01_Gift from the Heart (13 page)

“But you stayed together a long time,” Clare pointed out.

He gave a short, mirthless laugh. “Yeah. But not for the noblest reasons. The one thing Elaine and I had going for us was…” He paused and shifted uncomfortably. “I guess chemistry is the right word. On a physical level. If it hadn’t been for that, we would have separated far sooner. So I’m a bit wary of…physical attraction. Because it’s not enough to sustain a marriage over the long haul.”

“I agree.”

“Anyway, I’m just not good at opening up. Of letting people get close. And you can’t connect with people if you don’t. My relationship with Nicole is a good example.”

“But that’s improving. You two are getting along better all the time.”

“Thanks to you.”

Clare shook her head. “I might have helped set the stage, but you had to step into the role. And you’ve done a wonderful job. In fact, I’d call it remarkable, now that I know more about your background. Because you didn’t have a lot of tools to work with.”

Adam set his mug on the coffee table and turned to Clare. How did she always know the right things to say, he wondered. “You know something, Clare? I love the sweater you knitted for me. It’s a wonderful birthday gift. But what you just said is the best gift of all. I just wish I could believe it was true.”

The sincerity in her eyes was unquestionable. “Trust me, Adam. It is.”

There was that word again.
Trust.
He angled his body toward her and, without stopping to think, reached for her hand and brushed his thumb across her silky skin. “I prayed for help with Nicole,” he said, his voice not quite steady. “And I’ve come to believe that God sent me you. And maybe not just for Nicole.”

At the intense, undisguised yearning in his eyes, Clare’s heart stopped, then raced on. And all he was doing to kindle that reaction was holding her hand. Gently. Tenderly.

Adam studied Clare. She hadn’t pulled away from him, but he was well aware of her conflicting emotions: confusion, yearning, panic. The same things he was feeling.

Adam hadn’t expected his birthday to end this way. He’d asked her to join him on the porch to see if he had the courage to begin the process of opening up. But he’d ended up sharing far more than he’d planned. Which was odd, considering how emotionally distant he’d always been. Yet he didn’t feel distant from Clare, whose loveliness and goodness and strength had not only touched his heart, but refreshed his parched and weary soul.

It had been a long time since Adam had kissed a woman. There had been no one after Elaine. And he’d keenly felt the loss of that human connection. Sometimes the loneliness left him aching for something as simple as a gentle touch or a tender look. But he’d ruthlessly stifled such needs, knowing he didn’t have the right stuff to sustain a long-term relationship, and unwilling to settle for less—or to hurt someone else by trying.

Yet Jack seemed to think he had changed, that he was now better able—or willing—to establish the kind of rapport that made a marriage not just work, but flourish. So did Clare, if he was reading her correctly. And he wanted to believe them. Desperately. Because he was tired of being alone. Tired of holding up the No Trespassing sign that blocked his heart. Tired of being cautious. And afraid. And second-guessing.

Adam knew he was heading toward shaky ground. That maybe he was being foolish, that he might regret his actions later. But right now, at this moment, with Clare only a whisper away, he didn’t care. He needed her.

And so he decided to do something that could change their relationship forever.

A
dam slowly reached over and touched Clare’s face, tracing the elegant line of her jaw with a whisper touch. Her skin was just as he’d imagined it—silky and smooth and soft—and his mouth went dry as he struggled to get his heart rate under control.

Clare seemed to be faring no better. A pulse hammered in the delicate hollow of her throat, and he reassuringly stroked her hand—though he wasn’t sure if that gesture was for his sake or hers.

Adam’s fingers trailed from her cheek down the slender column of her throat, then around to the back of her neck. He cupped her head gently, and as he gazed into her deep-blue eyes, he signaled his intent, giving her a chance to pull away. When she didn’t, he slowly, deliberately closed the gap between them and leaned down for a kiss.

When he finally broke contact his hands were trembling and he reached up to brush a stray strand of hair off her forehead.

“Are you okay?” he asked her unsteadily when he could find his voice.

She stared at him solemnly and blinked once. “I don’t know.”

He gave her a shaky grin. “Me, neither. Let’s just sit for a minute, okay? I think we both need to regroup. Doctor’s orders.”

He kept one arm around her shoulder and pressed her head into the protective curve of his arm, letting his cheek rest against her silky hair.

Clare could hear the thudding of his heart against her ear. She knew her own heart was in no better shape. She wasn’t quite sure what she’d anticipated from their kiss, but she hadn’t expected it to leave her wanting more. She wasn’t ready for more, though. And she wasn’t sure Adam was, either. So where did they go from here?

As Adam held Clare, he had his own questions. Had he changed enough to make a relationship work over the long-term? Was he willing to trust his heart—completely—to another person? He’d shared a lot with Clare tonight. But it had been hard. Very hard. Opening up didn’t come naturally to him, as it did to Jack. Could he sustain that kind of sharing long-term? Or would he eventually fall back into old patterns—and wind up hurting Clare?

He didn’t know the answers to those questions. So as he stared at the blue-hazed mountains in the distance, he put the matter into greater hands.

Lord, please show me the way to proceed. I’m falling in love with Clare, and I’m not sure I can let her go when the nanny job is over. But I don’t want to hurt her. Please help me to know Your will, to do the right thing. Help me to choose wisely and not make a decision that satisfies only my own selfish needs. Because as much as I want Clare in my life, I also want what’s best for her. Even if that means letting her go.

“I wondered where you guys were.”

At the sound of Nicole’s voice, Clare abruptly straightened up and Adam withdrew his arm. She felt hot spots of color burning in her cheeks, and she averted her face on the pretense of arranging her sweater, feeling as guilty as a teenager caught necking in her parents’ living room.

“I guess it’s too late to play a game, huh?” Nicole said.

Clare risked a glance at Adam, wondering if he felt as embarrassed as she did. But if the twitch at the corner of his mouth was any indication, he seemed to find the whole thing humorous.

“Probably,” he said. “Besides, I think you ladies should make an early night of it, considering all the hard work you did for my birthday.”

“Yeah. And I still have some homework to finish.”

“I’ll be in to say good-night a little later.”

“Okay. ’Night, Clare.”

“Good night, Nicole. You did a great job on the party.”

“Thanks.” Nicole turned to go, but paused at the door to look back. “It’s okay if you want to put your arm back around Clare’s shoulder, Dad. I think it’s kind of cool.”

With that she disappeared inside, letting the screen door slam behind her.

Adam turned to Clare and chuckled. “So much for being discreet.”

She gave him a wry look, her color still high. “Kids are smart. And attentive. They don’t miss much. Listen, I’m sorry if this…well, I hope you weren’t embarrassed.”

“Not nearly as much as you were.”

Nervously, Clare adjusted her sweater. “It’s just that…well, I’m not sure I’m ready for anything…serious. I still have…issues.”

“I do, too. And I’ve learned from experience not to rush things. So let’s just take this really slow, okay? I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

She nodded and glanced toward the house. “Including Nicole. She and I have gotten pretty close, and she’s asked me a couple of times about leaving. I don’t want to build up any false hopes.”

“I’ve thought about that, too,” he replied. “I know she has a tendency to read too much into things sometimes. But I do agree with her about one thing.”

“What?”

He draped his arm loosely around her shoulders and grinned. “I think this is kind of cool.”

Clare smiled, but she didn’t respond.

Because even though she didn’t want to get her own hopes up, and even though she still had issues to resolve, she couldn’t contain the glow that suddenly suffused her heart and spilled over, radiating warmth right down to her fingertips.

“Adam? I think you better take this call. It’s the police.”

Adam’s head snapped up and he stared at Janice, who had just returned from maternity leave. “What?”

“It’s the police. They said there’s been…an accident. Line two.”

Adam felt his heart stop, then race on as he glanced at his watch and reached for the phone. Clare was supposed to drive Nicole to a friend’s house for a Friday-night sleepover about an hour ago.
Dear God, let them be okay!
he prayed.

He punched the number and tried unsuccessfully to speak, then cleared his throat and tried again. “This is Adam Wright.”

“Dr. Wright, this is Lieutenant Stevens, Highway Patrol. Do you have a daughter named Nicole?”

“Yes.”

“There’s been a car accident. She’s been taken to Memorial Hospital in Asheville.”

Adam’s grip on the phone tightened, turning his knuckles white. “How bad is it?”

“I wasn’t at the scene myself. I only have a notation that it was a head injury.”

Adam closed his eyes and tried to breathe. “What about Clare?” he asked hoarsely.

There was a sound of rustling paper. “I don’t see anyone named Clare on the accident report. The driver was a Kathleen Foster. Her daughter, Jennifer, is also listed. They have minor injuries.”

Adam frowned. “Are you sure?”

“That’s what the report says.”

“All right. Thanks. I’m on my way.” Adam replaced the receiver, grabbed his briefcase and headed out the door. Janice gave him an anxious look as he strode past the desk, but he hardly paused, speaking over his shoulder in a clipped, rapid-fire tone.

“Cancel all my appointments for the rest of the day. I’m heading to Memorial Hospital in Asheville. Nicole was in a car accident. She has head injuries. And see if you can track down Clare. I’ll call when I know something.”

Adam didn’t remember the drive to the hospital. All he knew was that he broke every speed law in the books. And that he prayed more fervently than he had in a long, long time.

When he reached the hospital, Adam parked his car illegally right outside the emergency room and almost ran inside. A woman who looked badly shaken, her arm in a sling, stopped him inside the door.

“Dr. Wright?”

He turned to her with an impatient frown. “Yes?”

“I’m Kathleen Foster. We met at the holiday concert at school. I’m so sorry about this.” She was close to tears, and her face had an unhealthy pallor. “The truck crossed the median and I…I did the best I could.”

Her voice broke, and despite his own panic, Adam shifted into doctor mode. “I’m sure you did. Look, Mrs. Foster, why don’t you sit here for a few minutes?” He guided her to a chair. “I’m going to check with the doctor in charge. Is someone coming to be with you?”

She sniffed and nodded. “My h-husband is on his way. M-my daughter’s still back there, but I w-wanted to catch you when you arrived.”

“You just take it easy for a few minutes.”

Adam left her, then made his way to the receptionist. “I’m Dr. Adam Wright. My daughter was in the car accident. I’d like to speak to the attending physician. Stat.”

At his authoritative tone, the woman nodded and pressed a button, releasing the door to the emergency room. “Come in, please. I’ll get her.”

Sixty eternal seconds later, a tall, slender woman with short-cropped dark hair joined him inside the door and held out her hand.

“Dr. Wright? Ellen Grady. First, relax. I think your daughter will be fine. She hit the side of her head against the window when the car turned over, and she was unconscious for a few minutes. She’s alert now, and there’s no sign of serious trauma. Just a mild concussion, and some pretty colorful bruises on her right arm and leg.”

Adam felt the coil of tension in his stomach ease slightly, and he wiped a shaky hand down his face. “Thank God!” he said hoarsely.

“Your daughter has been asking for you. But before I take you back, do you have any questions?”

He forced himself to take a deep breath, then slowly let it out before asking a series of concise, pointed questions to verify that the appropriate, comprehensive battery of tests had been performed. When he was satisfied, Dr. Grady led him down the hall to Nicole.

She was lying on an examining table in one of the small rooms, holding an ice pack against a rapidly discoloring bump on her right temple, her French braid in disarray. And she looked scared. Adam quickly moved beside her, reaching down to gently brush the hair back from her face.

“Hi, sweetie.”

She reached out and grasped his hand tightly. “The truck was c-coming right at us, Dad,” she said, her voice catching on a sob, her eyes still wide with terror. “I—I thought we were going t-to die.”

He leaned down and pulled her slight, angular body close, burying his face in her hair. “It’s okay, sweetie. Everything’s okay now.”

He held her for a long moment, and when she finally spoke again, her voice was muffled against his chest. “Can we go home now, Dad?”

“I think so. Sit tight and I’ll check with Dr. Grady.”

He found the woman in the hall outside, and she confirmed his assessment. “Normally I might want to keep her for observation, but you certainly know what to look for,” she said. “And frankly, people are generally better off at home, anyway. I’ll sign the release and you can be on your way. Someone will be in to help Nicole dress.”

“Thanks. What about the others? I saw Mrs. Foster in the waiting room, with her arm in a sling.”

Dr. Grady nodded. “Dislocated collarbone. Her daughter has a sprained ankle. According to the police, it’s a miracle all three of them weren’t killed.”

“Is there someone who can tell me exactly what happened?”

The doctor snagged the sleeve of a passing aide. “Are any of the officers who came in with the car accident still here?”

The young man nodded. “There’s one in the coffee room. I’ll get him.”

While Adam waited, the receptionist came over to him. “Mrs. Foster asked me tell you that she and her daughter went home, but she left her phone number if you want to call her.” She held out a slip of paper.

“Thanks.”

“Dr. Wright? Officer Parisi.”

Adam turned and took the man’s proffered hand. “My daughter was in the accident. Can you tell me what happened?”

“Near as we can tell, a truck in the oncoming lane lost control. The driver of your daughter’s vehicle was alert and had good reflexes, so she was able to swerve out of the way and avoid a collision. Unfortunately, she slid off the edge of the highway and her vehicle fell onto its right side. It’s pretty much totaled, but at least no one was badly injured.” He shook his head. “This could have had a whole different ending if there’d been a head-on. Those three people were very lucky.”

Adam didn’t think it was just luck. But he let that pass. “Thank you, officer.”

“My pleasure. I wish all of my calls ended this well.”

Before he returned to the examining room, Adam stepped outside to phone Janice. After he gave her a quick update on the situation, he asked about Clare.

“I’ve been trying steadily since you left to reach her, but there’s no answer at your house or in her apartment.”

Adam frowned. “Okay. Thanks. Any urgent calls that I need to return?”

“Nothing that can’t wait.”

“All right. See you Monday.”

As Adam rang off and made his way back to the examining room, his frown was still in place. Where was Clare? Kathleen Foster might know, but she was on her way home. That left only Nicole.

She looked up when he rejoined her and started to get off the table, but Adam moved swiftly beside her. “Hey, not so fast! You’ve got one big lump on that hard head of yours, and you might be a little dizzy.”

She clung to him and closed her eyes when she stood. “Yeah,” she said faintly.

Once he had her buckled into the car, he slid behind the wheel and backed out. As he edged into traffic he glanced over at her. She had her head back and her eyes were closed.

“Nicole?”

“Hmm?” she said sleepily.

“Do you know where Clare is?”

“Home, I guess,” she mumbled.

He frowned. Not according to Janice. “Sweetie, why didn’t she drive you to the party?”

Nicole didn’t answer, and he glanced over. She’d snuggled into the corner, her lashes dark against her pale cheeks, and her even breathing told him that she was asleep. So he didn’t disturb her with more questions. Because in less than forty-five minutes they’d be home. And he’d find his own answers.

Clare’s car was in the garage.

As Adam set the brake on his own car, he frowned. She was obviously home now. But where had she been earlier? What had been so important that she couldn’t take Nicole to the party?

As Adam carefully unbuckled his daughter and lifted her gently in his arms, his tension began to give way to anger. She’d suffered only minor injuries in the accident, but according to the officer, the outcome could have been far worse. Nicole could have been killed. His gut clenched painfully, and he had to blink rapidly to clear his suddenly blurred vision. When he thought how close he’d come to losing the daughter he was only just beginning to find…. His mouth settled into a grim line. Clare better have a rock-solid reason for putting his daughter’s welfare into someone else’s hands, he thought angrily.