his heart.
“It’s not serious,” Pepper said.
“No, it’s not, I promise,” Luke replied, and received the full brunt of her displeased glare as she motioned him into the foyer.
“What are you talking about?” she demanded.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I was a million miles away.”
“Nothing new about that,” she said, her tone a bit more icy than before. “Your father has high blood pressure, which can be easily managed with proper medication. Without a more thorough exam there is little more I can tell, and my suggestion is that he see a qualified internist in Dallas. If they feel it is warranted, they could recommend a cardiologist.”
Luke blinked. “I don’t think my father will see a doctor in Dallas.”
She drew herself up to firmly stare into his eyes. “He gave me his word that he would.”
“Oh?” Luke crooked a brow. “And how did you manage that?”
“I told him if he didn’t work to get some of his more garden variety medical issues resolved, bigger ones would crop up, allowing him a lot less time tospend with his only son, who has just returned home to be with him.”
Irritation crept into Luke. “I wasn’t planning on staying long.”
She shook her head. “While I’m not surprised, you may wish to rethink that. He is your flesh and blood.”
Luke squinted, thinking long and hard about how he should reply to that, and then decided to throw all caution to the wind. “I really don’t think much about flesh and blood, to be honest.”
She sucked in a breath. “Luke McGarrett, how can you say such a spiritless thing? That’s your father sitting in there.”
“You don’t understand. It wouldn’t matter. Today he says he cares. Tomorrow will be different.”
“And if it isn’t?” Pepper asked, her eyebrows raised.
He reached out to lay a palm gently against her cheek in a soft caress. “Trust me, I know him too well.”
“You knew him too well. People change.”
“Why do you care?” he asked, letting his hand drop to his side. “You have no dog in this fight. No pawn in the war.”
“Luke,” she said softly, “whatever was between you has been put away by him. He’s waving a white flag. Can’t you do the same?”
“Did you say you were a doctor or a psychologist?” Luke demanded, unwilling to bend.
Pepper hesitated a long time before she said, “I’m just someone who cares.”
His face broke into a grin he was surprised to find he couldn’t control. “I knew it. I knew there was something between us. You felt it, too.”
She took a step back. “No,” she said, “you’re looking for an excuse. I care about all my patients .”
He frowned. “You’re playing games.”
“You’re misreading me.” She walked outside and he followed her to her van. “I need to get to the saloon, so you’ll have to excuse me. I’ll bring a list of internists for your father to choose from tomorrow when I come to see him .”
Silently, Luke watched as she drove away.
P EPPER FELT SAD after talking to Luke. She drove to the Tulips Saloon, thinking about the depth of bitterness he still held for his father. Everyone in town knew that McGarrett was a tough man with few—or no—friends, and that he’d been hard on his son. Real hard. But she felt pretty certain he hadn’t taken care of himself in a long time, long enough to be doing some real damage that needed to be managed with a doctor’s supervision.
She wondered if Luke would care if his father passed away. Right now, it felt as if she cared more than he did about his father’s condition—and it wasn’t just the doctor in her who was concerned.
Toby and Josh deserved the chance to know the only grandfather—only grandparent—they had.
Her conscience ate at her hungrily. Savagely.
She had some fault in this, too. It wasn’t just Luke who made decisions based on the past.
On the sidewalk in front of the saloon stood herfriends, people who had known her all her life. They were
“It’s not serious,” Pepper said.
“No, it’s not, I promise,” Luke replied, and received the full brunt of her displeased glare as she motioned him into the foyer.
“What are you talking about?” she demanded.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I was a million miles away.”
“Nothing new about that,” she said, her tone a bit more icy than before. “Your father has high blood pressure, which can be easily managed with proper medication. Without a more thorough exam there is little more I can tell, and my suggestion is that he see a qualified internist in Dallas. If they feel it is warranted, they could recommend a cardiologist.”
Luke blinked. “I don’t think my father will see a doctor in Dallas.”
She drew herself up to firmly stare into his eyes. “He gave me his word that he would.”
“Oh?” Luke crooked a brow. “And how did you manage that?”
“I told him if he didn’t work to get some of his more garden variety medical issues resolved, bigger ones would crop up, allowing him a lot less time tospend with his only son, who has just returned home to be with him.”
Irritation crept into Luke. “I wasn’t planning on staying long.”
She shook her head. “While I’m not surprised, you may wish to rethink that. He is your flesh and blood.”
Luke squinted, thinking long and hard about how he should reply to that, and then decided to throw all caution to the wind. “I really don’t think much about flesh and blood, to be honest.”
She sucked in a breath. “Luke McGarrett, how can you say such a spiritless thing? That’s your father sitting in there.”
“You don’t understand. It wouldn’t matter. Today he says he cares. Tomorrow will be different.”
“And if it isn’t?” Pepper asked, her eyebrows raised.
He reached out to lay a palm gently against her cheek in a soft caress. “Trust me, I know him too well.”
“You knew him too well. People change.”
“Why do you care?” he asked, letting his hand drop to his side. “You have no dog in this fight. No pawn in the war.”
“Luke,” she said softly, “whatever was between you has been put away by him. He’s waving a white flag. Can’t you do the same?”
“Did you say you were a doctor or a psychologist?” Luke demanded, unwilling to bend.
Pepper hesitated a long time before she said, “I’m just someone who cares.”
His face broke into a grin he was surprised to find he couldn’t control. “I knew it. I knew there was something between us. You felt it, too.”
She took a step back. “No,” she said, “you’re looking for an excuse. I care about all my patients .”
He frowned. “You’re playing games.”
“You’re misreading me.” She walked outside and he followed her to her van. “I need to get to the saloon, so you’ll have to excuse me. I’ll bring a list of internists for your father to choose from tomorrow when I come to see him .”
Silently, Luke watched as she drove away.
P EPPER FELT SAD after talking to Luke. She drove to the Tulips Saloon, thinking about the depth of bitterness he still held for his father. Everyone in town knew that McGarrett was a tough man with few—or no—friends, and that he’d been hard on his son. Real hard. But she felt pretty certain he hadn’t taken care of himself in a long time, long enough to be doing some real damage that needed to be managed with a doctor’s supervision.
She wondered if Luke would care if his father passed away. Right now, it felt as if she cared more than he did about his father’s condition—and it wasn’t just the doctor in her who was concerned.
Toby and Josh deserved the chance to know the only grandfather—only grandparent—they had.
Her conscience ate at her hungrily. Savagely.
She had some fault in this, too. It wasn’t just Luke who made decisions based on the past.
On the sidewalk in front of the saloon stood herfriends, people who had known her all her life. They were
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