The Daddy Plan

by Karen Rose Smith

  The waiter reluctantly gave his attention to Sam.

  As Corrie took a bite of the cheesecake, smiled and slowly appreciated it, Sam had to shift in his chair. He’d never really thought about Corrie as a sensual woman but she was, and the way she was enjoying that cheesecake turned him on as fast as everything else about her tonight.

  Maybe it was the holiday. Maybe it was the foil hearts hanging from the ceiling. Maybe it was Nathan and Sara sitting across from them looking so happy. Nathan couldn’t keep his eyes off his wife and every once in a while, Sam saw him reach under the table and take her hand.

  When the DJ began playing music, Corrie leaned close to Sam’s shoulder. “I’m going to put a few requests in the basket. I’ll be right back.”

  When Sam looked toward the wooden dais, he spied a small table with a wicker basket tied with a red bow. Beside it sat the sign—Drop In Requests. He realized he didn’t even know what kind of music Corrie liked.

  “Corrie looks beautiful tonight,” Sara commented as if out of the blue.

  Sam nodded. “Yes, she does.”

  “Is this a date?”

  “Sara…” Nathan warned.

  Sam waved his brother off. He and Sara had an understanding—straight talk between them. “It’s sort of a date. We both needed a distraction and this seemed as good as anything.”

  “A distraction from what?” Nathan asked in that big brother tone.

  Fortunately Sam didn’t have to answer as Corrie returned to the table.

  “What did you request?” he asked.

  “Old standards. My mom was a connoisseur of fifties and sixties music. We listened to a lot of it together before she—” Corrie stopped and Sam knew she was thinking about those two years she took care of her mother.

  “Elvis?” he asked.

  “Yep, and doo-wop.”

  As the DJ began to play a slow ballad, Sam realized he could sit here and talk to Corrie, or they could do something interesting like dancing together. After all, this was a dance.

  He stood and held out his hand to her. “Come on, let’s see if we can match up our rhythms.”

  The words had more than one meaning and Corrie’s cheeks flushed a bit. He smiled, settled his arm around her, and guided her to the dance floor. At first, Corrie seemed almost shy as Sam took her hand and wrapped his other arm around her. His palm kept wanting to land on that bare spot on her back.

  Although the music was playing, the lack of conversation between them was obvious. Finally, Sam asked, “Did you enjoy dinner?”

  “The food was great. So was the company. I’ve always liked Nathan, and Sara is wonderful—easy to talk to.”

  “Yes, she is. From the moment I met her, we had this honesty between us. We could say what we were thinking. She and Nathan came up to the cabin before Christmas to try and convince me to come home.”

  “Why didn’t you? Why didn’t you want to spend the holiday with the family?”

  He could tell her why, but this didn’t seem to be the right place or the right time. “I was researching foreign clinics and enjoying the silence. I hadn’t had a vacation since Eric and I opened the practice. I needed the time away.”

  “I should mind my own business.”

  Corrie looked a little hurt and Sam didn’t want her to be hurt. “No, that’s not it. I don’t want to think about then. I just want to think about now. I want to enjoy tonight…with you.”

  He tightened his hold on her just a little and now his hand did rest on that bare spot on her back. His thumb edged the circle. “You know, don’t you, that this dress is provocative?”

  “I couldn’t really see the back when I tried it on. From the front it looked…sedate.”

  “Oh, yeah, with that slit up your thigh, it’s really sedate.”

  Her eyes were all wide-eyed innocence as she asked, “Does that slit bother you?”

  “Not any more than the hole in the back when you turn around.”

  She laughed and laid her cheek against his coat. He always thought of Corrie as independent, strong and capable. But tonight as he held her, she seemed fragile and delicate in his arms. She’d been through tough times. She’d taken care of her mother and postponed her future for that. Her discovery of her dad being unfaithful had been life-shattering. What that jerk in college had done to her had added to her outlook on relationships. No wonder she wanted to have a baby on her own. No strings, no one telling her what to do. With sole custody, she could make all of her own decisions. But that wasn’t the way he wanted it. He’d never been passive. He’d never been just an onlooker. He reacted and got involved. If she had a baby, he’d be right there in that child’s life.

  He was so tempted to suggest this month when she ovulated that they just go to bed together and forget the hassle of the insemination. Yet he doubted if she’d agree to that. Part of Corrie wanted to remain detached. Getting involved personally wasn’t part of the bargain.

  Every time he breathed, he caught the scent of her perfume. As they swayed to the music, his thighs pressed into hers. The ambience of the most romantic day of the year floated around them, and he remembered the good part of having a woman in his life. He liked touching a woman’s body. He liked matching wits. He liked the give-and-take of conversation, about serious subjects as well as trivial ones. Most of all, he liked a woman’s softness against his hardness, the fitting together of parts that didn’t make as much sense on their own.

  Sam could feel Corrie’s heart beating against his chest.

  She lifted her head and looked into his eyes.

  He was aroused and the expression on her face told him she knew. His fingertips slid under the material of her dress on her back and he could feel the slight tremor that ran through her.

  “Sam,” she whispered.

  “What?” He almost brushed her cheek as he lowered his head.

  “What are we doing?”

  “We’re dancing.”

  “I feel as though we’re doing something more than dancing.”

  “We’re becoming friends, Corrie. Real friends.”

  “I don’t think friends dance quite like this.”

  He couldn’t tell if she was protesting or just analyzing what was happening. She wasn’t pulling away. She wasn’t saying they shouldn’t be doing this and neither was he.

  Now and then, another couple brushed by them. They didn’t seem to care. One song melted into the next and they didn’t break apart.

  The need to kiss Corrie was building inside of Sam with each step they took, with each brush of his finger across her back, with each meeting of their gazes. He was enjoying the anticipation and the excitement as much as she was. When his lips brushed the lobe of her ear, he heard her small sigh. His jaw rubbed gently against her cheek and her hand tightened on his shoulder. Finally, when he thought they’d both waited long enough, he took a small soft kiss—not parting her lips, not invading her mouth, just a tantalizing temptation that they might want to take further.

  Yes, kissing her could complicate their…partnership, but if they had an understanding—

  Corrie’s gaze focused on his, then slid over his shoulder. She went stiff in his arms.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  Before he could respond, he heard a voice from his past behind him.

  Alicia Walker asked politely, as well as a bit seductively, “Do you mind if I cut in?”

  Corrie’s face told Sam the camaraderie they shared, the intimacy they’d dabbled in had just about evaporated into the perfumed air. As Corrie stepped away from him, Sam turned to face his ex-fiancée. Acid suddenly burned in his stomach, all the pleasure of the night forgotten.

  Chapter Eight

  What could Corrie do?

  Alicia stood there, her hair upswept, her red dress perfect for her figure, her crystal necklace sparkling under the lights as brightly as her eyes. That sparkle was all for Sam and Corrie knew it.

  She had no hold on Sam, no right to say, He’s mine. Th
is is my dance. Go away. Though that was exactly what she wanted to do.

  Corrie stepped away from Sam and gave him what she hoped was a good reproduction of a smile. “See you back at the table,” she said lightly. Truthfully, she didn’t know what was going to happen after this dance with his ex-fiancée.

  The expression on Sam’s face gave nothing away, yet Corrie could see the small nerve at his jaw working. She didn’t know if that was because he was glad to see Alicia or he wasn’t.

  Back at the table, Sara was frowning and Corrie knew she’d seen the whole thing, including Sam’s kiss.

  Nathan took one look at the two women, stood, leaned down and gave his wife a kiss. “You two talk. I’ll be back when the dust clears.”

  Sara pushed her silky blond hair away from her face. “My husband’s a wise man.” She reached across to Corrie and patted her hand. “Also an understanding one. Are you upset?”

  Corrie never confided in anyone easily, but Sara was so easy to talk to and seemed genuinely concerned.

  “I think Sam and I are really starting to connect,” she confided to Sara. “Alicia…interrupted that.”

  “Do you know her?” Sara asked.

  “I’m acquainted with her. When she and Sam were engaged, she often came to the clinic. I saw her this afternoon at the hair salon and she said she might stop by the clinic again one of these days. I don’t know if she found out Sam was going to be here tonight, or this is a coincidence.”

  “From what I’ve heard, I doubt if anything’s a coincidence with Alicia Walker,” Sara murmured, frowning.

  Because she was usually upbeat, Sara’s tone surprised Corrie. “I don’t know what happened between them,” Corrie admitted.

  “Have you asked Sam?”

  “He doesn’t seem to want to talk about it. Do you know who broke off the engagement?”

  Sara looked really torn and worried her bottom lip for a few seconds before her gaze unwaveringly met Corrie’s. “I know, but I don’t feel free to say. Sam has to tell you.”

  After studying Corrie for a few more moments, Sara asked, “You want more from Sam than for him to help you have a baby, don’t you?”

  Corrie was surprised for a moment that Sara knew, then realized she shouldn’t be. Sam had told Nathan and Nathan apparently didn’t keep secrets from his wife. This time she didn’t think twice about telling Sara the truth. “I’ve been attracted to Sam for a while. I think he’s a great guy. That’s why I asked him to be a donor. The trouble is—I don’t think men can be faithful. Even if a man says he can and he will, if another woman comes along and steps into any kind of gap that’s developed in the relationship, he’ll be gone.”

  Sara didn’t jump in and try to convince Corrie otherwise as Corrie thought she might. Instead she asked, “Have you ever had a loyal friend who stood by you through thick and thin, no matter what? Who put you before their own concerns?”

  Corrie thought about it. “My closest friend was my mother. After my parents divorced, I pulled away from everyone. If it hadn’t been for her, I don’t think I’d have known the kind of friendship you’re talking about.”

  “Men and women are different, I’ll grant you that,” Sara said. “But the bottom line is—if someone has learned how to be loyal, whether they’re male or female, they will be. Loyalty has a lot to do with fidelity. If you believe someone can be loyal, then you can believe in fidelity, can’t you?”

  “I suppose I never thought of those two things as the same before.”

  “Honestly, I don’t know Ben very well. He’s hard to get to know. But Sam and Nathan—” Sara tilted her head. “I think their dad taught his sons about basic values, how important they are, how to live by them. Nathan was so deeply in love with his first wife, Colleen, he didn’t think he could ever let go of her. I thought he’d never let go. I left Rapid Creek to go back to Minneapolis thinking all I would ever have would be visits with Kyle and, I hoped, a friendship with Nathan. Then, when I left, he realized if he wanted love in his life again, he had to reach out and grab it. That meant grabbing me. His love for Colleen almost tore us apart, but it also showed me how deeply he can love. I don’t believe fidelity would ever be an issue between us, and honestly, I think the same thing is true for Sam. He’s one of the good guys, Corrie.”

  Corrie glanced over her shoulder, unable to help herself and then was sorry she did. Sam was holding Alicia in the same way he’d been holding her. His ex-fiancée was cuddled up against him and Corrie didn’t know if that was Sam’s doing or hers. They were talking as well as dancing and Corrie wondered what it was all about. Why had they broken up? Was there a way to fix what had happened?

  Corrie turned to Sara. “They could get back together.”

  “I don’t think that will happen, but you need to talk to Sam about it.”

  If she talked to Sam about it, she might not like what he had to say. But she might as well find out the truth now.

  At the end of the song—something about fools falling in love—Corrie tried to keep her expression bland as she waited for Sam to come back to the table. Her back was to the dance floor but Sara’s wasn’t.

  Sara said, “They’ve separated. I can’t tell anything. They look amicable enough. Alicia’s going to the ladies’ room and she’s smiling.”

  Sara’s play-by-play told Corrie that Alicia had accomplished what she’d intended. Yet Corrie wasn’t sure what that was. Making contact again? Stirring up old feelings?

  A few minutes later when Sam returned to the table, he looked…different. The laugh lines around his eyes and mouth just made his face look drawn now as if he was wrestling with something.

  Sara tried to awaken conversation. “So, when are you going skiing again?”

  Sam looked as if he’d been lost in another world. “Sorry. What did you say?”

  “Skiing. When are you going again? I really would like to learn and all of us could take a trek.” Sara glanced at Corrie. “You’re invited, too, of course.”

  “I don’t know when I’ll get out again,” Sam said with a shrug. “Eric’s taking some time off. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

  Sam hadn’t looked directly at Corrie once since he’d sat down and she was beginning to feel a remoteness emanating from him that hadn’t been there before.

  Testing the waters, she responded, “I told Eric I’d help you care for the animals when he’s gone. He seemed to think that would be a good idea.”

  “If we don’t have many surgery patients or boarders, that won’t be necessary. I can handle it myself.”

  Tears threatened to pool in Corrie’s eyes and she was determined not to let that happen. Her heart was weeping now and she knew why. Out on that dance floor, she and Sam had connected in more than one way. Body against body, they’d sizzled. He’d looked at her as if she were a desirable woman and she’d felt like one.

  But now Alicia Walker had stepped back into his arms and everything had changed.

  Only fools fall in love? She really should have learned that lesson before now.

  Valentine’s Day or not, floaty foil hearts dangling from the ceiling or not, the night had taken a decidedly different turn.

  In the car on the way home, Sam rallied a bit. “If Nathan and I take Sara cross-country skiing, do you want to come along?”

  “That depends. Do you want me to?”

  He shot her a quick glance. “Sure. You strike me as the type who would really enjoy it. I don’t know about Sara.”

  “Because she’s a lawyer from the city?”

  “I guess.”

  “I’m from the city, too.”

  “You’re different from Sara.”

  “Not as refined?” She kept her voice simply questioning but Sam shot her another look.

  “I don’t think refined is the word. Before Sara met Nathan she had a sole focus and that was her career.”

  “And I let myself get diverted from mine.”

  “That wasn’t a criticism, Corrie. In some wa
ys I just see you as more adventurous than Sara.”

  Adventurous. She supposed that could be a good thing. “Sara and I have a lot in common. She told me she donated her eggs to Nathan and Colleen to get the money to save her mother’s life. I quit school hoping that would prolong my mom’s life.”

  Sam pulled up in front of her apartment. “I guess you’re right. You’re more alike than different. That old saying—you can’t judge a book by its cover—holds true.”

  Tonight, Corrie had thought she’d changed her cover, but apparently, looking more glamorous and seductive on the outside hadn’t captured Sam’s attention for very long…not when another woman could upset his evening the way Alicia had.

  When Sam switched off the ignition, Corrie insisted, “You don’t have to see me in.”

  Sam’s jaw tightened. “I’ll walk you to the door.”

  When he used that firm voice, she knew better than to argue with him.

  As they reached the door, Jasper started barking from the other side.

  “He’ll have himself worked up into a frenzy if you don’t open it.”

  The way Sam had acted, Corrie thought he’d say a quick good-bye and that would be it. But if he came in—She would ask him a few of the candid questions that were rolling around in her head.

  After she unlocked the door, she pushed it open and Jasper danced all around her legs. She crouched down, petted him, cooed a few “I love you, too’s” then rose to her feet.

  Sam remarked, “If you need to take him out, go ahead.”

  “What I need are some answers, Sam.”

  He didn’t give her a surprised, what-are-you-talking-about look. He just shoved his hands into his trouser pockets. “What kind of answers?”

  Jasper sniffed around Sam’s shoes, then trotted over to the sofa, jumped up and settled in the corner.

  “We were having a good time tonight, at least I was. Then suddenly Alicia Walker’s there and you turn into a different person.”

  His expression was troubled. “I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

  “Whether you meant it or not, it did, and I felt as if you didn’t want me there anymore.”