Читать книгу Back In Texas - Roxanne Rustand - Страница 2

The tense silence on the way to town had proved that nothing in the rocky relationship between Ryan and his father had changed over the passing years…and it never would.

“Doc Grady died five years ago, and there hasn’t been a doctor here since. What the hell does that tell you?” Clint glared at Ryan. “This guy probably couldn’t get a job in a real town—or got chased out of the one he was at. If he’s any good, why in God’s name would he come to a town like this?”

Excellent point. Ryan looked down the deserted sidewalk, taking in the boarded-up storefronts and empty parking spaces. The Homestead, Texas, city limits sign still claimed a population of 2,504, but he’d bet a thousand of those people had long since left for better jobs and a brighter future.

“You’re not having heart surgery here—just a quick checkup and some lab work.” Ryan opened the door of the clinic. “I’m sure the guy can handle that much.”

Clint brushed past Ryan as he went inside. He thrust an impatient hand toward the empty receptionist’s desk. “See? No one’s here.”

The decor was nearly the same as it had been back when Ryan was growing up. Curling brown linoleum. Faded Western prints on the walls. He eyed the same hard wooden chairs he’d sat on as a kid, knowing that after a few minutes on one of them he’d have trouble walking.

“Can I help you two?”

The woman’s quiet voice slid through him like a bayonet, and as if from miles away he heard his father swear under his breath.