those questions. And because he doubted she’d divulge any information while surrounded by his siblings, when Sawyer and Piper began to clear the table, he turned to Amelia and said, “How about a tour of the ranch?”
There it was again—that startled look in her eyes. “Oh. Sure,” she agreed awkwardly.
“Can I come?” Sawyer asked as he juggled the dishes in his hands.
“No, you can help your sisters clean up,” Tate answered for Derek.
When he met his brother’s eyes and saw the knowing gleam in them, Derek realized Tate knew he’d been hoping to get Amelia alone.
Battling a pang of discomfort, Derek averted his eyes and scraped back his chair. “You can come along next time,” he told Sawyer when he noticed the disappointment on the boy’s face.
Sawyer frowned but didn’t protest, which Derek was incredibly grateful for at the moment.
As he led Amelia out of the kitchen, he told himself that this inexplicable urge to get to know her was simply a result of his innate curiosity. Even as a kid he’d hungered for knowledge, needing to make sense of the world and the people around him. He’d never known his birth parents, and the foster families he’d lived with for the first three years of his life were nothing but a shadowy blur to him. As a result, he’d developed a need to make connections, to truly know the people in his life.
“We’ll take my car,” he said after he and Amelia put on their coats in the front hall.
She raised one dark-blond brow. “This isn’t a walking tour?”
“Trust me, you’ll thank me later. The ranch is too big to wander around on foot.”
Ten minutes later, as they drove through the sprawling compound, Amelia turned to him with a laugh. “Wow. You’re right. This place is huge.”
As he pointed out the various outbuildings and landmarks, Derek discovered that he enjoyed seeing the Double C through Amelia’s eyes. He suddenly realized he’d stopped paying attention to the scenery of the ranch he’d lived on all his life. His practice kept him so busy that he rarely ventured out of his comfortable brick home, which neighbored the big house, and he had no need to oversee the ranching operation, since their foreman, Hank, was more than capable of handling the day-to-day activities.
But as Amelia oohed and ahhed at her surroundings, Derek experienced a burst of pride. The Double C truly was spectacular, the landscape marked by rolling wooded hills, large paddocks and rustic outbuildings. Eden Falls had yet to see a heavy snow, but the layer of silver frost dusting the land hinted that winter would finally be making an appearance soon.
Pointing to the left, he turned to Amelia and said, “There’s a little stream about half a mile that way. It’s probably too cold to walk along the bank right now, but I’ll take you out there in the spring. It’s a really beautiful little spot.”
/> “That sounds nice,” she said in a noncommittal tone.
A fresh wave of unease swelled in his gut, prompting him to pull to the side of the dirt trail and put the car in Park. As determination hardened his jaw, he shifted in the driver’s seat and faced Amelia.
“Who are you?” he asked.
Shock flooded her eyes. “Wh-what?”
“Who are you, Amelia? We’ve been working together for three weeks, yet I still don’t know a thing about you. Why did you move to Eden Falls? What do you do for fun? Tell me something that nobody else knows about you.”
Her shoulders, which had been stiff a second ago, relaxed slightly. With a tiny shrug, she offered him a gentle smile. “There’s not much to know. If I’m being honest, I’m not a very interesting person.”
“I don’t believe that.” Not one bit. Because whatever she claimed, she did interest him. Far too much for his liking, in fact.
Realizing he wouldn’t drop the subject, Amelia released a sigh. “Well, you know why I moved to Eden Falls—for this job.”
“You ran out of gas, stopped in town for lunch and saw my ad in the paper,” he filled in, repeating the story she’d told him during her job interview.
“Yep.” She shrugged again. “Like I said, I was heading for Philly, hoping to find work at one of the hospitals there, but the moment I stepped into Eden Falls, I knew this was where I belonged. This town is...it’s...home. Know what I mean?”
“Yeah, actually I do,” he admitted.
“As for what I do for fun? Not much,” she said wryly. She pursed those lush lips, tilting her head in thought. “I used to volunteer a lot, mostly with hospital and children’s charities.”
“And what else?” he prompted. “What else do you like to do, Amelia?”
She hesitated and frustration bubbled in his stomach. Drawing details out of this woman was even harder than getting that terror Billy Hanson to sit still for his annual vaccinations.
