Meredith bent down and picked him up again. Buster whimpered in delight. “I think you’re going to be a cuddle bug.”
Linc’s hand caressed the little dog’s head, and for a few seconds she wished he were caressing her. “You may be right. I’ll see you later, Meredith. Take care.”
She followed him out of the room, Buster held tightly in her arms. Was it hard for Linc to walk away from the dog? How long would it be before she saw him next? He paused at the front door, then turned to her.
“Use me.”
“What?”
“As your sperm donor. If you’re going to go down that route, let me help you achieve your dream.”
No, she couldn’t have heard him correctly. No one made an offer like that. “What did you say?”
Meredith clutched Buster closer to her chest as Linc closed the gap between them, like the dog was a shield and could protect her from the flying arrow Linc had lobbed at her.
“I said, if you want a sperm donor, I’ll do it. Wouldn’t it be better to know the person you’re having a child with instead of a complete stranger?”
The man had lost his mind. Sure, they’d created a baby, but it had been an accident. A decision they hadn’t consciously made together. Plus, they hardly knew each other. Why would he even suggest this?
There was a reason women went to specialized clinics. They wanted complete control over their body and their lives. But most of all they wanted the anonymity. From her understanding, she’d be able to make a list of all the things she wanted, like height, eye color, IQ points, athletic ability, etc. She wouldn’t know the name of the donor. She would know him as a number. The donor wouldn’t know about her either and, quite frankly, she liked the idea.
No custody questions.
“No. I can’t. I’m doing this on my own. It may sound selfish but I don’t want to know the father of my child. I don’t want to see him in social situations, which would happen between us because of our mutual friends. You wouldn’t be able to walk away—admit it. You’d want to be involved in everything and while that’s admirable, it’s not what I want.”
Heck, Linc had mentioned he felt like he’d fallen down a rabbit hole. Well, right now, she’d tumbled head over foot along with him.
This conversation needed to end here and now, never to be brought up again.
Placing Buster on the ground, she brushed past Linc and opened her front door. “It’s really time for you to leave now.”
Her fingers clenched around the doorknob as he studied her, and she braced herself for another bizarre exchange between them. Her body relaxed when he began to move.
Before he stepped over the threshold and out into the Texan sunshine, he ran a finger down her arm, her skin tingling beneath his touch. She swayed slightly toward him before gaining control of her traitorous body.
“Just think about my offer.” She opened her mouth to rebuke him but he shook his head. “Don’t say anything. I know you think it’s impossible and farfetched, but give it some consideration. Better the devil you know.” He leaned over and brushed his lips against her cheek. “Take care, Meredith.”
*
He couldn’t believe he’d blurted out his offer to be Meredith’s sperm donor the previous evening. As far as bad ideas he’d had during the last two months, that one topped the list. His mother would skin him alive if she had a grandchild out in the world she couldn’t see or spoil rotten. Not to mention his granddad. The old man had been barking in Linc’s ear that he wanted a great-grandchild ever since Ethan and Isabella had Marnie. He hadn’t had the heart to tell the old man that marriage and children wasn’t on his life plan.
Linc’s life was a mess and his offer would make it even messier. How could he think about bringing a child into the world when he wasn’t gainfully employed? Meredith had been right in balking at his idea.
“Mr. Forrest? If you’d like to come with me, Officer Judson will see you now.”
Linc looked up at the assistant’s voice. Great, he’d been caught daydreaming. So not the impression he needed to make. He should be focusing on his career right now. Hadn’t he promised himself he wasn’t going to make any more bad decisions? Well, nailing this appointment was the first step in getting his life back on track.
Once he had a good job sorted out, life would start making sense to him again.
He stood and followed the officer down the hallway. Phones rang and there was a constant bustle of activity that Linc wanted to be a part of.
He liked being part of a team, knowing what he did made a difference to people’s lives.
“Here you are.” The officer indicated an open door and Linc stepped through. Strangely, the swirl of nerves settled in his stomach. He hadn’t had this feeling since he’d completed his basic training and walked into his commanding officer’s office for the first time.
Instead of being the seasoned soldier he was, Linc was back to being a new recruit. He stood in the doorway, back ramrod straight, and he resisted the urge to salute.
Officer Judson looked up and smiled. “Relax, Mr. Forrest. Come in and take a seat.”
Linc blew out a breath and did as instructed. The man’s desk was the complete opposite of his CO’s desk. This one had papers piled up in stacks that looked like they could topple over any second. The chances of seeing a desk like the one in front of him on base was unlikely. Neatness and order was the theme of any CO’s office.
“You were in the military for fifteen years and the majority of your service was in the K-9 division, is this correct?”
No preliminaries here, just straight to the point. Linc was glad about that. He could talk about his time in the army easily. “Yes, sir. I’ve been stationed overseas on two separate occasions. I’ve also done three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. For the last three years, I was stationed at Lackland Air Force Base.”
The man studied the papers in front of him before saying, “Seems like you enjoyed your time in the military. Why did you leave?”
Because I was stupid and got sucked in by pretty words. The words blazed across his mind like an RPG flying through the sky.
“I was presented with an opportunity that appealed and so I took the plunge. As it turned out, when I arrived at the new job, everything was completely different than what I had been promised.”
As in no one was at the fucking address I was given and the business was no longer going ahead.
Again, all things he wasn’t planning on saying to the guy he hoped would employ him. Linc was pretty sure the police department didn’t want some gullible person on their staff.
“Always disappointing when that happens.”
Well, that was one way of putting it. And really, the chapter was closed, so Linc needed to move forward and forget about it.
“Yes, sir, it is.”
“Why do you want to work for the police department? Why didn’t you to reenlist with the army?”
“I loved my time in the service and it was hard to leave, but when I’ve made a decision, I try to always move forward, not backward. Sometimes those forward steps are wrong. However, working for the police is one of those forward steps that will be positive, and I believe I can bring a lot to your department. Not only with my experience, but with my work ethic, as well.”
Officer Judson sat back, tapping his index finger against his pursed lips. “Why work the police force? Why not a private security company?”
Been there, done that, got the humiliation badge for my efforts.
Did the guy not want him on the force? If there was nothing available, he could just say so.
“I don’t think a private security company and I are a good match. Most of the jobs they take on are overseas in the current hot spots. I’ve done my time there. I’m ready to stay in one place. My priorities have changed from a couple of years ago.”
“If you were to become a part of the police force, there is significant training you’ll have to go through.”
“I’m prepared t
o do all the work necessary, sir. I’m used to it.”
“Even with your military training and experience, you will still be required to attend the police academy for the mandatory thirty-two weeks of training. After you’ve completed the training, if, and that is a big if, there is a position in the K-9 division, you will have the opportunity to apply for it. There’s no guarantee you will get it either. Working with the dogs is popular and each vacancy is highly contested.”
“I had no idea working in a K-9 unit was so popular,” Linc said.
“It is. I should also mention that while you’re completing your training at the academy, you’ll be getting paid. SAPD has good retirement benefits, as well. You’re young enough to have a long career in the force, if you decide this is the path you want to follow.”
“Right.” Damn, he hadn’t expected this information.
He hadn’t given too much thought about what he’d have to do to join the force before coming into this meeting. Perhaps he should have, but part of him had assumed because he’d been in the military and had many years experience being a K-9 handler, he’d slide right into a position.
Fuck, he needed to stop making assumptions. On the plus side, if he followed through with joining the force, he’d be getting paid while he went through training.
“Look, I know you said private security wasn’t for you, but I’ve got an associate who owns his own company. They’re based in the US and primarily work in search and rescue. They’ve been known to help some of the outlying counties that don’t have a K-9 unit, as well. I think it would be a good fit for you. I can give you his card if you want to talk to him.”
Linc guessed a recommendation from a police officer was a bit more legitimate than what he’d done before. Then, it had been a friend of a friend scenario, which should’ve raised red flags.
He had nothing to lose by talking to the organization. He could always say no, and he hadn’t entirely given up joining the police force. “Thanks, I’d appreciate it.”
Officer Judson opened a drawer and rifled through it before producing a card and handing it to Linc. “If you decide it isn’t what you want, we’d love to have you work for the department. I do think you’d be a good asset.”
Linc nodded and stood, holding out his hand to the other man. “Thank you for your time, and I’ll give some serious thoughts to both my options.”
“You’re welcome, and”—he paused and picked up another card—“here are my details. Call me if you have any further questions.”
With the two cards tucked into his back pocket, Linc walked out into the sunshine, squinting at the brightness after being stuck inside for the last hour.
He blew out a breath as he started down the stairs and walked toward his car. Which would be the right road for him to travel? With his current track record, could he trust himself to make the right one? He had a lot of thinking to do and hoped to God he made the correct decision.
Chapter Nine
Buster trotted nicely beside Meredith as she walked up to Isabella’s front door. It had been a week since Linc had given her the dog, and in that week, she and Buster had forged a wonderful relationship. His happy personality and cuddly nature certainly filled a gap inside of her, but she still yearned for a baby.
“You’ve got a dog? Since when did you get a dog?” Isabella demanded before Meredith could even say hello.
“Hello to you too.”
Isabella laughed and gave her a quick hug. “Sorry. Hi, how are you? When did you get a dog?”
Meredith chuckled and shook her head at her friend’s antics. “I’ve had Buster a week. If you let me in, I’ll explain everything. But I did mention at the wedding that I was going to adopt a dog.”
“Oh, that’s right. I remember you saying something now. I don’t think I remembered half the stuff people said to me that day.”
“Understandable. You had a lot on your mind that day.”
“I did.”
Isabella stepped back and Meredith entered the cool interior of the house. A quiet house. Meredith expected more noise with a young baby, particularly with the effusive greeting Isabella had given her. If Marnie was sleeping, Meredith doubted her friend would’ve been that loud.
“Where’s Marnie?”
“Oh, Ethan took her with him to the veterans’ center.”
“Why would he take her there? There’s not a lot there to keep a young baby entertained.” Meredith followed Isabella into the kitchen, Buster’s toenails tapping on the wooden floor.
“I know, but Caleb is going to be there, and Ethan wanted to talk to him about something so he said he’d take her to give us some quality girl chat time.”
“He’s a keeper.” A spark of jealousy ignited in Meredith.
What would it feel like to have a man do little things like that for her? She tamped it down quickly. Still… A man who loved her unconditionally and put her first. A man to walk through life with. A man who wouldn’t let her down when she needed him the most.
Stop it. I can do it by myself.
So what if it had been heaven dancing in Linc’s arms?
So what if he’d offered to be her donor?
That was never happening. No way would she let Linc put himself out like that, regardless that he volunteered himself. She didn’t think he really meant it. It had been a knee-jerk reaction to seeing the brochure. He’d probably regretted his outburst the second he’d walked out her door.
“Meredith?”
“Yeah?”
“I’ve been calling your name for the last thirty seconds. What’s going on?”
Meredith sighed and, as if sensing her distress, Buster pawed at her leg, his sign that he wanted to be lifted.
Automatically, she reached down and hoisted him up. “A lot is going on.”
“I can see that. Why don’t you go into the living room while I grab some drinks?”
Keeping Buster close, Meredith tracked out of the kitchen and into the living room. Seated on the soft leather couch, she looked around the room.
She’d been away when Ethan and Isabella had moved in together. The place was now a combination of both Isabella and Ethan’s style. On the mantle above the gas fireplace, there were pictures of the two of them together. Ethan on bended knee proposing while Isabella clutched at her pregnant belly. A sonogram of baby Marnie. A wedding picture. Seeing as it had only been a little over a week since the wedding, Meredith figured it was a photo taken by a friend and not the official photographer.
Placing Buster on the floor, she wandered over to get a closer look at it. Ethan and Isabella were smiling at each other, love shining in their eyes. In the background, slightly blurred, were her and Linc. It looked like she was laughing at something he’d said to her, which was surprising considering she had still been dealing with the aftermath of her miscarriage.
“It’s a great photo, isn’t it?” Isabella asked as she walked back into the room.
Meredith whirled around. “It is. Who took it?”
“Dad took it on his phone. He texted it to me the day after the wedding and we got a copy made. I really like it too, because you and Linc are in the background. It’s a nice moment between you both.” There was a gleam in Isabella’s eye. A gleam that suggested she was still on the matchmaking track like she’d been the night of the rehearsal dinner.
Meredith wagged her finger at her friend. “Oh, no, no, I know what you’re thinking, and you can stop right now.”
Isabella laughed. “I know, but I can’t help teasing you. Although, you know he played your knight in shining armor when you were sick, and you looked cozy dancing together. Not sure Mark would’ve done that.”
“Well, now we’ll never know, and Mark is in my past and that’s where he’s going to stay.”
Isabella hugged her and they both sat on the couch. “I’m glad you’re moving forward, but I still think Linc is a good catch. And I’m a new bride, blissfully in love. Indulge me my little dreams.”
T
here was no way in hell she planned on telling Isabella about her and Linc’s one-night stand. Her thwarted pregnancy and Linc’s insane idea of being her sperm donor. It was going to be bad enough when she told Iz how she came about owning Buster.
You hear that, brain? Don’t even think of making me blurt that out.
Okay, she was seriously losing it if she was having these types of conversations with herself.
“I’ll indulge you for another five minutes, then you need to get the idea of Linc and me together out of your mind.”
“Fine, I’ll let it go. Now, how about you tell me how you got your new dog? It’s so cute and fluffy. I’m sure it would get along well with Kerry’s dog, Willow. They’re both small dogs and Willow is very friendly.”
Meredith had heard all about Willow and Kerry and how together the two had managed to break Caleb out of his brooding shell. “I guess so. I don’t have her number though and I only spoke to her briefly at the wedding.”
“It’s okay, we’re going to have a small get-together soon. I’ll tell Kerry to bring Willow and you can bring…” Isabella looked at her dog.
“Buster.” Meredith picked the little fella up from where he sat at her feet and buried her face his in his soft fur. “Buster is his name and he’s the sweetest little guy ever.” She turned the dog toward Isabella. “Iz, this is Buster. Buster, this my best friend Isabella.”
Her friend reached over and scratched between his ears. Buster in return turned his head and started licking Isabella’s hand. “Well, I guess that means he likes me.”
“Yeah, he has a bit of a licking problem. But if you say no, he’s pretty good at stopping.”
“Where did you get him?”
Before she could say any more, the sound of a baby crying floated down the hallway, followed by the muted tones of masculine voices.
Oh no, please don’t let it be.
She didn’t finish the thought as Ethan and Linc appeared with the doorway with a crying Marnie. Of course, they’d interrupt before Meredith had a chance to explain about Buster and her baby plan.
The Matchmaker’s Match Page 8
