“If he’s tried those things with me, you know he’s done it with the others,” she said thoughtfully after a while. Yes, she was furious, but losing her cool wouldn’t solve anything.

“It’s the meantime that I’m worried about,” Lydia mumbled, crossing her arms righteously over her chest. “When’s Bud going to let you know?”

Marjorie glanced at her watch. “As soon as he gets in.”

The low hum of the intercom caught their attention. “Marjorie, call on line three. Marjorie—line three.”

“I better get that,” Marjorie mumbled, and sighed. “It could mean another sale.”

“Not if Al can get his greedy hands on it,” Lydia responded sourly, and returned to her place behind the customer-service counter.

With her friend’s words ringing in her ears, Marjorie walked over to her office and reached for the phone. “Marjorie Majors,” she said in a cordial, businesslike tone.

“Dr. Sam Bretton here,” Sam returned.

She sat down and propped her elbows on the desktop. A rush of pleasure washed over her, taking with it some of the bitter aftertaste of Al’s trickery. “Hello.”

“I was just thinking about you.”

“Oh?” She knew that she sounded about as intelligent as mold, but he’d taken her by surprise.

“I just returned from the hospital, and my first appointment isn’t scheduled for another five minutes, so I thought I’d give you a call. You don’t mind, do you?”

“No…it’s a pleasant surprise.”

“How’s your day going?”

“Fair.” It would have been much better if things were settled between her and Al, but none of this mess was Sam’s problem. “How about your morning?”

“Hectic, as always.” Actually, he’d been preoccupied, thinking about Marjorie and angry with himself for not setting a date for their next…well, date. He’d left her apartment feeling exhilarated and excited. They’d sat and talked long after the movie had finished, easily drifting from one subject to another. She was well read and knowledgeable about current affairs. He’d found her opinions insightful and intelligent, and marveled that he’d found a woman who stirred his heart as well as his mind. So she didn’t cook; he could deal with that. He enjoyed her company, relished their time together, and longed to see her again soon. Unfortunately, his head had been in the clouds, and he hadn’t thought to make plans. He’d tried calling her apartment, but she’d already left for work. He knew she worked long hours and decided his best chance of catching her was at Dixon’s. He didn’t want to wait another two days to see her again.

“I suppose I should apologize for last night,” she said softly.

“Why?” Something was wrong. Sam could detect the subtle difference in her voice. Whatever it was, he hoped she would share it with him.