Marjorie paused just inside the Mercedes showroom and drew a deep breath. It felt wonderful to be back. Wonderful and right. Three weeks’ recovery time was what Sam had told her she would need, and she had used every minute of those twenty-one days to recuperate. Even now she felt weak and a little shaky, but the thought of another day holed up in her tiny apartment was enough to make even the most sane person go stir-crazy.

With a sense of appreciation that never waned, Marjorie ran her hand over the trunk of an SLK roadster. Rarely had she been more eager to get to work. Bit by bit she had regained her strength, and now she would quietly resume her life.

“Welcome back,” Lydia called eagerly from behind the customer-service counter. “How are you feeling?”

“Terrific, thanks.” Marjorie realized her clothes were a little loose and her complexion a bit chalky, but all in all, she felt great.

“Has your sister gone back to Oregon?”

Marjorie nodded. Her sister had left a few days before, and it had not been a minute too soon. When Jody had learned about the surgery, there had been no stopping the twenty-year-old from coming to her sister’s aid. Despite Marjorie’s protests, Jody had dropped her studies and immediately driven to Tacoma to play the role of the indulgent nurse. Marjorie loved her sister, but after one entire week of Jody giving an Academy Award–level imitation of Clara Barton, Marjorie had been on the brink of madness.

Within the first hour of her return to Dixon Motors, two of the salesmen stopped by her desk to welcome her back. At ten Lydia delivered a cup of coffee, closed the door, and pulled out a chair. “Well?” she asked, as she plunked herself down and leaned forward intently, propping her elbows on the corner of Marjorie’s desk. Her eyes were both wide and curious.

Marjorie blinked back her surprise. “Well, what?”

“Did you hear from Dr. Sam?”

“Of course not.” With jerky movements she tore off three weeks, a day at a time, from her desktop calendar.

“Dr. Sam didn’t contact you?” Lydia’s voice rose dramatically in disbelief.

“I just told you he didn’t.” Marjorie had seen Sam exactly twice since that heated episode when she’d accused him of getting a kickback from the hospital. Both times had been strained, as she battled her very strong and very real attraction toward him. Again and again she was forced to remind herself that women patients tend to fall in love with their doctors and that she wasn’t any more immune to his charms than the rest. Keeping her perspective had been difficult, especially when Sam returned the following day and behaved as though nothing had happened. He had chatted easily with her, but she noted regretfully that he stayed only a few minutes. His second visit had been even shorter.