Read Online The Back-Up Plan by Debra Webb - Free Book Online

physicians—except he was now fighting to stay out of jail.
    “Chip Stevens hadn’t been taking his medication properly. He had a seizure which scared the life out of his teammates, but he’s fine.” The only thing, Donna thought with remorse, that died this afternoon was any hope of self-respect she might ever have.
    “How did Hank handle the situation?” Patty eyed her with growing suspicion.
    “He was concerned, of course.” Donna turned her palms up and gave Patty an exaggerated shrug. “He...he did a good job handling the situation.”
    Patty nodded thoughtfully. “I see.”
    “You know,” Donna grabbed her purse, “I think I’ll call it a day.” She shot her sister a feigned smile. “I’ve got lots to do at home.” Patty stepped aside to let her pass. They exchanged stiff good-byes and Donna flew out of the clinic, leaving her sister to lock up.
    She replayed the field house scene over and over in her mind as she drove home. Her excuse being that she needed to understand where she’d gone wrong. The truth was she couldn't remember the last time she’d really been kissed by a man. Since the breakup with Melissa’s father she’d hardly dated. Being celibate the last few years hadn’t been too difficult. At least not until now, anyway.
    Why had she reacted so completely out of character to Hank Bradley? She never fixated on a man’s looks. Not that she had dated ugly men, there just hadn’t ever been anyone who looked quite like Hank. Not even Melissa’s father. That was a subject she would not allow herself to ponder. Thinking about Hank would be safer for her mental well-being, or would it?
    The thought of his strong arms around her. The feel of his hard body against her. His lips, demanding yet gentle, had set her on fire. Her nipples tightened at the memory of his sensuous kiss. How on earth would she ever face the man come tomorrow?
    She wouldn’t face him. That was the answer. Tomorrow Donna would simply send Melissa to school with Patty and her girls. That would give her until Monday to recover.
    Monday was three whole days away.
    Plenty of time to put her impetuous behavior behind her.

Chapter Four
    Saturday morning Hank plopped three one-gallon cans of blue paint on the floor of his classroom. Yes sir, he glanced around the big, quiet room, blue would be a vast improvement. No matter how he looked at it, yellow just didn’t cut it.
    Tired muscles complained loudly as he slid a table to the center of the room in preparation for the painting. After tossing and turning for hours both nights, he’d finally gotten out of bed and trudged down to his basement and the personal gym he’d designed just to torture himself. Despite pushing himself to the point of total exhaustion sleep still would not come. The endless hours before dawn had inched by at a snail’s pace with Hank rehashing the act of stupidly disguised as passion he desperately wished he could take back. But he couldn’t.
    He pushed another table to the center of the room. He’d just have to live with it. Just like all the other stupid mistakes he had made in his life. Throwing away his big chance as a sports commentator after the knee injury being at the top of that list. Hank could have been another Mike Ditka. What was done was done. No point brooding over lost yards.
    Showing again just how hopeless this infatuation with the doc was, he stood in the middle of the room and considered that the kiss he’d laid on her hadn’t felt like a mistake. And it sure as hell hadn’t felt stupid. He rubbed his unshaven chin. Might not have been the brightest move he’d ever made.
    “Stop with the obsessing,” he muttered. The only real relief he’d gotten from his obsessive thoughts came during the season’s first football game last night. Coaching the team had taken all his attention for the duration of the game.
    The Hornets walked away with an easy victory. A disappointed Stevens spent the game on the bench. Even after the