Return of the Runaway Bride (25 page)

As she stepped into her red sequined party dress, she realized that was what was throwing her off.
That
heated, thoughtful expression in Daniel's eyes.
It was keeping her guessing about everything, churning up questions that refused to die.

Did he expect her to leave Fulton after the dinner as she had promised that night in the parking lot? Or was that powerful gaze a silent plea for her to stay? Was he slowly coming to realize that she was devoted to completing her promise of helping Fulton General? Or was merely seeing
her a
continuing agony for him, an agony of haunting memories of her running away so long ago?

Damn it! She hated that her mind was spinning like this.

The question about their date for tonight had been answered by a quick phone call from him just yesterday morning. As Savanna zipped up her fitted evening dress, she replayed the conversation in her head.

"So, you're still in town," he'd remarked after she'd picked up the receiver.

"Looks like I am," she'd said
,
confused by the myriad underlying meanings his quip might have held.

He'd hesitated then. "I'm calling to see if we're still on for tomorrow evening."

"I'm game if you are," she'd told him.

She would have liked nothing better than to hear him say he'd been all wrong about her lack of stick-to-it-
iveness
, but that hadn't happened. In fact, there hadn't been much more to their exchange before he'd suggested an agreed upon time for him to swing by for her.

So here she was, dolling herself up, feeling smug that, in fulfilling her promise to Daniel, a promise he probably saw as a threat of some sort, to stick around until the dinner was a complete success, she'd somehow proved something. She adjusted the thin strap of her dress and shook her head. How could she feel such love for a man who had so little faith in her? Heaven only knew, but love him she did.
With all her heart.
Just what she was going to do about that fact was totally beyond her.

Rolling her hair into a neat French twist, she tucked in the ends and secured them with pins. The earrings she wore reflected the light in bright sparkles with each tilt of her head. Finally, she slipped her feet into cherry-red stilettos. The night promised to be clear and hot, much too warm for a wrap. Savanna picked up her handbag and went downstairs to wait for Daniel.

At the bottom step, she heard a small, muffled knock. She followed the sound into the kitchen and pulled open the back door.

"Hi, Jimmy," she said, pushing open the screen. One look at his face had her asking, "What's wrong?"

His gray eyes were huge. "Will you come?"

Savanna bent and looked him in the eye. "What is it, honey?"

"It's Mom. She's got a belly ache."

His face was pale and his bottom lip threatened to tremble.

"Let's go," she said.

Jimmy darted through the green shrubbery hedge that separated her house from the
Thompsons
'. Savanna cursed her high heels and sequins and hurried around the bushes.

"Sheila?" she called, stepping into the kitchen.

"In here."

Savanna hurried through the dining room where she stumbled upon Amanda. The toddler was naked, except for a fluffy towel, her hair wringing wet. She was quietly singing, "
Takin
' a
baff
, it's
baff
time."

Swooping Amanda up into her arms, Savanna said, "
Mmmm
. You smell so clean. Where's Mommy, Amanda?"

The little girl wriggled out of her embrace and pointed toward the living room.

"Miss Savanna!" Jimmy called, his voice strained.

Sheila was reclining on the couch, breathing deeply, eyes closed,
her
face shining with a thin sheen of perspiration. She was clearly in the middle of a strong contraction.

"Where's your dad?" Savanna asked Jimmy.

"He already left."

"For the country club?"

Jimmy nodded. "He's
givin
' a '
portant
speech."

"I know," she said softly. She couldn't help smiling at the pride in the little boy's voice.

"Sheila, how long have you been having pains?" she asked, dipping into her purse for her cell phone.

A small gasp escaped from Sheila's lips and she exhaled loudly. "Don't you dare call
Jim.
I told him to go to the dinner without me," Sheila said. "I haven't been feeling well all day. But I'll be all right."

"I'm not calling Jim. I'm calling an ambulance.
The baby's coming, Sheila."

Sheila reached over and touched her son's arm. "Honey, go check on Amanda for me, would you?" Once her son was out of earshot, she firmly said, "No ambulance. It'll scare the kids. Besides it's too early for me to be having this baby. It's a false alarm. Braxton Hicks contractions, they're called. My body's practicing. It's nothing. I told Jimmy he shouldn't bother you, but he wouldn't listen, the little rascal."

Savanna flipped her phone closed, but couldn't help voicing the concern she felt. "Are you sure? I don't mind taking you."

"No, no," Sheila insisted. "You have a dinner to run tonight. There's no way I'd keep you from the gala. You've worked too hard for this."

Just then she was struck with another wave of pain intense enough to cut her off in mid-sentence. She closed her eyes and concentrated on taking deep, relaxing breaths.

The seconds ticked away anxiously and Savanna's panicky thoughts raced. "Sheila, please..."

Sheila exhaled and looked up at Savanna, a line of beaded sweat across her top lip. "Something's wrong," Sheila said weakly. "The contractions shouldn't be this strong or this close together
. "

Savanna jumped to action. "Jimmy," she called out, "
bring
Amanda here." To Sheila, she said "I'll get her dressed. You're sure you don't want an ambulance?"

Sheila nodded, and murmured, "The kids will be scared. But if you could take me to the hospital…you wouldn't have to stay. There's an overnight bag in my room at the foot of the bed."

"I'll call the country club," Savanna said, mentally ticking off tasks, "and tell Jim to meet us at the hospital."

A frown bit deep into Sheila's brow. "He's going to be so disappointed. He's been looking forward to tonight. What if this is nothing?"

But Sheila looked like she no longer believed that to be the case.

"He'd be more disappointed," Savanna said, helping Sheila out of the chair, "to miss the birth of this baby." Then she shouted, "Jimmy! Bring Amanda here."

"Is this
who
you're looking for?"

At the sound of Daniel's voice, Savanna swung around and saw him in the doorway with a filthy, squirming Amanda in his arms.

Daniel grinned. "I found this little nudist playing in the flower beds out front."

Jimmy trailed in behind Daniel. "'
Manda
wouldn't listen to me, Mom."

"Oh, Daniel," Sheila exclaimed. "You're going to get your tux dirty. Put her down."

Savanna thought no man ever looked so good. The cut of the dark dinner jacket hugged his broad chest. The crisp white shirt accentuated his tanned complexion. She tried to tamp down the embers of desire that sparked to life within her. She had too many other
things to think about right now, but, Lord, he did look hot.

Daniel focused on her, his brown eyes intent. "What's going on?" he asked.

Savanna tilted her head toward Sheila. "We're having a baby."

"We can't possibly take Amanda to the hospital looking like that," Sheila lamented.

"Can you help me out here, Daniel?" Savanna's tone was pleading.

"Sure," he said. "I'll do anything."

"You take Sheila to the hospital. I'll call Jim to meet you there." Savanna took Amanda from him. "And I'll stay with the kids."

"But your dinner," Sheila said. "They'll need you."

"I've planned everything perfectly," she assured her friend. "I made sure the dinner would go off without a hitch.
With or without me."

"You did, huh?"

Daniel's pointed question rubbed her wrong.

"Don't be
a snot
. It wasn't because I planned on leaving. It was because in my years of putting these functions together, I've learned to expect the unexpected."

"Well, this is as unexpected as it gets." Sheila groaned, wobbling toward the front door. "We have to go.
Now."

Savanna shifted Amanda to her other hip. "Jimmy, go get your mom's overnight bag." To Daniel, she said, "I am a little worried about Jim's speech, though."

His dark eyes twinkled as he suggested, "
Miz
Ida would love to have a captive audience."

"Hmm. Good idea," Savanna said. "I'll tell Jim to give his speech to Ida. With a few adjustments..." her voice trailed as she pulled out her phone.

By the time she'd finished her short conversations, first with Jim, then with Ida, and wrapped the towel around Amanda, she found Daniel outside helping Sheila into the car.

"Buckle up." He slid the seat belt out as far as it would go and handed the metal buckle to Sheila.

Jimmy ran to the car. "Here's the bag."

"Jimmy snot," Amanda said on a giggle.

The slur had the boy grimacing.
"Mom!"

"Amanda!" Sheila scolded.

Savanna's mouth twisted with chagrin. "Sorry. That was my fault."

Daniel took the suitcase from Jimmy and pushed it into the back seat. He rounded the car and opened the door, marveling that Savanna didn't seem flustered by this unexpected turn of events.

"Jim's on his way," Savanna said. "And Ida's in control."

He watched her lean through the open passenger window and kiss Sheila on the cheek.

"Good luck," she told her friend. "And don't worry about the kids. They'll be fine."

Daniel wanted to tell her he was sorry that she was missing the dinner she'd worked so hard to put together, but the words snagged in his throat like a fish hook.

"What are you waiting for?" Savanna's deep blue eyes stared into his. "Get her there safely."

"I will."

"I'd better get inside," she said, grinning. "Amanda needs a bath. And Jimmy needs some ice cream, don't you Jimmy?"

Daniel slid behind the wheel and started the engine. Looking in the rear-view mirror as he drove off, he caught sight of Savanna going up the front porch steps, the slit in the back of her red dress showing a sexy slice of thigh.

When he'd stood in the doorway of Sheila's living room and seen Savanna in that clingy dress, he'd nearly fallen to his knees to thank God she was his date for the evening. The long expanse of lithe leg exposed had caused his heart to thump so hard he'd thought it would burst through his rib cage. His mind had begun to conjure images of them dancing to a slow tune, her body pressed tight to his.

"Daniel!" Sheila shouted.