A Promise Of Home (A Lake Howling Novel Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

that tended to curl in the rain and brown eyes that melted when she saw animals. Well, they once had anyway, and she was also one of the few people who knew why Branna was terrified of doctors.
    “Doctor McBride is the best, Branna. How about you come sit in the chair and let her take a quick look at you? Then she'll give you something for your sore head.”
    “I-I don’t th-think I can, Annabelle.”
    “Sure you can, and while I'm still pissed with you for leaving me without a word, after ten years I've just about forgiven you, so why don't you let me, Jake, and Doctor McBride here help you.”
    The side of Jake’s shirt stayed clutched in Branna’s hand, the other Annabelle held, and they all made their way across to the chair, while Doctor McBride chatted to her son about his favorite meatballs that she was making him for dinner that night. Branna latched onto the silly conversation like a lifeline, focusing on each word to distract herself from what was to come.
    “Finish it with a brownie and chocolate sauce, and I’ll be persuaded to look at Dad’s Bronco before I leave.”
    “Deal.”
    Branna sat with Annabelle on one side holding her hand and Jake on the other.
    “I’m just going to have a look at you now, Branna. If at any time you want me to stop, you just say. If something hurts, you just let me know, and if you feel sick, then you just turn to your right and throw up on Jake’s shoes,” Doctor McBride said.
    “My mother, the caring face of Howling. If only your patients really knew you like I do.”
    Branna had a brief vision of her mother and quickly pushed it aside.
    Doctor McBride talked as she checked Branna over, her words directed to either Belle or her son, and Branna sat tense and silent while she did so. When she touched her head, Branna bit her lip.
    “We need to give that a cleanup, Annabelle, and maybe a stitch or two?”
    “No needles…please,” Branna heard the plea in her words. She was pathetic. How could a person of twenty-eight still be traumatized by events that happened fifteen years ago? She hated herself for the weakness that still plagued her.
    “It’s all right, Branna, I’m not going to hurt you,” Doctor McBride said gently.
    “You sure are a scaredy cat, Branna O’Donnell. If I’d known in school you were this easy to crack, I would have tried harder.”
    “I’m not a scaredy-cat, Jake McBride,” Branna said through gritted teeth. “And grown men don’t speak like that, you wimp.”
    He continued to poke at her with verbal jabs, which she tried to field, as his mother worked on her head. It helped.
    “Don’t you remember, Annabelle? Rosebud here had that thing for Nick Fletcher. She kept looking at him all gooey eyed until he asked to change classes just to get away from her.”
    “I did not,” Branna gritted out. “That was the other girl with the really big…ah—”
    “Yes, they were certainly a fine pair,” Jake sighed. “Kaylee Summers, we were all in love with her, except Nick, who, as it turned out, was in love with Mandy Griffin.”
    “D-didn’t she h-have a funny thing going on with her eyes?” Branna swallowed, as she felt something dig into her head. It didn’t hurt, but still, just the thought of a needle anywhere near her was terrifying.
    “You take a nice deep breath now, Rosebud. That’s it, now another,” Jake said, pulling his shirt free of her grip and then clasping her hand, her fingers sliding between his.
    “Kaylee had a ton of vision therapy, which corrected it and she’s grown up and out some since then. Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher now run the art gallery here in town. He’s lost his hair and puffed out a bit himself.”
    Surprised by Annabelle’s words, Branna momentarily forgot her pain. “You’re not serious? Nick, the hottest thing in pants, Fletcher?”
    “The very same,” Belle said.
    “I thought I was the hottest thing in pants back then.”
    “No,” Branna said, shooting Jake a quick look. “You only