Christmas Kisses (Romance on the Ranch Series #5) Read Online Free PDF Page B

many
years, maybe the rest of your life."
    "So, what's the recovery timeframe and what
do I need to do?"
    "You'll stay in the hospital for two to
three days after surgery and then be down for at least three months. At first
you'll be resting most of the time and doing light rehabilitation exercises.
The second month you can be up more and your exercises will intensify. The
third month you should be pretty much functional. But I'll be frank; it will
take six months to a year to completely recover. Do you have someone who can
live with you during, say, the first two months?"
    Connor puffed a breath. "No; not
really."
    "Then you need to hire someone."
    Connor nodded. "Thanks for the truth, doc.
I'll let you know my decision by the end of the week."
    Dr. Hillsborough's countenance changed from
doctor to friend. "Mac, I wish I had better news. If you want, I can
recommend some private nursing homes if you decide to take that route instead
of hiring someone in-house."
    Connor winced. "I'd rather remain in my own
home."
    "In Denver?"
    "No, in Paxtonville."

Chapter 8: Over-the-Top Exceptional
    In the month since falling and making a fool of
herself at Connor MacKenzie's home, Cecelia had refrained from making his daily
delivery—but she couldn't do so much longer. There was something about the man
that whispered to her heart.
    In the evenings she researched him on the
internet and discovered he had been born in Denver to a teenage mother who had
raised him until he was sixteen, and then died in a car accident after leaving
a bar. She'd been intoxicated and swerved into a tree. After that, Connor had
spent the next two years before his eighteenth birthday being shuffled between
foster homes.
    From the age of eighteen until twenty-five,
information was sketchy, but his first major showing had been in the gallery of
a well-known Dallas collector who'd touted him a genius after viewing his
paintings of daily life on the island of Santorini. The originals of the
collection had sold for a fabulous sum. Cecelia had reproductions of the famous
series in her New York penthouse.
    As far as his personal life, he'd married before
the age of twenty and the few pictures of his wife, also from Denver, showed
her to be as tall as him, with reddish blonde hair, large expressive eyes, and
a sweet countenance. Her name was Rose. A lump formed in Cecelia's throat at
the happiness radiating from them in the first picture she discovered. A few
more inquiries on Google and she found a photo of them with their son. The boy
couldn't have been more than a month old. The picture had been taken by a
professional photographer and released to the public. Because the family was so
reclusive, Cecelia figured it had been released to keep the press at bay.
    About a month after the family photo was taken, tragedy
had struck. Again, Cecelia wondered what had happened to the child. Did he
survive? Was he living with relatives? Her research had revealed no relatives
for Connor or his wife.
    *
    Connor pushed the speed dial to Dixie's Cuppa
Joe. He'd decided to go ahead with the operation and Dr. Hillsborough was okay
with him remaining in Paxtonville if he had proper care for two to three months
following surgery.
    He'd lain awake two nights thinking of who he
could ask to assist him. Hiring a nurse, of course, was the most logical avenue,
and he'd almost decided to do that rather than ask a friend. It was while he
was drifting to sleep that he thought of Cecelia Brightman. The idea had brought
him instantly awake. It was crazy to think she might move into his house and
also run her coffee shop, but something about the idea just seemed right. He
knew he could trust her—no one had shown up at his door wanting to meet a
famous artist.
    "Good morning! Dixie's Cuppa Joe. How may I
serve you?" said the male voice answering the phone.
    "I'd like to speak with Ms. Brightman,
please."
    "May I help you or can you hold for a short
time? She's with a customer."
    "I'll hold."
    The