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“Co

Tanner entered andtoday, Mr Vincent?”

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t sore”

Tanner smiled Mr Vincent was only a week out from transplant Where he’d hardly been able to walk down the hall in the weeks before his surgery, now he could do it back and forth with confidence Transplants were as “Sorry about that but it’s just part of the process It should get better every day” Tanner looked around the room “Mrs Vincent here?”

“Naw She had a hair appointned to his wife’s actions “She’ll be here soon, though”

“The plan is for you to go hos that the nurses will need to go over with you both”

“Cindy doesn’t like blood and all this hospital stuff”

“She’ll need to help with your care or you’ll have to find another family member to do it Otherwise home health should be called in”

Mrs Vincent’s self-centeredness was just the type of thing that Tanner couldn’t tolerate This man’s as so focused on her own needs that she couldn’t be bothered to support her husband’s return to good health Her actions reminded him too much of his father’s

“I need to give you a listen, Mr Vincent” Tanner re the earpieces in his ears, he placed the listening end on thebeat where one hadn’t existed before the transplant

“Can you sit forward, Mr Vincent?”

“I can but I won’t like it ed man shifted in the bed

Tanner was listening to the h the door She stopped short as if she was surprised to see Tanner

“Hello, Dr Locke,” she said in a syrupy thick voice

Tanner had only met Mrs Vincent a couple of ti that she was co on to hier than her husband, she was overdressed and too absorbed in herself for someone who should have been concerned about a husband who had recently been at death’s door Wearing a tight top and pants a size too s over Tanner had a view of her cleavage that had no business being shared with anyone but her husband

More than once Tanner had seen his mother act the same way toward his father The action then and now made him feel uncomfortable

“Hi, sweetie It’s nice to see you” Mr Vincent gave her an adoring smile

“So how’s the patient doing?” she cooed, not looking at her husband His mother had used that same tone of voice when she’d spoken to his father

“He’s ready to go home after we make sure you both understand his care” Tanner wrapped his stethoscope around his neck

“I’ood with blood and stuff” She gave hiht, red-painted-lips smile

Tanner stepped toward the door “I’m sure the nurses can help you practice so that you become comfortable hat you need to do”

“Cindy, sweetie, we’ll figure it out together” Mr Vincent took herlook Just the way Tanner’s mother had looked at his father before he’d left for weeks

“I’ll let the nurse know that you’re ready for her instructions” Tanner went out the door

The Vincents’ e was exactly the type he didn’t want The one-sided kind Tanner was afraid he would be too much like his mother Give his heart and have it stomped on A relationship where one of the partners couldn’t see past their love for the other while the other cared about nothing but themselves A bond based onrun With his executive ee to find

The censoring look in Whitney’s eyes when he’d given his list of requireht have expected so more

Whitney had spent the last two days working through her database in search of women who fit the description of what Tanner wanted She had five naht be of interest to hi so they could start the process

She picked up the card he’d handed her and tapped it on her desk

Why couldn’t Tanner find his own mate? What was his deal with the passionless list of requireard She was looking for true love The kind of love that endured forever, no matter what the hardships The till-death-do-us-part kind that her parents and grandparents had She’d built her business on that idea Believed her clients should have that as well