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“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he added as he pushed against the swinging door.
“Okay. If you need me, you’ll call, won’t you?”
“You know I will, Sam, but hopefully it won’t be necessary.”
Jeff discovered Doc waiting for him in his office. He gave him an update on the two children and told him what room they were in. Jeff sent him home. He knew Doc’s wife, Florence, would be anxious until he arrived.
He surprised himself with the wish he had someone waiting for him. He’d thought about hiring a housekeeper, but it wasn’t the same thing. Besides, there was only him, and he had a woman coming in to clean once a week. And he wasn’t used to home-cooked meals. His wife had been a school counselor and worked long hours. They’d usually met at a restaurant before they went home for the evening.
When he opened the door of the little boy’s room, he paused before entering, staring at the picture before him.
Diane Peters sat in a large chair next to the bed, the toddler still in her arms. Diane was talking softly to the little boy who lay in the bed, his arm in a cast.
Just then, she noticed Jeff in the doorway. Her gaze fell on him and she stopped talking.
“Good evening,” he said casually, strolling into the room. “How are my patients?”
The toddler snuggled closer to Diane, her gaze wide with fear. The boy’s eyes were wide, too, but Jeff could see his effort to be brave. His heart went out to the child, feeling the pressure to be strong for his baby sister.
Reaching the bed, he picked up the boy’s wrist on his good arm and took his pulse. “Did Doc fix up your arm, son? Are you in pain?”
The boy shook his head no. “Mama?”
His sister whimpered and Jeff watched Diane’s soothing hands as she comforted the little girl.
“Your mother is just fine,” he hurriedly said. “She’s still asleep right now. You should be able to see her tomorrow or the day after, though.”
Diane’s gaze showed as much relief as the children’s. He hoped she realized he’d simplified things for the children. He wasn’t sure the woman would awaken that quickly. With the concussion, that couldn’t be guaranteed.
“Have you introduced yourselves to Miss Peters?” he asked, in an attempt to distract them.
Both children looked confused.
Diane hurriedly said, “That’s me. I told them my name is Diane,” she explained to him. “And this is Toby and Janie Duncan.”
He greeted the two children by name and watched them relax a little. “Do you live here in Cactus?”
The boy opened his mouth to answer, but a familiar voice behind Jeff responded instead.
“No, they live in Lubbock,” Cal said. He came into the room and stopped at the end of the boy’s bed. “I’ve called their number but there’s no answer.”
Diane quietly said, “Toby said their daddy died a few months ago. He doesn’t remember any more family.”
“Toby, is it?” Cal repeated in a kind voice. “You don’t have any grandparents or aunts or uncles, Toby?”
The boy shook his head, his bottom lip trembling.
“Okay,” Cal said easily. “Do you remember what happened, Toby? Today, I mean.”
The boy paled and Jeff reached for his hand, hoping to offer reassurance. Diane, from the other side of the bed, reached out to touch him also.
Toby opened his mouth but no words came out. Finally, he managed, “A car, a red car, hit us.”
Cal nodded and smiled again, as if Toby had given him just what he needed to hear. “Good boy. How are you feeling?”
“I think Toby’s had a tough day,” Jeff said, hoping Cal would understand that the children didn’t need any more questioning.
“So, they’re going to stay here?” Cal asked.
“For tonight,” Jeff said. “The nurse is going to come with their trays. After they eat, they’ll each get a sedative to help them sleep tonight. Then tomorrow, Toby, and Janie, of course, will probably be released.”
“But their mother…” Diane began, then trailed off, her gaze on the little boy’s face.
“Right,” Cal agreed, seeming to recognize her dilemma. “We’ll need to find someone to care for them until we can consider our options.”
“I can take care of them,” Diane offered.
Jeff looked away from her. A compassionate woman was always attractive to him. His own mother had been ill most of his life. He’d gone into medicine because of her. But she’d been unable to be the mother of storybooks or television shows.
The problem with Diane was that he was already attracted to her. When he’d seen her holding the toddler, her gaze filled with worry and not a little fear, he’d recognized that compassion, along with her natural beauty. Her strength and determination had compounded his interest and curiosity. Which explained why he’d overreacted to Samantha’s teasing.
For the first time since his wife died, he was attracted to another woman.
“Um, it’s a big responsibility. I can’t tell you how long…if Cal doesn’t find any relatives, we could be talking weeks.”
As he’d expected from his experience with her at the wreck, her chin rose and she glared at him. “I’m not an idiot. I understand that. But I’m not going to work full-time at the law firm until after I take the bar exam.” She turned to Cal. “Can I take charge of the kids, Cal?”
“Do you have room in your mother’s house, Diane? I know Joe got his own place when he moved back, but there’s still Paul and Susan at home. And you.”
“If I share with Susan, the two little ones can sleep in my bedroom,” she said. “It will be crowded, but I think they need to be together anyway.”
“Works for me,” Cal agreed.
“Is that okay with you, Toby?” Jeff asked. “Would you mind going with Diane tomorrow? That way you’ll be close to the hospital so you can see your mom.”
The little boy nodded, turning to look at Diane. “Yes, sir,” he whispered.
Diane smiled tenderly at him. “Good. You’ll like my home, Toby. My mom makes great cookies.”
The little girl sat upright, speaking for the first time without tears. “Cookie?”
Diane hugged her with a smile. “Ah, I found something you like, didn’t I, Janie?”
“I’d better have their dinners brought in. Do you mind helping feed them, Diane?” Jeff asked, already knowing the answer.
“Of course not.”
He and Cal left the room together. As soon as Jeff had given instructions to a nurse, he turned to the sheriff. “Do you think she’ll be able to handle the job?”
“Diane? Oh, yeah. The Peters kids are responsible. While Katie took the brunt of the burden when their dad died, they all pitched in and worked hard. Only Susan, the baby, who’s a senior this year, has shown any tendencies for teenage rebellion. If Diane says she can handle the job, you can be sure she can.”
Jeff sighed. “Okay.”
“How long before the kids settle down for the night?”
Raising his eyebrow, Jeff said, “About half an hour. Why?”
“I thought I’d go to The Last Roundup for dinner. I know Diane hasn’t eaten since Janie hasn’t left her arms. And you couldn’t have had a chance, after doing the operation. I thought both of you might join me.”
Jeff searched for a reason to turn down the invitation. But he was no masochist. He had nothing at the house ready to eat, and it had been a tough day.
“I don’t know about Diane, but I’ll take you up on your offer.”
“Good. And I’ll count on you to persuade Diane. She deserves a treat after all she did today.”
Jeff agreed that she deserved more than a steak, but he wasn’t looking forward to spending more time with her. On the other hand, without the toddler in her arms, maybe he’d find her less attractive.
Right.
DIANE QUIETLY WATCHED the two children subside into sleep, grateful that for a few hours they could forget the miserable day they’d just experienced. Janie had eaten more readily than Toby. Unless she or the nurse encouraged him, he’d been reluctant to eat. Diane could see the worry in his eyes.
Janie had eaten a good meal, her young mind unable to concentrate as well as her older brother’s. Fortunately, the sedative they’d given her had been in the form of a pill this evening, not a needle. She never even realized she’d been given medicine and was easily tucked into the second bed in the room.
Toby, too, took his medicine, unsuspecting that it would put him to sleep.
“I think they’re really asleep now, Diane,” the nurse, a woman she’d known in school, said.
“I guess you’re right, Sandy. But I’m afraid they’ll wake up and start crying. Janie has powerful lungs.”
“I know,” Sandy agreed with a quiet laugh. “I heard her.”
“It’s been a long day. I hope Mom saved me some dinner.”
The two of them left the room, saying their goodbyes. Diane insisted Sandy call her if the children needed her before morning.
Diane turned toward the exit, weariness finally hitting her. She sagged against the wall for a moment to gather her strength.
Warm, familiar hands caught her around the waist. “You all right?” Dr. Hausen asked.
She went rigid. “Yes, thank you, just—just a little tired.”
“You should be exhausted. You were a great help today.”
“Thank you,” she murmured and moved away from him.
“I’m under strict instructions to bring you to The Last Roundup to join Cal for dinner.”
Diane turned to face the man she’d only met a few hours ago. “Oh, no, I have to go home. My mother—”
“I just talked to your mother and explained that we were going to feed you before we let you go home. She agreed that would be best.”
Diane wanted to sag against the wall again, but the man might decide she needed his touch, and she definitely didn’t want that. Something strange came over her when he touched her. “No, thanks, I need to go home.”
“And how will you get there?” he asked, his voice casual, as if he had little interest in her response.
“Why, I’ll drive—my car! It’s—Oh, no, I think I left the motor running! Could you take me—”
Before she could finish her request, he said, “Of course I will. After we eat. I’ve had a long day, too.”
What choice did she have? Or what excuse to drag the doctor out for the drive to her car before he ate? “Of—of course. Will it take long? I mean, I’m afraid someone might steal my car.”
“I’d bet Cal turned off the motor and took your keys. Let’s go ask him.”
That suggestion dismissed any of her reluctance to join Cal at the restaurant. In fact, she was hurrying along when she felt the doctor’s touch on her arm.
“There’s no need to run. I’m not as young as you,” he told her, a rueful smile on his handsome lips.
“Sorry,” she said, slowing slightly.
“You’re supposed to say, ‘Oh, no, doctor, you’re not old.”’
Diane couldn’t hold back a grin as he spoke those words in a falsetto voice. So he had a sense of humor. A lot of men did.
“You’re right. I should have said that, because it’s true. But I’m afraid my mind was on my car.”
“Hmm, that’s the first time I’ve ever come in second to a dilapidated sedan.”
Her cheeks burned. “My car may not be in the best condition, but it’s served me well.”
He seemed embarrassed, too, as if he hadn’t meant to imply any competition between him and the car. “Of course, I was just teasing you. How long have you had the car?”
“My brother Joe bought it from one of his college buddies for me. It was seventeen years old then and I’ve driven it for six more years.”
“Wow, that’s impressive. And what’s its name?”
She spun around to stare at him. “How did you know—I mean, it hasn’t—” She was about to deny naming her car, but she couldn’t lie when she looked into his blue eyes. “I named her Daisy,” she confessed, her chin up.
He chuckled. “An appropriate name for a car that probably lived through the flower power age.”
“I can assure you Daisy is a lady,” she said, with just a hint of a smile.
By that time, much to Diane’s surprise, they’d reached the entrance of The Last Roundup, the nicest restaurant in Cactus, on the town square. Since the owner was Cal’s wife, Jessica, Diane didn’t have any doubt about them getting seated at once.
When they were escorted to a table, she was surprised to discover Jessica sitting with her husband.
“Diane!” Jessica exclaimed. “I heard you were back in town, but I hadn’t seen you. How are you?”
“A little tired,” she replied, but she smiled.
