When Mom Meets Dad

by Smith, Karen Rose

  She was an absolute knockout. She'd swept her blond hair to the top of her head where it lay in soft curls. A few escaped strands wisped along her cheeks. Around her neck, she wore a simple gold chain that sparkled when she moved and emphasized the creaminess of her skin and the elegance of her profile. And the dress...it was black with no sleeves or straps and he wondered what the hell was holding it up. It was covered in beads and molded to her curves perfectly. The side slit showed enough of her leg to make him sweat, and as she walked toward him, he wanted her in a way he hadn't wanted a woman in years.

  Coming to his feet, he said, "You look fantastic."

  "Thank you. You look pretty sharp yourself."

  He'd dressed as he always did for this type of function--charcoal suit, white dress shirt, geometrically-designed black-and gray tie. But he liked her gaze on him, and he couldn't wait for the first dance when he could hold her in his arms. He had the feeling that dancing with Amanda was going to be an arousing experience.

  With a smile of thanks for the compliment, he asked, "Are we ready?"

  "I'll just say good-night to Heather and Debbie, then we can go."

  The drive to the Bridgeton Center was short, and they hardly had time to get into conversation. Alex asked Amanda if she liked living in Cedar Grove. And she answered that she'd found it a friendly community, for the most part. A good place to raise Heather. He discovered that she'd moved here from the outskirts of Philadelphia, and that she enjoyed the close-knit community more than the big city.

  The parking lot was almost full when they arrived at the Center. "I guess everyone else came for the cocktail hour," he commented.

  "Are you looking forward to seeing old friends?" she asked.

  He wanted to say he was looking forward to spending the evening with her. Instead he answered, "I keep in touch with friends from school who are still living in Cedar Grove. And the others..." He shook his head. "When memories of high school are all you have in common, the conversation ends pretty quickly." With that he climbed out and went around to her side to open her door.

  When they went inside, Alex found his name tag on a long table, but he pocketed it instead of pinning it on his jacket.

  "Don't want anyone to know who you are?" she teased.

  "I'd rather someone looks at my face rather than my lapel," he responded with a smile.

  Inside the immense room, crystal glimmered on white tablecloths. Many tables were already filled, but as Alex glanced over the area, he saw someone waving to him. "This way," he said to Amanda, guiding her with his hand in the small of her back.

  Although Amanda was wearing spiked patent leather heels, she felt small beside Alex as he guided her toward a table. The pressure of his hand on her back was gentle, but it was almost as if she could feel the heat of his hand through her dress. The way he'd looked at her when he first saw her...she'd felt beautiful and desirable, in a way she'd hadn't in a long time. But she kept telling herself she knew very little about this man, even though her heart raced and her skin tingled every time she was near him.

  At the table, Alex introduced her to Ted Livingston. "Ted's the loan officer over at Cedar Grove Trust," Alex explained.

  Ted shook Amanda's hand. "Alex told me he was coming alone. I guess he wanted you to be a surprise."

  Alex looked chagrinned for a moment, but then said glibly, "I decided it would be a lot more fun dancing with Amanda than talking to you about old football plays all night."

  His friend laughed. "I can see your point." His gaze on Amanda was appreciatively appraising. Ted's sun-bleached blond hair and snapping brown eyes, along with his roguish grin, reminded her more of a truant school boy than a loan officer, but neither his smile nor his gaze made her heart flip-flop the way Alex's did.

  Two other couples joined them at the table as waitresses set salads at each place. Alex pulled out Amanda's chair for her, and she sat, looking forward to the evening. Conversation around the table became lively, including both anecdotes about school days and updates on children and careers. Amanda listened more than she talked, but she wasn't bored. Every once in a while Alex would explain a comment and draw her into the conversation. The others at the table soon learned she was a teacher with a daughter the same age as Kristy.

  They were sipping coffee and eating cheesecake when music began playing. To her surprise, Ted pushed his chair back and came over to stand beside her. "Before Alex monopolizes you for the evening, how about a dance?" She glanced at Alex, but his expression was neutral. Not wanting to insult his friend, she said, "Sure," and accompanied Ted to the dance floor.

  Ted was a good dancer, and she had no problems following him. They talked as they danced and she learned that he had never been married. He'd decided building a career was more important than a family, but now he was ready to settle down. He remarked, "It's too bad Alex found you first."

  Not wanting to give him the wrong impression, she started, "Oh, but Alex and I aren't--"

  "You aren't what?" he asked when she stopped.

  "We're not...dating."

  "Then what's tonight?" Ted asked with a skeptical look.

  "Our daughters are friends, and I don't think he wanted to come alone."

  Ted leaned back and cocked his head. "Alex isn't afraid of doing anything alone. If he brought you, there's a reason. And I doubt it has anything to do with your daughters being friends."

  She really didn't know what to say to that.

  "Are you telling me that you're available if I want to ask you out?" he persisted.

  Not knowing how she'd gotten into this mess, she also didn't know how to bow out of it gracefully. "I'm not committed to anyone."

  He arched a brow. "Well, good. Then maybe I'll give you a call sometime." With that he held her a little closer.

  Despite what she'd said to Ted, she was relieved when the dance ended.

  When they returned to the table, Alex wasn't there and she supposed he had decided to mingle. Excusing herself, she went to the ladies room to freshen up. After she returned, Alex was sitting by himself.

  As she took her seat beside him, he said, "Ted tells me the two of you are going out sometime." His voice was a little too clipped, a little too even.

  "That's not true."

  "He didn't ask you out?"

  She blushed. "He said he'd call sometime."

  "And you said?"

  "I didn't say anything. What was I supposed to say? Besides, what business is it of yours?"

  He gave her a dark look. "Right. What business is it of mine?" They sat there for a few minutes in silence until Alex asked, "Would you like to dance...with me?"

  She wasn't sure she wanted to dance with anybody ever again, but the thought of being held in Alex's arms was too thrilling to resist in a moment of pique. "Yes, I'd like to dance with you," she said simply.

  A few moments later, they stood on the dance floor. Alex took her hand and wrapped his arm around her. She stiffened, but only until they started moving, only until the slow rhythm of the music became a beat as sure as her heart's. Alex guided her expertly--a firm hold, slight pressure, and a familiarity that felt much too natural. It was as if they had danced together for a lifetime.

  When the lights dimmed, Alex seemed to tighten his hold and she settled a little closer. He didn't say a word, and after that song ended and another began, they didn't move apart but continued dancing. As he brought their hands into his chest, his cheek almost touched hers. He wore the same spicy cologne she'd smelled the other day, and she remembered the feel of his hair under her fingertips. She remembered altogether too much. But even the warning bells ringing in her head couldn't keep her from enjoying the moment, from nestling against him, from letting his thighs guide her legs. He was a powerful man, and she felt protected in his embrace. Jeff had made her feel smothered, less than him. She'd vowed she'd never let a man make feel that way again.

  But with Alex's heat surrounding her, the brush of his skin a movement away, she forgot about h
er marriage...and Jeff...and a vow that didn't seem important right now.

  This time when the song ended, faster tempoed music took its place. Alex leaned back. "Would you like to go out onto the terrace for a while?"

  She wondered if he'd remembered what she'd said about not wanting to make a fool of herself anywhere. "I'd like that."

  Alex kept his arm around her as they crossed the dance floor, heading toward a row of French doors. When he opened one, she preceded him outside. The flagstone terrace was empty, dimly lit by torch lights around its perimeter. Suddenly she felt self-conscious--alone out here with him. "I guess most people prefer air conditioning to warm night air."

  "And what do you prefer?" he asked seriously. "The glitz and glimmer of in there or the scent of honeysuckle and the glow of moonlight?"

  She looked up at the sky, a velvet canvas with a hundred twinkling designs that made the night almost magical. "The moonlight," she said a bit breathlessly as she looked up at him.

  As he looked down at her and searched her face, she knew her words were an invitation for him to kiss her. Touching her cheek with his palm, he gently turned her face up to his. His lips weren't gentle. They were possessive. But it was a sweet possession that she gladly surrendered to. When his tongue seductively slid along her lower lip, she couldn't help but want more. Alex's hands caressed her bare shoulders, his thumbs stroking her neck. Her arms went around him, but his suitcoat kept her from feeling any more than his taut muscles. The kiss flared into something as hot and brilliant as one of the stars above them. She was caught up in it...caught up in him until a sharp beeping brought her speeding back to earth.

  Beeping. She couldn't quite figure out--

  Breaking the kiss, Alex swore under his breath. "It's my cell."

  She stepped back, wrapping her arms around herself, suddenly cold now that he wasn't holding her. Stepping over to one of the dim lights, he checked it. "It's my home number. Either Kristy or my babysitter. I've got to take this." He stepped a few feet away from her and she didn't try to listen to his conversation. After all, it had nothing to do with her.

  As Alex answered the call, Amanda felt a light breeze brush her. She gazed up at the sky, wondering what was happening to her, why her good sense hadn't kept her inside. Making a fool of herself on the dance floor was preferable to making a fool of herself out here. Why had she kissed Alex again like that as if nothing else mattered? Alex might be handsome and sexy, but she wasn't interested in an affair, and more than that would be such a risk--

  Alex ended the call, stepped toward her with his expression grim. "It was my babysitter. Kristy has a temperature of 102. I've got to get home. I can drop you off first--"

  She didn't even have to think about her answer. "I'll come with you. Maybe I can help."

  He looked surprised for a moment, then relieved. "Amanda, she's everything to me. If anything ever happened to her--"

  Whether Alex Woodsides believed in marriage or not, he obviously loved his daughter very much. She touched his arm in a comforting gesture. "I understand."

  "I know you do," he said, his voice husky.

  Then he led her through the crowd of people inside as they both worried about Kristy, as they both realized how different their lives would be without their children.

  Chapter Four

  Alex hadn't had much experience with an unselfish woman. Kristy's mother had thought of no one but herself, and that's why she'd given Kristy to him in exchange for a handsome settlement which had included her medical expenses. Since he'd just opened his new law practice, he'd had to take out a loan to pay her. But his child had been worth any sacrifice and still was. Rhonda had given up all rights to a daughter she'd never know so she could pursue her law career. It was the epitome of selfishness, though he had to be grateful she had gone through with the pregnancy after much convincing on his part.

  Amanda, on the other hand, was a caring mother. And the exceptional aspect about her was that she didn't mind putting herself out for his daughter.

  As he drove past Amanda's house, up the incline to the end of the block and turned into his driveway, a thousand and one reasons for Kristy's fever clicked through his mind. Pressing the garage-door opener, he sped straight into the garage and braked. Amanda didn't wait for him to come around to her side, but got out and met him at the doorway to the house. He unlocked the deadbolt and they went inside.

  "We're in here," the babysitter called from the living room.

  Alex hurried through the kitchen, Amanda close behind him. When he saw his daughter huddled on the sofa under an afghan on such a warm night, his fear meter went up a few notches.

  "I didn't want Terry to call you," Kristy said morosely. "My stomach's just a little upset."

  Fondly, Terry looked down at her charge. "She was dizzy, too."

  After picking up the thermometer from the end table, he scooped Kristy up into his arms, afghan and all, and started toward the stairs. "I'm putting you to bed. We'll take your temperature again, and then decide what we're going to do. Terry did the right thing by calling me."

  Kristy's eyes glistened. "But I didn't want you to leave early. I wanted you to have fun, and--"

  Alex glanced at Amanda. "We did have some fun, and now I'm going to take care of you."

  Mounting the stairs, he didn't stop until he reached Kristy's room and settled her in her bed. A few minutes later, he saw her temperature was still 102. Her eyes were glassy. He was considering taking her to the emergency room when Amanda appeared in the doorway.

  Coming over to Kristy, she sat on the bed beside her. "Honey, does your stomach hurt at all?"

  Kristy shook her head.

  "Are you sure?" Amanda asked.

  "I'm sure. It just feels icky."

  After Amanda took the thermometer from Alex's hand, she saw the reading. When she looked up at him, she said, "It's probably just a twenty-four hour bug."

  "That's what my common sense is telling me, but the other part of me wants to take her to the emergency room."

  "Aw, Daddy, not the hospital. Please."

  Amanda patted Kristy's leg. "Why don't we get you some soda to sip on?" Her gaze met Alex's. "If she doesn't feel better in a couple of hours, you can always take her to the emergency room then."

  From the doorway Terry said, "Mr. Woodsides, if you don't need me anymore, I'm going to drive home."

  Alex took out his wallet and went into the hall. He paid and thanked Terry for coming to watch Kristy, then said to Amanda, "If you don't mind staying with her for a few minutes, I'll go get some soda and ice."

  Amanda smiled at him. "I don't mind."

  After seeing Terry out and making sure she was safely on her way, Alex found decaffeinated soda, poured it over ice and took it upstairs to his daughter. But in the hallway, he stopped. Amanda had moved and was sitting beside Kristy. They were both propped against the pillows. She'd opened a book and was reading in a low voice. Kristy looked so content cuddled up beside her that Alex's heart ached. Did she need a woman's touch more than he thought? Did she need a mother? He knew he was a good parent, but was he enough? Especially when it came to seeing her through the turbulent teen years. With his mother's help, they'd always managed, but maybe managing wasn't enough.

  When he handed Kristy the soda, she took a tentative sip. "Think you can keep down some acetaminophen?" He wanted to lower that fever.

  "Maybe with a cracker?" Amanda suggested.

  He should have thought of that.

  "I can try," Kristy answered. "I didn't throw up or anything. I just felt like I had to."

  Amanda's gentle smile comforted Alex. "If you can't keep them down, we can try a warm bath. That can get your fever down, too."

  "Does that really work?" He'd never tried it.

  "When all else fails," she answered.

  He was glad Amanda was here, and yet felt uncomfortable about being comfortable with it. It didn't make much sense. He supposed it had to do with not easily depending on anyone...
or trusting anyone, especially with Kristy. His mother was the exception, though when he had made the decision to keep Kristy, even she had thought he was crazy. But he'd known he could never give up his child.

  After managing to take a pill and eat a cracker without incident, Kristy's eyes grew heavy-lidded, and she leaned against Amanda's shoulder. "Can you stay for a little bit?" she asked sleepily.

  "Amanda has to get home to Heather," Alex told his daughter gently.

  "I'm sure Heather wouldn't mind," Kristy argued. "Please. Just a little while?"

  Bringing her gaze to Alex's, searching for his reaction, Amanda waited a few moments. But he couldn't tell her he wanted her to stay as much as he wanted her to go. Confusing as all hell!

  Apparently deciding on her own, she turned back to his daughter and said, "I'm sure Heather wouldn't mind. Why don't we finish this story, and then I'll tuck you in? Your dad can take over from there. Okay?"

  Kristy nodded.

  Alex tugged off his tie and shrugged out of his suit coat, laying both across the corner of Kristy's bed. Then he sat on her bedroom chair, propped his legs up on the bed, and listened to Amanda's soothing voice as she read Kristy one of her favorite stories. He didn't read to his daughter aloud much anymore. He wasn't sure exactly when he'd stopped. But apparently Kristy wasn't growing up as quickly as he thought. Sometimes she acted so far beyond her years, and others she seemed like a four-year-old again, needing his hugs. He hoped she always needed hugs.

  As Amanda had suggested, she finished the story, then tucked his daughter in, pulling the sheet up to Kristy's chin. Alex took his daughter's temperature again and noticed that it had dropped to 101. Maybe this was just a bug and would be gone by morning. As he stood by the bed, Amanda leaned down and kissed Kristy on the forehead. The tender gesture squeezed his chest.

  "I'll see you soon," she told Kristy, then left him with his daughter.

  After he hugged and kissed Kristy good-night, he joined Amanda in the hall.