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  For months, long before his heart attack, David Bloomfield had found excuses to drag his oldest daughter’s name into their conversations. By the time he met Valerie, Colby was thoroughly sick of hearing about her. He hadn’t even expected to like her. Instead, his heart and his head had been spinning out of control from that first moment.

  It was time to put an end to such nonsense, before either of them took this attraction business too seriously.

  “Cassidy would be a good match for a woman like Valerie,” he said as offhandedly as he could. The last thing he wanted was for Valerie’s father to know how attracted he was to her, although he suspected David already knew. The old man seemed to have a sixth sense about things like this.

  “Rowdy will, at that,” David returned matter-of-factly. “I should know, too.” The cocky grin was back in place.

  Colby’s chest tightened, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. David hadn’t referred to his dream lately, the one he’d termed his near-death experience. But from bits and pieces of conversation, Colby had learned that David was still predicting Valerie’s wedding. It made sense that the man he expected her to marry was Rowdy Cassidy.

  All the better. He—

  “Stephanie’s home,” David said conversationally, cutting into Colby’s thoughts. “I saw her briefly this morning. What a lovely sight she was to these tired old eyes.”

  Colby nodded, finding it difficult to dispel the image of Valerie married to her employer. Well, he’d better get used to the idea, because it was likely to happen soon. And because he refused to deliberately ruin his life by marrying the wrong woman.

  He’d call Sherry this afternoon, Colby decided with renewed determination, and ask her out to dinner. One thing was certain; he intended to steer clear of Valerie Bloomfield, regardless of how hard that was.

  So much for the best laid plans, Colby mused as he left the Surgical Intensive Care Unit. Valerie was standing in the corridor waiting for him. As always, when he saw her, his heart was gladdened. An old-fashioned expression, perhaps, but he didn’t know how else to describe what he felt when he was with Valerie.

  He remembered the time he’d sought her out after losing Joanna Murphy. Just being with her had taken the sharp edge off the pain of that unexpected death, had helped him deal with the frustration, the sense of powerlessness. When she’d suggested coffee, his first inclination had been to refuse, but he’d found he couldn’t. Sharing his concerns with her had, in some indefinable way, comforted him.

  It seemed to him that their conversation had helped her, too, in coming to terms with her father’s illness.

  They’d helped each other. In thinking about those moments together, Colby understood why he couldn’t simply dismiss his fascination with her as sexual attraction. That was part of it, all right. But more than any woman he’d ever known, Valerie Bloomfield was his equal. In intelligence, in emotional strength, in commitment to those she loved.

  Every time Colby had been with her since, he experienced an elation, a small joy that left him feeling bewildered. Left him wanting to be with her even more. Yet he knew he couldn’t afford to pursue a relationship that had no chance of lasting.

  “You wanted to see me?” Valerie asked, her eyes meeting his expectantly.

  He frowned and shook his head. “No.”

  “Norah left a note for me last night, saying you’d phoned.”

  “Oh, that. It was nothing.” He wanted to kick himself for that phone call now. He’d been looking for a reason to talk to her. His day had been long and tiring, and his defenses down, so he’d made up an excuse to hear the sound of her voice.

  “I just wanted to tell you I’m transferring your father from SICU this morning,” he went on quickly. “His progress has been nothing short of remarkable. If it continues like this, he’ll be out of the hospital inside a week.”

  Valerie’s eyes sparkled with relief. “That’s wonderful news! It seems everything’s happening at once. I don’t know if you heard, but Steffie got home last night.”

  “So I understand.” Colby watched her closely. Although she said nothing else, he realized that something was troubling Valerie. Her brow had furrowed, ever so briefly, when she mentioned her sister’s name. Colby suspected she wasn’t aware of the tiny, telltale action.

  “Something going on with your sister?”

  Her eyes widened in surprise. “Yes, just now. She was sitting in the waiting room reading a copy of the Clarion when she jumped to her feet, demanding to know if I’d read it. Before I could say anything, she dashed out, taking the paper with her. I can’t remember ever seeing Steffie so angry. I’m not sure what got into her, but I’m guessing it has to do with Charles Tomaselli.”

  “I’m sure she’ll tell you eventually.”

  “I’m sure she will, too, although I have a feeling this is connected to an article he wrote with Dad’s help. I just don’t understand what she found so offensive. I read it and I didn’t see any problem. Those two can’t seem to get along. They never could. It’s always surprised me, because she seemed to be so keen on him and I was beginning to think he felt the same way.”

  The temptation to linger, even to suggest they have coffee together, was overwhelming, but Colby resisted. He was doing a lot of that where Valerie was concerned. Resisting. He only hoped his willpower held firm until she went back to Texas—and to Cassidy—where she belonged.

  “Valerie,” Steffie said, standing in the doorway outside Valerie’s bedroom. “Have you got a moment?”

  “Sure.” Valerie was sitting up in bed reading, but her mind wasn’t on the latest computer technology she’d had every intention of studying. With infuriating frequency, her thoughts drifted away from high resolution monitors and narrowed in on Colby. She welcomed her sister’s visit, not least as a distraction.

  Steffie crossed the room and sat on the edge of Valerie’s bed. “I made a complete fool of myself this morning,” she said, her eyes downcast.

  Valerie waited for her to explain, but further details didn’t seem to be forthcoming. Her curiosity was aroused, but she didn’t want to pry.

  “With Charles,” Steffie finally said, drawing her knees up and circling them with her arms. “It isn’t the first time, either. He’s the one person in the world I swore I’d never speak to again and then, the first few hours I’m home, I make an idiot of myself over him.”

  Valerie set aside her business journal and drew up her own knees. “He’s been worried about you.”

  “You’ve talked to him? When? What did he say?” Steffie’s head came up. Her long dark hair fell to the middle of her back, and her eyes probed Valerie’s. Although Steff was almost twenty-seven, she looked closer to eighteen. Especially now, when she felt so embarrassed.

  “Charles asked about you shortly after I got home, and later he was concerned because you didn’t arrive when we expected you. Apparently he made some inquiries, trying to track you down. Both Norah and I were so caught up in what was happening with Dad that we weren’t as worried about your late appearance as we should’ve been. Charles, however, seemed terribly anxious.”

  “He was just hoping I’d get home in time to make an idiot of myself, which I did.”

  Valerie thought that was unfair of Steffie. “Charles has been wonderful,” she protested, still wondering exactly what Stephanie had done.

  “To you and Norah. I’m the one he can’t get along with.” Steffie’s shoulders rose as she gave a deep, heartfelt sigh. “How do you know when you’re in love, really in love?” she asked plaintively.

  Their mother should be the one answering that question. Not Valerie. She hadn’t figured out her relationships with Colby or Rowdy. Bemused, she shook her head. She could outsmart the competition, put together some of the biggest deals in the industry, but she didn’t know how to tell if she was in love.

  “I wish I could answer that,” Valerie said quietly. “I know next to nothing about love. I was sort of hoping you’d be able to enlighten
me.”

  Steffie frowned. “Don’t tell me we’re going to have to talk to Norah about this.”

  “We can’t,” Valerie said, then started to laugh.

  “What’s so funny? Listen, Val, this isn’t a time for humor, or even pride. If Norah knows more than we do, which she probably does, then we should forget she’s the youngest and come right out and ask her.”

  “We can’t ask Norah about love, because she isn’t here,” Valerie said. “She’s on a date.”

  Steffie started to laugh, too, not because it was particularly funny, but because it was a rare moment of shared closeness.

  “Reading between the lines of your letters, I assumed you’d fallen in love with your boss,” she said next. “You never said as much, but the two of you seemed to be spending a lot of time together.”

  “I think I might’ve been half in love with him until I met Colby.”

  “Dad’s heart doctor?”

  Valerie nodded. “When I first got home, Dad was fully expecting to die. He actually seemed to be looking forward to it, which annoyed everyone. Although not being able to get home must have been a nightmare for you, it might be the one thing that kept him hanging on as long as he did.”

  “You’re sidestepping the issue. Tell me about Colby.”

  “It started with Dad’s matchmaking efforts, which I found rather amusing and Colby found utterly frustrating, but then as we got to know each other we realized there was a spark.” More of a blowtorch than a spark, really, but she wasn’t going to say that.

  “If you’re in love with Colby, then why do you look like you’re going to cry?”

  “Because we both know it wouldn’t work. He’s a small-town doctor, who also lectures at Portland University. Although he could practice anywhere, he wants to stay right here in Orchard Valley.”

  “And you don’t?”

  “I don’t think I could be happy here,” Valerie said miserably. “Not anymore. And there are other problems, too….”

  “But if you truly loved each other, you’d be able to find a solution to your differences.”

  “That’s just it. I don’t know if this is love, and I don’t think Colby does, either. Everything would be much easier if we did.”

  “Yes, but if he’s the right person…”

  “I don’t know. I’m attracted to him. I think about him constantly, but is that enough for me to forsake all my ambitions? Give up my career? I don’t know,” she said again, “and it’s got me tied up in knots. How do I decide? And if I did quit CHIPS and found some other job around here, how do I know I wouldn’t resent him five years down the road? How do I know he wouldn’t end up resenting me for not being a more traditional kind of woman—which is what he wants? Besides, even if I do love Colby, how can I be sure he feels the same way about me?”

  “I wish Mom was here.”

  “So do I,” Valerie said fervently. “Oh, Steffie, so do I.”

  Valerie didn’t see Colby for several days. Four, to be exact. As her father’s health improved, she spent less and less time at the hospital, therefore decreasing her chances of casually running into him. She was working out of the house, and that helped. Being in a familiar place, doing familiar tasks, allayed her fears and tempered her frustrations.

  She knew she should think about returning to Texas. The crisis had passed, and by remaining in Orchard Valley she was creating one of a different sort. CHIPS, Inc., needed her. Rowdy Cassidy needed her. She’d already missed one important business trip, and although Rowdy had encouraged her to stay in Orchard Valley as long as necessary, he’d also let her know he was looking forward to her return.

  Valerie had almost run out of excuses for staying in Oregon. Her father was going to be discharged in record time and Valerie, with her two sisters, planned a celebration dinner that included Colby.

  She was surprised he’d accepted the invitation. Surprised and pleased. She was hungry for the sight of him. He was in her thoughts constantly, and she wondered if it was the same for him.

  All afternoon, she’d been feeling like a schoolgirl. Excited and nearly giddy at the prospect of her father’s homecoming—especially since Colby would be driving him back.

  Norah had been in the kitchen most of the afternoon, with Stephanie as her assistant. Since Valerie’s culinary skills were limited to salad preparation and napkin folding, she’d been assigned both jobs, along with setting the table.

  “What time is it?” Steffie called from the kitchen.

  Valerie, who was carefully arranging their best china on the dining-room table, shot a glance at the grandfather clock. “Five.”

  “They’re due in less than thirty minutes.”

  “Do I detect a note of panic?” Valerie teased.

  “Dinner isn’t even close to being done,” Steffie told her.

  They’d chosen a menu that included none of their father’s favorites. David Bloomfield was a meat-and-potatoes man, but that was all about to change. Colby had been very definite about that. From now on, David would be a low-cholesterol-and-high-fiber man.

  “The table’s set,” Valerie informed the others. As far as she knew, it was the first time they’d brought out the good china since their mother’s death. But their father’s welcome-home dinner warranted using the very best.

  Fifteen minutes later, Valerie glanced out the living-room window to see Colby’s maroon car coming down the long driveway. “They’re here!” she shouted, hurrying to the front porch, barely able to contain her excitement.

  This moment seemed like a miracle to her. She’d come to accept that she was going to lose her father, and now he’d been given a second chance at life. This was so much more than she’d dared hope.

  Steffie and Norah joined her on the porch. Colby climbed out of the car first and came around to assist David. It was all Valerie could do not to rush down the steps and help him herself. Although her father had made phenomenal progress in the eight days since his surgery, he remained terribly pale and thinner than she’d ever seen him. But his eyes glowed with obvious pride and satisfaction as he looked at his three daughters.

  He turned to Colby and said something Valerie couldn’t hear. Whatever it was made Colby’s eyes dart toward Valerie. She met his gaze, all too briefly, then they looked hurriedly away from each other, as though embarrassed to be caught staring.

  “I’m afraid dinner’s not quite ready,” Norah said as Colby eased David into his recliner by the fireplace.

  “I’ve been waiting two weeks for a decent meal,” David grumbled. “Hospital food doesn’t sit well with me. I hope you’ve outdone yourself.”

  “I have,” Norah promised, smiling at Valerie. Their father wasn’t expecting poached salmon and dill sauce with salad and rice, but he’d adjust to healthier eating habits soon enough.

  “Can I get you anything, Dad?” Valerie asked, assuming he’d request the paper or a cup of coffee.

  “Walk down and see if the Howard boy is still in the orchard, would you, Val?”

  “Of course, but I don’t think you should worry about the orchard now.”

  “I’m not worried. I just want to know what’s been going on while I was laid up. I promise I’m not going to overdo it. Colby wouldn’t let me. I tried to die three times, but he was right there making sure I didn’t. You don’t think I’d want to ruin all that work, do you?”

  Valerie grinned. “All right, I’ll check and see if the foreman’s still around.”

  “Colby,” David said, raising his index finger imperiously, “you go with her. I don’t want her walking in the orchard alone.”

  The request was a shamefully blatant excuse to throw them together, but neither complained.

  Colby followed her out the front door and down the porch steps. “You don’t need to come,” she said, looking up at him. “I’ve been walking through these orchards since I was a toddler. I won’t get lost.”

  “I know that.”

  “Dad was just inventing a way for us to
be alone.”

  “I know that, too. He told me while we were driving here that he intended to do this.”

  “But why?”

  “Isn’t it obvious?”

  “Yes, but…” Her father had hinted more than once that he anticipated a prompt wedding between her and Rowdy Cassidy. He’d apparently dropped the idea of her marrying Colby—so did he want her to clarify that in person? He seemed downright delighted at the prospect of Rowdy as a son-in-law, talking about her marriage as if it were a foregone conclusion.

  “How have you been?” Colby asked. They strolled in the late-afternoon sunshine toward the west side of the orchard, where the equipment was kept. There was a small office in the storage building, as well, and if Dale Howard was still in the orchard that was the most likely place to find him.

  “I’ve been fine. And you?” Valerie could tell him the truth about her feelings or she could tell him a half-truth. She chose the truth. “I’ve missed you.”

  Colby clasped his hands behind his back, as she’d seen him do before. It might have been wishful thinking on her part, but Valerie thought he did so in an effort to keep from touching her.

  “I understand your boss is calling you every day,” he said stiffly.

  “I understand you took Sherry Waterman out to dinner this week,” she retorted.

  “It didn’t help,” he muttered. “The whole time we were together I kept thinking I’d rather be with you. Is that what you were hoping to hear?”

  Valerie dropped her gaze to the dirt beneath her feet. “No, but I’ll admit I’m glad.”

  “This isn’t going to work.”

  How rigid his words sounded, as though he was holding himself in check, but finding it more and more difficult. “What isn’t?”

  “You…being here.”

  “Here? You didn’t have to come with me! I’ve already explained that I’m perfectly capable of finding my way—”

  “CHIPS stock went up two dollars a share last week.”