Janellen asked in a panicked voice.
"I've got a doctor's appointment."
Defiantly he glared at Jody, then let the door slam behind him.
Lara had spent a restless night. Even under the best of circumstances she wasn't a sound sleeper. Frequently her sleep was interrupted by bad dreams and long intervals of wakefulness. She listened for cries that she would never hear again. Sorrow was the basis of her habitual insomnia.
Last night, meeting Key Tackett had made sleep particularly elusive.
She had awakened with a dull headache. Encircling her eyes were dark rings, which cosmetics had helped to camouflage but hadn't eliminated.
Two cups of strong black coffee had relieved the headache, but she couldn't cast off the disturbing thoughts about her late-night caller.
She hadn't believed it was possible for any other man to be as attractive as Clark Tackett, but Key was. The brothers were different types, certainly. Clark had had the spit-and-polish veneer of a Marine recruit. There was never a strand of his blond hair out of place.
His impeccably tailored clothes were always well pressed; his shoes shone like mirrors. He had epitomized the clean-cut guy next door, the all-American boy whom any mother would love her daughter to bring home.
Key was the type from whom mothers hid their daughters. Although just as handsome as Clark, he was as dissimilar to his brother as a street thug to an Eagle Scout.
Key was a professional pilot. According to Clark, he flew a plane by instinct and put more faith in his own judgment and motor skills than he did in aeronautical instruments. He relied on technology only when given no other choice. Clark had boasted that there wasn't an aircraft made that his brother couldn't fly, but Key had opted to freelance rather than work for a commercial airline.
"Too many rules and regulations for him," Clark had said, smiling with indulgent affection for his younger brother. "Key likes answering to no one but himself."
Having met him and experienced firsthand the compelling allure of his mischievous smile, Lara couldn't imagine Key Tackett dressed in a spiffy captain's uniform, speaking to his passengers in a melodious voice about the weather conditions in their destination city.
Sitting in cockpits a great deal of the time had left him with attractive squint lines radiating from his eyes eyes as blue as Clark's. But Clark had been blond and fair. Key's eyes were surrounded with thick, blunt, black eyelashes. He was definitely the black sheep of the family, even in physical terms. His hair was thick and dark and as undisciplined as he. Clark had never sported a five o'clock shadow. Key hadn't shaved for days. Oddly, the stubble had contributed to, not detracted from, his appeal.
The brothers were fine specimens of the human animal. Clark had been a domesticated pet. Key was still untamed. When angeredor aroused Lara imagined he would growl.
"Good morning."
She jumped as though she'd been caught doing something she shouM feel guilty for. "Oh, good morning, Nancy. I didn't hear you come in."
"I'll say. You were a million miles away." The nurse/receptionist placed her handbag in the file case and put on a pastel lab coat.
"What happened to the telephone in the examination room?" She had come in thrcugh the back door before joining Lara in a small alcove where they kept supplies, beverages, and snacks. The kitchen of the attached house remained for Lara's personal use.
"It was flimsy, so I decided to replace it."
Because she hadn't yet sorted out her feelings about Key Tackett's visit to the clinic, she wasn't ready to discuss it with Nancy.
"Coffee?" She held up the carafe.
"Absolutely." The nurse added two teaspoons of sugar to the steamng mug Lara handed her. "Are there any doughnuts left?"
"In the
"I've got a doctor's appointment."
Defiantly he glared at Jody, then let the door slam behind him.
Lara had spent a restless night. Even under the best of circumstances she wasn't a sound sleeper. Frequently her sleep was interrupted by bad dreams and long intervals of wakefulness. She listened for cries that she would never hear again. Sorrow was the basis of her habitual insomnia.
Last night, meeting Key Tackett had made sleep particularly elusive.
She had awakened with a dull headache. Encircling her eyes were dark rings, which cosmetics had helped to camouflage but hadn't eliminated.
Two cups of strong black coffee had relieved the headache, but she couldn't cast off the disturbing thoughts about her late-night caller.
She hadn't believed it was possible for any other man to be as attractive as Clark Tackett, but Key was. The brothers were different types, certainly. Clark had had the spit-and-polish veneer of a Marine recruit. There was never a strand of his blond hair out of place.
His impeccably tailored clothes were always well pressed; his shoes shone like mirrors. He had epitomized the clean-cut guy next door, the all-American boy whom any mother would love her daughter to bring home.
Key was the type from whom mothers hid their daughters. Although just as handsome as Clark, he was as dissimilar to his brother as a street thug to an Eagle Scout.
Key was a professional pilot. According to Clark, he flew a plane by instinct and put more faith in his own judgment and motor skills than he did in aeronautical instruments. He relied on technology only when given no other choice. Clark had boasted that there wasn't an aircraft made that his brother couldn't fly, but Key had opted to freelance rather than work for a commercial airline.
"Too many rules and regulations for him," Clark had said, smiling with indulgent affection for his younger brother. "Key likes answering to no one but himself."
Having met him and experienced firsthand the compelling allure of his mischievous smile, Lara couldn't imagine Key Tackett dressed in a spiffy captain's uniform, speaking to his passengers in a melodious voice about the weather conditions in their destination city.
Sitting in cockpits a great deal of the time had left him with attractive squint lines radiating from his eyes eyes as blue as Clark's. But Clark had been blond and fair. Key's eyes were surrounded with thick, blunt, black eyelashes. He was definitely the black sheep of the family, even in physical terms. His hair was thick and dark and as undisciplined as he. Clark had never sported a five o'clock shadow. Key hadn't shaved for days. Oddly, the stubble had contributed to, not detracted from, his appeal.
The brothers were fine specimens of the human animal. Clark had been a domesticated pet. Key was still untamed. When angeredor aroused Lara imagined he would growl.
"Good morning."
She jumped as though she'd been caught doing something she shouM feel guilty for. "Oh, good morning, Nancy. I didn't hear you come in."
"I'll say. You were a million miles away." The nurse/receptionist placed her handbag in the file case and put on a pastel lab coat.
"What happened to the telephone in the examination room?" She had come in thrcugh the back door before joining Lara in a small alcove where they kept supplies, beverages, and snacks. The kitchen of the attached house remained for Lara's personal use.
"It was flimsy, so I decided to replace it."
Because she hadn't yet sorted out her feelings about Key Tackett's visit to the clinic, she wasn't ready to discuss it with Nancy.
"Coffee?" She held up the carafe.
"Absolutely." The nurse added two teaspoons of sugar to the steamng mug Lara handed her. "Are there any doughnuts left?"
"In the
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