Breaking Through (Atlanta #3) (3 page)

His resolve to be a bigger part of Sophie's life strengthened every time he saw her. Her grandma passed her over with a mild goodbye and handed Luke the keys to her car. Grandma shut the door…and in an instant, Luke's day was better. Sophie gave him a big smile and said "Hi dada." Nothing in life could be better than her little voice laced with love for her dad. She looked adorable in a short yellow sundress with yellow striped leggings under it.
 

"Hi, baby girl," he smiled as he walked her to the car. "You ready for some lunch?"

Sophie's blond curls bounced as she nodded emphatically. "Fry fries and muggets!"

"What about steak and potatoes?" he smiled as he buckled her into the five-point harness of her car seat.
 

"No! Tha's yucky. Fry fries and muggets. Tha's good."

Luke chuckled at the scolding tone of her voice. She certainly thought he was an idiot when it came to lunch choices and had no trouble telling him. He was glad she had strength in her. She was going to need every ounce in life.

"Fry fries and muggets? I guess that does sound better. Good idea, Sophie."

She beamed at him. "Ok, dada. Fry fries and muggets. Free two one go!"

He chuckled again. He taught her that little phrase the last time they were together and racing marbles. He couldn't believe a two-and-a-half-year-old could talk so much. She was probably gifted. He buckled himself into the driver's seat with a smiling "yes ma'am" to his beautiful chatterbox in the back seat.
 

He drove off to the nearest fast food place and took her inside. They ate their "muggets" together and talked about blocks. Sophie liked the green ones best, but didn't like the orange ones at all. Good to know. Luke smiled the entire time, even when she refused to eat the "fry fries" she ordered.
 

"I guess I'll have to eat them instead," he fake-threatened in a bit of a sing-song voice. "Here, hand me those fries."

Sophie appeared shocked and covered them with her hands. "My fries!"

"But you won't eat them?"

"Yes eat them." And with that, she popped a fry in her mouth and stuck her chin out to show him how hard she could chew it up. This girl was a trip.
 

"Ok, baby girl, let's go swing at the park before we go to the doctor."

"Not a baby."

"Oh, sorry," Luke apologized, completely amused. "Can I call you my
little
girl?"

Sophie considered the new nickname for a moment. "Ok, dada. Now we go swings."

"Don't forget to say please, little girl."

"Peeese!" she smiled.

"You got it." He scooped her up off the booster seat from the booth and tossed her high in the air before he caught her again and rested her on his forearm. She giggled in the sweetest way when he caught her feather-light from the air and settled her at his side. With his free hand, he gathered their garbage for the waste bin. Sophie waited patiently for him to finish, then squealed "again!" when his other hand was free.

He tossed her one more time, then said, "I'll toss you again at the park, little girl. Let's go."

Sophie, still smiling, rested her head down on Luke's strong shoulder and poked at the tattoos on his arm. "Pitty pictures, dada."

"Thanks," he smiled. They weren't pretty to him. He didn't even like them, but they were important. He branded himself with their ugly meaning, even if no one else understood. For him, those tattoos served as a well-deserved reminder. At least Sophie liked them.
 

The clock on the wall was digital, which meant no 'ticking' sound. That didn't stop the minutes from ticking by too slowly. Even Jenna's lunch hour dragged on. Jenna couldn't wait to find out if Luke would bring her in, and if she'd get a repeat performance of his eyes resting on her while she worked…if she hadn't imagined the beautiful moment in the first place.
 

Parent after parent came in with their children, hoping for answers, antibiotics, or good news from well-baby growth charts. Jenna checked each and every one of them in with a warm smile like she did every shift. Today, however, the activity was near torturous with her focus being so thoroughly elsewhere.
 

Two o'clock finally rolled around and Jenna watched the door intently as she fielded questions and phone calls. And then, hallelujah! Luke Baylor walked in with Sophie on his arm. Jenna had never seen anything more beautiful.

"Hi," she said as calmly as she could with butterflies tickling her from the inside. She saw Sophie's face light up when their eyes met.
 

"Hi," Sophie grinned and waved a dimpled hand.
 

"Hi, Sophie! I'm glad you're not sick anymore."

"All better," Sophie grinned as she reached for Jenna again. Jenna stood and scooped her into her arms happily.
 

"I think she really likes you," Luke Baylor said in a quiet, deep voice. "She doesn't usually want to go to anyone besides me or her mom."

Jenna's heart about stopped when he spoke to her. She hated the mention of Sophie's mom in a sentence referencing Luke, but she understood. Those two were forever connected through Sophie, even if they weren't a couple.
Ugh
.

"Well I'm glad she likes me, because this little girl's about the cutest thing ever. Right, Sophie?" she smiled down to the little girl and marveled at the deep, sparkling green eyes she shared with her dad. Sophie nodded with a wide smile.
 

"You smell good," Sophie commented.
 

Jenna giggled. "Well thank you, Miss Sophie. And you look like a yummy lemon drop in your dress. Now let me give you back to your daddy so I can do my work."

"No. I help," Sophie said with determination. Jenna smiled again at the little girl's tenacity and glanced up to see Luke gazing at her again with half a smile on his face. What was in his eyes? Wonder? The emotion behind his stare was beautiful, and must have been there for Sophie. Certainly not for Jenna.
 

"Ok, you can help," Jenna conceded. She sat down at her desk chair and rested Sophie on one of her legs. "Hand me that pen, please."
 

Sophie dutifully handed her a pen and said, "More."

With nothing else for Sophie to do, Jenna handed her a plain sheet of printer paper and a pink highlighter. "I need a picture to put in your file. Can you take care of that for me?"

Sophie nodded and went straight to work drawing pink squiggles all over the page while Jenna shuffled paperwork on her desk.
 

"Yellow," Sophie almost commanded, pointing to another highlighter on the desk.
 

"Can you say please?" Jenna asked sweetly.

"Peeese!"

Jenna's smile broadened and she handed her the marker. Again, she felt Luke's eyes burning straight into her. This time, she was sure she didn't imagine his intensity. Without a doubt anymore, Jenna realized his skin-tingling stare was directed toward her. Her adrenaline spiked from the thought of him noticing her so strongly. Her thoughts were interrupted by his deep voice again.

"You're really good with her," he expressed almost sadly. Jenna understood the tone in his voice. Sophie's mom never treated her with tenderness. Luke obviously appreciated Jenna for offering Sophie the adoring attention his sweet girl deserved. The emotion was written all over his face.

"Well that's pretty easy with such a good little girl," she smiled to him. Turning to Sophie, she asked, "Are you done with your picture?"

Sophie nodded and handed the sheet of paper to Jenna.
 

"Thank you," she spoke warmly. "Now push this down to put holes in the paper so I can put it in your chart."

Jenna helped Sophie depress the two-hole punch and tucked Sophie's picture right on top of the medical charts. "Now make sure you tell the doctor you helped me with your file."

Sophie nodded again and reached back toward her daddy. Jenna smiled warmly at the expression on his face again. He loved his little girl so much.
 

"I'm assuming insurance hasn't changed since last week?" Jenna asked him.
 

"I don't think so," he shrugged. "Her mom doesn't tell me much."

"That's ok. We can get through the paperwork anyway," she smiled, now feeling very shy. She wanted to keep talking to him, but she wasn't sure how. Asking for a kiss was out of the question, but still remained at the top of her conversational wish-list, anyway. She shuffled through the file, checking on the status of the HIPAA signature, contact information, and whatever other paper-based excuse she could come up with to keep Luke at her desk.
 

"Dada, let's play," Sophie said as she pointed to the blocks in a little fun-zone for the patients. "Green blocks!"

He grinned and turned back to Jenna. "Anything else?"

Disappointed but still smiling, Jenna said, "No. We'll call you up when the doctor's ready for you."

"Thanks," he replied smiling and lingering a moment longer, looking her directly in the eyes with intensity. He looked like he wanted to say something, but then changed his mind and carried Sophie toward the blocks.

Jenna was certain the temperature went up about ten degrees in the room while he stood at her desk. He was every bit as strong and intense as she remembered him, and every bit as loving with his daughter. Like the first time she saw him, the phrase
hot badass
floated through her mind, jumbled up with the vision of an over-sized teddy bear. A few minutes later she called him over and escorted him back to a nurse waiting for little Sophie.
 

"Be sweet, ok Sophie?" Jenna said to her as she turned toward her desk.

"Wait!" Sophie called. "Don't know your name." She folded her arms over her chest like she was angry at Jenna for the social faux pas.
 

Jenna laughed a little. "I'm Jenna." She stuck her hand out and Sophie shook it without hesitation.
 

"Bye, Nenna."

Jenna waved one last time and smiled at the pair of them. Luke's gaze rested on her back the entire time until she was out of his line of sight. She felt a physical weight from his stare. How could someone be so powerful with only his eyes? His perfect, sea-glass eyes…

The entire time Luke and Sophie were in the exam room, Jenna couldn't concentrate on much else than the fresh memory of his smile, his voice, and the warmth in his eyes. She did her job on autopilot while she waited for them to come out so for a little more time in his eyes, and hopefully schedule another appointment. Like maybe tomorrow? She shook her head at herself and hoped he would talk to her again before he left.
 

Her wish came true the minute he came out of the exam room. He stopped by her desk, seeming like he had something to say. He remained silent.
 

"Do you need another appointment?"

Luke smiled. "No, her ears are good. No fluid while she's healthy, which means tubes probably won't be necessary. Hopefully, anyway."

"Oh, good! Good job, Sophie," she smiled.

"Like your shoes, Nenna," she smiled back.
 

A bit of an awkward moment passed as Luke stood there looking at her feet, not leaving, but without an excuse to stay. Then he took a deep breath and gave Jenna a sweet smile.
 

He started to speak and Jenna's heart jumped again at the look in his eyes. They bore deep into her again, proving the hoped-for connection was real.
 

"Hey, I don't know if this is appropriate, but would…"

And then Miranda Walsh walked in and interrupted with a sharp, "Luke!"
 

Jenna wasn't one to cuss, but the words
damn it
flew through her brain in big bold capital letters. If she was right, Luke was about to ask her out and was interrupted by Miranda's beautiful face with an ugly attitude.
Arg!
 

"Why didn't you tell me she had an appointment?" Miranda nearly ripped Sophie from Luke's arms, without so much as a hello or a smile for her daughter. Jenna's stomach turned.
 

"It's just a follow-up," he tried to explain while keeping calm. "I was trying to help. To give you a break."

Jenna's heart sank at the frustrated tone in his voice. Miranda was so nasty to him, but he didn't get nasty back. What a good man, but God, how difficult would it be to stay nice to someone like her? Luke Baylor was a saint.

Jenna sat at her desk, awkwardly glancing between the two of them, and noticing that Sophie didn't smile much in her mom's arms. Her face lost the happy brightness of a few minutes ago. Why couldn't her mother see that? Oh, yeah, because she didn't seem to pay much attention to her at all.
 

"You," Miranda barked, addressing Jenna. "Tell me what the doctor said."

Jenna, remaining calm and professional, explained she wasn't a nurse and only dealt with paperwork. "Mr. Baylor has more information than I do."

Miranda gave her a condescending glare and then turned to Luke. "Well?"

Jenna watched Luke give the update to an unimpressed Miranda. "So we paid for the visit out of the deductible for nothing? Nice." She turned and walked away calling back over her shoulder for Luke to get her parents' car back to them immediately.

Luke was using every bit of his strength to keep from blowing up. His jaw clenched and unclenched and he took a very deep, very slow breath. "I guess I better get the car back," he uttered with calculated calm, no longer looking at Jenna. "Thanks for your help."

And with that, he left. Jenna dropped her forehead into her hands from all the tension and the almost-maybe-go-out-with-me she was
this close
to hearing from Luke. What a mess. Sadly, though, she knew this kind of thing would happen often if she went out with Luke. Miranda would be nasty and in their business. Time with Sophie would be minimal and pressured with the undercurrent of her mom's attitude.
 

No matter how attracted she was to him, Jenna began to think life would be easier if he didn't bring her back in again. How could she start anything with Luke? She'd spent all of seven minutes with him total…plus who would want to get involved when a little girl and a crazy ex were woven through the picture? Too complicated
.
Besides, maybe he wasn't about to ask her out anyway. He could have been hoping for a good babysitter for Sophie sometime.