Sam stood there and watched her go. In spite of himself, he had to smile. Amanda Lucas was one of the most stubborn women he had ever met. She had spunk. And a temper that flared hot at a moment’s notice. Still, she touched something in him. A nerve, perhaps. Nonetheless, it had left an impression on him that he knew he wasn’t likely to forget any time soon.
It was late that evening when Amanda finally finished making her rounds at the hospital. And what a stressful day she’d had, she thought as she climbed into her car and headed for home. All she could think about doing was getting under the spray of her shower and staying there until all the hot water in the tank ran out. This was one day, by golly, she had earned it.
In fact, she wished that she could simply tune out the world for a while—especially her thoughts of Sam Arquette. They were driving her crazy. Not only that, but since his visit to her office, she was even more concerned about Sabrina Jensen. Actually, she knew very little about Sabrina, other than the fact that the young waitress was pregnant and had been in her care for several months when she failed to show up for her monthly checkup. Amanda’s receptionist had tried calling her right away to reschedule, only to discover that the telephone number Sabrina had given them was bogus, and her mailing address failed to yield her whereabouts. Amanda hadn’t heard from the young woman since. But now, more than ever, she wished that she knew where her patient was, if for no other reason than to verify that she was all right.
Damn Sam Arquette anyway, for showing up in her life. He was the most arrogant, infuriating, stubborn, willful man she knew. Just as she’d thought, he was turning out to be nothing but trouble.
Suddenly, without any warning whatsoever, the engine of her car died. Just like that, everything—headlights, radio, power steering and brakes—went dead, leaving her stunned as to what was happening. Somehow, she managed to maneuver the car to the shoulder of the road where she tried the ignition. Nothing happened. She waited a moment and then tried again. Once more, the engine failed to start. She tried again and again, but the result was always the same.
Sitting back in her seat, Amanda gave a deep, frustrated sigh. She knew absolutely nothing about cars. They either started, or they didn’t.
In her case, it didn’t.
Now what? she thought.
Dropping her hands into her lap, Amanda told herself to stay calm. Perhaps, the next time she tried the ignition, the car would crank without mishap.
A few seconds later, she tried again, but still the engine stalled.
Okay, she told herself with a deep sigh. Should she just stay put and use her cellular phone to call for help? Or should she get out and walk to the nearby house? After all, she knew the older couple who lived there. She had gone to school with their son.
Before she could make up her mind, Amanda saw headlights approaching in her rearview mirror and realized that help was already on its way. One thing about living in a town the size of Mason’s Grove, there was an outstandingly good chance that she would know the person driving that vehicle. It might even be one of her neighbors. She put her emergency lights on and waited for the car to reach her. Since the temperature outside had been dropping rapidly since nightfall, Amanda turned up the collar of her coat. In spite of her calm exterior, her heart was racing at an accelerated speed.
Finally, the vehicle slowed, practically coming to a stop alongside her. Amanda didn’t recognize the black pickup. Suddenly, the possibility that the person inside the cab could be a complete stranger sent chills down her spine. Growing even more apprehensive, she checked to make sure that the doors of her car were locked and then reached for her cellular telephone to call for help.
The driver of the truck pulled to the shoulder of the road right in front of her car. A second later, just as she was beginning to dial an emergency operator on her cellular phone, a man opened the driver’s side door and stepped to the ground. There was something very familiar about him and Amanda’s heart slammed against her chest. He began walking toward her car, and even in the darkness, she saw that his black bomber jacket stretched across his shoulders. Oh-oh, she thought, feeling a weakening in the pit of her stomach. It looked as though trouble had indeed arrived on the scene.
He strolled right up to her window with a broad grin on his handsome face and the weakness in Amanda’s stomach oozed all the way down to her knees. “Hi,” he said. “Looks like we meet again. I bet you never expected it to be so soon.”
Amanda smiled back. She couldn’t help herself. It was as if his grin were contagious. Besides, what choice did she have other than to go along with him? No matter how she felt about him, right this very moment Sam Arquette was her angel of mercy.
Then, within a fraction of a second, Amanda had a more sinister thought about him, and her face lost all expression. “Did you do this?” she asked, her eyes narrowing.
His eyebrows pulled together. “Do what?” he replied.
“Do this,” Amanda gestured, certain now that what she thought about him was true. From the way he had practically forced himself into her office earlier today, she wouldn’t put it past him to do whatever he thought necessary to get what he wanted from her. Or to get even. Well, she had news for him. This female wasn’t about to fold under pressure. Swinging open her car door, Amanda got out and placed her hands on her hips. “Did you do this to get even with me?”
Sam gaped at her. “Just what are you suggesting?” he asked, placing his hands on his hips. They were staring each other down, and, so far, neither of them had blinked.
“I’m suggesting that you sabotaged my car, so that you could come along like this and pretend to be the Good Samaritan.”
“Would you mind giving me your logic in that?”
“It’s quite simple,” she said smugly. “You thought I’d be so grateful to you that I’d give in and tell you everything you want to know about Sabrina Jensen.”
“Is that a fact?” he said, grinning at her.
“It is,” she replied haughtily.
“So...” he said, still grinning at her. “You’re finally admitting that Sabrina Jensen is a patient of yours.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Well, you damned sure implied it.”
“You’re taking what I said all out of context.”
“Am I?”
“Yes. You’re the one who thinks I have information on her. But I didn’t once say that I did.”
Frowning at her, Sam spread his feet apart as though he were getting ready for a good fight. As though he had been wrongly accused and was bound and determined to correct the injustice. Amanda’s stomach bottomed out and it was her first indication that maybe she had misjudged his motive in stopping to help her.
If so, she was quite certain that it was the only thing about him so far that she had misjudged.
Narrowing his eyes, Sam said, “You’re crazy, Doc, if you think I’d sabotage your car. Believe me, I know easier and quicker ways of getting a person to tell me what I want to know.”
Amanda wasn’t sure if she was supposed to take that as a threat or not. In any case, she believed he probably knew plenty of ways to make a woman talk—in or out of bed. The thought of him trying to make her talk had her pulse points throbbing out of control. Determined to hold her ground, Amanda crisscrossed her arms and glared back at him.
“Look,” he finally said in a gentler voice. “It’s your choice to believe me or not. But I didn’t do anything to your car.”
Taking a deep breath, Amanda dropped her arms to her sides and glanced off in the distance. For some strange reason, she believed him. She truly did. He was capable of anything, she knew. Still, there was a strong code of ethics about him. He played by the rules—even if they were his rules. “Okay, I believe you,” she remarked offhandedly. “I’m sorry I jumped to the wrong conclusion.”
Sam Arquette gave her a genuine grin. “Well, it seems the good doctor is humble, after all. In that case, apology accepted.”
“Thank you,�
� she replied. In spite of his good humor, something about him told Amanda that under no circumstances should she allow this man to get the better of her.
“I’m not a mechanic,” he said, “but I do know about cars. I can take a look under your hood if you want me to.”
Amanda shook her head. “No, that’s all right. It’s getting late. I’ll just call a towing service and have it brought to a mechanic.”
She had just turned to get her cellular phone from the front seat of her car when, from out of nowhere, she heard the sweetest little voice say, “Daddy, can we go home now?”
Whirling around in surprise, Amanda saw a young child hanging out the driver’s window of Sam’s truck. She had long, dark ringlets of hair that fell to her shoulders. The resemblance between the child and Sam was so striking, Amanda was stunned speechless.
“In a minute, sweetheart,” Sam replied. “I’m trying to help the lady. She has car trouble. Now sit back down in the seat and stay quiet like I told you and Caroline to do.”
“Oh, okay,” the child said, and then her face disappeared from view.
Amanda gaped at Sam. Finding her voice, she asked, “Who’s she?”
“Sara,” he replied evenly. “My youngest daughter.”
“You have children?” she asked, a strange, quivering feeling settling in the pit of her stomach. Oh, for heaven’s sake, he had children. He, of all people.
“Yeah,” he said, grinning widely. “I have two girls. One is six and the other is nearly four.”
By now Amanda’s heart was in her throat. “I guess I should have realized that you were married, but for some reason—your manner this afternoon in my office, I suppose—I didn’t think you were.” She glanced down at his hands. “You aren’t wearing a wedding band.”
While there was something about him that said he was off-limits, Amanda still couldn’t believe that it was because he was a married man with kids. He didn’t seem to be the kind of guy to give his heart to any woman. Obviously, she was wrong.
“My wife died suddenly just over a year ago.”
“Oh—I’m sorry,” she said.
“Yeah,” he said, glancing thoughtfully toward his truck. “It’s been especially tough on the girls.”
Amanda gazed toward his truck. It was indeed tragic that his children’s mother had to die so young. Little girls needed their mothers. She knew that better than most. Her own mother had died when she was four. And if Sam was anything like her father, he had no idea what to do with his children. And that, she knew firsthand, could be the most tragic thing of all.
He turned his gaze back to Amanda. “I guess you’ve had a pretty rough day, huh?”
Amanda smiled. “Sort of.” And then she heard Sam’s daughter’s sweet little voice again.
“Daddy...” the child said hesitantly.
At the sound of his name, Sam turned once again in the direction of the truck. Amanda looked that way, too.
Sara was back, leaning out the window. Only this time she had a pained look on her face. “I need to go, Daddy—bad.”
“Okay, Sara,” Sam replied. Glancing at Amanda, he said, “Look, I’m going to have to get her home. Why don’t you ride along with us, and once Sara is done we’ll take you back to your place?”
“Why don’t we just take her straight to my house?” Amanda said, surprising herself for suggesting such a thing. She never invited company to her house. But it was too late now to recall her words. “I live less than a mile up the road. We’ll be there in no time.”
Sam frowned. “But that’s a lot of trouble for you.”
“It’s the least I can do. You would be home by now if you hadn’t stopped to help me.”
“But are you sure you don’t mind?”
“No, I don’t mind.”
And the truth was, now that she gave it some thought, she really didn’t.
And that, she supposed, was what bothered her the most about this whole scene.
In fact, it bothered her a lot
It was as though she were playing the part of some other woman.
But then, there was more here to be considered than just her feelings. Sitting inside the cab of that truck were two little girls who had lost their mother.
Amanda couldn’t help herself. Her heart went straight out to them.
Chapter Three
Amanda walked to the passenger side of Sam’s truck and opened the door. Sam got in on his side. For just a moment his two little girls gazed at Amanda with wide, speculative eyes and then quickly scooted over to their father’s side, giving her plenty of room to climb aboard.
“Dr. Amanda Lucas, these are my two daughters, Caroline and Sara,” Sam said.
“Hello, there,” Amanda said, smiling at them.
“Hi,” they replied together. Then they glanced curiously at their father.
Sam cranked the engine of his truck. “Dr. Lucas’s car won’t start, so we’re going to take her home.”
“But I gotta go, Daddy,” Sara replied in a somewhat panicky voice.
“Don’t worry, Sara,” Sam replied. “Dr. Lucas said you can use her bathroom, okay?”
Once again, the child turned and observed Amanda, this time with a critical eye. Finally, she said, “Do you give shots?”
Ah, Amanda thought, so that was it. The word doctor had spooked her. “Well, yes, Sara,” she answered carefully, hoping to calm the child’s fears. “Sometimes I don’t have any other choice. Sometimes an injection is the best way for me to treat my patients.”
“Oh,” Sara replied in a lowered voice, obviously disappointed in Amanda’s answer. Then the child turned her head to look at her father. “Am I going to get a shot, Daddy?” she asked, her small voice filled with uncertainty.
“Of course not, Sara,” Sam answered. “You’re not sick, are you?”
The child shook her head. “Uh-uh.”
“So there’s nothing to be worried about. Dr. Lucas and I are just friends.” He looked over at Amanda and winked as if to say he knew he was stretching the truth somewhat, but for her to please go along with him for now.
And, of course, she would, for the little girls’ sakes.
While Sam followed her directions to her house, she found herself unconsciously staring at him. Suddenly, he glanced at her and she was caught in the act. Blushing a deep red, she quickly turned her head in the opposite direction. Funny thing was, in some strange way, she had been admiring him. He might have been an impatient man in her office today, but with his children he seemed to have all the patience in the world. He loved them dearly, she could tell. Sara and Caroline were lucky. Amanda had never had that kind of protection in her life. Her father had allowed her to raise herself after her mother’s death. And her ex-fiancé—well, when it turned out she wasn’t perfect, his so-called love had cooled down to a deep freeze in no time at all.
But she was willing to bet that Sam Arquette wasn’t like that. Even though she hardly knew him, he seemed the kind of man who had a backbone of steel. He would be there for those he loved through thick and thin. It was that strength of conviction that she was finding totally irresistible.
And, according to her way of thinking, that meant trouble. Because no matter how dependable someone appeared to be, there was always that chance that she was being fooled.
So why then, with all of her clearheaded thinking, was her heart still beating so fast?
And why did she feel this bond between them?
Surprisingly, her answer had to do with kids. First, there was Lucy’s baby, and now his own children. Correction. His motherless children. She reached out and gently stroked Caroline’s hair, and then Sara’s. Both of them turned and smiled at her. She smiled back.
Then Caroline sat up straight in her seat and with the innocence of a child said, “Mrs. Cunningham is going to be awfully glad to hear you have a girlfriend, Daddy. She says you need one.”
At the mention of his next-door neighbor and trusted baby-sitter, Sam gave a small laugh.
“I see Mrs. Cunningham has been at it again. One of these days Mrs. Cunningham is going to have to learn to mind her own business.”
“Azalea Cunningham?” Amanda asked.
“Uh—yeah,” Sam replied, giving her a quick glance. “You know her?”
“Of course. I know practically everyone in town,” she replied smugly.
Sam basked in the sound of her voice. It was so deep and throaty. In spite of her coldness toward him, it made him think of warm, sultry nights and red-hot sex. His blood was beginning to boil at the mere thought of the two of them together. Man, was he ever losing control.
Immediately pushing those dangerous thoughts aside, he cleared his throat. “I bought the farm next door to Mrs. Cunningham about a year ago and she baby-sits the girls for me sometimes. The kids love her.” He shrugged. “I think she’s great, too.”
Amanda glanced his way. “It’s just that you would like her to mind her own business.”
“Exactly,” he said. “I don’t know why, but for some reason, she has the idea that she needs to mother me like she does my girls.”
“And you don’t agree with her?”
“Well...” he said, suddenly grinning from ear to ear. “Maybe just a little.”
That grin of his was enough to send Amanda’s resolve spiraling to the floor. And, in spite of the fact that she suddenly felt flushed, goose bumps shimmied down her spine.
She was losing it, all right. Big time.
He was, she quickly decided, too good-looking for his own good.
She looked away. What was wrong with her? Didn’t she have the strength to resist a simple little smile? She couldn’t believe that after all these years of disciplining herself, she would weaken this easily. This quickly. Suddenly realizing that they were nearing her street, she said, “Take the next right.”
“I was planning to,” he replied with that same boyish grin on his face.
The Daddy And The Baby Doctor Page 4