“Which reminds me. I heard Diane Peters stopped to render aid. You’ll have a lot in common with her soon.”
“I will?” he asked, surprised. Not that he objected. He’d noticed today that she was an attractive woman, like her sister, only a little more sophisticated.
“Well, she’s single and coming back to Cactus. She’ll be working with Mac as soon as she passes the bar.”
“So, the fact that we’re both single is what we have in common?”
“Ah, no. The fact that both of you will be in the sights of the matchmakers is what you’ll have in common.” Sam paused before a big grin appeared on her lips. “Hey, maybe they’ll match you two up and take care of both of you with one wedding!”
“No!” Jeff protested with more volume than he realized.
Chapter Two
Jeff could see that his adamant response to her comment had surprised Samantha.
“Are you all right?” she asked, obviously concerned about his overreaction.
“Of course,” he said with a smile.
“You’ve been teased about the matchmakers before, but you never seemed to mind,” Samantha pointed out.
“I must be tense from the surgery. It’s been a little while since we’ve had anything so serious.” He began walking toward the door, anxious to escape his friend’s questions. He had an inkling about what had caused his reaction, but he certainly didn’t want to think about it now.
“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