Part 76 (1/2)

His heart stood still. ”What did you say?”

She looked at him and her smile quivered a little at the corners. ”Um, I said uncles. That's why I'm here. I just found out you're my dad.”

CHAPTER TWENTY.

LINDSEY WATCHED as Walker set out first aid supplies on the dining room table. Cal wanted to rea.s.sure her, but he was busy trying to stop the blood from dripping down the side of his face.

”We're, ah, not usually like this,” he said, wis.h.i.+ng he sounded less lame and slightly more smooth. ”Reid and I haven't had a fight in ten or fifteen years.”

Lindsey's blue eyes widened slightly. ”So why were you fighting now?”

Reid glanced at Cal, then at Cal's daughter. ”Long story.”

She sighed. ”That's what adults always say when they don't want to tell you the truth.”

”b.u.mmer, huh?” Reid said.

Lindsey smiled, then turned her attention to Walker. ”Are you a doctor or something?”

”I used to be a marine and I know basic first aid.”

She looked him up and down. ”That's cool. Were you overseas?”

He nodded without looking up.

There was an awkward silence which Cal broke by saying, ”You have an aunt, too. Our youngest sister. Dani-short for Danielle.”

”Big family,” Lindsey said. ”It's just my mom and dad and me. We're-” She paused and pressed her lips together. ”Can I still call them that? Are you going to get mad?”

”What? Of course not. Lindsey, Tracy and Tom are your parents.”

”Yeah,” Reid said. ”He's just some guy who donated-What?” he asked as Walker cuffed him on the arm. ”What'd I say?”

”We have a young lady present,” Walker reminded him. ”Not one of your women.”

Lindsey looked instantly intrigued. ”You have women? A lot of them? Like more than one girlfriend at a time? Are you-” Her mouth dropped open. ”OhmyG.o.d! You're Reid Buchanan. You're a baseball pitcher.”

”Used to be,” Reid said curtly. ”Now I run a bar.”

”Okay, but you're famous.” She turned to Cal. ”He's your brother?”

”Uh-huh. And your uncle.”

”My uncle is Reid Buchanan? My friends are going to die when I tell them.”

Reid looked more uncomfortable than excited. Cal changed the subject by asking, ”How did you find out about me?”

”What? Oh, my mom told me. We were talking about the transplant and how well it went and I was really surprised because there can be problems with blood from an unrelated donor. And when I said that she got this really weird look on her face.”