and I haven’t been very patient with your misconceptions. This must be terrifying for you, David, to wake up in a hospital and not even know who you are. On top of that, you’re obviously in pain. I’m sorry I was so rude.”
“Well, I haven’t exactly been a pleasant person, either,” he said, meeting her gaze. “I suppose I should say something macho, such as, ‘amnesia is no big deal and I’ll just hang around until my memory jump-starts itself again.’ But…but the truth of the matter is, you’re right. This is terrifying, the most chilling experience I’ve ever been through. Thank you for understanding that, Patty.”
Patty nodded, then told herself with a very firm directive to stop gazing into the ocean-blue depths of David’s eyes. Mesmerizing eyes. Eyes that held a flicker of pain and fear and made her want to reach out and take David’s hand and assure him that everything was going to be fine, just fine.
But she couldn’t move, she thought frantically. He was pinning her in place with those eyes. Her heart was doing a funny little two-step number and a strange heat was swirling within her, low and hot and…
Good grief, she thought, finally switching her attention to the water jug on the side table by the bed, this man was lethally sensuous.
“Excuse me?” Dr. Hill said tentatively.
“What!” David said.
He was having a heart attack, he thought. On top of his other physical woes, he was now having a full-blown heart attack caused by gazing far too long into the beautiful, dark eyes of Patty Clark. Heat was coiling low in his body and… He was being consumed by desire for a woman he didn’t even know.
“Sorry,” he said. “What was it you were saying, Dr. Hill?”
“Patty is going to share what she knows about you, David. This could be important information.”
“Yes. Yes, of course,” David said. “You have the floor, Patty.”
“Well,” she said, lifting her chin. “That application I referred to earlier is the one you filled out at the Fuzzy Bunny Day Care Center to enroll Sarah Ann over a month ago. There was very little information on the form and you told the owner of the center that you’d get her the remainder of the data later.”
“Mmm,” Dr. Hill said, stroking his chin.
“All the caregivers at the center became immediately aware that you’re devoted to Sarah Ann, David,” Patty went on. “You didn’t really interact, smile or anything with those of us who worked there, but when you looked at your daughter, spoke to her, the love for her just radiated from your eyes, from the expression on your face. You’re a wonderful father.”
“Imagine that,” David said, his voice holding a hint of awe. He frowned in the next instant. “But I didn’t write down anything about Sarah Ann’s mother?”
“No. We assumed you were a single father who has custody of your daughter.”
“That would be unusual,” Dr. Hill said. “Perhaps you are a widower, David.”
“My wife died?” David said. “Wouldn’t I be aware of something that devastating?”
“There are no rules for amnesia,” the doctor said. “It varies from person to person. Go on, Patty.”
“You always pick Sarah Ann up at exactly five-forty-five,” she said. “Yesterday I was helping out at the center because they were short on caregivers. I no longer work there since I had Sophia. Anyway, you didn’t show up to get Sarah Ann last night, David.”
“Oh, God, my daughter must have been scared out of her mind. I don’t know what she looks like, or what kind of personality she has, but that has got to be a terrifying experience for any three-year-old. I’ve got to go get her and…”
“No, wait,” Patty said, raising one hand. “I took Sarah Ann home with me. She and my son Tucker are ‘bestis friends,’ as they put it. I told Sarah Ann that you had somewhere important you had to go and made the whole sleepover seem like an exciting adventure. The three kids are at my mother’s right now so I could come here. And for the record, you are not related to Tucker and Sophia. I’m divorced from their father. Oh, and Sarah Ann slept well and ate a big breakfast. She’s doing fine.”
“Thank you,” David said, then drew a shuddering breath. “Thank you so much for what you did for Sarah Ann.” He paused. “You have a son? And a new baby? And you’re alone, but you took on another child? My Sarah Ann?”
“Yes,” Patty said, shrugging. “I mean, goodness, what would you have had me do? I realize I have a lot on my plate but I can handle three children.”
“Amazing,” David said. “You’re a remarkable woman, Patty, and a natural-born mother, that’s for sure.”
Oh, yes, Patty thought. She got high scores for motherdom. Total zero for wifedom.
“Patty,” Dr. Hill said, “how was David dressed when he brought Sarah Ann to the day-care center? Suit and tie? Professional attire?”
“No, he wore jeans and a shirt.”
“But he doesn’t have calluses on his hands as a construction worker might,” the doctor said. “All right, let’s recap what we know. The driver’s license in your wallet, David, was a temporary one, indicating you probably moved recently and applied for a license with your change of address. The fact that we got your telephone number from the new listings operator strengthens that fact. But where you moved from, we don’t know.
“We can surmise that you relocated approximately a month or so ago because that’s when you enrolled your daughter in day care. Did you move across town? From somewhere else in California? Or from the other end of the country?”
“Damned if I know,” David said wearily.
“You left your previous employment,” Dr. Hill went on, “as evidenced by the lack of information on the day-care application and you saying you’d provide the data later. You’re either looking for work, or a position is being held for you somewhere here in Ventura.”
“But wouldn’t the company be attempting to find him?” Patty said.
“Not if he arrived in town early to get settled in,” Dr. Hill said. “The address on your driver’s license is for a very affluent part of town. Whatever you do is lucrative.”
“Maybe I’m a hitman,” David said, then his eyes began to drift closed.
“He’s exhausted,” Patty said. “I’d best be going.”
David’s eyes flew open. “No, wait. What about my daughter? What’s going to happen to Sarah Ann?”
“She’ll stay with me until you’re released from the hospital,” Patty said.
“I can’t ask you to do that.”
“Do you have a better idea?” Patty said. “You have to trust me, David, know that I’ll give Sarah Ann the very best of care. I’ll keep her home with us rather than take her to the Fuzzy Bunny so she can play with Tucker. I’ll tell her that you have a boo-boo and will see her as soon as you can. I repeat…do
