Return of the Rebel Surgeon. Connie Cox

       “This dance is already taken.”

      Using the same fierceness he’d used to make the street gangs of his youth back down, Cole glared at the man who would likely be his partner in the near future.

      Rebelliousness set Bella’s jaw, but Wong had already bowed out and turned away before she could protest. “Maybe I wanted to dance with Dr. Wong.”

      Most women would protest at Cole’s high-handedness, and rightfully so. But tonight the caveman inside him wouldn’t allow Dr. Wong to put his hands on Bella. Seeing her this afternoon had been such a shock. She had a career. She had a son. She had a life.

      “Dance with me instead.”

      She glanced around, saw no easy way out, and agreed. No, she hadn’t changed that much. The old Bella always did what society expected of her. Like marrying David Beautemps.

      A wave of jealousy flooded through his veins. David had had a wonderful, intelligent and beautiful woman, and a son any man would be proud to call his own. They had seemed to be the perfect couple. What had gone wrong with their marriage? And why should it matter to him?

      As he wrapped his arms around her Cole felt as if fragments of himself had fitted into place. There was a fullness, a wholeness about Bella pressed against his body.

      He knew why he was dancing with her. Illogical though it was, he couldn’t stand the sight of another man holding her—and he didn’t feel like dredging up the strength of will to push away his baser tendencies. Not tonight. Not after all the turmoil his homecoming had stirred in him when all he’d wanted to do was bring comfort and cures to those who needed it the most.

      But why did she clutch him equally as strongly?

       Dear Reader

      Think back on that one time in your life you wish you had said something—done something—differently. From that moment on your life took a different path.

      If you could have a second chance to play out that moment again, would you take it?

      Once a debutante whose life was filled with parties, single mother and Cognitive Behaviour Therapist Isabella Allante now devotes her time to providing a stable life for her autistic son. But, no matter how carefully she plans, she can’t keep either her money or her energy from running low at the end of the month.

      Specialist hand surgeon Dr Cole Lassiter, who was orphaned and raised by a charity, now gives most of his great wealth away. His life is steady and secure, but he can’t buy what he wants most—a loving home.

      How different would their lives have been if they had followed their hearts instead of their heads and got married after high school graduation? But they each made different choices and now they are both alone.

      Cole and Bella get their second chance when their paths cross as they volunteer for the Special Games in New Orleans. Will they embrace their second chance or let this moment in time slip away?

      I hope you enjoy reading about these two lovers that fate keep throwing together despite the world’s attempts to keep them apart. Please let me know what you think of them and the decisions they make. Reach me at www.conniecox.com

      Best wishes for health, wealth and happiness!

       Connie

      About the Author

      CONNIE COX has loved Harlequin Mills and Boon^® romances since she was a young teen. To be a Mills and Boon author now is a fantasy come to life. By training, Connie is an electrical engineer. Through her first job, working on nuclear scanners and other medical equipment, she saw a unique perspective into the medical world. She is fascinated by the inner strength of medical professionals, who must balance emotional compassion with stoic logic, and is honoured to showcase the passion of these dedicated professionals through her own passion of writing. Married to the boy next door, Connie is the proud mother of one terrific daughter and son-in-law and one precocious dachshund.

      Connie would love to hear from you. Visit her website at: www.ConnieCox.com

      This is Connie’s second book for Mills & Boon^® Medical^™ Romance.

       Why not check out her fantastic debut?

       THE BABY WHO SAVED DR CYNICAL

       Available in eBook format from www.millsandboon.co.uk

      Return of the

      Rebel Surgeon

      Connie Cox

      

      My admiration and gratitude goes out to all those

       who care for both our physical and our mental health. Special thanks to Kenneth Ashley, Phylis Caskey, David Caskey, Keith Anderson and Kim Cox, who share their medical knowledge and their healing hearts.

      CHAPTER ONE

      COLE had sworn he would never come back, but here he was, on the edge of his seat, watching the boy on the track who had never broken stride the whole five kilometers. He glanced at the second hand on his watch. The boy was doing a consistent six-minute mile.

      The boy sprinted for the finish line, his ground-eating stride putting him ahead of the pack. Athletic grace like that could be honed by training but began in the womb.

      Despite the New Orleans heat and humidity, Dr. Cole Lassiter kept his attention on the competitions as a way of keeping the painful memories at bay.

      Today and tomorrow were track-and-field competitions at Tad Gormley Stadium in City Park. Thursday was the swim meet at the hosting hospital’s full-size facilities and Friday was back at the track for the soccer matches. Then home to New York for the weekend if he could get loose ends tied up—or at least keep things from unraveling.

      The wise thing to do would be to stay in New Orleans over the weekend to wine and dine the doctors and their families, and make sure everyone was comfortable with the merger of the two medical clinics.

      If he could only keep his own personal unease from showing. His hometown of New Orleans held nothing but nightmares for him—and a lucrative possible partnership between Lassiter Hand and Wrist Institute and the equally renowned New Orleans Sports Clinic. But negotiations were fragile.

      A cheer from the bleachers had him turning his attention back to the field and the final lap of the race.

      A modest but enthusiastic crowd encouraged the athletes as they competed for a sense of accomplishment as much as for a victory. These regional “special games” were hosted by a leading New Orleans hospital and run by scores of volunteers. It was certainly a different experience from the professional events he usually attended.

      These games, free to all who wanted to watch, were every bit as exciting as the big-ticket events Cole usually went to. Maybe even more so, considering what these athletes were up against. All had mental challenges, and many of them had physical challenges, as well. But they had the same heart and courage as any other athlete.

      From the sidelines, a distracted girl wandered onto the track right into the boy’s path.

      Cole winced as the boy jerked and hurdled to keep from running into her and ended up on his knees.

      Without a word, the boy climbed back to his feet and took off running, trying to catch the two runners who had passed him.

      He closed the gap to inches. If he’d had three