The Perfect Couple. Valerie Hansen

did you decide I needed a pizza?”

      “On my way home. Why?”

      “Oh, no reason.”

      “Come on, Kara. We've been sisters for too long. You can't hide stuff from me and you know it. Fess up. Why is the pizza important?”

      She busied herself wiping down the stainless steel table as she answered, “I just thought it might have been the answer to a prayer. But the timing's wrong. I didn't even ask for anything until long after you decided to come back.”

      “It could still be an answer.”

      “I don't see how.”

      Susan put her arm around her sister's shoulders. “Because God knows what we need before we even ask Him.” She stopped being serious and added, “Although, I must say, I've never asked Him to get me a pizza before.”

      “That wasn't what I prayed for.”

      “I figured as much. What was it you wanted? Me?”

      “Sort of. I wasn't that specific.”

      “Then what?”

      “You're not going to drop this subject till I tell you, are you?”

      “Nope.”

      Kara made a face at her. “Okay. I'd prayed for a little help. That's all.”

      “With the puppy?” Puzzled, Susan studied her.

      “Something like that.” A blush warmed Kara's cheeks. She turned away, hoping Susan hadn't noticed, but she had.

      “What? Tell me. Maybe I can help?”

      Kara was sorely tempted to make up a problem rather than have to let Susan in on the truth. Instead, she opted for honesty. “I just wasn't comfortable with the situation, that's all.”

      “Because of Tyler Corbett? You weren't afraid of him, were you? Oh, don't be. Mark says he was so goofy in love with his late wife that he won't even look at another woman. The man's branded for life.”

      Kara understood completely. All her emotions blended together when she remembered Alex.

      I won't ever let myself be hurt like that again, she vowed. Not ever again.

      Susan had gone, leaving Kara to her thoughts and sole ownership of the now lukewarm pizza. Taking a piece of it with her, she strolled out to the waiting room to look over her practice and assess it while she ate.

      Alex's death had left her with a lot of unpaid bills she hadn't expected. Most of those accounts had been settled but there was still the day-to-day running of the hospital to consider. Overhead like that wasn't cheap.

      Susan had taken one look at the books and offered to work for no wages. Kara had insisted she be paid. As soon as they could afford to add another warm body, they planned to get a kennel boy—or girl—to keep the runs and cages clean. Until then, they shared the dirty work, too.

      Sighing, she switched off the office light. Darkness had frightened Kara before she'd married Alex. After a few months with him, however, she'd welcomed the dark as a place to hide whenever he got so angry he lost control and began screaming at her. Living with him had been like sharing her life with a time bomb.

      She was about to return to check on her latest patient when she saw headlights and the shadow of a truck bearing down on the glassed-in front of the animal hospital.

      Startled, she stepped back just in case the driver misjudged the distance and didn't stop in time. Whoever it was, he sure was in a hurry. She wasn't up to tackling another emergency. Yet she knew she wouldn't—couldn't—turn anyone away.

      The truck slid to a halt in a shower of mud reflected in the outside light. Someone jumped out and ran up the steps to the porch.

      Kara dropped the slice of pizza into the trash, reached for her keys, and headed for the door. When she looked up she was face-to-face with Tyler Corbett. He was waving a white slip of paper.

      She unlocked the door.

      He burst through, his boots thudding on the tile floor. “I thought you didn't answer the door at night.”

      “I do when I can see who it is. What's wrong?” She followed him down the hall.

      When he got to the place where light from her office illuminated the paper in his hand he stopped and whirled to face her. “This,” he said, waving the paper.

      Kara stood her ground. “Well, if you'll hold it still, I'll take a look.”

      “You don't have to look, Doctor,” he said, exaggerating her title. “You sent it to me.”

      “I what?” Suddenly, she realized what he had to be holding. Except he couldn't be. Not yet. Susan had only put the monthly statements in the mail that evening.

      “Whoa,” Kara said firmly. “That's impossible.”

      “Oh? Then what's this?”

      “Well, it looks like one of our bills but it can't be. The postal service isn't that good.”

      “This didn't come in the mail,” Tyler said. “It was hand delivered.” He unfolded the bill and held it up in front of her face. “Look at the part on the bottom. If you wanted me to pay for the puppy's care up front, you should have said so when I was here, not fired off a new bill before I even had a chance to drive all the way home!”

      Susan. Kara's shoulders sagged. Of course. Her sister knew how badly she needed to keep her accounts current and in a fit of efficiency, she'd changed Tyler Corbett's bill to reflect the latest charges and hand delivered it to him, rather than put it in the mail with the others.

      “I'm really sorry,” Kara said. “She…we… shouldn't have done that.”

      “Well, you're right about that.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of crumpled money, thrusting it at her. “Here. Consider this a down payment. If there are more charges before the dog gets well, I'll pay whatever it costs. In spite of what you seem to think, I'm not a deadbeat.”

      “This isn't necessary.” Cupping the bills in both hands so she wouldn't drop them, she realized she was trembling. “You can write me a check later. When everything's done.”

      “No way, lady. I came here to pay up and I intend to do just that. Your brother-in-law works for me, remember? The last thing I need is to have my foreman think I'm dishonest.”

      “I'm sorry. I'll see that Susan doesn't do anything like this again,” Kara promised, chagrined. Her voice grew more faint. “It wasn't fair.”

      That sincerely apologetic attitude gave Tyler pause. The woman wasn't acting nearly as mercenary as he'd imagined she would. She hadn't even pocketed the money he'd shoved at her.

      He had an attack of conscience. “I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean to scare you.”

      “You didn't,” she said.

      “Then why are you shaking?”

      Kara stood taller, her chin jutting out, and alibied, “I'm probably just hungry.”

      “Didn't you eat that pizza?”

      “I managed half a slice before you got here.”

      “Well, no wonder you're shaky. Come on.” Without waiting for her consent, he ushered her into her office where the open pizza box rested in plain sight atop a file cabinet. He took the money from her hands, tossed it onto her desk and said, “You go wash up. I'll wait here.”

      “That's not necessary,” Kara insisted. “I'm fine.”

      “No, you're not. And it's my fault. First I made you work overtime, then I kept you from enjoying your dinner.” He scanned the office. “Got a microwave?”

      “In the back. I use it to warm food for some of the animals.” The wary look