Larger Than Life by Alison Kent (read the beginning after the end novel .txt) 📕

She'd turned off the fire beneath the griddle and started toward the table with the last of the food when she heard the crunch of gravel beneath tires outside on her drive. Glancing out the window, she shook her head, wondering when she'd been entered in the running for Miss Popularity and why hadn't she been told.

"It's Ed," she said to the room as she set the pancakes on the table and headed back to the stove to cook more. She stirred the batter, poured two circles onto the griddle that hadn't yet had time to cool. When he knocked on the screen door seconds later, she called out, "Come in. Have a pancake."

"Love one," the doctor said, stepping into the room and coming to a stop once he saw it wasn't just the two of them eating. His expression clearly broadcast his displeasure at his find. "I thought I'd stop by and make sure Mick made it out to pick up the dog."

Neva snorted to herself. Yeah. More like he'd come to make sure neither Mick or the dog were anywhere around. The idea of another man paying her the least bit of attention was too much for the doctor to deal with. If she didn't rely on Ed for so many things . . .

"I did just that, mate," Mick said, reaching for another strip of bacon. "But Neva wouldn't let me leave."

"Is that so?" Ed took the empty plate Neva held out, his gaze asking too many questions.

She waved him toward the table for four; she didn't need him hovering. "You should know better than anyone that Mick was in no shape to drive. In fact, I was surprised to find you'd released him."

Ed pulled out a chair from beneath the table. The one across from Mick where Neva had planned to sit. "The man insisted. Against my advice, I might add."

"Now, Ed," Candy teased. "You treated the man in a veterinary clinic. What do you expect?"

"I've been beat up worse than this in my life, mate." Mick sat back away from the table, stared at the other man. "I know my limits."

"Most patients think they do." Ed pulled off the glasses he used to drive, slid them into his shirt pocket. "Most patients are wrong."

Neva rolled her eyes. As much as she loved men—and she did, she truly did—this was one thing she hated. This macho posturing, this need for one-upmanship. So it caught her pleasantly off guard, pancake turner poised above the griddle, when Mick spoke.

"And this time I was. I needed the extra night. It did me good."

Smiling down as she did, Neva stacked the two pancakes, lifted them with the turner, and carried them over. "See? No worries, mate. We're all good here," she said, sliding the food onto Ed's plate. She caught Mick's gaze, took his touche of a wink to heart, then sat in the only empty chair to eat the last piece of bacon, having lost most of her appetite.

"What're your plans now, Mick?" Ed asked, pouring syrup before cutting into the food with his fork. "If you're still not up to traveling, I'll check you into the clinic. Do the full workup of tests you need to have done."

"No need. I'll be heading out soon." Mick looked over at Neva; staring down at the half strip of bacon on her plate, she felt the heat of his gaze, remembered the heat of his mouth, didn't want him to go. "Now that Neva's used me and abused me, my work here is done."

Neva groaned, buried her face in her hands.

Candy laughed out loud.

Ed angled his fork across his plate and sat back. "Oh, really? That sounds like a story worth hearing."

"Trust me." Neva grimaced to herself. "It's not."

"Why don't you tell me anyway?" Ed insisted, bracing his forearms on the table with an air of expectation.

"Mick packed up a few boxes I needed to get shipped out. Nothing salacious at all," she said, and was just getting ready to toss both of them out on their ear when she heard a second car come barreling down the drive. "When did I become Grand Central Station?"

She started to get up, but Candy beat her to it, carrying her dishes to the sink. "Jesus Lord up above. It's the man with the white BMW."

At Neva's side, Mick stiffened. "I'm assuming you weren't expecting him."

Shaking her head, she stacked the empty plates, leaving only Ed's behind as she cleared the rest from the table. "That man has darkened my door for the last time. I can whip out my law degree and play rough the same as he can."

She and Candy stood side by side, staring out the kitchen window as Holden Wagner's luxury car came to a jerky stop inches from the bumper of her truck. Neva cringed, then frowned. Something here wasn't right. The car door flew open then. Liberty Mitchell jumped out and ran toward the back door.

Candy was there pushing open the screen before Neva even thought about it. Liberty rushed up the stairs and almost tripped and tumbled to the floor before Neva moved and caught her. "Liberty, what are you doing here?" She wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders and helped her to a chair. "And what in the world are you doing driving Holden's car?"

"Neva, please. You have to help me." She reached up, pushed wild strands of dark hair from her face. "Really. I'll tell you everything. I promise I won't lie or keep anything secret. I can't go back. I just can't."

"Shh. Calm down, sweetie." Neva cast a quick glance at Ed, who was frowning with concern. "Liberty, what's wrong? Are you injured? Has someone hurt you?"

Liberty shook her head, shuddered where she sat, her hands gripping her arms tightly as she held herself together. "My parents." She stopped, shook harder. "They've set it up for me to marry a guy at the church