“I think he'll make it,” Harvey said, as they wheeled Steve into Recovery and he took a good look at Anna. “You look like shit, Dr. Gonzalez.”

“Thank you, Dr. Lucas.”

She still looked gray, and her knees were shaking now that it was over. And then she went to sit next to Steve. It was another two hours before he stirred, and when he did, he was still groggy, but he saw her sitting there next to him, and he smiled when he saw her.

“Anna? I was coming to see you,” he whispered.

“You never made it.” She smiled down at him as tears filled her eyes again. She thought she would never see him again, and then she thought he would die before they could save him.

“What happened?” he whispered again.

“Someone shot you.”

“Nice neighborhood,” he said, and she smiled through her tears at him.

“What were you doing there?” But she knew before he answered.

“I came to say good-bye to you.”

“You did that three months ago,” she said gently, as he drifted off to sleep again, and then opened his eyes and continued the conversation.

“I wanted to see Felicia. I miss her.”

“She misses you too,” and then she decided to throw caution to the winds and tell him the truth. “So do I, even if you are an asshole.”

He smiled at her then. “I'm getting divorced and going to Kentucky.”

Anna frowned as she listened to him. “I think he's hallucinating,” she said to one of the nurses.

“I heard that. It's true … divorced … Kentucky …” Steve insisted weakly.

“Don't talk so much … you can explain later. Why don't you sleep for a while?” she said gently. She was still worried about him.

“My chest hurts.”

“Stop complaining. You had a great surgeon.” Anna looked down at him with a grin, as he watched her.

“Who did it?”

“I did. You had a bullet the size of an egg in your chest. Now shut up and go to sleep before I hit you.”

“I love you, Anna,” he whispered softly but she heard him.

She leaned down close to his face so he could hear her better and the others wouldn't. “I love you too.”

“Marry me.” He was groggy but she knew he meant it.

“Never,” she answered. “I'm allergic to it.”

“… good thing to do … good for Felicia … good for me … good for you … have more kids … a baby….”

“I don't need a baby, if I have you to take care of. You'd be more trouble than ten children….”

“Will you marry me?”

“No. Besides, you're on drugs. You do not know what you're saying.”

“Yes, I do … and I'm not married….” He sounded stronger as he said it. “And I'm not gay.”

“What's he talking about?” Harvey Lucas came to check on him, and caught the tail end of the conversation. “Who said he was gay? He's not gay.”

“No, but he's an asshole,” Anna said firmly with a glance at Steve. He was coming out of the anesthetic nicely and Lucas was pleased, and left them to continue the conversation. “I thought you were gone forever,” she said gently.

“I thought so too … I'm back….”

“So I see. Why don't you stay here? You'll have to explain later about Kentucky.” But even in his drugged state, he remembered that he hadn't signed the papers. He remembered a lot of things, leaving Merrie, leaving California … going to see Anna … and then he didn't remember much after that … until he saw her in the Recovery room and his chest hurt.

“I love you,” he said again, determined to convince her.

“I love you too, now rest for awhile. I'll be here. I'm not going anywhere, Steve.” She had never been as happy to see a face as she had been to see his, especially once she knew he'd make it. She had cried over him every night for three months. But now he had come to see her, for whatever reason.

“Why won't you marry me?”

“I don't need to. Besides, I told you, I hate rich guys.”

“I gave it all back to her … I'm poor now….”

“You're crazy,” she said, smiling at him.

“You too,” he said, smiling at her, and then he drifted off to sleep as she watched him.

“How's he doing? Is he okay?” Harvey came by to check his vital signs and was satisfied with what he was seeing.

“He will be,” Anna answered him, as he left them alone again. Steve was in good hands. He had been a lucky guy that afternoon. But no luckier than he deserved. Harvey glanced over his shoulder as he walked out of the Recovery room, and saw Anna holding Steve's hand and smiling at him.

“Is that Steve Whitman in there?” one of the nurses asked him. The word was out in the trauma unit.

“It sure is.”

“What's he doing here?” Everyone was confused. They thought he was still in California.

“Recuperating, I hope,” Harvey Lucas answered, “so he can take his old job back and I can get the hell out of here, and finally do some research.”

“Is he coming back?” the nurses at the desk asked Harvey.

“Could be,” Harvey smiled at her. “Could be. Who knows? Stranger things have happened.”

And as she sat next to him and watched him sleep, Anna held his hand and watched him. Just being there with him was all she'd ever wanted or needed. She didn't need promises or wedding rings, or money. She just wanted to be with him. And he was back now. For both of them, the nightmare and the loneliness were over.






a cognizant original v5 release october 06 2010







About the Author

DANIELLE Steel has been hailed as one of the world's most popular authors, with over 430 million copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include: Journey, The House on Hope Street, The Wedding, Granny Dan, Bittersweet, Mirror Image, The Klone and I, The Long Road Home, The Ghost, Special Delivery, The Ranch, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the nonfiction story of her son Nick Traina's life and death.



A Dell Book

Published by

Dell Publishing

A division of Random House, Inc.

1540 Broadway

New York, New York 10036

This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 1999 by Danielle Steel

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law.

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Dell® is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc., and the colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.

eISBN: 978-0-307-56653-9

v3.0

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

a cognizant original v5 release october 06 2010

About the Author