Thomas still had doubts about her work, he found himself enamored of Annabel’s spirit. What surprised him even more was the fact he wanted to see her again.
And not just here at the hospital.
“I’m still not completely convinced, but I’ll agree to at least consider your idea.”
“Really?” Annabel’s smile was wide, her blue eyes sparkling up at him. “That’s wonderful!”
“There’s just one condition.” He could hardly believe the words pouring from his mouth. “You agree to have dinner with me.”
Chapter Three
Stunned, Annabel didn’t know what to say. Anyone who knew her well would say it was the first time she’d ever been at a loss for words.
Especially after she’d spent the past half hour hogging the conversation with a man who’d put those dreamy and steamy television doctors to shame. Without the standard long white lab coat he’d worn the last time she was here, his purple dress shirt and purple, gray and black striped tie brought out just a hint of lavender in those amazingly blue eyes.
Not to mention what the shirt did for the man’s broad shoulders.
He wore his dark hair short, but it stood up in spiky tufts on top, as if he’d been running his hand through it just before she arrived. The sharp angles of his cheeks and jaw were smooth-shaven despite it being late in the afternoon.
Her breath had just about vanished from her lungs when he’d joined her on the couch, his woodsy cologne teasing her senses. Thank goodness she’d remembered the scrapbook so she had something to do with her hands.
Besides attack the good doctor, that was.
“Annabel? Did you hear me?”
She blinked, realized she’d been staring. “You want to go out?”
“Yes.”
Considering how hard she’d tried not to sound like a sap with her endless chatter about the therapy dog program, Annabel now found it hard to put her thoughts into words. “With me?”
“Yes, with you. We can talk more about your program. Unless there’s a reason why you can’t?”
Was “too stunned to reply” an acceptable answer?
“Do you have a boyfriend?” His expression turned serious again. “I didn’t see a ring on your finger, but I don’t want to presume you are free—”
“No.” She cut him off. He’d actually looked to see if she wore a ring? “I’m free, totally free. Free as a bird.”
“Is that a yes, then?”
She nodded. “Yes, dinner sounds great.”
“Tomorrow night okay?”
Something to do on a Friday that didn’t include her dog or a sibling? Tomorrow night would be perfect. “I work until six, but after that I’m all yours.”
Thomas cleared his throat and stood, rising to his feet in one smooth motion. “Where do you work?”
“At the Thunder Canyon Public Library.” Annabel mirrored his actions, grabbing her bag and slipping it over one shoulder. “I’m the librarian in charge of the children’s area.”
He waved a hand at her scrapbook. “So, all the work you do with therapy dogs is strictly volunteer?”
“Oh, yes. I don’t get paid for any of my visits, other than Smiley sometimes getting a doggy treat or two.” She hugged her book to her chest, peeking up at him through her lashes. “But I love the work. The therapy program is one of my many passions, along with books and my family. I guess I’m just a passionate person by nature.”
His eyes deepened to a dark blue as their focus shifted to her mouth. A slight tilt of his head, a restrained shift in his body that brought him just a hint closer.
Her tongue darted out to lick her suddenly dry lips. She couldn’t help it. Not that she dared think he might—
Yes, she had thought about the man, probably too much, over the past two weeks. She’d been looking forward to this meeting for more reasons than convincing Thomas to allow a therapy group here at the hospital. One she would be in charge of.
Annabel could admit, at least to herself, she’d wanted to find out if the quivering sensations she’d experienced when they’d first met had been all in her head.
They weren’t.
“I know a great Italian bistro, Antonio’s, over in Bozeman. Where should I pick you up?”
She blinked again, breaking the spell the doctor seemed to weave around her. Antonio’s? A dinner there cost more than she made in a week. “Oh, we don’t have to go that far. Any place in town would be fine by me.”
“My treat, so I get to pick the place.”
His tone was persuasively charming, so Annabel simply rattled off her address. And her cell phone number. “You know, just in case.”
Thomas nodded, then gestured in the direction of the door with one hand, signaling the end of their meeting. “Until tomorrow night, then.”
Annabel stepped in front of him, sure she could feel the heat of his gaze on her backside as he followed her. She turned when she reached the door, but found those blue eyes squarely focused on her face.
“I’ll pick you up around seven?” he asked.
She smiled. “I’ll be waiting.”
She waited.
And waited and waited.
Palming her cell phone, Annabel paced the length of her bedroom, her bare toes scrunching in the soft carpet. Smiley lay at the end of her bed, watching her stride back and forth like he was a spectator at a tennis match.
She’d changed out of the sundress with its matching knitted shrug and into a cropped T-shirt and yoga pants an hour ago, kicking her cute kitten heels back into the bottom of her closet.
After she’d accepted the fact Thomas had stood her up.
She’d really been looking forward to tonight. Yes, the chance to talk more about her idea of a weekly therapy session with Smiley at the hospital was a big draw, but darn it, getting to know Thomas better appealed to her even more.
“It’s after nine thirty,” Annabel said softly, eyeing the clock on her bedside table. “Why hasn’t he called?”
Smiley offered a sympathetic whimper and lowered his head to his paws until a quick knock at her bedroom door grabbed his attention.
Seconds later, her sister popped her head in. “Hey! We’re about to start a Mr. Darcy movie marathon now that Dad has gone off to bed. You coming downstairs?”
Annabel
