The Back-Up Plan (15 page)

Donna closed her fingers over the coin and pressed her fist to her breast. “I was just thinking what a wonderful time I had tonight. It was....” She gazed up at the stars and then back at his handsome face. She couldn’t say magical even though that’s what she felt at the moment. “I really did have a good time.”

His eyes searched hers before locking on her mouth. Donna sensed the subtle change in his respiration. He was going to kiss her now, finally. She could feel it—she wanted it. She truly, truly did. Please, kiss me, she willed.

But he didn’t.

“I had a good time, too,” he said. He slipped his arm around her shoulders and resumed their journey toward her porch.

Why hadn’t he kissed her? Did she have something on her teeth? Bad breath? She could have sworn that he was about to kiss her. Her heart sank. Hank Bradley had her hot and bothered all night long, the least he could do was kiss her. At her door, she shoved her key into the lock, twisted the knob and pushed the door open. She covertly cupped her hand over her mouth and exhaled. No, her breath was fine.

Why in the world hadn’t he kissed her?

Erica met them in the front hall. “Did you have a nice time, Dr. Jacobs?”

“Yes, thank you, Erica.” Donna smiled and handed her the agreed upon fee. “Any trouble?”

“None at all. Melissa slept straight through.” Erica smiled and looked past Donna to Hank. “Hey, Coach.”

“Hey,” he called over Donna. His deep voice reverberated through her, sending more of those delicious shivers up her spine.

Donna followed Erica to the door. “Thanks so much. I’d like to call on you again if you think you’d be interested.”

“Sure thing, Dr. Jacobs.”

Once Erica was in her car and had pulled away from the curb, Donna closed the door and took a deep breath. She turned back to Hank, who leaned against the newel post at the bottom of the staircase. His jacket was folded across his arm. His tie hung loose around his neck. Several buttons of his shirt were no longer fastened. He’d gotten comfortable. Should she be nervous about that? A funnel of heat stirred below her belly button, warming her insides.

She blinked. “Would you care for coffee?” She tried to sound calm, but she felt far from calm. Her heart raced. Her entire body quaked with anticipation.

“I’d like that very much.’

She loved watching his lips move when he spoke. They were so full and inviting. “Let me take your jacket.”

She hung his jacket on the hall tree then headed for the kitchen. He followed, just close enough to keep her pulse erratic. She measured the grounds into the basket and slid it into place in the coffee maker, then filled the glass carafe with water and poured it into the reservoir. Hank watched her every move with an intensity that made the slow burn inside her erupt into flames.

She cleared her throat. “It doesn’t take long.” She moved to the other side of the sink to round up coffee cups. The scent of fresh-brewed coffee filled the room.

Let me help you with that.” Hank moved up behind her and reached for a cup. His body brushed against her backside, making her head spin and her breath catch.

“Thanks,” she murmured as she took the cup he passed down to her. She set it on the counter and reached for the next one.

He avoided her hand and placed the cup on the counter himself. Donna closed her eyes and tried to calm the desire raging inside her. Slowly she turned to him. Every sensation she had already experienced a thousand times that night washed over her with renewed force.

He moved closer. Her heart pounded frantically. He started to say something, but didn’t. He wet his lips and took a heavy breath.

“All you have to do,” he whispered, easing even closer, “is say the word.”

“The word?” Bewildered, Donna tried to make sense of his request.

“If you want me to kiss you” his warm breath caressed her face “you have to say so.”

Donna moistened her lips and closed her eyes. His scent...his voice wrapped around her, made her want to lean into him and just melt. She opened her eyes and peered up into his. That untamable lock of black hair had fallen across his forehead. His lips were so close.

“Just say yes,” he urged, the movement of his lips making it hard to breathe.

“Yes,” she whispered.

He touched her cheek with his fingers. Rubbed his thumb across her trembling lips. “I thought you’d never say it,” he murmured as his mouth descended to hers.

Donna’s heart seemed to stop completely as she felt the first brush of his kiss.

“Mommy, I can’t sleep,” Melissa wailed, bursting into the kitchen.

They jumped apart.

Donna dragged herself back to earth and moved to comfort her daughter. “It’s okay, sweetie.” She pulled Melissa up into her arms. “Did you have a bad dream?”

“No,” she whined, rubbing her eyes. “I just woke up and I can’t go back to sleep. Read me a story.”

“It’s kind of late for a story, honey.” Donna smoothed her child’s sleep-tousled hair.

“I’ll do it,” Hank cut in. “If that’s okay.”

Donna turned to him. She tried to read the emotion in his eyes. Desire had taken a back seat to something else. Something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. “Would you like that, sweetie?” she asked Melissa.

Melissa nodded.

Feeling a little uncertain, she turned her precious cargo over to Hank.

“Hey, squirt.” He smiled down at the child in his arms. “What story did you have in mind?”

Donna watched Hank carry Melissa up the stairs and disappear down the corridor. She hugged her arms around herself and tried to slow her own turbulent emotions. This was crazy. Thank God Melissa had interrupted them.

She checked the coffee and placed the cups next to the coffee maker. Should she wait for him to come back downstairs? Maybe she’d go up and see that he got Melissa tucked in without any trouble.

Unable to resist, Donna smoothed her hand over Hank’s jacket as she passed through the front hall. The feel of the fabric evoked renewed desire inside her. She took a deep breath and climbed the stairs. When she neared Melissa’s room she heard Hank’s playful voice as he read
Good Night Moon
. From the doorway, she watched the tender scene.

Hank closed the book and placed it on Melissa’s night table. “Did that hit the spot?”

Donna could hear the warmth in his voice. She knew without seeing his face that he was smiling down at her daughter.

Melissa threw her arms around his neck and hugged him fiercely. “I love you, Mr. Hank.”

“Love you too, squirt.” He hugged Melissa as tightly to him as if she were his own.

Tears sprang, unbidden, to Donna’s eyes. She clasped her hand over her mouth to stifle the sob that rose in her throat. At that moment the entire scenario crystalized for her. Her heart was not the only one in jeopardy here.

How could she risk her daughter’s heart to this man?

Chapter Eight

“I don’t have it, Patty,” Donna shouted. She searched through the jumble of paperwork on her desk one last time. The Rutledge file just wasn’t here.

The clinic had been open almost two weeks with hardly a glitch. She and Patty had their work routine down pat. Then Friday had rolled around. Neither Donna nor Patty could lay their hands on anything they were looking for. Murphy’s Law ruled day.

“Found it!” Patty yelled from the other end of the clinic.

“Good,” Donna muttered.

Despite the mayhem, Donna thanked God for the great week they’d had. Thirty patients. She hadn’t expected to see thirty patients in one week for a long time to come. More than half of them had been recommended by Hank. Apparently he had been running around town telling everyone what a great doctor she was. A dreamy smile slid across her lips as his image enveloped her. For an entire week, since the dance last Friday, she had dreamed every night of how it would feel to be kissed by him again. Each day she prayed it would happen soon.

But she shouldn’t. Donna knew this was treacherous territory. She just didn’t seem to be able to stop the roller coaster from careening down the next hill. She was headed for heartbreak and she knew it. Worse, her little girl would suffer as well. Hank was an adrenaline junkie. He needed the rush of fame and glory. Brick always said:
once it was in your blood nothing or no one else ever mattered
. She’d gone down this road once already. But that didn’t seem to matter to her traitorous heart.

Patty breezed in, interrupting Donna’s worrisome thoughts. “Just sign here,” she instructed and pointed to a line at the bottom of the form requesting records.

Donna grabbed a pen and jotted her name. “Done.”

“Great.” Patty gave the form a final once over. She turned to leave and bumped into Hank coming into the office. His large frame filled the entire doorway. “Sorry, Coach.”

He smiled. “I didn’t mean to run you over, Patty.”

“No damage done,” Patty assured before scurrying away.

Donna didn’t miss the show of victory on her face. She was probably patting herself on the back all the way to her desk. The woman could barely contain her euphoria over Hank and Donna’s fledgling relationship.

Relationship? Was it a
relationship
? When had she decided it was a relationship? It had only been one week since the dance and that sizzling kiss that she suspected was only a preview of things to come. She’d been so troubled by the epiphany that her daughter’s heart was on the line too that she ushered Hank out the door without a chance to finish what they’d started.

“Hey, Doc.” Hank turned his attention to Donna. His drop-dead gorgeous smile widened, taking her breath away as usual.

“Coach.” Donna returned his smile and savored the warm feeling that never failed to spread through her whenever he was near. Why did she want him so very much?

The sleeves of his sweatshirt were pushed up to his elbows. He looked hot and sweaty and absolutely wonderful. Donna felt his pull clear across the desk, the urge to be closer to him almost irresistible.

She and Melissa had been out to dinner with Hank twice since the homecoming dance. The first time just to the local diner. They’d had a great time. On the second occasion, Patty had insisted on having them to dinner at her house, which proved anything but relaxing. Patty kept making comments about how good Donna and Hank looked together and what a great couple they made. Hank found the situation rather amusing. Donna did not. Especially considering Melissa’s obvious case of hero-worship. One thing remained undeniably certain, whether they were on a date or saw each other briefly at school, each day Donna felt the need to be with him grow stronger. They were moving way too fast.

And they still hadn’t finished that kiss. If anticipation continued to build at its current rate, she would implode very soon. Very soon, indeed, she confessed, raking her gaze over his sexy body once more.

Hank crossed his arms over his chest and shifted from foot to foot.

“Is something wrong?” It wasn’t like him to have nothing to say. “Melissa and I are still meeting you at the game tonight, right?” She hadn’t been to a football game since college. She wasn’t really looking forward to going, but this game seemed to be especially important to him. And if it made him happy, what the heck. Funny how quickly and easily his happiness had come to mean more to her than her own. That was definitely a bad sign.

“Everything’s still a go. I’m just...I don’t know...tired, I guess.” He rubbed his forehead like he had a serious headache.

Donna sobered. Something was wrong. She moved around the desk to his side. “What’s really wrong?” A wave of uneasiness washed over her.

He dropped onto the edge of her desk as if his legs could no longer support his weight. “It’s Masters,” he said wearily. “She suspended Dodd for fighting today.”

Dodd
? The quarterback. “That’s bad,” she agreed, relatively certain that was the case.

“Really bad.” Hank shook his head. “The game against Franklin County tonight is a major milestone on the playing schedule. I’ve had two players injured this week—two key players. My back-up quarterback was one of them.” He heaved a big breath. “There’s no way in hell we’re going to win this game.”

Donna considered the information for a moment before asking, “Was Dodd fighting?”

“Yeah.” Hank shoved a hand through his hair. “He says the other kid started it, that he was only defending himself. But that doesn’t change the bottom line—fighting is fighting. I had no choice but to agree with Masters’ decision, no matter how badly we need him in tonight’s game.”

“Masters won’t take that into consideration?”

“She doesn’t take anything into consideration when it involves me,” Hank muttered, his shoulders slumped in defeat. “She’s really been on my case this week. Early bus duty every morning and detention monitor after school every afternoon I didn’t have practice.”

Donna reached out to touch him. He needed touching. She caressed his tense jaw and then lifted his chin, bringing his gaze back to hers. “Why?” she asked. She held her breath and waited for his response. The intense hostility between Hank and the Masters woman puzzled her. It was time she knew what stood between them. “Why would she want to do that?”

“When I first came back to Huntley, Masters worked at district—an assistant something or other. When I applied for a job she mentioned that her uncle, a prominent school board member, could see to it that I got a position. She kept calling me and even dropped by my place. But I didn’t need her help, I had Jack Taylor in my corner.”

“The principal who passed away?”

“Yes.” Sadness flickered in his eyes. “Masters didn’t really care about helping me, even if I’d needed her help. I knew what she wanted. Her interest in me was purely recreational. I wasn’t interested, so I gave her the brush off.”

“I’ll bet that didn’t go over too well.” Donna remembered the predatory gleam in the woman’s eyes when she looked at Hank.

“No, it didn’t.” He released a heavy breath and scrubbed a hand over his face. “She’s made my professional life a living nightmare since taking over as interim principal. If I can just hold out until the end of this term, she’ll be gone, but I don’t know if I’ll make it.”