Her Hometown Hero(23)

"I'd love to try some," Grace said, and Sage couldn't figure out what the heck her best friend was talking about.

"And you, Sage?"

She turned toward Spence, at a complete loss.

"My special eggnog?" he prompted slowly.

"Oh. Yes, please." Her cheeks colored. She was really going to have to  focus if she expected to have any shred of pride left at the end of the  night.

"I'll get yours, Grace," Camden said, stepping up to the table with the snacks and drinks. "Come over here."

Grace had no choice but to follow if she didn't wish to appear rude, so  she left Sage's side. Soon she and Camden were having an intense  discussion in the corner of the room, and not long afterward, they  disappeared.

Hmm. Interesting.

"Spence is a mighty fine boy, isn't he?"

Sage looked around to find Martin, Spence's dad, beside her. "Yes, Mr.  Whitman. He's wonderful at showing fledgling doctors the ropes," she  said, accepting another drink. She hadn't realized she'd guzzled the  first one in a matter of seconds.

"Of course he's a fine surgeon, but he's also a great man. That's why  the hospital had to have him. The people in this area have so much more  comfort knowing top-flight medical care is right around the corner.  Before Spence took over the ER, we had a quality staff, but Spence is a  shining star and we're lucky to have him here."

"I'm very lucky to have him supervising my training," she said, taking  another big gulp from her cup. The last thing she wanted was to discuss a  man about whom she was having insanely lustful thoughts with his  father. Her cheeks were going to stay a constant shade of red if this  night continued the way it had begun.

"I just wish my Maybelle had been alive to see these boys grow up. She would have loved them so much."

"I'm sure she does love them, and she's looking down upon you all and is  proud of what a wonderful man she was married to. You are such a great  father that the town surely forgets three of them aren't biologically  yours. How old were they when you adopted them?" She couldn't quite  remember.                       
       
           



       

"Now that's a story you should hear from Spence." His eyes were suddenly  caught by Eileen's, and it became clear that his attention had wandered  from Sage, though he stood with her a moment longer.

"I'll have to ask him," she said politely. Martin nodded sweetly at her and then sauntered toward his targeted female.

Now Sage was curious, but what if he didn't want to talk about it? She  knew Spence had been adopted, but until now she hadn't wondered why. Did  he have any contact with his biological family? So many questions were  burning through her, but she didn't know how to bring up something like  that.

Sage wandered over to a wall filled with old photographs. The boys were  splashing in the creek, riding horses, in football uniforms, and holding  trophies of all sorts. Martin was clearly very proud of his sons. To  have their pictures be the main focus of his den showed what a family  man he was.

"My dad likes photos."

Sage turned and found Spence next to her. He should have a warning bell  attached to him. Her stomach dipped as his arm brushed against her  shoulder. Did he need to stand quite so close?

"It looks like one of my grandmother's walls," Sage said. "I don't  remember a whole lot about my parents-they died when I was only ten. But  I have their faces burned into my memory because my grandma has always  kept pictures up around the house, beautiful images of them with me at  the park, ice-skating, at the zoo . . . all these happy places. I wish I  could remember more."

"That's why pictures are more precious than almost anything else. It  captures the moment, making us able to relive the memories for an  eternity."

Sage had never imagined that Spence could be so sentimental. She had to admit she liked this side of him.

"Are you ready for dinner?"

"I'm suddenly starving," she told him as the aromas of good cooking  drifted through the open doorway. Spence held out his arm to lead her  into the dining room, and she hesitated for only a moment-probably not  long enough for him to notice, she hoped. She was a guest in his home,  and there was no need for her to be rude.

"You two sit here," Martin said as Sage entered on Spence's arm.

Sage looked around with suspicion when everyone was seated. This all  seemed to be set up a bit too conveniently. What were the old folks  doing?

"Do you think your dad and my grandma are up to something?" she asked  Spence. She should be irritated, because this seemed almost like a date,  but the eggnog was doing its job-she'd already gulped down enough of  it-giving her a touch of I-don't-care attitude.

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind, Spence." He seemed to suspect nothing, so she let it go.  Almost by surprise, she found herself enjoying a nice meal at the  Whitman table, with great food and boisterous laughter.

When the night was over, she couldn't find Grace anywhere. She was just  gone, and what was even more suspicious was that Camden was absent as  well. Hmm.

"I'll give you a ride home," Spence said.

Sage had drunk a little too much of the eggnog and she was grateful she  hadn't driven over, but she didn't need a ride. "I'll just go with my  grandma and Eileen."

"I think Dad has plans with them. They're going to be busy for a while," he said with a laugh.

"Oh. Well then, I'd best get home," she said, suddenly feeling nervous.

"There's no hurry. I was just telling you that I'll give you a ride when you're ready." He moved slowly toward her.

"I'm ready now. I have to work tomorrow, you know," she said, turning and moving away from him.

"Not until the afternoon. I don't think you have to be in bed by midnight or risk turning into a pumpkin."

"Are you implying that I act like a princess?"

"You are a princess, Sage, and I think I have just the right slipper to place on your foot."

"Now that's an impressive line, Spence." She let out a giggle, but it  dried up instantly when she found Spence cornering her, his warm breath  just inches away.

"Then it deserves a kiss. I've been wanting to do this since the moment you walked through the front door."

He leaned down, and all her thoughts of escape vanished when their  mouths connected. Spence Whitman really knew how to kiss. Even the  foreign exchange student she'd been so fond of was forgotten.

When he pulled back and she looked into his deep green eyes, her stomach  dropped. She knew she was in serious trouble. She was beginning to fall  for this man again, and he was all wrong for her. She couldn't let this  happen. He was her boss, one of the main people who determined if she  became a full-fledged doctor. And she didn't have time for an affair.  She barely had time for herself, her grandmother, and her best friend.                       
       
           



       

"I'm ready to go home," she said, and when she noticed he was about to  protest, she added, "Please, Spence." He opened his mouth as if to  speak, and then she saw when he knew it was useless.

"Of course," he said, and then found her coat.

The day hadn't been bad at all, but the night would most likely prove to  be quite lonely. That was okay, though. She had a career to think  about, and she had her family-her grandmother and Grace. When she was  finished with her residency, then there would be plenty of time for  romance, but it certainly wouldn't be with a man like Spence, with whom  she would never feel on an equal par.

Thanksgiving was over. It was back to the real world for her.





Sage wore a big smile as she slipped outside to the ambulance bay. She'd  be off work in an hour, and, rarity of rarities, the sun would still be  shining. Sure, it was winter and the ground was covered in snow, but at  least it was bright out and she could soak up some vitamin D.

Though Sage really didn't have time for a relationship, Spence had been  wearing down her defenses. She wouldn't admit that, but it was the only  reason she'd accepted a date with another man to the hospital's annual  Christmas party.

She didn't like Dr. Ted Lipencolt-could barely stand him, actually-but  she felt it was a much safer move than going alone. Spence would surely  be there.

"Dr. Banks, we have a patient in room three. Looks like he'll need stitches."

"Thanks, Tina." She came back inside. This was mindless work, something  she could easily perform and still leave the hospital in plenty of time  to get ready.

For someone who didn't care about Spence's opinion, she'd sure been  putting a lot of effort into this party. No matter how much she told  herself it was for her alone, in the back of her mind, she knew she  wanted to make an impression, knew she wanted to feel beautiful.