The Doctor Returns
Nurse Sherri Lawson seems to be the only person not welcoming Dr. Neill Brandon back to Eden Harbour, Maine. She has moved on from their shared past and has the great life to prove it. Yet a part of her has never quite gotten over Neill—or the baby she lost.The baby he didn’t even know about… She can’t imagine a new relationship with Neill, much as she might want it. But it turns out that Neill wants it, too, and he believes they can make it happen.And to Sherri's surprise, so does his daughter, Morgan!
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Secrets and second chances
Sherri Lawson seems to be the only person not welcoming Dr. Neill Brandon back to Eden Harbor, Maine. She has moved on from their shared past. Yet a part of her has never quite gotten over Neillâor the baby she lost. The baby he didnât even know aboutâ¦.
She canât imagine a new relationship with Neill, much as she might want it. But it turns out that Neill wants it, too, and he believes they can make it happen. And to Sherriâs surprise, so does his daughter, Morgan!
âSherri, Iâd like to see you sometime...â
Neill then added, âSocially, I mean. Dinner perhaps?â
How could Neill possibly think he could make up for the past and what theyâd lost by inviting her out to dinner?
Yet his voice, his openness as he looked at her and his uneasy smileâthey were all so familiar. Sherri waited to see if heâd rub the back of his neck after running his hands through his hair.
When he did, a rush of feelingâlong held hostage by her fearâflooded to the surface. It was as if heâd never been gone. She stepped back in shock and disbelief.
How could he still have this effect on her?
She had to stop herself from reaching for him, for everything his love had once offered her. âDinner? Thatâs hardly necessary,â she said over the blood pounding in her ears. She leaned against the wall for support, hoping he didnât notice her apprehension.
When would she ever be free of these feelings? It had been twelve long years since sheâd seen himâ¦since heâd seen her. And still, he held the power to make her want him.
Dear Reader,
Having friends enriches our everyday experiences by encouraging us to be who we are and to share our lives with those who believe in us. Yet finding a true friend means trusting another person to care about us despite our shortcomings.
Neill and Sherri had been best friends in high school, a friendship that over time became a love affair. But loving someone doesnât guarantee happiness. Sherri and Neillâs love would have been lost forever but for the friendship theyâd shared before they fell in love. The memory of how much theyâd once trusted each other becomes the starting point from which theyâre able to rekindle their love.
The Doctor Returns takes place in Eden Harbor, a fictional town on the coast of Maine, and begins what will be a series of stories about the lives of those who live and love in a place of magnificent beauty and shared family values.
For those of you reading this book, my one wish is that you have been blessed with close friends who have made your world a brighter place.
If youâd like to contact me, I would be delighted to hear from you. My website is www.stellamaclean.com and my email address is [email protected]. I can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/stella.maclean.3 and on Twitter, @Stella__MacLean.
Sincerely,
Stella MacLean
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stella MacLean has spent her life collecting story ideas, waiting for the day someone would want to read about the characters who have lurked in her heart and mind for so many years. Stellaâs love of reading and writing began in grade school and has continued to play a major role in her life. A longtime member of Romance Writers of America and a Golden Heart finalist, Stella enjoys the hours she spends tucked away in her office with her Maine coon cat, Emma Jean, and her imaginary friends while writing stories about love, life and happiness.
I dedicate this book to Debbie Macomber, author, mentor and friend.
Acknowledgments
The best books are those carefully encouraged
and skillfully edited by professional editors.
My heartfelt thanks to Paula Eykelhof and Lara Hyde for their guidance and support in bringing The Doctor Returns to readers everywhere.
Contents
CHAPTER ONE
JUST ANOTHER FEW steps and heâd be there. âHang on, sweetie,â Neill Brandon pleaded over the thrashing movements of his little girlâs body. Fear tore through his heart, fear driven by dread that heâd let his daughter down.
His feet thudded against the concrete of the driveway leading to the hospital emergency doors, while his lips moved in silent prayer that this was not the beginning of a reoccurrence of Morganâs epileptic seizures. That he wasnât somehow responsible for what was happening to her.
Heâd picked Morgan up after school and taken her with him while he checked on a patient at the hospital. Theyâd been sitting in the car in the doctorsâ parking lot when Morgan began arguing with him about being allowed to have a sleepover at her new friendâs house. Morganâs grandmother approved, so why couldnât he?
He hadnât wanted to part with her so soon after their move to Eden Harbor, but his nine-year-old daughterâs plea had turned into a tearful demand just before her body was overcome by the tremors that announced the arrival of a seizure.
