Midnight Angel by Carly Phillips Page A

not just to the heart she’d taken such good
care of, but to everything she’d become as a person. She’d always
considered herself confident and capable; after all, she was a
doctor who’d been making decisions about her patients for years.
What about herself and choices on her own behalf?
    She glanced down at the note in her shaking
hands.
Stop running and meet me. If you dare.
    Did she dare? She could easily offer Dylan
North her heart and maybe even trust in his promise to handle both
it and her with care. But was she secure enough in herself to
believe she could hold on to him this time?
    There it was, her biggest fear exposed.
    She could run and never know the happiness
she felt certain Dylan could provide, or she could shut the door on
the past forever and believe in herself at last. Holly closed the
extra office door, and aware of the symbolism, she locked it up
tight.
    Then she straightened her shoulders,
decision made. Damn straight she was secure enough to handle Dylan
now. If not, she wasn’t the person she thought she was.
    And she’d worked too hard and come too far
not to believe in the woman Dr. Holly Evans had become.
    * * *
    Snow covered the ground and big flakes began
to fall. The longer Dylan stood on the property he’d own as soon as
the legalities had been finalized, the more time he had to convince
himself that Holly wouldn’t show.
    He trusted Nicole to deliver the directions,
so he didn’t think that was the problem. No, if anything, Holly was
still unsure whether she could believe in him again. He’d done
everything in his power to convince her. The decision was hers to
make.
    He rubbed his hands together and shoved them
into his jacket pocket. Closing his eyes, he envisioned the house
he wanted to build on this land. The only thing was that when he
pictured a wife to come home to, it was Holly he saw there. Their
children playing in the yard.
    In his heart he knew she shared those
dreams, and he couldn’t make himself believe she’d let
them
down.
    “Hi, Dylan.”
    At first he thought he was imagining the
sound of her soft voice until he opened his eyes. She stood before
him bundled in a puffy down jacket, scarf and a hat with a small
brim. Her eyes were wide and curious.
    He was just damn glad to see her. “Hey,
babe. Merry Christmas.”
    She smiled before she shocked him big-time
by throwing herself into his arms. Dylan wasn’t stupid, and he held
on tight. “I missed you,” he whispered in her ear.
    “I missed you too.” She stepped back and
studied his face. “Where are we?”
    This was it, he thought. The beginning or
the end. “It’s home.” He gestured around the wide expanse of land.
“Five acres of grass and trees. Of course, it needs a house and
some other necessary things, like a dog and a few kids.”
    He tried to shoot her a cocky grin but
failed. Everything he wanted out of life was on the line, and for
the first time, his charm, looks and fame couldn’t give it to
him.
    Only she could.
    A dog? Kids?
“Home?” Holly asked,
stunned.
    She blinked and glanced around. The land
looked the same as much of the landscape she’d passed while driving
out here. A beautiful white landscape covered in snow and ice while
the sun shone overhead.
    “I own it, or I will once the contract is
signed. Actually—” He paused, obviously uncomfortable.
    Her heart thudded so loud she was surprised
he couldn’t hear. He’d bought land here?
    “Actually what?” Her voice cracked, she was
so afraid of what came next. It was ridiculous being afraid of
happiness, but it had been so long since she’d dared to hope or
dream.
    “Actually, I want us to own it. You and me.”
He grabbed on to her hands and held them in front of her. “I want
to live here and raise our kids here.”
    “What about L.A.? Your life? Your
career?”
    He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
“I’ve thought this through, you know. This wasn’t an impulse buy. I
want you to take some time off and