Love Inspired May 2015 #2 by Missy Tippens, Jean C. Gordon, Patricia Johns Page B

to raise her child.”
    Pain flashed in Violet’s eyes. “Sometimes circumstances make that impossible.”
    â€œI guess we’ll find out. In the meantime, I’m going to make sure Abigail stays with family.” Jake slipped the girl back in her car seat and buckled the straps. Then he put the new formula in the diaper bag. “Thanks for the samples.”
    Violet observed him through squinted eyes as if trying to see inside him, to test his character. “Call if she’s not better in a couple of days.”
    â€œI will.” A tense breath eased out of him. Would she let him deal with their family situation as he saw fit?
    She drummed her fingers on the exam table, crinkling the paper covering, as she stared at the baby. “Abigail is well cared for, so I won’t make any calls right now. I’ll give you, Edith and Paul time. But I’ll be checking on her.”
    Sawing his teeth back and forth, he bit back the retort that nearly flew out of his mouth. “I may not know a lot about infants, but Abigail is my flesh and blood. You can rest assured I’ll protect her.”
    A knock sounded on the door, and the nurse, someone Jake didn’t know, stuck her head inside. “Dr. Crenshaw, we’re back from lunch, and your first patient is waiting for you.”
    The young woman didn’t look pleased that the man and baby who’d barged in during lunch were still there.
    â€œRemember,” Violet said to Jake. “Keep in touch.” She snapped the medical file closed and zipped out of the room.
    Jake had to get out of there and find Remy. And he had to do it before Violet changed her mind about calling the authorities.

Chapter Four
    B irds busily chirped and whistled as Violet finished her morning run. She bent over, resting her hands on her thighs and sucking in air, then forced herself up to walk two laps around the perimeter of the yard to cool down. When she reached the patio, she stretched her tired muscles.
How many patients will I see today?
She still needed to check the calendar and hoped this week would bring in more income than last week.
    How much will the July electric bill be? It’s been so hot this summer.
    The sunrise lightened the sky from gray to a pale blue as she pulled in a slow, deep breath, held it, then released it, expelling worries that tried to intrude. She refused to brood over how Jake’s grumbling around town had affected her ability to bring in patients.
    Did Abigail have a good night?
    No. Don’t go there. She needed to use the early-morning time wisely.
    Violet never needed an alarm clock. Hadn’t since her teens. Something internal woke her every morning between four and five o’clock, and then her thoughts—of the past and of the present—kept her awake. In the beginning, the early rising frustrated her. But since moving into this house, she’d learned to battle the frustration by being productive. She’d usually run to burn off tension, then spend time outside preparing for the day by studying patient cases or reviewing her schedule.
    If nothing else, she was a pro at taking old wounds and regrets and pushing them away.
    She grabbed her water bottle and guzzled. Then she went inside, kicked off her shoes and socks and slipped into her favorite worn flip-flops. The aroma of coffee drew her to the pot that had brewed on a timer while she was out.
    Drawing comfort from the rituals, Violet found routine helped control thoughts that invariably tried to intrude. She couldn’t allow a moment of worry over her relationship with her parents, or what her son might look like, or when her practice would make a profit. She needed to work hard and push ahead.
    With a cup of steaming coffee laced with hazelnut creamer, she went outside to sit on the patio. Touching the screen of her tablet, she pulled up her schedule for the day. The first patient was a four-year-old who’d had a persistent