The Chase by Jan Neuharth Page A

adoption in a beautiful ceremony on Easter weekend.”
    “Easter?” Jake began to count on his fingers. “April, May, June, July, August… I thought you said Anne was eight months pregnant.”
    Kendall glared at him. “Don’t sit in judgment of them, Jake. You’ve never even met them.”
    “I’m not being judgmental. I was just making an observation.”
    “It’s an observation you don’t need to make.”
    Jake put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a gentle push. “Hey, lighten up.”
    Kendall sank away from his touch. “I don’t need to
lighten up,”
she said, pushing the power button on the radio and turning the volume high.
    Jake’s hand shot out and twirled the knob to lower the volume. “Do you have anger-management problems or something? If I had to guess, I’d bet it has something to do with your ex-husband, and I’m real sorry if you were married to an SOB. But, Jesus Christ,
I
never did anything to you. I was just driving down the highway, minding my own business, when I happened upon Doug Cummings’s car accident. And I tried to do a good deed by offering my help. I didn’t do it to get any kind of gratitude, and I don’t really care if you appreciate what I did for your friend or not. But I’m exhausted, and my patience is really beginning to wear thin here. So, if you don’t mind, could you at least make an effort to be civil?”
    Kendall didn’t give him the satisfaction of responding. She kept her eyes on the road, gripping the wheel so hard, her knuckles turned white.

CHAPTER
14

    K endall sat on the sofa in the Hortons’ living room with Samantha on her lap.
    “When will I be able to see Daddy?” Samantha asked.
    “As soon as his head feels better. Right now, he has a big bump right here.” Kendall danced her fingertips across Samantha’s forehead.
    “I banged my head once at preschool and Mrs. Kennedy put ice on it, and after awhile it made it feel lots better. Is Mommy putting ice on Daddy’s head?”
    “I’ll bet she is.”
    “How did Daddy hurt his head?”
    Kendall wasn’t sure how much to tell her. “He had a car accident and he bumped his head on the windshield.”
    Samantha frowned. “But Daddy always wears a seat belt, and that’s supposed to protect you in a car accident.”
    “That’s right, Samantha. But he still got a bump on his head.”
    Samantha fingered Kendall’s pearl necklace. “Was Daddy the driver or a passenger?”
    “He was driving.”
    “He always tells me that it’s safer in the backseat. That’s why he makes me sit there.”
    Kendall hugged her. “That’s because your daddy loves you very much and he wants to make sure you don’t get hurt or bump your head if there’s a car accident.”
    Samantha nodded. “Yeah.”
    “Hey, you know what?” Kendall asked, brushing a strand of hair off Samantha’s face. “You get to have a sleepover here at Emma’s tonight.”
    “How come?”
    “Because your mommy is going to stay at the hospital tonight with your daddy so she can help the nurse take care of him.”
    Samantha’s eyes filled with tears. “I want to help take care of him, too.”
    “I know you do, sweetie. And you’ll be a big help when your daddy comes home from the hospital.”
    “But why can’t I help take care of him in the hospital?” Samantha whimpered, burying her face against Kendall’s shoulder.
    “Because they have rules that kids aren’t allowed.”
    Kendall looked over Samantha’s head at Deb and raised her eyebrows.
    “Samantha, we are going to have so much fun tonight,” Deb said, kneeling down next to them. “What would you think about you and Emma making ice-cream sundaes?”
    Samantha turned her head enough to peer down at Deb. “With gummy bears?”
    “Of course,” Deb said, smiling.
    Samantha swiped at her tears with her fist. “I guess that would be okay.”
    “Great.” Deb stood up and held her hand out to Samantha. “Let’s go get started.”
    Samantha looked questioningly at