Page 55 of The Doctor's Irreplaceable Love

“How about we meet back here at five.”

“Sounds good, but if you need more time take it.Don’t feel like you need to rush.”

She leaned in and kissed him again.“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a very considerate man, Jack Harvey?”

He shook his head with a laugh and decided to leave it at that.There was no need to explain how much he loved hearing her call him by his real name—or that one of the many names that Katrina had called him in the months leading up to their divorce wasthe most inconsiderate prick who’d ever walked the Earth.

~ ~ ~

When Shelley got back to the house, she let herself in and went straight to the laundry room to dump her duffel bag.She frowned when she saw that the washer lid was open.She must have forgotten to close it, which surprised her—she had something of a phobia about leaving it open since the time she’d found a mouse stuck inside the drum when she was still married to Jeff.The poor little thing must have fallen in and was alternately running around in circles desperately seeking escape and sitting dazed and terrified.

She hadn’t been able to catch it to free it, and when Jeff came home, she’d asked him to do it.She sighed at the memory.He hadn’t been able to catch it either, so he’d squashed it and killed it.It had broken her heart.

She went back out to the kitchen, shaking off the image in her head of the terrified look in the little thing’s eyes, and later, its poor broken little body.

She frowned when she saw a note on the countertop and picked it up.

Hi Shelley.

I came by to talk to you about the end of your lease.I know we said month to month,

but can you be out by the 26th?I’ve had an inquiry about a short-term booking, and

they want to stay from the 27th until the 10th.

You don’t seem to be here much lately anyway, so I hope that will work for you.

Give me a call to discuss when you see this note.

Derek Lang

She read the note again and shuddered.She didn’t really like Derek, hadn’t since the first time they spoke on the phone, but he’d been accommodating enough so far.Part of her was irritated by the request, part of her thought it was probably perfectly reasonable.

What she didn’t like was that he’d let himself in and left the note rather than calling.There was no need for him to come inside when she wasn’t here.She wondered if he’d been snooping around—maybe that was why the washer lid was open?She shuddered again.

She didn’t need to call him immediately—although she’d do it soon.She didn’t like that he’d asked her to call when she got the note—presumably so that he’d know how long she’d been away for.

She went to look in the cupboard to see what she had and what she’d need to get before Harper arrived.As she did so, she realized that the note meant she’d have to start making decisions.She didn’t know how long Harper planned to stay or if her visit might be cut short if Shelley had to give up the house early.

She closed her eyes for a moment.The bigger question—the one she’d been ignoring—was whether she needed to find a new place.Was she going to stick around and give it a real shot with Trip?Or had her own departure been brought forward by Derek’s note?

She took her phone from her purse and started making a shopping list.She’d deal with the practical details first—and think about the rest as she went.

It was three-thirty by the time she got back from the grocery store.It shouldn’t have taken that long, but she’d gone a little overboard in preparation for Harper’s arrival.Shelley had told Trip that she herself was a city girl, but she had nothing on Harper.Harper loved her herbal teas, and gourmet cheeses, and all the kinds of foods and treats that Shelley hadn’t expected to be able to find in Livingston.

As usual, though, the locals had come through for her with kindness and unexpected surprises.When she’d asked one of the employees in the grocery store about Harper’s favorite peppermint and licorice tea, another customer had overheard and directed Shelley to a health food store she hadn’t known existed.

In thanking her, Shelley had explained about her friend coming to visit, and the woman had told her to check out Deb’s wine store—not only because Deb stockedall them fancy wines and stuff, but because she also had a deli counter in the back where she sold fancy cheese andchar-cooty meatsas well.

The woman had bid her farewell, promising that even her friend from New York city would be impressed.

As she unpacked the shopping bags, Shelley had to concede that the woman was right.Harper would be thrilled—and no doubt surprised.She’d already joked a few times about being prepared to eat nothing but meat and potatoes when she came.Shelley had told her that the local food scene might surprise her—it was much more sophisticated than she’d expected.

She placed the fancy cheeses into the fridge drawer one by one—triple-cream Brillat-Savarin, a wedge of aged manchego, a slab of truffle pecorino.The duck rillettes she nestled into the top shelf beside a pot of fig jam.The charcuterie she'd picked out on the woman’s recommendation—bresaola, finocchiona, and a beautiful round of rosette de Lyon—looked like something from a New York boutique.

She paused and smiled to herself, imagining Harper’s face when she saw it all laid out.

“I may not have a charcuterie board,” she murmured aloud, “but I’ve got a cutting board and a cheese knife—and Deb says that'll do just fine.”