The Doctor's Unexpected Family: (Inspirational Romance) (Port Provident: Hurricane Hope) by Kristen Ethridge Page A

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     “But…couldn’t you just put your airbed here in the living room?”
    Angela knew he was a skilled doctor and had a compassionate bedside manner, but as he cocked that eyebrow again, the combination of it and his cheeky grin made her wonder just what sort of man Dr. Pete Shipley really was.
    “Look, my allergies are a mess right now with all the stuff the storm has blown into the air, so I snore, okay? If you and Celina want a good night’s sleep, you’ll gladly take me up on my offer and put me out under the stars.”
    Angela had seen a lot of stars on their drive out to East Beach, their clear brightness twinkling above the water, undimmed by the sheer number of lights back in the core of the city. But as Dr. Pete Shipley gave her a quick wink to punctuate his assertion, Angela couldn’t help but wonder if there wasn’t something equally bright about this man who’d literally turned his life upside down and graciously opened his home to help a friend of a friend.
    She could see now why Gloria had always spoken highly of her boss. Everyone needed a friend like Pete Shipley, even if the arrangement was only temporary.

    The next morning, after he’d dropped Angela off at City Hall and settled Celina in with some family and friends gathered on the lawn of the church, Pete did a double-take at the sight of the mountain of generosity in front of him. Since Hurricane Hope, it had felt like Port Provident had been shut off from the rest of the world. But this was real, tangible proof that people off the island and around the world had heard about what had happened.
    And more than that, it was proof that they cared.
    Four teenagers had been dispatched to help him, and they spent the morning sorting the goods into piles. Food, clothing, and household goods each went to a separate corner of the torn-out sanctuary. Without carpet or fixtures, the room resembled a warehouse more than a house of worship.
    Pete himself took responsibility for anything that could be classified as medical supplies. He’d found a pen and a notepad and started taking inventory of what they had. He still wasn’t sure what they were going to do with all this, but it would be easier to pull together a plan once he knew exactly what he was dealing with.
    It was kind of like putting together a diagnosis for a big pile of stuff. And if there was one thing he remained confident in, it was his ability to put together a diagnosis.
    He wasn’t too sure about some other things in his life, but he was still a good doctor, so he figured he’d just focus on that for now.
    “Dr. Pete! Dr. Pete!” The door at the back of the sanctuary opened with a crash, and the noise didn’t stop. Celina ran up to him and tapped him on the back with the force of a respiratory therapist trying to loosen some phlegm in the lungs.
     She waggled a stuffed animal in his face. “They sent toys! They sent toys!”
    “They sent a little bit of everything, didn’t they?” Pete thought the light in her eyes could have illuminated the whole island.
    “Can I have this one? Please?” She hugged the brown bear tightly. He was a squishy sort, with thick, glossy fur and rather pronounced ears.
    Pete had wanted to get everything catalogued and a plan developed before letting anything leave the temporary storage setup here in the sanctuary. “Well, we need to figure out what we are doing with everything first.”
    He dropped to his knees so he could be eye-level with Celina as they talked.
    “Oh.” The one syllable sank to a low octave. “I just miss Huggy Lovey. A lot.”
    He’d remembered Celina mentioning that name yesterday, and his curiosity was piqued. “Who is Huggy Lovey?”
    Celina looked at her shoes and scuffed them on the ground. “He was my stuffed dog. I used to cuddle with him at night. But we forgot and left him in my room, and Mama said he got all wet. I just want someone to snuggle with.”
    Pete nodded. He remembered that feeling of snuggling,