Page 134 of The Doctor's Irreplaceable Love

He stepped back, looking at her car as if noticing for the first time that it was in the ditch.“You’ll be able to get it out of here, I’m sure.You should drive more carefully in the future.”

He smiled again, and it sent a shiver down her spine.His words were laced with threat—a threat that felt real.

She could only watch as he made that strange, mock-hat-tipping gesture before turning and walking away.He climbed back into his SUV, and she watched in the rearview mirror until he disappeared from sight.

By the time he did, her hands weren’t shaking as badly.She tried starting her car again.It felt like a miracle that, after a few tries, she was able to back it out of the ditch and get back on the road.

The fender was dented, but apart from that, there didn’t seem to be much damage.She let out a sigh of relief when she reached the house and relaxed a little more when she saw Harper’s car parked outside.

She’d intended to go straight in to check that Jim was okay and to call Harper to let her know that she was here.

“Jim?Harper?”she called as she let herself in.“Are you here?Are you guys okay?”

Banner appeared in the doorway from the living room, deep lines of concern etched around his eyes.“They’re in here.They’re fine.Gavin was just here.You missed him—and unfortunately, so did I.”His scowl deepened.

Shelley let out a shaky laugh.“I onlyjustmissed him.He ran me off the road.”

Banner’s head snapped up at that, but before he could speak, Harper called from the living room.“We’re in here, Shelley Bell.”

Banner stepped aside and gestured for her to go in.

The sight that greeted her broke Shelley’s heart.Jim was sitting in his favorite armchair beside the fire.He looked old and frail in a way she hadn’t seen before.He was pale, and his hand was visibly shaking even as Harper held it.Harper was squatting beside his chair, her manner soothing—but Shelley didn’t miss the quiet fury burning in her eyes.

“Are you okay?”she asked Jim.

He waved a hand as if to bat the question away, but it was clear he was shaken.“I’ll be fine.Nothing that having you two pretty ladies around can’t fix.”

Harper gave his hand a squeeze.“I know we’re adorable, Jim, but I don’t think evenwecan make this better.We need to do something about him.”

Banner muttered something, and Shelley turned to look at him.

“I’ve wanted to do something about him ever since he showed back up in town,” he said, his expression softening as he looked at Jim.“But I haven’t been allowed to—so far.”

Jim sighed heavily.“Did you call Cash?”

“I did.He’s on his way.”

Harper looked puzzled, but Shelley knew exactly why Jim wanted Cash there.

“I’m all right,” he insisted.“But I want to talk to him.”He turned to Shelley.“And what about you?What happened?”

She shrugged, not wanting to make a big deal of her encounter with Gavin.Jim was the important one here.

Harper met her gaze.“You might as well tell us what he did to you.”

“He ran me off the road.I was in the ditch before I even realized it was him.He was ranting about…” She glanced at Jim, and he nodded.

“I already know,” he said.“He thinks he can find some way to make the old will stand so he’ll inherit everything.”His gaze held steady as he looked into her eyes.“You won’t let that happen, will you?”

She swallowed, then assured him, “You know I won’t.”

One of the secrets he’d asked her to keep was that he’d already drawn up a very simple replacement will, leaving everything to one person he trusted to distribute it according to his wishes—even without a legal document to enforce them.

“And all I did was help, Jim,” she reminded him.“You’ve already ensured that, no matter what happens now, he won’t receive a penny.”

“Did you tell him that?”Banner asked.

She shook her head.“I don’t think I even uttered a word.I just let him rant—and then he drove away.”

---