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.