Page 99 of The Sandbar saga

She raised her brows. "You'll spoil her."

"I have a lot of time to make up for."

Katie nodded.

He reluctantly stepped away and opened the door. Picking up the bike, he set it in the entryway. Callie instantly came to check it out.

"For me?" Callie twirled the bike pedal.

"Yes. But you can only ride it outside when your mom says it's okay." He looked at Katie.

She picked up on the instructions. "You can try it out tomorrow morning, okay? For tonight..." Katie looked at Darla and winked before looking at Callie. "Maybe after you change your dress, you can ride it in the garage with Darla."

Now that his daughter was distracted and he had Katie to himself, he left Callie in the care of her babysitter and took his date to the car.

The moon glowed to the west, promising a clear night. He opened the passenger door and tucked Katie into the seat. He'd love to take her home and spend a quiet evening with her, but he was due at the Pier Hotel down on the water.

He walked around the car and got behind the steering wheel. He'd waited to ask her out until he had a positive forecast for the weather. Because of the hotel's location underneath the bridge and with a view of the sandbar, he wanted to make sure no storms were eminent before bringing her.

Katie trailed her fingers down her arm. "Where are we going?"

"There's a dinner to raise money for the mental health wing at the hospital at the Pier Hotel. I need to make an appearance and thought you might enjoy going with me. We'll only be there for an hour or so." He kept looking at where she touched her body while he drove out of the gate of their neighborhood.

She had no idea what she was doing to him. He'd be lucky if he could walk into the hotel without having a limp.

"Sometimes, I forget that you have other patients and a well-established career." She leaned her head back on the headrest, looking at him. "I forget how we met."

"I haven't forgotten a second of knowing you," he said.

"The older I get, the more it seems like you've always been a part of my life. Do you know I've been with you longer than I was with my parents?" She reached over and squeezed his arm. "No, I haven't forgotten anything either."

Her hand lingered on him until he turned the car. It was going to be a long night if she expected him to keep his hands off her.

Instead of being around her in a crowded room, where he believed she'd be more comfortable and not feel any pressure, he wanted to take her anywhere else. Home. The beach. A dinner for two. Somewhere he could touch her.

Five minutes later, he walked her toward the front door of the hotel. He kept his hand on her lower back, slightly caressing her. When he bought the dress, he hadn't been aware of how much he liked the easy access to her skin.

"I'm a little nervous," she whispered as they walked through the door.

"Don't be. It's a bunch of stuffy doctors."

Her lips quirked. "Are you calling yourself—?"

"No." He pulled her close and kissed her temple. "I'm nothing like them."

He led her into the room, made introductions with Dr. Strawn and his wife. Then, he escorted her to the table they'd share with Dr. Brown and Dr. Laski and their wives. After everyone exchanged names and pleasantries, he leaned close to her.

"There were two choices for dinner. Steak or chicken. I ordered one of each, figuring you'd want steak, but if you'd like the other, we can switch," he said.

She put her hand on his leg under the table and said, "Steak is fine. Thank you."

When her hand moved, he caught it and put it back on his thigh, twining her fingers with his. She looked at him again, and he kissed her temple. They'd never had a time where they could show each other affection in public.

When she was at St. Mary's, he'd discouraged her from being too familiar with him around others. They wouldn't understand and would question his relationship with her. He was a professional. It would've sent red warning signals to the staff, the parents, and the children. Then, when Katie was finally an adult, it was his own weakness that made him discourage her from touching him.

"Katie Meihoff." Dr. Brown set down his wine glass. "Any relationship to the late Mike Meihoff?"

She turned away from Race to face Dr. Brown. "Yes, he was my father."