Andrew thought. He’d wait for Kara to answer the page. He’d wait for Kara to trust him enough to tell him about her past, reveal her innermost secrets to him.
But for the life of him, he couldn’t think of one good reason she would even consider doing that.
“Oh, Kara,” Margaret whispered, “Robert looks so much better. See? There’s even a little color in his cheeks now.”
“Yes, there is,” Kara said. “He’s sleeping peacefully, Aunt Margaret.”
“Did you see the smile he gave me before he dozed off?” Margaret said, her eyes filling with tears. “That was my Robert.”
“It was a beautiful loving smile,” Kara said, nodding. “It hasn’t been twenty-four hours since Uncle Robert’s heart attack, but the specialists feel he is going to make it through this. Now that he’s out of intensive care, they’re discussing what tests they want to run and when they think he’ll be up to going through them. I’m so happy that—”
The pager in the pocket of her white medical coat buzzed. She took it out and looked at the tiny screen on the top.
“I have to call the hospital operator,” she said. “I’ll go out to the nurses’ station so I won’t disturb Uncle Robert.”
“I’ll just sit here and watch him sleep,” Margaret said. “Will that be all right?”
“Yes, that’s fine,” Kara said. “I know some of the family is here, but you’re the only visitor Uncle Robert is to have for now. The doctors were very emphatic about that. The others will have to be patient. It probably won’t be too long before they can see him. I’ll be back soon.”
Kara hurried from the room and went to the nurses’ station. She lifted the receiver to the telephone and pressed a button.
“Dr. MacAllister,” she said.
“There’s an Andrew Malone holding on the line for you, Dr. MacAllister,” the woman said. “Shall I put his call through?”
Andrew, Kara thought, a vivid image of him forming instantly in her mental vision. She’d dreamed about Andrew Malone. Sensual dreams. Dreams of being held in his arms, kissed and caressed by him. Dreams that had caused her to toss and turn in the narrow bed in the residents’ room. Dreams that had finally jolted her awake to discover that heated desire was pulsing low in her body.
“Dr. MacAllister?” the operator said. “Are you still there?”
“Oh. Oh, yes, I’m here. I’m sorry. Please put Mr. Malone’s call through. Thank you.”
Kara depressed the button on the telephone and an instant later it rang. She lifted her hand again and saw that it was trembling slightly.
“Dr. MacAllister,” she said, hoping her voice was steadier than it sounded to her own ears.
“Kara? This is Andrew. How are you? And how is Robert?”
“Uncle Robert regained consciousness early this morning,” she said. “He’s in a private room now and sleeping peacefully. His doctors are very optimistic about his surviving the heart attack and are conferring as to what tests to run and when.”
“Thank God,” Andrew said, his voice husky. “Oh, man, what a relief. I can’t begin to tell you how…well, I can only hope you know that I’m grateful that he’s going to be all right. You believe me, don’t you?”
“Yes. Yes, Andrew, I believe you. I’m aware of how distressed you were about what happened. Uncle Robert has a long way to go here, but things certainly look brighter than they did last night.” Kara paused. “Where…where are you, Andrew?”
“I managed to get a hotel room.”
“Oh, I see. Well, that’s good. You got some sleep, then?”
Yes, and dreamed about you, Andrew thought.
“I slept,” he said. “Did you?”
A warm flush stained Kara’s cheeks as she remembered the dreams she’d had of Andrew.
“Oh, yes, I was snug as a bug in the residents’ room. I’m as good as new.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Listen, I’m going to have something to eat, then come over to the hospital. I’ll stay in the shadows, keep out of your family’s way, but I’m not going back to Santa Maria until I know what the tests show about Robert’s condition. I’d like to see you while I’m there.”
“I…well, yes, of course, you’ll want to be kept up to date on Uncle Robert’s condition. Just so you know, I’ll be checking on my patients who are here, doing my rounds. I’ll watch for you…in the shadows.”
“Kara, being kept apprised of Robert’s condition isn’t the only reason I want to see you. You know that, don’t you?”
“I…”
“Don’t you?”
“Yes, Andrew, I know that.”
“Good. Until later, then. Goodbye.”
“Goodbye,” Kara said softly, then replaced the receiver slowly.
“You were talking to Andrew Malone?”
Kara spun around to see her brother, Richard, frowning at her.
“Yes, Richard, I was,” she said. “He called to check on Uncle Robert. He’s been extremely concerned that—”
“That we’ll sue the pants off him probably,” Richard said. “Some fancy lawyer would no doubt find a way to file a suit of some kind against Malone for what he did to Uncle Robert.”
“Richard, Andrew is sincerely sorry for what happened at that party.”
“Andrew? It’s Andrew now? Jeez, Kara, how can you be so cozy with the guy? He nearly killed our uncle, for crying out loud.”
“Richard, that’s not fair. It wasn’t Andrew’s intention to hurt Uncle Robert. Andrew simply wanted…” Kara paused. “Well, I don’t know exactly what the purpose of that confrontation was, but it certainly wasn’t to cause Uncle Robert any physical harm.”
“You’re defending what Malone did?” Richard said, his frown deepening. “Are you aware that reporters were at that party? Have you seen the newspapers? They’re having a field day with this. The secret son of highly respected, powerful and wealthy Robert MacAllister crashes family party and…That’s just an example of what is in the papers. The press have picked up Malone’s lie and are running with it.”
“Richard, what Andrew said is true. He is Uncle Robert’s son. When you look at Andrew up close, you can see the same MacAllister eyes that all of you have. His features, too, are Uncle Robert’s. There’s no denying the truth, and you’re going to have to accept it.”
“Just how ‘up close’ to Malone have you been, little sister?” Richard said, folding his arms over his chest. “If that guy is making a move on you, there is
