Yours to Keep by Claudia Burgoa

Darren’s Prologue

Sometimes, we need a clean slate. A new beginning when you don’t have to bring anything but yourself. The thought of a fresh start can release the tension that you accumulated for years.

One day, you don’t know if you can continue, and the next, the tight knots in your back finally loosen.

We all like the word new. We think new is better. Sometimes without knowing, we’re waiting for that new thing that will get us out of the rut we lived in for years.

The day Hayes Aldridge offered me a job in his practice, I took it as a sign to start anew.

Not once did I think about the implications, and there are several. I stepped into a small town that has no more than maybe five thousand people living there. The news spreads as fast as a wildfire. On top of that, I have to interact with six sexy guys, who indirectly will become my bosses once the hospital opens.

If they were single, I’m pretty sure all the women and men in Baker’s Creek would be all over them. If I could choose one…well, I don’t have the opportunity, but I do wonder who I’d prefer:

Henry, the bossy CEO.

Hayes, the sweet doctor.

Pierce, the demanding lawyer.

Mills, the hot hockey player.

Vance, the brooding security guy.

At least, I think that’s what Vance is. He doesn’t talk. The man is an enigma, and the scary part is I want to figure him out. Have I mentioned he’s single?

Beacon, the sexy heartthrob musician, is my patient, so I can’t fantasize about him.

This should be a new chapter, but some days it feels as if I’m dealing with my past. And maybe the beginning I thought would make me happy might be what breaks me even further.

Is it worth sticking around, or should I pack my bags and leave?