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, wishing 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."

Walker motioned for Cal to take a seat by the dining room table. Cal settled down, then removed the washcloth from his temple. Instantly blood began to trickle down his face.

"Are you sure you're not going to need st.i.tches?" Lindsey asked.

"That's what I'm thinking," Walker said.

"I'll be fine. Try the bandage," Cal told him. "Go on, Lindsey."

"Oh. Okay. Well, she, um, got this weird look on her face and then she just blurted it all out. She told me who you were and that you'd always wanted to be a part of my life, but you didn't want to push and that you were my biological dad and stuff. So I wanted to come see you."

Cal groaned. "Did we just walk in the house and leave your mom parked out there?"

Lindsey laughed. "No. She went to get coffee. I'm going to call her when it's time to come get me."

Walker tugged on his skin. Cal did his best not to react to the pain. The bandages were put in place, but Walker didn't look pleased. "These aren't going to hold."

Lindsey moved close and wrinkled her nose. "He's right. You really need to go to the hospital."

"In a minute." He smiled at her. "I'm glad you're here."

"Me, too. I thought, you know, maybe we could be friends."

"I'd like that."

She glanced at Reid and Walker. "It's nice to have more family. I've always wanted that. Are any of you guys married?"

Walker snorted. "Reid settle down with one woman? Not likely. I've been out of the country and Cal...You're going to have to talk to him about that."

Lindsey glanced at him expectantly.

Cal shook his head. "Another long story," he said, knowing there was no way he could explain about Penny.

"That's too bad. I'd like some cousins or even half brothers and sisters. I wouldn't even mind babysitting. Well, at least until I go to college. Then I'll be really busy."

Impulsively, Cal grabbed Lindsey's hand. "Thanks for coming to see me. I know you're all grown up and have a life, but maybe we could get together for lunch sometime."

She ducked her head, but squeezed his fingers. "That would be nice. I can give you my cell number. We can talk and stuff. And e-mail, too." She grinned. "I love e-mail."

"Me, too."

Reid pulled the towel away from the cut on his jaw and showed it to Walker. Just then a fresh gush of blood dripped down the front of his shirt.

"That's it," Lindsey said forcefully. "I can see I'm going to have to take charge here. You're both going to the emergency room. You need st.i.tches. There's no discussion about this. I just went through chemo and a bone marrow transplant. I think you tough guys can survive a couple of st.i.tches."

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" Dani asked as she sat next to Cal in the emergency room. "You're too old to be fighting each other."

"We weren't thinking," Cal told her. "That's how fights usually start. No one plans them. Well, Reid kind of planned this one."