Read Online Yesterday's Roses by Heather Cullman - Free Book Online

something I don’t want to miss,” Seth quipped. “Jake Parrish rescuing a Mission Lady.”
    â€œWho said anything about the Mission Lady? If my hunch is correct, it’s Doctor Barnes who’s going to need rescuing!”

Chapter 4
    â€œYou stay right there!” Hallie warned, brandishing Maggie O’Shea’s hastily abandoned broom.
    â€œThis just goes to prove my point that females don’t have the temperament for the medical profession, doesn’t it?” barked Dr. Barnes, eyeballing his two strapping apprentices expectantly. Like automated French puppets, the young whelps bobbed their heads in practiced unions, eliciting a smug smile of approval from their mentor.
    â€œI can just imagine what that point would be, seeing what an open-minded, progressive individual you are,” Hallie snapped, still smarting from the man’s attacks on what he saw as the mental and emotional inferiority of the female sex. What irked her most was that he honestly believed that women were to be viewed like half-witted children and to be treated accordingly. It chilled her to the core to imagine the kind of medical treatment a woman would receive at his hand.
    Turning to pry her arm free from the numbing effects of Serena’s constant clench, Hallie tried to reassure her patient. “It’s all right, dear. There’s no need for you to be frightened.”
    Serena was clearly terrified by the appearance of the men, and all of Hallie’s efforts to calm her were meeting with dismal failure. Every time she managed to free herself from Serena’s convulsive grip, the woman simply reattached herself to whichever limb happened to be within her reach.
    â€œMake them go away!” Serena shrieked, peering around Hallie’s shoulder at the burly, red-faced man and his companions. Dr. Barnes glared at the pregnant woman impatiently, the menacing promise in his eyes making her shrink against Hallie with a frightened little whimper.
    â€œYou promised you wouldn’t let anyone else touch me,” she wailed childishly. “You promised!”
    Hallie patted the woman’s pale cheek. “Hush, now, Serena. No one’s going to hurt you.” Why wouldn’t these idiot men just go away and let her do her job?
    Without warning, Serena let out a long, strangled scream. Dropping her hands from Hallie’s arm, she fell to her knees, clutching at her belly with a sobbing chant. “Hurts! Hurts! Hurts!”
    â€œDamn it, woman! Can’t you see that Mrs. Parrish is about to deliver a child?” Dr. Barnes snapped his fingers at one of his apprentices, who sprang into action and began stalking toward the women.
    â€œSmart of you to have noticed,” Hallie ground out. “What was that, the second pain in the last five minutes?” With that, she swung the broom, bringing it down on the head of the apprentice who had edged too close to Serena.
    He howled as the broom made whumping contact with his skull, cowering like a mangy cur beneath Hallie’s threatening scowl.
    â€œMr. Parrish engaged me to deliver his wife’s baby,” Hallie said, “and I intend to do just that.”
    â€œI have been attending the Parrish family for many years, and let me tell you this: I don’t intend to stand by while some excitable female with pretensions of being a doctor murders one of my best patients! Do I make myself clear?”
    â€œYes. It’s clear that you’re a narrow-minded fool. As for pretending—just where did you receive your medical education, Dr. Barnes? I’d be interested to hear.” Tossing the man a challenging glare, Hallie stooped down to stroke Serena’s trembling back.
    â€œThat wouldn’t be as interesting as hearing about the training that makes you consider yourself qualified to call yourself a doctor. That is, if you have any training at all.”
    Hallie met Dr. Barnes’s impervious gaze