Doctor, Darling

This was a lesson. A reminder of the reason she’d come to Miller’s Landing. Of why she didn’t date. Why she couldn’t date. She was too weak. Too vulnerable, even after all this time had passed.

When it came to men, Gillian had no self-control. She changed utterly when she fell for a guy. Gave herself over lock, stock, and barrel until there was no Gillian left. She’d been near Dr. Malloy for ten minutes and she’d already made a fool of herself.

All she had to do was stick to her one strict rule: no men, no matter what. She could do that, right? Right?

CONNER DIDN’T GO BACK inside the library. He couldn’t face Helen or the rest of them. Not after such a humiliating blunder. Not after he’d let a golden opportunity pass him by like that. Helen had offered Gillian on a silver platter, and what had he done? He’d frozen, that’s what. Sat there like a ninny with his jaw hanging open. Smooth. That was him all over.

His problem had just multiplied by ten, and it was his own fault. Instead of having a nice, pleasant meeting with the woman and letting nature take its course, he had to undo tonight’s damage, make sure she didn’t think he was a lunatic, then somehow win her over.

God, the way she’d looked at him! So confused at the beginning, and then…And then she’d given him the most welcoming smile he’d ever seen. He closed his eyes, her image so clear he could paint her from memory.