Read Online Healing Dr. Fortune by JUDY DUARTE - Free Book Online

for the time being, Lily was alone again, and Jeremy’s heart ached for her.
    As he sat with her this evening, reflecting on the losses he’d had over the past six years, he wondered if it had been a mistake to pass on a nightcap.
    Of course, he hadn’t actually lost his dad—not until they found a body—but it was becoming more and more difficult to remain positive that the man would eventually come home, and that the wedding would be rescheduled.
    â€œWe’ll find him,” Lily had said on several different occasions. “I can’t explain how I know, but I’m certain he’s still alive.”
    Jeremy took comfort in her quiet faith, and he wondered if Lily might be the one providing support to him, rather than the other way around.
    It was possible, he supposed.
    There had always been something special about Lily, something that struck Jeremy as both strong and vulnerable at the same time. He wasn’t sure what it was about her that he admired the most or what it was that drew him to her, but she provided him with some kind of maternal link that he’d been missing ever since his mom died.
    Was that what his dad had come to appreciate about Lily? That she took the edge off his loss, too?
    So how was it that Lily held on to hope that William was still alive when even Jeremy was beginning to fear the worst?
    Had she experienced a dream or had some kind of premonition?
    Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have asked for an explanation, but his dream and his date with Kirsten were too fresh on his mind, and he found himself quizzing her anyway.
    â€œCan I ask you a question, Lily?”
    She glanced up from her teacup and smiled. “Of course.”
    â€œDo you ever have dreams that turn out to be real or that might even reveal the future?”
    â€œWhy do you ask?”
    â€œBecause I had a dream a few nights back. And in it, I saw a woman I’d never met before. I didn’t exactly see her face, but I got a glimpse of her hair color and part of her profile. Then, the next day, I met her—or someone who could have been her.”
    Lily, who still held her teacup, cocked her head slightly to the side. The look in her eyes indicated that she suspected that there was more going on than a chance meeting.
    He wouldn’t have shared his thoughts about Kirsten and the dream with anyone else, but he trusted Lily with the details. “I had the feeling that I was married in that dream—and that I was happier than I’d ever been before. So when I spotted the woman the next day, it left me a little unbalanced.”
    â€œDid you get a chance to talk to her?”
    He nodded.
    â€œWhat’s her name?”
    â€œKirsten.”
    Lily bent forward and returned her teacup to the saucer that rested on the table. “Maybe you should ask her out.”
    â€œActually,” Jeremy said, grinning, “we had dinner together this evening.”
    Lily blessed him with a slow, knowing smile.
    â€œAnd…?”
    â€œI enjoyed our time together and would like to take her out again.”
    Lily’s smile faded. “Why do I get the feeling that there’s a problem?”
    â€œBecause I’ve got a practice in Sacramento and won’t be in Red Rock forever.”
    Silence shrouded the room as they both realized what was keeping him in town. Finally, Lily said, “You’ve put your life on hold for your father, Jeremy. And I can appreciate that. But are you sure it’s not going to affect your practice to be away from it for so long?”
    â€œI took that leave of absence for several reasons,” he admitted. “I need some time to reevaluate a few things in my life.”
    Lily leaned back in her seat and placed her hands in her lap. “And how is Kirsten affecting your reevaluation process?”
    â€œI’m not sure. But if what I’m feeling for her continuesto grow, it’s going to… Well, it