JASON DREW in a deep breath, scrubbed his hands over his face and then looked at Melissa. How the hell to fix this?

“Rose said she used you to get me in her life,” Mel said, cold and distant, arms crossed. She stood right in front of him, and yet she might well have been a thousand miles away.

His fault, his own damn fault.

“She wanted me to be sure not to blame you.”

“But you do.”

“I’m pretty sure I do, yes.”

She looked relatively calm, for a woman who should be furious. Calm, and scarily removed. “You’ve already decided we’re not worth the trouble, is that it?” he asked.

“Oh, you were definitely worth the trouble.” Turning her back on him, she walked around the patient table, putting the long piece of steel between them. “Look, I’m going to be blunt. I’m too busy today for this.”

“So you’d rather talk tomorrow?”

“Well—”

“Don’t do this, Melissa.” He wanted to go around the table and get her, but she already had one hand on the handle of the second door, the one that led to the back of her clinic. She would have no problem locking him out, just as she’d clearly already done with her heart. “I wanted to tell you.”

“You wanted to help Rose.”

“Yes, that, too. Rose screwed up, she made some bad choices, and she’s paid the price of that by not having her daughter in her life. She wants to fix that.”

“Maybe I didn’t want it fixed.”

“Why? Because being alone is easier? Come on, Melissa, you don’t want to be alone, either, or you wouldn’t have come here. I just wanted to help.”

“Oh, you helped,” she said with only a dab of sarcasm.

He studied her bowed face, her crossed arms, her stiff shoulders. Oh yeah, she was good and hurt. He hated that, because all he’d wanted to do was make it right for her and Rose. The last thing he’d ever wanted was to hurt her. “To be honest, I hadn’t really thought of you with your own reasons and emotions for not wanting Rose in, not until after we started to get to know each other.”

“And yet you came again to the clinic with another animal. And then again. We ate together, we walked together, we—” She closed her mouth tight and shook her head. “I hate being your…your cause.”

He caught her just as she opened the door. Hands on her arms, he pulled her in close, where he could feel her body heat, could feel her shaking. Or maybe that was him. “My…cause? Is that what you think you were?”

“Yes. For Rose.”

His voice was hoarse. “No. Mel—”

“Last night—who was that for, Jason?”

“My God, are you kidding? Melissa, from the moment I first laid eyes on you, it was all for me. Your smile, your voice, your eyes, everything…you turn me completely upside down.”

Her eyes filled, and he cupped her face. “Yes, maybe it started out about Rose, but I promise you, it became something else very quickly.” He caught one of her tears on his thumb, his chest tightening. “Melissa, I love you.”

She put her hand over his mouth. “Please.” She swallowed hard. “If you care about me at all, I want to be alone right now. I want to think.”

What could he say? He had to give her time—he knew her enough to understand that. So when she left the patient room, shutting the door, leaving him alone in the very room they’d first spoken, he let her go.

He had to, and he had no one to blame but himself.

STARTING BEFORE DAWN the next morning, Melissa drove the four hours south until palm trees ruled and the heat suffocated. Until traffic was the norm. She got out of her car and looked at the For Sale sign. The vet clinic was on a very busy street in Burbank, just outside of Los Angeles, and the price was astronomical.

But she’d spoken to the current owner, who was willing to work with her on terms. He just wanted to retire to Florida. She’d figured she could speak to a few of her fellow veterinarian friends about a possible partnership so she wouldn’t have to do this alone, because suddenly, or maybe not so suddenly, alone didn’t seem nearly as freeing as it once had.

At least here she’d be far away from her past, far from Rose and…and her extremely welcome help in the office, not to mention her kindness, and the way she had of making Melissa feel…loved.

Even when she thought she didn’t want it.

Her throat burned but she blinked quickly. She hadn’t cried in years and years, and yet in recent days she’d turned into such a wimp. Well, she was over that, over letting it all get to her.

Here, she wouldn’t have to deal with Jason and the way he had of making her feel as if she was the only woman on the planet. He made her feel special, smart…sexy; he made her brain happy and made her body hum in anticipation.

Yep, boy was she glad that was over.

Damn it. A shaky sigh escape her, while all around her trucks and cars zoomed by, honking and jockeying for superior position on the road. Pedestrians walked past her, jostling her a little in their hurry to get to wherever they were going.

No one in Martis Hills was ever in a hurry.

She got back into her car. Twice she tried to talk herself out of it, but it all just made sense. She pulled out her cell phone and called Dr. Myers in Phoenix, who was thrilled to hear from her.

“I hear you’re doing wonderfully in Martis Hills,” he said.

“Better now, thank you. Dr. Myers, I no longer want to lease the clinic. I want to buy it.”

“Ah.” He sounded pleased. “You’re ready for roots.”

“Yes,” she whispered, liking the sound of that. Roots.

THE WAY HOME TOOK six hours instead of four, thanks to a jackknifed big rig just outside of Bakersfield. And a stop for a Big Mac.

She loved comfort food.

By the time she pulled back into Martis Hills, the sun had set. There was no traffic in town, no rude pedestrians ruling the streets. Her clinic looked dark and locked, just as she’d left it.

Heading past it, for the outskirts of town where Jason lived, she pulled into his driveway and walked up the porch where she’d only a few nights ago seduced him into taking her to his bed.

The power of that moment had been incredible, and her heart ached. She wanted more of that.

But he wasn’t home. His truck was gone, his house dark.

Deflated, she drove by Rose’s. Stopped. Got out of her car.

Melissa watched Rose open her front door and stand on the porch, to see who’d driven up. She then let out a gasp of surprise, and ran down the steps to meet her.

She came to a stop just before Melissa, clearly fighting the urge to toss her arms around her.

Melissa had done that to the two of them. She’d pushed Rose away. She’d pushed everyone away, just pushed and pushed until they didn’t know what to do with her or how to treat her.

No more. She wanted this, she wanted these people in her life. So she smiled, and the knot in her chest loosened. “I went to Los Angeles to see a vet clinic that’s up for sale. I figured I belonged there.”

Rose clasped her fingers together, her smile fading. “I see. And did you? Belong there?”

“Once upon a time, I did, very much.”

“And now?”

“Now I belong where my heart leads me. And…and it’s led me here. I was drawn here, drawn by being born here…by the fact I knew you’d come back here. I didn’t understand the need then, but I think I do now. Being here, allowing people in, you for example… I think that’s what I was looking for without even knowing it.”

Rose’s eyes filled. “So…you’ve forgiven then?”

At the hitch in Rose’s breath, her own throat went even tighter. She reached out for her mother’s hands. “My past made me, it molded me. My past is a part of who I am. But I’ve forgiven, if you’ll forgive me for taking so long to listen to your story.”

“Oh, honey.” She threw her arms around Melissa’s neck. “There’s nothing to forgive.” Her eyes wet, she cupped her daughter’s face. “From right this very minute we’re starting over.”

They hugged for a long moment before Rose pulled free. “What about Jason? I know you feel he betrayed you, but—”

“He’s not home.”

Rose tried to look indifferent, but it was clear this was not news to her.

Mel eyed her. “What are you up to now?”

“Well…in the name of a new start and all, I’ll confess. Mr. Myers called me. Told me you were looking into buying his place.”

“You’re kidding. He called you?”

“Right, he shouldn’t have done that, but honey, this is Martis Hills. People talk. Besides, he wasn’t trying to gossip, he wanted me to give you money to help. He’s worried you’ll strap yourself, and he really cares about you and that clinic.”

“If he’s so worried, tell him to lower his price.”

Rose smiled. “I got him to do just that, so you’re welcome.”

Melissa’s head was spinning. “And what does all this have to do with Jason not being home?”

“Well…” Rose had guilt all over her. “I might have told him the good news, that you were coming back. I might have told him to make the most of my little tip because I wasn’t going to ever interfere again.”

“After this time, you mean?” Melissa had to laugh, but hugged her mother again when Rose stood there looking miserable. “It’s okay. I think I just might get used to a mother who cares so much she meddles in my life.” With one last hug, Melissa headed toward her car again.

“Honey? Where are you off to?”

Mel smiled. “The rest of my life.”