Possessed by Passion (Doms of Destiny, Colorado 9)

Her face darkened with gloom. “I want to. I really do. But some things never change, like your brother.”

Melissa returned, interrupting their discussion, which he didn’t mind. He needed to take a step back to collect his thoughts.

“Word on the street is Amber may have her baby today.” Melissa grinned.

Paris nodded. “Katy is how you know that, right?”

“She called Gretchen and Gretchen called me.”

Paris smiled, which made him feel better.

He thought his best plan of action was to avoid talking about what had happened with Dustin at the clinic. I’ll keep her mind on something else until she’s in a better state. “I’m sure all the phones in town are burning hot with the news.”

“Is that why Doc isn’t with you two?” Melissa asked.

Damn, trying to change the subject is harder than I thought. “He went to see our folks.”

“Did Jacob already take your order?”

“Not yet,” Mick answered. “Honey, what would you like?”

She looked up at Melissa. “I’ll have the Sesame Chicken with brown rice, please.”

“Same for me.”

“Perfect. It’ll be out shortly.” Melissa went back into the kitchen.

Paris stared out the window. “He will never change, Mick.”

“Maybe we should talk about this another time.” Defense, Mick. Keep her mind on something else. “Why don’t we just enjoy our lunch, sweetheart? Besides, a new baby is coming to town very soon. This should be a happy day.”

“For Amber, yes. For me, no. I wish I could have you and your brother’s children, but that will never be. I know that now.”

Fuck. So much for defense, Mick. Time to dive into this. No more avoiding it.

He reached across the table and grabbed Paris’s hands. “It’s going to be okay, sweetheart.”

She never stopped looking out the window. “Is it, Mick? Is it really? Dustin is still Dustin.”

He glanced in the direction she was staring. The Green Dragon. “Honey, our luck will turn. Trust me.”

She leaned back in the booth and turned to him, her violet eyes appearing sadder than he’d ever seen them. “You can’t imagine how many times I touched the toe of that statue.”

“How many times, sweetheart?”

“Every single day since I moved back to Destiny and went to work for Dustin in my father’s old practice.”

That had happened a little over a year ago, and back then Mick had believed fate had finally turned his and Dustin’s direction. He’d dreamed that everything was going to get worked out between the three of them. But it hadn’t. The past continued to scratch its way into the present as Dustin continued pressuring her about medical school. As brilliant as his brother was he could also be so dense about Paris and her needs.

And what about Paris?

Until recently, every time Mick gazed into her gorgeous violet eyes, he detected a little glimmer of hope. Now, all he saw in her eyes was sadness. Had she given up on the three of them, on being a family, of having a future life together?

She sighed. “I can’t take this any longer. I won’t.”

He didn’t like the sound of that. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve been offered a job in the hospital in Wilde, Nevada.”