Free Nobody's Angel by Sarah Hegger

window of the doctor’s office. “He is an excellent doctor, you know.” She fluttered her hands anxiously.
    “I’m sure he is.” Richard was good at many, many things. Your classic, pain-in-the-ass overachiever and she’d loved how driven he could be. She’d never gotten around to telling him how much that impressed her about him. Chances were she wouldn’t get another opportunity to do so now. “And I am sure he will know exactly the best thing to do about Dad.”
    “I’m sure you’re right.” A small, worried frown puckered up Lynne’s forehead.
    “I promise not to do anything to upset him.” Lucy had no idea what Lynne thought she could possibly do in a crowded doctor’s office with her mother beside her. Then again, Lynne had been there since the birth of the legend of Lucy Flint and seen quite a bit of what her daughter was capable of. “There really is no reason to be nervous. He is your doctor and a professional.” Lucy mustered up a confident tone. “He will be perfectly civil. We’ve known him since I went to day care.”
    “You bit his arm.” Lynne looked pained.
    “What?”
    “Your first day at Mrs. Clark’s Day Care, you bit Richard’s arm.”
    “No.” Lucy blinked at her mother. She did a rapid memory scan, but came up blank. Of course, she had been a holy terror and the biting thing went on for a while. Actually, until the day another kid had bitten her back. A plump princess called Ashley and Lucy remembered the day well. Over wails and tears, they had looked at each other and seen an even match. They could fight to the death or join forces.
    “You were three.” Lynne nodded her head sadly. “Richard came with his mother to pick up his brothers and you bit him. You almost broke the skin.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “Positive. I wouldn’t forget something like that,” Lynne stated decisively. “Donna was very understanding about it.” Lynne shook her head in amazement. “She didn’t make the slightest bit of fuss.”
    “Donna had three boys,” Lucy said, laughing softly. “I’m sure she’d seen worse by that stage.”
    “Still,” Lynne said, shaking her head and frowning. “If it had been the other way around, if he had bitten you, I don’t think I would have been so casual about it.”
    That was true enough. To this day, her mother was blissfully unaware of the Ashley equalizer. Otherwise, Lucy felt sure, her friendship with Ashley would never have been allowed to prosper. Lynne always kept her “from children who were rough.” Also, if he’d bitten me , Lucy thought as she climbed out of the car, I would now have one less thing to make amends for .
    The office was busy with a steady stream of people moving in and out. On the other side of the central desk, a receptionist ruled the office with phlegmatic disinterest. A bit like a large, sedentary toad directing the flow of insects from her lily pad. She eyed Lucy speculatively over the rims of her round glasses and Lucy resisted the urge to fidget as she and her mother found a seat.
    “Lynne Flint.” Lucy jumped a bit. Her mother threw her a concerned look. “Exam room two, Dr. Hunter will be right along.”
     
     
    Lucy viciously suppressed the insane urge to giggle hysterically as Richard walked into exam room two. He was conservatively dressed in a pair of khaki chinos and a pale blue shirt. He carried his white coat in one large hand and hung it neatly on the back of the door. He turned back, folding his arms over his chest, and her stomach bungeed.
    “Lynne.” He smiled at her mother. “Lucy.” He cut a glance in her direction. His smile vanished and she found herself on the receiving end of an arctic blast.
    He turned to talk to her mother, having the sort of inconsequential chat friends and neighbors always shared. Wasn’t the weather awful? Everybody was hearty and hale? Were the Cubs ever going to get it together?
    Lucy caught that telltale little muscle jumping in his jaw. Richard was not as