She wanted to rush over. She wanted to help. But there was no way she had the strength to lift a car. There were six men now, all straining, their faces getting redder by the second.
The smell of fuel was getting stronger. Blue flashing lights appeared at the end of the street, the local patrol car kicking up dust as it skidded to a halt on the street with the Marietta ambulance right behind it. Toby, the sheriff was out in a flash, standing shoulder to shoulder with Dawson to join in the rescue effort.
“Where’s fire and rescue?” Dawson asked.
Toby shook his head. “Out at a fire at one of the ranches – they’re at least fifteen minutes away.”
Within a few minutes the driver of the car had a neck brace in place and was manoeuvred out of the car and into the back of one of the ambulances. She had no idea who he was – didn’t recognize him, or the car, at all.
“Who is under that car?” The reporter that had been pestering her in the diner at few days ago sidled up to her.
“Adam Brady – the doctor,” she said quickly, turning her back again and focusing her attention back on the accident.
“One, two, three, go!” The voices came from the group of men assembled around the car. The paramedic was face down on the ground, obviously working with Adam. But the car didn’t seem to be moving.
Someone appeared with a hose, connecting it to a point in one of the nearby stores and starting to wet down the ground around the car.
Lisa turned quickly to make a quick check on the girls. They were oblivious. Lost in the land of fairy princess dresses and chocolate. Thank goodness.
She dropped to her knees, trying to get any kind of view of what was happening beneath the car. It was nearly impossible. There were more men crowded around the car now, willing to lend their muscles to the job. Between the thick calves and boots she could barely glimpse Adam – only see part of his shoulder and the back of his head.
Someone signalled again. “Now!”
This time the crumpled car did move. A thin piece of plastic must have been wiggled under the car and under the little boy, because once the car was lifted clear by a few inches the little boy was yanked clear.
Adam rolled out from under the car, not even glancing in her direction, but getting directly to work.
The little boy was conscious and wailing loudly. The noise gave simultaneous relief and anguish. He was alive. He was responsive – but he was obviously in pain.
The reporter nudged into her. His eyes widened as he stared at his mobile phone. “Got it. That’s who he is. I knew it. I knew I knew his face.”
Adam was safe. The kiddie was safe. Everyone moved quickly away from the car just as the smoke started to thicken and some of the locals started covering the car in water.
Her chest wasn’t quite as tight. Her breathing was starting to ease off again. She swallowed. She really needed something to drink. She needed to check on the girls again. Adam hadn’t even glanced back in her direction – but he hadn’t had time and she knew that. He was doing exactly what he needed to be doing.
Something clicked in her head. She turned to face the reporter. “What did you just say?”
He hardly even lifted his head – just popped a piece of gum in his mouth as his eyes continued to study his phone. His shoulders shrugged – your boyfriend – he’s the Millionaire Doctor.” He looked up and gave her a wink, “Bagged yourself a good one there, didn’t you?”
It was the weirdest feeling. A rush of blood to the head coupled by a roaring in her ears and every hair standing on end on her arms – as if a cool breeze had just passed over her.
She hated this little man in front of her. Irrationally despised him. But she couldn’t stop her mouth from asking the questions it shouldn’t.
“What are you talking about?” Her eyes flitted back to Adam, every bit of his attention was on his little patient. He hadn’t even noticed the reporter.
The reporter eyed her curiously. He could sniff a story at twenty paces. “Adam Brady, Washington’s millionaire doc? What – you didn’t even know?” He pulled out his voice recorder. “Now, there is a story.” He glanced up at the salon. “What’s your name again? Do you think your millionaire doc might even know some of these celebs? He might actually be here for the wedding?”
She pushed the recorder away roughly. “Don’t be ridiculous. Adam is a doctor. That’s what he’s here to do.”
Thoughts were flying around her brain. Tiny pieces of a puzzle she didn’t even know was there were slotting into place. Fragments of conversations sifted through her mind, tiny memories of fleeting glances or expressions on his face. That’s why Adam could afford to offer her money for her business. That’s why Adam could afford a house on Bramble Lane. Anger was building inside her chest.
Was this why he’d been a little off with her at times? She didn’t care about this. She didn’t care about any of this. She cared about the man in front of her who hadn’t hesitated to dive under a car leaking fuel in an attempt to rescue a child. That was the person she cared about.
She planted her hands on her hips, sucking in a breath between her teeth. Adam was next to the trolley wheeling the little guy into the back of the ambulance. He looked up in her direction. It was a second – just a tiny second, that he noticed the reporter standing next to her and an automatic frown fell into place.
Then he shook his head and mouthed over to her. “I have to go.” She nodded. Of course he did. He had to assess the kid and decide what happens next.
As did she.
She walked into the salon and slammed the door behind her in case the reporter decided to follow her. Alice and Faye jumped, both immersed in the shoes and headpieces all across the floor. Lisa fixed her smile firmly in place.
Adam hadn’t told her. He hadn’t trusted her.
She’d trusted him. She’d shared a secret with him that most of Marietta didn’t know. But he couldn’t find it in himself to trust her with a half-secret that most of Washington already knew.
Where exactly did that leave them?
Chapter Eleven
‡
The hospital was quiet again. The little boy was safe – amazingly his injuries hadn’t been severe. He’d been cushioned by the frame of the stroller and the blanket covering him. The stitches to his arm and forehead would heal quickly, leaving him only with a wizard-style scar.
Adam glanced down at his own clothes. His trousers and shirt were grubby from lying on the ground. There were some definite blood stains and his shirt sleeve was ripped from the struggle of trying to reach the little boy.
One of the ER nurses walked by and tapped him on the shoulder. “Good job, Adam. Glad you were there.” She gave a little smile at his appearance. “Scrubs in the changing room if you need them.”
Adam groaned. “I’m getting a bit tired of walking the streets of Marietta in ER scrubs.”
She laughed, “Well, isn’t it time you learned your lesson and brought in some spare clothes?” She gestured towards the ER reception. “Some reporter guy was asking questions about you. Left you a message.” She started back down the corridor. “Don’t worry, I headed him off.”
Darn it. He knew it. As soon as he spotted that guy talking to Lisa he knew exactly what was going on. He’d been praying that he wasn’t important enough for any of the reporters to remember. Seems like he was wrong.
“Have you seen Lisa?” he shouted after the nurse. He had to speak to her. Doubtless she’d wonder why he hadn’t told her himself.
She pointed upwards. “I saw her an hour ago heading to the pediatric ward with two kiddies.”
Of course. Faye and Alice needed to be returned to the ward.
He headed to the stairwell with a sprint. He could only hope she was still there.
*
Mary, the nurse, eyed him as soon as he appeared. She shook her head. “Don’t even go there, she’s mad.”
His heart sank. “Really?”
Mary folded her arms. “Really.
She told me specifically she didn’t want to talk to you.”
“Where is she?” His fingers started to play with a set of keys on the desk.
“She’s with the girls in the playroom showing them the pictures she took of them this morning.” Mary leaned against the desk. “I checked Alice and Faye over when they came back. Their observations are fine. And it’s the brightest I’ve seen both of them for a while. The little trip out has worked wonders for them.”
Adam smiled. “I’m glad.” He glanced sideways at Mary. “She told me, you know, about her sister. I know why she does this.”
Mary leaned her head on her hand. “She told you?”
He nodded. He didn’t add anything else. He wasn’t quite sure just what Mary knew.
But Mary wasn’t finished. She walked around the desk. “So, Lisa told you about her – but you didn’t tell her about you.”
He cringed. When she said the words out loud it sounded so much worse. He put his head down on the desk. “I know, I know. I just didn’t tell anyone.” He raised his eyes. “Let’s just say my previous experience wasn’t great. I wanted folks in Marietta to get to know me, instead of Adam, the millionaire doc.”
Mary waved her hand. “You don’t seem like a millionaire to me. Anyway, these days you can spend a million in a matter of minutes. Do you have any left?”
He shrugged. “Just a little. Enough to help out a friend if they needed it.” His hand continued to play with the keys on the desk. There was a flicker of recognition in his brain. He held them up. “These are Lisa’s, aren’t they?”
Mary glanced over her shoulder. “I could tell you, Adam, but I’d have to kill you.” She gave a little smile. “Found a way to make it up to her?”
His mind was spinning. He knew exactly what he wanted to do. And exactly how he wanted to do it.
He grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled a note. “When Lisa comes looking for her keys, give her this.”
Mary gave him another smile. “Adam Brady, you better do right by this girl. She’s part of Marietta’s family.”
He paused, looking around him and thinking about how much he’d grown to love this place in the space of a few months.
He met her careful gaze. “Here’s hoping I’ll be part of Marietta’s family too.”
Chapter Twelve
‡
Lisa hurried along the street. It was only a ten minute walk from Marietta Hospital to her salon. Mary had been most mysterious. Just thanking her for spending time with Alice and Faye and telling her there was a surprise for her back at the salon.
Her heart flip-flopped as she walked along. She was still mad with Adam. Still mad with him for not telling her about himself. It wasn’t the fact that he’d won the lottery. She didn’t care about how much money he had in the bank. What she wanted in a relationship was trust. The thing that had obviously been lacking between her and Joe.
She couldn’t be in a relationship with someone she didn’t trust. And that worked both ways. If Adam couldn’t trust her enough to tell her the truth about himself, maybe the connection she’d felt between them wasn’t there at all?
The sun was setting, leaving the sky streaked with pale orange and lavender. She passed a few familiar faces on the way home. The smell of pizza drifted down the street towards her. Her stomach growled. It was the first time she realized she was hungry. Living next to a pizza parlor was both a blessing and a curse. They did a gorgeous lighter style pizza with the middle missing and filled with salad. It made her mouth water just to think about it.
As she neared she narrowed her gaze. Something wasn’t quite right in the bridal salon. She never left the lights on at night. And even though the main chandelier wasn’t lit – there was definitely some kind of flickering light coming from the shop. Was it a fire?
Her heart-rate quickened as she started running along the street. She reached the door and pushed it open. What on earth was going on?
She sucked in a breath. The whole shop was lit by flickering candles in all shapes and sizes. It was magical. The white lights reflected off the crystal chandelier sending a whole array of rainbow colors across the walls and satin gowns. Blue, red and purple glimmered all around her.
And in amongst it all was Adam. He stood up from behind the counter where he was still lighting candles. His shirt shoulder was scuffed with dirt and one of the buttons was missing. His hair all mussed up.
He caught her gaze, looked down and shrugged. “Sorry, I didn’t have time to get changed.”
She looked around. It was like a fairy tale in here. But she wasn’t a child. She was an adult. “What are you doing, Adam?”
He stepped out hesitantly from behind the counter. “I’m trying to find a way to say sorry.”
She bit her lip and stepped forward. His chest was only inches away from her nose. “To say sorry for not telling me about who you are?”
He gave a little nod of his head, but she hadn’t finished yet. “To offering me money to help keep my business afloat – even when I told you I didn’t need it? Or want it?”
She was feeling angry again – insulted by his actions. Part of her should feel comfort that he’d been prepared to reach out. But her independent streak just wouldn’t let her consider that.
His hand reached out and touched her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Lisa. I’m sorry that a reporter told you who I was. But I had good reason for keeping secrets. Winning the lottery makes you a target. It’s hard to know who wants to be friends with you, and who wants to be friends with your bank balance. Moving to Marietta got me away from all that. It gave me a chance to do a job I loved and to make a whole new bunch of friends who didn’t have any idea about my past.”
But Lisa was stuck on his first words. “And that’s what you thought about me? I might be interested in you because of money?” She turned away in disgust but Adam caught her arm and pulled her back around towards him.
“No. Of course not. It’s just made me wary of people. It’s made me take time to get to know them.” He looked around the shop and held out his arms. “But I wasn’t the only one with secrets, was I?”
She flinched, “This is the strangest apology I’ve ever heard.”
Her hand rested on the counter. One of the dresses was still there after the girls’ dressing-up session today. It was the sample dress – covered in pale pink ribbons. She took a deep breath and pulled it towards her.
Adam was still looking at her. The flickering light seemed to darken his chocolate-brown eyes. “I need to know, Lisa. I need to know what it is that you want.” He pressed his hand over his heart. “I know what I want. I know what I’ve found here. But I don’t want to make a fool of myself.”
She felt tears brimming in her eyes. It had only been a few short weeks but Adam had touched her heart in places she’d never even known existed. He was questioning her. He was asking her about her own issues. Her own abilities to trust. He was putting himself out there for her. This wasn’t just about him. She had to reach out too.
She looked down at the dress and blew out a long, slow breath. “This was a sample dress,” she said slowly. “A sample of the dress I planned to wear at my wedding.”
She saw him flinch but she had to continue. “I picked this dress because of the bows.” She touched one between her finger and thumb. “Melody and I talked about this. Grace loved pink bows. She had them everywhere – on everything. Picking a dress like this,” she said, holding it up in the flickering candlelight, letting the glimmers of red, purple and blue hit it like a magic firework display, “meant that Grace would still be with us on my wedding day.” She sighed. “It wasn’t even the dress of my dreams. But it meant something. It meant something to us both.”
“And now?” Adam’s voice was wary.
She breathed in. Closure came in lots of different ways. “Now, I think this dress would be perfect.” She met his gaze. “Perfect, to be made into a christening gown for my new niece. Perfect for a way to keep a little of Grace with us
.”
He reached out and touched her hair, running his fingers through her soft locks. “Have you spoken to your sister?”
She shook her head. “Not yet.” Her hand reached up and closed over his. “But I will. I’m hoping I will have someone to introduce to her.”
She stepped forward, her body coming into contact with his. Her other hand putting the dress back on the counter and the flat of her hand resting on his chest. “What is it you want, Adam? What is it you’ve found?”
He nodded slowly. His other hand anchored on her hip as he pulled her even closer. “I’ve found Marietta,” he breathed. “A place I want to call home. I place I can see myself growing old in. And I’ve found love.”
His heart was beating steadily under her palm. She tipped her chin up towards him. “Anyone you plan on growing old with?”
He gave her a smile. “There might be.” He traced a finger down her cheek. “But she’s tricky.”
Lisa raised her eyebrows. “She is?”
He nodded. “Oh yeah. She’s got a nickname you know. It kinda puts pressure on a guy.”
“Which nickname?” she whispered.
He bent down and murmured in her ear. “I mean, how’s a guy supposed to propose to the Fairy Tale Bride?”
Her skin prickled and her breath caught in her throat. She blinked back the tears that were threatening to spill down her cheeks. Adam’s arms were around her. Just where she wanted them to be. She slid her hands up around his neck and smiled. “I’d say you were off to a good start,” she whispered.
“Well, that’s something,” he replied. He pointed to the table in front of her – something she hadn’t even noticed. A heart-shaped chocolate surrounded by candles. Something was glittering in the middle. She stepped forward and let out a gasp.
It was gorgeous. Silver piped icing covered the top of the heart. Will you marry me? And underneath, set upright in the chocolate was a ring – a single sparkling diamond.
The Fairy Tale Bride Page 11
