Free Dr. Dad by Judith Arnold Page A

her cordless phone to the desk, where she’d left Toby’s business card, and punched in the number printed at the bottom.
    â€œArlington Pediatric Associates,” a receptionist recited. “How may I direct your call?”
    Susannah felt nerves pinch her nape. She didn’t want to disturb Toby at work, where he might be in the midst of examining a patient. More important, she didn’t want the sound of his voice to remind her of the erotic thoughts she’d had while seated in his dining room on Friday night.
    But she was an actor. She could conceal her anxiety. “May I speak to Dr. Cole, please?” she asked smoothly.
    â€œOne moment.” She was put on hold, and then heard another woman’s voice: “This is Dr. Cole’s assistant. Can I help you?”
    Obviously, he was too busy. Just as well—Susannah could tell his assistant where Lindsey was and avoid talking to Toby altogether. “This is Dr. Cole’s next-door neighbor,” she said. “Could you please tell him I’ve got Lindsey over here, and—”
    â€œLindsey? Hang on, I’ll get him.”
    Before Susannah could finish, she was put on hold again.
    A smile touched her lips. He must have given hisassistant permission to drag him from whatever he was doing if Lindsey needed him. He was so attentive to his daughter, so available to her—the way good fathers in loving families were supposed to be.
    A few seconds passed, and she heard his voice: “Susannah? Is everything all right?”
    Her smile grew. If anyone had seen her, they might have thought she was a kid with a crush, grinning like a goofball at the sound of a particular man’s voice. She couldn’t recall ever having had a crush on anyone in her life. And here she was at the advanced age of thirty-two, having spent most of her life in the high-pressure grow-up-quickly world of television…and she felt almost as young as Lindsey, practically tongue-tied in the presence of the cutest guy in town.
    â€œEverything’s fine,” she said. “How did you know it was me?”
    â€œMary said it was my next-door neighbor,” he said, “and I knew it wouldn’t be my neighbors on the other side. No one’s ever home there during the day.” As he spoke the tautness left his tone. “So everything’s okay?”
    â€œYes. Lindsey just got home from school, and I invited her in to help me hang pictures. I thought we ought to check and make sure that was all right with you.”
    â€œShe wants to help you hang pictures?” He sounded bewildered.
    â€œWell, actually, I thought we could sort of make up from Friday night. If we don’t get around to hanging pictures, it’s no big deal.”
    He said nothing for a minute, then, “Are you sure you want to do that?”
    â€œDo what? Make friends with Lindsey?” It didn’tseem like such a risky undertaking to her. “Is there something wrong with my wanting to do it?”
    â€œNo. Not at all.” Again he fell silent. Closing her eyes, she visualized his thick, dark hair, his earnest smile, his lean, lanky build. “Actually, I’d be very grateful.”
    â€œDon’t be. This is between Lindsey and me,” she said. She didn’t want to believe Toby had anything to do with her attempt to befriend Lindsey. It was just that she’d been a moody teenager once, too—a girl with two parents whose ideas of how she should live her life rarely took her feelings into account. Lindsey had a father who seemed truly attached to her, but she lacked a mother. She was facing challenges no less difficult than what Susannah had faced as a teenager.
    Susannah would have been thrilled to have a neighbor who cared for her, cared enough to make sure she was all right. If she could be that kind of neighbor for Lindsey, it would be good for them both.
    Toby had nothing to do with it.
    â€œCan I talk to her