The Daddy Plan Read online

  With that declaration hanging in his apartment, Sam beckoned to Patches and went outside. When he thought about kissing Corrie, he knew they had more than animals in common. They had chemistry. But he also realized they both had walls built around their hearts. Obviously with Corrie it seemed her childhood had affected her deeply…deeply enough that she had trouble believing men could be faithful. As for Sam, Alicia had broken his trust and he wasn’t over that yet. He wasn’t over losing their child.

  As far as he and Corrie were concerned, friends were all they could be.

  Corrie didn’t know if Sam expected her to leave right away…or stay! As he said a last good-night to Kyle, she sank down onto the sofa thinking about the bridal bouquet in her car.

  Coincidence. Sheer coincidence.

  A few minutes later, Sam joined her in the living room. He’d unfastened his black tie and tossed his tuxedo jacket over a chair. With a beard line starting to shadow his jaw he looked rumpled and sexy. Her heart raced and her stomach felt jittery.

  “All tucked in?” she asked, just to make conversation, just to take her mind off the attraction to her boss that had plagued her from the day she’d started working for him.

  “He’s asleep. He could hardly keep his eyes open to say good-night.”

  Sam lowered himself to the sofa beside her, his thigh brushing hers.

  She swallowed hard.

  “He likes you,” Sam said.

  “I like him.” Kyle was very easy to love, and she knew her heart was ready to love her own child.

  “Every time I take care of him, I admire Nathan more. I know after Colleen died, he wanted to hole up in a cave and never come out. But he moved here and started a new life, making Kyle the focus of it. I’ve never seen Nathan as happy as he was tonight. Sara has…I don’t know…brought him alive again.”

  “Both people have to be willing to compromise to make marriage work. It’s obvious Sara loves Nathan. And Nathan, well, he seems like the faithful type.”

  Sam studied Corrie for a very long moment. “Men can be faithful.”

  “Do you really think so?” She asked the question without cynicism.

  “I know you have doubts because of your dad, but all men aren’t like him.”

  Actually, Corrie didn’t want to believe they were, but Tom…After dating him for a few months, believing they were totally in love, he’d walked away into the arms of someone else. Corrie had always felt she was the one who’d been lacking. Having sex with her had been based on a dare. He hadn’t been serious at all from the get-go.

  “Why are you looking so sad?” Sam asked.

  “I’m not—”

  His palm cupped her chin and her whole body quivered from his touch. “You don’t hide your feelings well.”

  “I’m not an open book,” she protested.

  “We all have secrets that eventually come out.”

  She didn’t have secrets, just confidences she didn’t easily share.

  The hum of the refrigerator was the only sound in the apartment. Sam’s dark-brown eyes were so gentle and compassionate, she could almost blurt out her life’s story. They were caught in a freeze-frame. That gentleness in his eyes became something else entirely.

  When he murmured her name, she could have melted. She leaned forward, hardly an inch. His hand slid from her jaw to her cheek and she could feel the erotic roughness of calluses. She imagined his fingertips other places….

  He swore as if he knew he shouldn’t kiss her again but couldn’t help himself. She couldn’t help herself, either.

  This kiss was harder, more demanding than the others. He didn’t wait for her lips to part but slid his tongue between them as if he had the right.

  She could resist. She could stop. But this was Sam. She inhaled his scent, recognized his taste, and felt herself falling into desire that was exciting…exhilarating…totally new.

  “She is your girlfriend or you wouldn’t be kissing her!” a surprised little voice chirped from behind Corrie.

  Sam broke the kiss and Corrie couldn’t wait for his explanation to Kyle…because she wanted to hear it, too!

  On second thought, maybe she didn’t.

  Rising from the sofa on shaky legs, she turned to Kyle and explained before Sam could. “That was just a goodbye kiss. It’s time for me to go home to Jasper.”

  “Is that a dog?” Kyle asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

  Hoping she was steadier than she felt, Corrie went to Sam’s kitchen table and picked up her purse. “It sure is. I’ve been taking care of him for a while. He gets lonely without me.”

  Then, before Kyle could ask more questions and before Sam could give weak explanations that she’d rather not hear, she put on her coat and crossed to the door. “You have a good time with your uncles tomorrow,” she said to Kyle with a smile she dredged up from somewhere. To Sam who’d narrowed his eyes and was watching her escape as if he didn’t approve, she suggested, “We’ll talk at work on Monday.” With a little wave, she slipped out the door.

  Inhaling a deep breath, she realized she was still trembling inside from the aftermath of Sam’s kiss. She may have had a crush on him for a couple of years, but now she was beyond a crush. She was falling for him, fast and hard.

  She had to stop the fall before she landed and broke her heart. She wanted a baby, not a lover.

  That’s what she told herself the whole way home.

  Sam had just finished an annual exam on a rottweiler Tuesday afternoon when his cell phone vibrated. Deciding to take the opportunity to grab a cup of coffee, he answered the phone and went to his office. “Sam Barclay,” he greeted the caller.

  “Sam, it’s Dr. Weigel.”

  Sam stilled, knowing exactly what this call was about. Before last week, he hadn’t given a second thought to physicals and sperm counts and motility. After all, Alicia had gotten pregnant. But tests were tests and he’d always wanted to pass them with flying colors.

  “How am I, doc?”

  Dr. Weigel was in his early sixties and had cared for Sam and his brothers since they’d entered high school. He was one of those old-time doctors who believed if he got to know his patients, then that knowledge would help with diagnosis and recuperation. He knew the Barclay family well and acted more like a favorite uncle than an aloof professional.

  “You’re just fine, boy, in fact I wish I was as fine as you. In addition to general good health, your cholesterol is where it should be. You’ll be getting an official report with your numbers in the mail. But I don’t think it’s your cholesterol you’re worried about right now, is it?”

  “You heard from Dr. Witherspoon?”

  “Yep. The report came in about an hour ago. Looks like you’re good to go. Your swimmers have pizzazz. I imagine you’ll want to tell your lady friend right away.”

  The prospect of telling Corrie embarrassed him and that was absolutely stupid. Maybe if he hadn’t kissed her. Maybe if the scent of her shampoo didn’t drive him nuts. Maybe if the way she walked didn’t turn him on.

  “So you’ll let me know if I should buy cigars?” Dr. Weigel joked.

  “I’ll let you know,” Sam replied, the reality of going through with the artificial insemination hitting him hard. He could be a father soon. A father!

  After he thanked the doctor for his call, he went in search of Corrie. He found her in the kennel, petting and talking to a calico cat they were treating. He closed the door behind him as he stepped inside. She turned to face him. “Do you need me out there?”

  “No, there’s a lull. My doctor phoned.”

  Her eyes were wide now with expectation. “About your tests?”

  “Apparently I passed with flying colors. We’re set to go. Your doctor will probably be contacting you.”

  Corrie’s face absolutely glowed. “This time next month I could be pregnant! Oh, Sam.” She threw her arms around him and gave him a hug. “I don’t know how to thank you for doing this.”

  Roughly he muttered, “I haven�
��t done anything yet.”

  As if suddenly self-conscious, she dropped her arms and stepped back. “I guess you’re not as excited as I am.”

  “The impact is hitting me little by little,” he admitted.

  “Your life won’t be changing substantially. Mine will,” she reminded him.

  “That’s if you get pregnant.”

  “If I get pregnant,” she murmured.

  His mind suddenly filled with pictures—Corrie in late stages of pregnancy, Corrie holding a newborn, breast-feeding.

  The door to the kennel opened and Sara stood there smiling at them. “Jenny said to come on in.”

  Sam’s sister-in-law looked absolutely radiant. He imagined a honeymoon with the perfect partner could do that.

  “Now that you’re back and we’re back, I wanted to invite you to dinner.”

  Corrie murmured something about leaving them alone to talk and was about to exit the room when Sara stopped her. “Why don’t you come to dinner, too, Corrie? Kyle really enjoyed your animal story. He told it to us over and over again.”

  “I don’t want to intrude on a family gathering.”

  “No intrusion at all. Galen and Val are joining us and I’m cooking for a change. I told Val she couldn’t lift a finger. How does Thursday evening sound?”

  Corrie exchanged a look with Sam as if asking his permission to accept. He found himself liking the idea of her having dinner with his family, seeing how she fit in. After all, his dad might become a grandparent again and would want to spend time with a grandchild.

  “Why don’t you come, Corrie?” Sam coaxed. “And bring Jasper so Kyle can meet him, too. He’ll love running with Patches at Nathan’s place.”

  Although Corrie still looked uncertain, she nodded to Sara. “All right. Thank you. What can I bring? I make a mean batch of peanut butter fudge.”

  “Kyle will love that and so will Galen. He has a sweet tooth from here to next year. I know you never know when you’ll get finished here, so why don’t we say seven?”

  Sam’s life sure had taken an interesting turn since Corrie had driven to his cabin. He’d hardly thought about Alicia and what she’d done for the past week. He felt good about moving ahead with his life. And he was almost as excited as Corrie about what the next turn around the corner would bring. He could be a dad within a year.

  A dad.

  After dinner on Thursday evening, Sam’s dad reached for his jacket on a hook by the door. “Why don’t we take the mutts out for a run?”

  If Sam had worried about Corrie fitting in he shouldn’t have. As she helped Sara and Val clean up after dinner, she joined right in swapping recipes.

  From his dad’s expression, though, Sam knew he had something on his mind. His deepening friendship with Val?

  Rapid Creek had been snow-free for the past week. Patches and Jasper chased each other down the walk and around to the back of the house.

  Galen’s breath puffed white in the night cold. “Are you and Corrie Edwards involved?”

  As a father, Galen noticed everything about his sons. He was sharp and nothing passed by him unnoticed. The brothers didn’t keep much from their dad but Sam was reluctant to tell him what he was planning.

  “Why do you ask?”

  “I just wondered if Sara was playing matchmaker again, or if there was a reason for her asking Corrie to dinner.”

  “I think she wants to get to know Corrie better. I imagine she misses her friends in Minneapolis.”

  “Maybe. She thinks Val and I didn’t notice, but she made a few suggestions here and there that brought us together. I suspect she’s doing the same thing with you and Corrie. You know, to help you get over that fiancée of yours.”

  His dad hadn’t liked Alicia and never made any bones about that. He might as well tell his father what he was planning. He didn’t keep secrets from his family. “Corrie and I are going into a…partnership of sorts.”

  “Is it something to do with the clinic?”

  Patches and Jasper were now sniffing along the row of bushes and Sam kept his attention focused on them as he replied, “No, not about the clinic.”

  “Spit it out, son. What’s so hard for you to say?”

  His dad was a plain talker and never beat around the bush. Usually Sam appreciated that, but tonight…“I’m going to be a sperm donor so Corrie can try to have a baby.”

  Galen’s jaw dropped as he gaped at his son. “You are kidding.”

  Now Sam felt defensive, and he crossed his arms over his chest. “No, I’m not kidding. I’ll probably never get married, Dad. Alicia kicked one big hole in my ability to trust a woman.”

  “But what you’re doing doesn’t make any sense at all…unless you have an ironclad agreement spelling out what’s going to happen. Are you planning to donate your sperm then walk away?”

  Sam knew from his dad’s tone he disapproved of that idea. “No, of course not. I’ll be a role model. I’ll help Corrie make decisions.”

  Galen glared at him. “It’s hard enough to be a dad when a man’s married. It’s twice as hard when he isn’t. What you’re doing here could hurt everyone. The baby Corrie wants to have, most of all. Have you thought this through?”

  “Sure, I have. Corrie and I are reasonable adults.”

  “Reason doesn’t enter into it. What if this baby gets attached to you and then Corrie marries someone else? What will you do then?”

  “Corrie’s not interested in marrying anyone, either,” Sam muttered.

  “She might say that now, but women have a romantic streak men can’t even dream of. If the right man walks into her life, you’ll be history.”

  The bitterness his dad had felt—and rightly so—about his wife walking away had never been completely resolved.

  “Corrie would never keep me away from my child.”

  “You might think that now, but when things change in a relationship, a man can’t know what a woman will do. You have to talk to Ben about protecting your rights, sooner rather than later, if you’re going through with this.”

  “I’m going through with it.”

  “Then be smart about the decisions you make. You need everything spelled out in writing with both of your names on the dotted lines.”

  “We can’t spell everything out if we don’t even know if she’s going to get pregnant.”

  Galen scowled. “Call Ben.”

  Over the weekend Sam had thought about talking through the situation with Ben. His older brother never hesitated to give his opinion or his legal advice. But Sam didn’t really want to discuss this with him until he had all the issues settled in his own mind. For now, he and Corrie would deal with the insemination process itself. If and when she got pregnant, they’d take the next step.

  Didn’t that make the most sense?

  Corrie had a great time with Sam’s family but as he walked her out to her car and Jasper jumped inside, she knew something was on his mind. He’d been fine until he and his dad had taken the dogs out. Then Galen had looked at her…differently and Sam had gone quiet. She didn’t need a sixth sense to know something had transpired between them.

  Sam opened the driver’s-side door for her.

  “Something wrong?” she asked.

  After a long look at her, he dug his hands into his pockets. “I told my father what we were planning.”

  “He had objections?”

  “You could say that. He brought up some points I hadn’t considered.”

  “Such as?”

  “Such as the possibility of your marrying someone and leaving me out in the cold where the baby’s concerned.”

  “That isn’t going to happen. I told you, Sam, I’m just not interested in marriage.”

  “I know, but if the perfect man came walking into your life, what would you do?”

  The perfect man. The perfect husband. There was no such creature. They all had agendas of their own. Men were goal-oriented, hunter-oriented. Even Sam. Though if she had to make a wish list of perfec
t men, his name would be at the top.

  “Trusting is hard for me.”

  “Because of your father.”

  She nodded, letting it go at that. There was something demeaning telling him she’d been the butt of a frat boy’s challenge.

  “Why do you trust me then? It will take a certain degree of trust to do this. You know that.”

  “I’ve worked with you for three years. I see the way you run the clinic, have a partnership with Eric, how you deal with the animals and the other staff, even how you deal with Doc, your dad, your family. If I can trust anyone in this process, Sam, it’s you. It’s why I asked you. And I guess you’re going to have to trust me to be fair about the baby, to let you into his or her life. We’ll be able to work out the details. We are reasonable adults, aren’t we?”

  “I think we’re becoming friends. Maybe that’s more important than any other connection we can have.”

  Friends who kissed, a little voice reminded her.

  She didn’t take the reminder seriously. A kiss was just a kiss, a crush was just a crush. Falling for Sam was just an infatuation that would pass. The baby was the most important thing of all.

  “Are you having doubts, Sam? Because if you are, we can call the whole thing off.”

  Stepping closer to her, seeming more like the old Sam, he smiled. “No, no doubts. My father is old-fashioned in the way he thinks, though he doesn’t want to admit it. He doesn’t realize that now there is more than one kind of family. Two parents and children could become obsolete. As you said, we’ve known each other for a while and lately I’ve watched you just as you’ve watched me. I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t think you’d become a good mother.”

  Sam’s opinion meant a lot to her, maybe too much.

  “So…I should start using my ovulation-detector kit?” she asked, the thought of doing it making her happy and warm all over.

  “Yeah,” he replied. “I’ll be ready whenever you are.” He gave her that crooked grin that curled her toes in her boots.

  This was the old Sam, the Sam she’d known before Alicia Walker entered his life.

  When Corrie slipped into the driver’s seat, Sam didn’t close the door right away. He hunkered down and kissed her on the cheek. She felt the touch of his lips all the way to the very deep places inside of her.