Hanchart Land Read Online Free PDF Page B

 She'd had a lot of shocks in her twenty-four years, but she'd never fainted from them. She certainly wasn't fragile and didn't like the thought of being helpless or at anyone's mercy.
    "There's a first time for everything," he countered. "And you were definitely out cold."  Susan's frown deepened. She might have passed out, but every cell in her body was still functioning properly.  She knew because they were reacting to his nearness again.
    Then Rosa entered the room chattering a mile a minute. Luke straightened and stepped aside while the housekeeper clucked over their patient. "Here, honey, take a long drink of water and then we'll cool you down a little until the doctor gets here."
    She eased a hand under Susan's shoulder and lifted her a little so she could drink. "You probably just got a little dehydrated. I got the doctor on his mobile phone. He's close by, so he agreed to come right over. You just need to rest until he gets here."
    "I don't need a doctor," Susan said after drinking thirstily. She didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but her strength was returning, and she didn't have money for house calls. "I'm feeling much better already."
    "Then you'll be able to tell Doc Peters exactly what's wrong," said Luke. He settled himself into a nearby chair and kept his steady gaze leveled on her. Susan's gaze flew to his. "I was just temporarily overcome by the heat," she insisted.
    "Maybe," he drawled, "but we'll let the doc decide."  Rosa gently nudged her to lie flat and placed a cool, damp washcloth on her forehead.  "I'll get you some more water. That must have tasted pretty good." As soon as she was out of the room, Susan held the cloth to her head and pulled herself into a sitting position. It alarmed her that the action made her dizzy again.
    "Not quite ready for the races?" Luke asked in a derisive tone. She frowned and shot him a look of annoyance. She hated feeling so weak and wimpy. "It was probably delayed shock from your proposal," she accused, needing an outlet for her frustration. She also hated being such a jumble of nerves and conflicting emotions,
    "Anything that affects you so strongly should be taken more seriously, shouldn't it?"
    "I was taking it very seriously," she explained, "until you all but admitted that the offer was some sort of misguided attempt to make up for all the wrongs Shane ever did."
    Luke's features hardened and his hands clenched into fists at his sides. “If you hadn't run out of the barn in such a huff, I'd have explained. I’m not about to let Shane dictate my life any more than he already has. I only hesitated because I couldn't find any diplomatic way to say I never want to hear his name mentioned between us again."
    Susan certainly shared that sentiment. Some of the tension drained from her at his heated declaration. She didn't doubt his sincerity. She'd be happy to forget Shane ever existed, too, and might consider Luke's proposal if it had nothing to do with her dead husband.
    "Is that the absolute truth?" she asked, her expression tight. He didn't seem too pleased with the question, but he responded without hesitation. "I don't lie."
     It was a simple declaration, but incredibly important to her. She'd been raised to believe that honesty was the best policy, that lies and deceit were unacceptable. But Shane had thrived on deceiving people. It had shaken her faith in herself and humanity.  Could Luke restore that faith? More importantly, could she marry him without being completely honest about her sham of a marriage? Could they really dismiss Shane from their lives and make a better future for themselves?
    "If we were to marry, do you really think we could put the past behind us? Bury it forever and start fresh?"
    "There'll be plenty of people willing to remind us on a regular basis," he assured grimly, "but we can do anything we set our minds to."
    "You can honestly forget I was married to your cousin?" His face tightened into even more uncompromising lines,