By this time, Sara had already run up to Amanda and taken something from her. Now his little birthday girl was running across the backyard toward him, with Caroline close at her heels. “Daddy, Daddy,” Sara called out. “Look what Amanda brought us. It’s a puppy.”
Sam glanced down at the ball of short black fur with two dark eyes, and then lifted his gaze to Amanda’s face. Giving him a sheepish grin, she said, “I hope you don’t mind.”
Sam noticed right away that Amanda’s complexion looked flush—radiant. Her shiny brown hair glowed in the late autumn sun, and the pink cashmere sweater and pants outfit she wore fit her slender curves to a T. The bottom line was, she looked a whole lot different from the other day in her office.
A whole lot different.
He liked the change.
After examining the happy faces of his two children, he said, “Do I have a choice?”
Amanda shrugged. “I guess not. Sorry. I suppose I should have asked you first.”
“You probably should have, but it’s all right. I happen to like dogs,” he said with a grin.
Amanda grinned back. “Yeah, you look like the type who. would.”
“Do I, now?” he said, widening his smile. Suddenly the woman he had thought was an iceberg no longer seemed as cold. It was her smile, he thought. It made all the difference in the world.
“Can we keep the puppy, Daddy? Can we?” Caroline asked,
Sam drew in a deep breath. “Yes, honey, you can keep the puppy.”
“By the way,” Amanda said carefully, “there’s a doghouse in the trunk of my car. I could use some help getting it out.”
Sam’s gaze locked with hers. “Sure.”
Amanda led the way to her car with Sam fast approaching at her heels. She made it to her car and opened the trunk while all she could think about was the fact that he was practically breathing down her neck the whole time.
Sam took one look at the doghouse and said, “I can get this out by myself.”
“No,” Amanda replied. “I insist on helping you.”
Sam shrugged. “Fine with me,” he said with a grin. Then he motioned toward the trunk. “Be my guest.”
“Well, if you’ll get that end, I’ll get this one,” Amanda said, gesturing.
Sam immediately reached inside the trunk and grabbed his end of the doghouse. Amanda watched and then grabbed hold of her side. “On the count of three,” she said, “we’ll lift it out and place it on the ground.”
Sam nodded, amused. “I’m ready when you are.”
“One...two...three.” Amanda lifted her end of the doghouse. It was a piece of cake. Well, maybe not exactly. She was straining somewhat. But then, she was in such an awkward position and the doghouse was so much heavier than she thought...
“Put it down,” Sam instructed.
He had already placed his end on the ground and was standing with his hands on his hips, laughing at her. In the next second, though, he was behind her, helping her with her end. Together, they got it to the ground.
“Well, now,” Amanda said, releasing a deep breath. “That wasn’t so tough, after all.” When she turned around, she found herself facing Sam. Her breathing was still rapid and her cheeks were undoubtedly still flushed from her struggle with the doghouse. Both conditions only got worse when she realized that his arms were now encircling her waist.
“Thanks for coming, Doc. The puppy was a great idea. I wish I had thought of it myself. You have a special way with my girls,” he said, grinning at her.
“I’m glad,” she said, her voice growing husky.
His grin widened.
“Have I mentioned to you that I love the sound of your voice,” he said.
Amanda’s breath caught in her throat. “No, I don’t think so.”
“Well, I do.”
“Really?” she replied, swallowing hard.
“Uh-huh,” he said. Then he leaned forward and smelled her skin just behind her earlobe. “And you smell good, too.”
“Sam...” Amanda whispered in a sort of panicky voice.
“Shh,” he replied, placing his finger over her lips. “Tell me something, Doc,” he said, his voice growing husky and deep. He barely touched her arms as he ran his hands slowly down the sleeves of her sweater. Looking deep into her eyes, he said, “Do you always run away when someone tries to get close to you?”
Amanda gaped. “Of course, not,” she replied.
Sam grinned. “I’m glad to hear you say that,” he replied, suddenly pulling her closer. “’Cause I’m going to kiss you now.”
Then before she could offer rebuttal, he leaned forward and covered her lips with his.
At first, she was too stunned to respond. But when Sam deepened his kiss to a passionate assault, she couldn’t resist any longer. Her arms went around his neck. And for one timeless second, nothing mattered but the two of them.
But then, suddenly, the kiss ended and Amanda broke free of his embrace. Shaken, she began to smooth out her clothing. “I can’t believe you did that,” she said. “Worse, I can’t believe I let you.”
“Okay, so we lost control for a moment. No big deal.”
Amanda narrowed her eyes. “I knew it would be a mistake for me to come here today.”
“Oh?” he said with a shake of his head. “So you thought of not coming, did you?”
“I came for Sara’s sake. And, of course, for Caroline’s, too.”
“Frankly, I’m surprised that you considered their feelings.”
“I’m not surprised you said that,” she said. “You’ve obviously made up your mind about the kind of person you think I am.”
Stiffening her shoulders, she headed back in the direction of the birthday party, leaving the doghouse behind for Sam to see about. After all, he had said he could handle it himself, so why not let him.
Amanda spent the next hour of Sara’s birthday party deliberately avoiding Sam—which wasn’t all that difficult to do since he and Mrs. Cunningham were busy cutting cake and passing out cups of punch. She wanted to offer her help, but she didn’t think Sam would accept it. Instead, she played with Sara and Caroline and their friends. Actually, other than that one brief—though electrically charged—encounter with Sam upon her arrival, she was having a good time. It was a gorgeous day. The sun was shining, and the air was crisp and cool. Everywhere she looked, there were signs that winter was fast approaching. Thanksgiving, she knew, would be upon them before she knew it. Suddenly, she was overcome by a feeling of melancholy. It always happened to her during this time of year. Maybe because her mother had died in the fall. Or maybe because fall reminded her of how alone she was in the world.
Faintly, Amanda became aware that someone was saying her name and her morose thoughts slipped from her mind. She whirled around and found Sam standing just a few feet behind her. He smiled. “A penny for your thoughts?” he said.
In spite of herself, Amanda smiled. “I’ll take nothing less than a dime.”
Sam dug in his jean pocket and came out with a handful of change. He reached for a coin and then flicked it up into the air. Automatically, Amanda caught it. When she opened her hand, she found a dime.
Her smile widened, and then he smiled, too.
“Come on,” he said, stepping alongside her and placing his hand at the small of her back. “It’s time for cake and punch.”
What was it about this man that she couldn’t seem to resist, no matter how hard she tried? Was it the way one glance from him could start a fire burning in her? Regardless, she couldn’t let this continue to happen. Otherwise, she had little doubt that she was going to regret it.
Sam steered them to a place where they had a perfect view of Sara opening her gifts. The little girl was thrilled with the dress Amanda had had delivered. However, Amanda was still glad that she had brought Sara and Caroline the puppy, too. She was also pleased that their father had approved.
At some point in all the excitement of eating cake and having Sara open her gifts, M
rs. Cunningham came up to Sam with a pained look on her face. “Sam, it’s my back. It’s giving me trouble. I’m gonna have to go home.”
Sam took hold of the older woman’s arm. “I knew this was going to happen if you came today. I’m taking you home right now and putting you to bed. And you’re going to stay there. That’s an order.”
“Why don’t I take her home?” Amanda suggested. “You have the party to tend to.”
“He’s gonna need some help cleaning up,” Mrs. Cunningham said. “Would you mind coming back to help him?”
“I—uh—sure,” Amanda replied. And she meant it. She certainly didn’t mind helping anyone out.
“Look, I won’t need any help, okay?” Sam said.
“Nonsense,” Mrs. Cunningham replied. “Now, you know you’re gonna need some help. Dr. Lucas will do just fine.”
Amanda turned to face Sam. “If you’d rather that I not come back...”
“But, of course, he wants you to come back,” Mrs. Cunningham replied. “He’s just like every other man I know. He’s simply too proud to say it.”
Sam rolled his eyes at his neighbor. “I can never win with you,” he said.
Mrs. Cunningham looked at Amanda. “You’ll come back to help him, then, won’t you?”
Amanda glanced over at Sam and shrugged. “Of course,” she replied.
Sam helped Mrs. Cunningham walk to Amanda’s car, so Amanda could drive the older woman to her home which was a good country-block down the road. “Make sure she goes straight to bed,” he said to Amanda.
She looked him squarely in the face. “I’m a doctor, remember?”
Heaven help him, Sam thought, but there was something about this woman that made him crazy inside—crazy like he’d never been in his whole life. If he didn’t know better, he would think he was losing it.
But, of course, he knew better.
Perhaps what he really needed was a night out on the town.
Yeah, he thought to himself, that was exactly what he needed.
And soon.
One way or another, he was going to get rid of this crazy obsession he had of Amanda Lucas, if it was the last thing he ever did.
He had wanted a challenge. Well, now it was time he did something about it.
Chapter Five
Sam glanced at his wristwatch again. It was forty-five minutes now since Amanda had left the party to take Mrs. Cunningham home. He was thinking of calling to see what was keeping her so long. The only thing stopping him was the idea that maybe she had left a long time ago. If he called and she wasn’t there, he’d look like a complete fool in Mrs. Cunningham’s eyes.
He had suspected all along that Amanda wasn’t going to come back. She had just feigned agreement to please Mrs. Cunningham. He was getting to know Amanda well enough now to realize that she was the kind of woman who never gave an inch. At least, not where he was concerned, anyway.
Indeed, she was stubborn.
And willful.
And sexy as all get-out.
She acted all toughlike, but he was beginning to wonder if it wasn’t just an act in order to cover up a past hurt. He had seen that faraway look in her eyes, the one that made her look so vulnerable. Had the love of her life dumped her? For some reason he wished he knew. She was such an added complication in his life. His days—and nights—would be a lot simpler right now if he was attracted to someone less complicated than she. But then again, it wasn’t just anyone who could intrigue him.
At four-thirty the last of Sara’s friends left the party. Sara and Caroline helped Sam bring Sara’s gifts into the house while the puppy Amanda had given them slept soundly in one corner of the kitchen on a makeshift bed of old towels. Sam started taking down the decorations in the backyard. He was deep in thought when a voice behind him said, “Hi. Am I too late to help?” There wasn’t another voice on earth that affected him like hers. He turned and saw Amanda standing just a few feet away, and his whole system shut down. It was as though someone had momentarily pulled the plug on him. Finally, though, he was able to pull himself together.
“I didn’t think you were coming back.”
“I had an emergency phone call while I was at Mrs. Cunningham’s,” she said, stepping forward to help him finish taking down the decorations. Already, Sam could smell the light floral scent of her fragrance.
“Was Mrs. Cunningham all right when you left her?”
“She was in bed. Before leaving her house, I heated her a bowl of soup and made sure the telephone was within her reach. She should be fine for now. I plan to check on her later.”
“I’m planning to do that, too,” he replied.
Amanda suddenly stopped what she was doing. “Sam—look—I’ve been thinking about something. I’d like to clear the air with you about the other day when you came into my office and asked about Sabrina Jensen. I want you to understand that I was only doing what I thought was best for Sabrina. First of all, I didn’t know you from Adam and certainly had no way of knowing if the story you were giving me was true.”
Sam nodded. “I realize that now. I should have given you the facts and then waited for you to verify them.”
“That would’ve helped. Since I’ve gotten to know you better, my feelings about the matter have changed somewhat.”
“Really?”
“Well, let’s just say I now trust you enough to tell you what I know about Sabrina.” Amanda took a deep breath. “Look, she was my patient, but I haven’t seen her in a while. She missed her last appointment and when my staff tried to reach her to reschedule, they discovered that the address and telephone number she had given for her file were phony. I haven’t heard from her since, and I don’t know where she is.”
“Why was she coming to you?”
“I can’t divulge that kind of information.”
Sam narrowed his eyes. “Was she pregnant?”
“Look, I’m trying to tell you as much as I can without compromising my oath as a doctor.”
For several intense moments, Sam gazed at her long and hard. Finally, though, he shook his head in understanding. “The Wentworths won’t give up until they find her.”
“I’m glad to know that,” Amanda replied. “Someone needs to be there for her. I’d like to know when they find her.”
Sam gave her a surprised look. “Sure. And, Amanda, thanks.” His smile was warm and genuine, and together they returned to cleaning up the mess from the party in companionable silence.
But for Amanda, thoughts of Sabrina out there somewhere pregnant and alone weren’t that easy to dispense with. At least, in the next few months, Sabrina would have her baby to comfort her. Amanda had no one.
Suddenly, her eyes filled with tears.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Sam asked almost immediately, taking her by the shoulders and turning her around to face him. “Why the tears?”
“It’s nothing,” Amanda said, a slight tremor in her voice.
But Sam pulled her against him anyway, hugging her tight to his chest. “Come on, you can tell me what’s wrong,” he said, sounding sincere. “Is it something I said?”
Amanda burrowed her face in his chest. “No,” she replied. “It’s nothing, really. It’s been a busy week. I’m just tired.”
“Tired?” Sam replied with a chuckle. “Do you always cry like this when you’re tired?”
Somehow, Amanda managed to lift her head and give him a weak smile. “No, thank goodness,” she replied. “It’s nothing, really,” she repeated.
“Well, if you say so,” he said, still holding her close. “Everything is going to work out all right,” he replied, his arms still wrapped around her.
Amanda had never in her life felt so safe...so secure.
The spell was broken, however, when Caroline suddenly appeared beside them. “Daddy,” she said, her eyes widening in surprise when she saw Amanda in his arms. “What’s wrong with Amanda?” she asked.
At the sound of the child’s voice, Amanda sprang away from Sam. �
�Nothing’s wrong with me, honey,” she replied. “I had something in my eye and your daddy was trying to help me get it out.”
“Oh,” Caroline replied, apparently accepting her answer. Then she glanced at her father. “Daddy, me and Sara want to know if we’re still having hot dogs for supper.”
Sam coughed self-consciously. “Yeah, pumpkin, we sure are,” he replied.
“Is Amanda staying?”
“Uh—well, she can if she wants to,” he answered.
“Do you want to, Amanda? Please...” Caroline asked.
“W-well, honey, it’s not that I don’t want to. It’s just that—well, I’ll have to check with my answering service first.”
“There’s a phone you can use in the kitchen,” Sam said.
“Thanks,” she replied in awe of what was happening. Was Sam trying to rush her to use the telephone in the hopes that she wouldn’t be able to stay for supper, or was he just trying to be nice?
Just because he had offered her a moment of comfort didn’t mean anything. He probably couldn’t wait for her to leave.
Once inside the house, she used the phone in the kitchen to dial her answering service and was told that she didn’t have any calls. Surprised, she hung up and mused aloud, “Well, what do you know? Everything is quiet on the hospital front.”
“I hope you like hot dogs,” Sam said, carrying in an armload of party favors and dumping them on one corner of the kitchen table.
Amanda still wasn’t sure whether he truly wanted her to stay or not.
“Look,” she said self-consciously. “I think I’ll be going, anyway.”
“Why?” he asked. “The kids’ll love it if you stay for supper. Just don’t expect too much on the table. Hot dogs at my house consists of wieners, canned chili and, sometimes, day-old buns.”
“What...no mustard?”
Sam gave her a blank stare. Finally, though, he seemed to catch on that she was joking. “I just don’t want you thinking it’s going to be a gourmet meal or anything.”
“It isn’t?” she replied with just a hint of a smile on her lips.
The Daddy And The Baby Doctor Page 7