by Taylor Hart
Everyone surged to their feet—clapping, shouting, and smiling. He met their eyes and noted that several had tears on their face.
Purpose, strength, and love bolstered him. This was what he should be doing. He was right on the path where God wanted him to be—even if he didn’t know where it led or how long he would go that way, he could trust it now.
He sat and searched for Jewel again. She grinned at him through her tears.
He wanted this woman in his life, wanted to walk with her in faith as he traveled down his path.
Later, as they strode out of the conference, hand in hand, Kent felt so happy.
“That was so, so, so good. Ah!” Jewel put her other hand over her heart. “I loved what you said, and did you see the way you had us all crying?”
He let out a laugh and squeezed her hand. “I meant it.” The convention center was next to a city park, and he appraised the greenery there. “Should we take a stroll through the park?”
She checked her phone and laughed. “Yes, Darrin said he would cover for me.”
They walked toward the fountain in the middle of the park. The sun was out, and Kent tugged off his stifling suit jacket.
“Catch!”
Kent saw a Frisbee come out of nowhere, and he grabbed it out of the air.
“Sorry!” A smiling little boy, probably four or five, ran toward him. “I meant to throw it to Mama.”
A mother followed, throwing up her hands. “I’m not fast enough.”
Kent nodded toward the grass. “Run that way and I’ll throw it to you.”
The kid took off. Kent was impressed that his little legs could run so fast. He threw it, and it ended up just out of the kid’s reach.
The boy giggled and rolled, then got up and ran to it.
“That’s great. Thank you.” The mother took off after him.
“You’re pretty amazing, you know that?” Jewel said. She was looking at him the same way she’d looked at him all those years ago. Like he could do anything.
He reached out and pushed a tendril of hair out of her face. “You’re gorgeous, ya know?”
Her face turned pensive. “How am I falling for you so quickly?”
His heart rate spiked, and he closed the gap between them. “I don’t know, but I’m falling for you, too.”
When they kissed, it was like he was hang gliding again, floating, soaring, excited, nervous—everything he had felt with Jewel when they were young. He pulled back and knew what he had to do tonight.
Her phone buzzed. She pulled it out, and her lips turned down. “I’m sorry, I have to go to work. It appears Mr. Warren wants to meet with me.”
“I know your father might be disappointed if we skip charades, but could we meet for dinner downtown tonight?”
She leaned in and kissed him softly. “I would love to.”
Kent stood in his hotel room, tugging on his tie for dinner and feeling satisfied. Not only had his efforts at this conference led to some deans of colleges agreeing to recommend the Doctors Without Borders program to their students; it also led several private practices into agreeing to donate a percentage of their profits to the program. Win-win.
But he hadn’t been nearly as nervous about the speech today as he was about dinner tonight. Because he was going to do something utterly crazy.
He paused and thought about his mother. She’d been gone a long time—died of cancer when he was ten. Seeing her go through so much and lose her life had been one of the reasons he’d wanted to become a doctor. He stared at himself in the mirror and wondered what his mother would think of him now. Then he smiled. His mother would be proud of him, not for just becoming a doctor, but also for taking this next big chance.
He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He tugged it out and answered, “Hello?”
“Hey, I’m in the lobby,” Jewel said.
“I’m coming,” he said, rushing out of the hotel room and down the hall to the elevator. “Are you ready for the best steak you could ever have?”
Jewel let out a laugh over the line. “I got some really great news today, and I’m definitely in the mood to celebrate.”
“Okay, see you in a sec.” He pushed the elevator button.
“Okay.” She hung up.
When he got off the elevator, she was waiting for him, looking beautiful. She wore red stiletto heels, black pants, and a white silk top that tied on her hip. Her hair was swept back in a French twist, and her lipstick matched her heels. She beamed as she rushed toward him. “Hey.”
Opening his arms, he met her embrace, unable to believe how quickly things had progressed between them. “Hey.”
She pulled back and looked up at his lips.
He didn’t need more of an invitation than that. He gently pressed his lips to hers, putting his hand around her waist and pulling her closer to him as he deepened the kiss. Right or wrong, his attraction was growing with every passing second.
She giggled against his lips and pushed back. “I take it you missed me?”
He laughed. “Yes, I did.”
“I missed you, too.” Her green eyes dazzled up at him.
He took her hand and led her toward the front door of the hotel. “I made reservations. Should we get to it?”
She walked faster to keep up with his longer stride. “I’m starving.”
At dinner, they ordered steaks and salads, snacking on rolls while they waited for their food to arrive. The place was fancy, and they sat on a rooftop overlooking Denver. They’d been chitchatting about the conference.
He held her hands across the table and gazed in her eyes.
“What?” she asked coyly.
“Nothing. You’re just so beautiful.” It was getting easier and easier to be with her, compliment her, and let go of the past and focus on their future. His mind shifted to what she’d said earlier. “So what’s this celebratory news?” He pulled back and lifted his glass of water.
Her face flushed red. “I just found out the partner I’ve been working with, Mr. Warren, recommended me for junior partner.”
All of his energy drained out of him. He covered by smiling and taking a sip of his water. “That’s great.”
She cocked her head to the side and put her water down. “What? You don’t look happy.”
“Oh, nothing.” He put his water down, unable to hide his disappointment any longer. Her news would affect the plan he’d been concocting since last night.
She studied his face. “Kent, c’mon, what were you going to tell me? I could tell you had something good the moment those elevator doors opened and you came out with a spring in your step.”
His heart pounded. If they were younger, if this was the first time they’d been through this, he might have been able to hold back what he was feeling. Then again, he hadn’t held back, not even then. He turned to take in the night view of Denver. “It’s pretty, isn’t it?”
She leaned in and took his hand. “Kent, what is it?”
He met her gaze. “I wanted to ask you if you’d come with me.”
“To Africa?” Her eyes widened.
“Yes, to Africa for another year and a half. I’ve committed to three years with this program and I can’t back out, but I want to be with you. I want you with me.”
Her mouth opened and closed; then she let out a laugh and pulled her hand back. “I can’t believe this.”
Even though he knew his words were useless, he couldn’t quit talking. “I just thought that with your father coming and … how we’re feeling. At least, how I’m feeling …” He cleared his throat and slipped off of his chair and onto his knee. “Maybe this time you’d marry me.”
Of course, the food was delivered to their table right then. The waiter looked at the scene in concern. “I can come back.”
She didn’t say anything, her face completely blank.
The moment went slow, like time stopped.
Suddenly, he felt dazed. He stood. “No, it’s fine.” He held her gaze as all the food
was dropped off and the server filled their waters, then left.
Neither of them picked up their utensils to eat.
“So this is where we are again?” he finally asked, feeling like the biggest idiot that had ever lived.
She didn’t answer.
“Jewel, I know there’s been so much between us, but the last couple of days, I just felt …”
“In love,” she said, finishing the sentence for him.
“Yes.” Hope sprang to life inside of him.
She put her hand to her face. “I don’t know …”
Kent’s hope died, smothered by an emotionless calm. “So I guess this is where we’re at—again?”
She nodded. “I’m sorry, Kent. I just can’t leave right now.”
Chapter 23
One week later
Jewel watched her office door in silence. She didn’t even know how long she had been watching the door or exactly when it opened, but her father was not the man she wanted to see at the moment.
He hadn’t been happy when she’d told him that Kent had proposed and she’d turned him down. As if that weren’t enough, her father had informed her that he’d moved up his date to go to Africa. So when she should be celebrating she’d made junior partner, she’d spent the week feeling lonelier than ever.
She stood and pushed her chair back, going around her desk automatically, as if she was introducing herself to a new client. “What can I do for you?”
Her father looked around. “The new office is nice, Jewel.”
Jewel moved back around her desk and sat. “Thank you. What can I do for you?” They hadn’t spoken much this past week, so now their interaction was stiff and formal.
“I have something I need to say.” He turned and shut the door to her office, then moved back to the chair in front of her desk.
Jewel tried to force herself to concentrate on him and why he was here. “Okay.”
Her father scoffed, then looked out of the window. “You have a nice view.”
“I guess.”
He waited for a long time, then said, “She was so proud of you, and she wanted you to have all of this …” Her father swallowed. “But sweetie, I think you’ve lost sight of the fact that she wanted you to have a dream. Your dream.”
“Dad, I don’t know why you’re here and why you’re doing this, but Africa isn’t my dream.”
He waited. “But I think the man there is.”
Kent.
Since he’d left, she’d been such a mess.
Her father stood. “You told me you were afraid to tell your mother and me about your engagement all those years ago because we had sacrificed so much for Harvard. Your mother had sacrificed so much.” He leaned over her desk and placed his hand on hers. “But your mother only wanted Harvard because you did. Your mother wanted the dream you wanted, and she would want any dream you want, cupid girl. Do you see that?”
Tears streamed down her face, and she knew the truth of what he was saying.
“So what do you want, cupid girl?”
Tears instantly filled her eyes.
The realization hit her—her father was right…Kent had always been her dream, too.
She laughed and stood. “Let’s go to Africa!”
Her father laughed and put his fist up in the air. “Let’s go to Africa!”
Chapter 24
“My grandma says you should be happy we get what we get when the trucks come in.” Hoppy said, helping Kent unload the truck. “Why aren’t you happy, doctor?”
Kent looked over his clipboard, noting they were still out of many things they needed. He sighed. He didn’t want to tell Hoppy that it wasn’t just the lack of supplies that was bothering him. It was something much bigger than that. “Sorry, Hoppy, go take a break.”
Hoppy looked sad, then turned and rushed out.
Jewel.
He didn’t want to think of her right now. He kept unloading more supplies.
A couple of minutes later Hoppy ran back in. “Doctor! There’s new Americans. They came on the noon bus. Come quick! She won’t wake up!”
Kent took off after Hoppy, running as fast as he could to the center of the village. He didn’t know who Hoppy was talking about, but if they weren’t waking up—that was a problem.
A large group was huddled around whoever was in the street. The crowd parted for him.
Unbelievably, Frank Jackson hovered over her.
“Tarnation, what’s wrong with her!” Frank shook his daughter’s shoulder.
His heart raced. “Frank?”
“Come over here and help!” Frank called out to him.
“Jewel!” Instantly, he crouched beside her and put two fingers against her neck to check for a pulse. “What happened?”
Jewel. Jewel. Jewel.
Frank knelt beside him. “We got off the bus and she passed out.”
The crowd was moving in closer.
“Move back! Everyone give us room! Now!” Kent pushed his arms out and gave the curious onlookers a menacing glare. “Hoppy, get water!”
“Yes!” Hoppy rushed away.
Kent positioned Jewel’s arms next to her sides and tilted her head back and opened her mouth to check her airway. Nothing. No breath.
No! This wasn’t happening. He traced his healer’s hands over her heart and put the heels of his hands together to start compressions.
Her eyes flew open. “What are you doing?”
He yanked his hands back. “Jewel?”
Relief filled him.
“Kent?” she asked, wide-eyed, then a smile played at her lips.
Emotion surged through him and he laughed, putting his hands on her shoulders and helping her to a sitting position. “You’re okay?” He couldn’t believe she was here.
Her smile widened and her eyes misted with tears. “Kent,” she whispered.
He pulled her into him, relishing the smell of her lotion.
“I’m okay,” she assured him. “I just got light headed, but I’m okay.”
He pulled her back, giving her a cursory glance.
“I’m okay.”
A memory of the first time he met her washed over him. And he let out a laugh of relief. “Of all the villages, in all of Africa, in all the world, and she passes out in mine.”
Her green eyes sparkled. “Just like old times.”
He laughed.
“Dang, girl,” Frank called out and hugged her.
Her face broke out into a full smile, and Kent breathed a sigh of relief, still unable to believe she was here.
“I have water for you,” Hoppy offered, appearing next to them.
Jewel pressed the bottle to her lips and sipped from it. She smiled at Hoppy. “Thank you.”
The boy nodded. “You’re welcome.”
She turned to him. “I came because I had to ask you something.”
Sudden calm washed through him. “Yes,” he said hoarsely.
She got on one knee.
“No,” he said, trying to help her up.
Her eyes met his. “Let me do this, you’ve done it twice.”
Another surge of emotion hit him and he forced back tears.
She got settled on her knee.
Frank already had tears streaming down his face.
“Kent Hardman, I’ve never stopped loving you and I’m hoping that you’ll forgive me for the last two times you proposed and I said no,” she said, a tear fell down her cheek.
Kent nodded.
“Don’t,” she said, letting out a light laugh. “Wait for me to finish.”
His heart hammered and he nodded.
“I realized that the thing I have lacked in the past is faith.”
Warmth rushed through him.
“And I want you to know that you’re my dream. We are my dream. Us.”
He nodded, again. “Yes.”
She laughed harder. “I haven’t asked yet.”
Everyone in the crowd was laughing and smiling.
He looke
d at their faces and felt so happy that he was there with them all. He looked at the happiness on Frank’s face.
Frank nodded.
“Will you marry me, Kent? And ride Ferris wheels with me for the rest of our lives?”
Kent laughed and pulled her up. “Yes!”
She dove into his arms and pressed her lips to his.
The world spun in one of those slow-motion moments from the movies, the kind where the girl and guy finally have the same dream and the same path.
He pulled back and met her eyes. “I love you, my attorney.”
She smiled. “I love you, too, doctor.”
Thank you for reading, Her Hidden Falls Doctor Romance!
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