Georgia's Daddy

by Dinah McLeod

  Sam raised his eyebrows at her at the mention of her nickname, but didn’t comment.

  “Banana pudding is his favorite,” she explained, ignoring the look he shot her and going into the kitchen.

  A second helping and a bowl of dessert later, her father was as happy as Georgia had ever seen him. They didn’t entertain guests very often and he seemed to be enjoying himself immensely.

  “Well, you two, I’m goin’ off to bed.”

  Georgia’s brow furrowed. It was barely nine o’clock! Her dad never turned in before watching the evening news.

  “Don’t feel like you have to rush off, now, Sam.”

  Oh. Her cheeks quickly colored as she understood.

  “Have a nice night, Mr. Miller.”

  “You too. And don’t forget to tell your grandmother that I’m mighty appreciative of her fine cooking.”

  “I won’t, sir.”

  Georgia watched his retreating back and wondered if she should fake being tired, too, just to get rid of him. It had been a nice time, sure. They’d laughed and talked, but suddenly, without her father around she felt nervous. Why was it that she had no problem saying exactly what she wanted until she was alone with him in her own home?

  If Sam noticed her sudden case of nerves, he didn’t let it show. “I remember you.”

  Her head swiveled toward him as her eyes widened in surprise. He had her full attention now. “You do?”

  “I didn’t at first,” he admitted with a rueful smile as he rubbed the back of his neck. “But after what you said last night, it came back to me.”

  She nodded.

  “That was, what? Four years ago?”

  “Just about.”

  “Which means that you’re… twenty-two?”

  “I will be next month.” As she watched, his face changed. If she wasn’t mistaken, he looked almost relieved. “What does that matter?”

  “Well…” He was rubbing his neck pretty hard now. “Ah… the thing is, I was fighting my attraction to you.”

  The word attraction zinged in her mind, sticking there and replaying itself over and over again in her head. He was attracted to her? To her? It felt too good to be true! Her whole body began to tingle with a heady euphoria. Then, after a few moments, she replayed the rest of the sentence. It only slightly dulled her giddiness.

  “Wait, what? Why would you not want to be…” She couldn’t quite seem to bring herself to say the word attracted. Just in case she’d misheard.

  “I… I thought you were too young for me,” he admitted with another ironic smile.

  “How old are you?”

  “Twenty-six.”

  “Oh, well, I can see why you’d think that, Grandpa.”

  “Hey, now, I thought you’d appreciate the honesty.”

  What she appreciated was the fact that he liked her. He really liked her! She would pinch herself, except that that might be a little embarrassing, seeing as how he was sitting right across from her and all.

  “So, I was wondering… I mean, would it be appropriate…”

  For a change, he was the one who seemed to be tongue-tied and embarrassed. She couldn’t deny that it was amusing to watch. “Sam, would you like to go out sometime?”

  His mouth dropped open as he blinked at her. He quickly regained his composure, however, after she giggled at him, and his brow furrowed. “Young lady, that is supposed to be my line.”

  “I was just trying to help you out,” she said, giggling some more.

  “I don’t need any help, thank you. I am the man of this relationship, and I’ll do the askin’, is that understood?”

  His voice was turning mock-stern, now, but it was enough to make her insides squirm. “Yes, Sir, it’s understood.”

  “Now, for your punishment you’ll just have to wait for me to ask you.” To emphasize his words, he pushed back his chair and stood up.

  “Wait! You’re going?”

  “That’s right.”

  Georgia couldn’t help the pout that marred her lips. “I was just teasing you.”

  “Well, I reckon you’ll think twice about that from now on, won’t you?”

  Her pout turned to a scowl, but she didn’t say another word. She didn’t like this kind of punishment at all. She would much rather have a spanking—not that she was going to tell him that!

  “Walk me to the door, please.”

  Her scowl deepened. “I need to clear the dishes.”

  “You can do that after you see me out.”

  With a disgruntled sigh, she pushed her own chair back and leapt to her feet. “Fine. Let’s go.” She pretended not to see Sam’s amused grin at her expense.

  “Thank you for a lovely evening, Georgia,” he said when they were at the door.

  “Hmph.”

  “What do you say we do it again sometime?”

  Her scowl dropped almost instantly, and before she could answer, he leaned forward and pressed his lips gently but firmly against her own. It only lasted a few seconds, and then it was gone, but her lips were tingling where his had been. They’d never be the same, she could tell that in an instant.

  “Say, tomorrow? How about coffee after dinner? Can we do seven, or is that too late?”

  Suddenly, she regained her voice. “No, Grandpa, I’ll still be up, but won’t it be past your bedtime?”

  Regarding her without a hint of a smile, he indicated with a finger that she was to turn around. She hesitated, for an instant, but then obeyed. He made her wait for a moment, but then swiftly smacked the back of her skirt. The crack of his hand against her bottom echoed outside.

  “Seven, then. And what do you say you leave that smart mouth at home, hmm?”

  But he didn’t fool her one bit. She heard him whistling as he walked to his truck.

  Chapter Three

  Georgia couldn’t stop messing with her hair. She knew that he’d said seven and it was only five minutes till, but she still wasn’t satisfied with her red-brown hair that, today, seemed limp and lifeless no matter what she did with it. She’d just gotten it put into matching pigtails and was cocking her head to study the effect in the mirror when she heard the doorbell ring. Instantly, her stomach began to churn with a mixture of excitement and nerves that was classically the ‘first date’ jitters.

  She cast one more long, nervous look at the mirror before deciding that if he paid too much attention to her hair, then he didn’t like her that much, anyway. Then she walked away, fast, before she could second-guess herself.

  “Georgia, your—”

  “I know, Dad, I’ll get it.”

  “You most certainly will not,” he boomed in response, startling her. She didn’t know when—or if—she’d ever heard her father speak in such a commanding tone before. “Fathers are supposed to get the door. Now, you stay right there and let me do my job.”

  Which was how Sam walked in to find Georgia frozen at the foot of the staircase, her eyebrows practically to her hairline.

  “Samuel, nice to see you again.”

  “And you too, sir,” he replied, taking Georgia’s father’s outstretched hand and pumping it enthusiastically.

  “I understand that you and my daughter are going for coffee?”

  “That’s the plan, sir. And then, if she behaves herself, we might go for a walk.” He proceeded to wink at Georgia, ignoring her mortified expression.

  Mr. Miller merely chuckled as though it was indeed a funny joke. “Well, be sure to have her home by ten-thirty.”

  “Dad—” The protest died on her lips as Sam cast her a quelling look.

  “Yes, sir. I certainly will.”

  “All right, well, you two have fun now.”

  Sam turned to her then, waiting, and she couldn’t help but notice how his eyes lit up as she approached. The nerves died down the slightest bit, increasing her excitement over the evening.

  Taking his arm, she said goodbye to her dad and allowed Sam to escort her outside to his truck.

  “You’ve eat

en?” he asked as he opened the passenger side door for her.

  “Yes.”

  “Did you make it to the store today?”

  “Not today. Tomorrow, probably.”

  Sam shut her door and walked around to climb in beside her and crank the truck. “You like putting things off, hmm?”

  “Or maybe I don’t just like grocery shopping.”

  “Hmm,” he answered noncommittally. “You know, I didn’t think to ask you. Some people don’t like coffee. How about you?”

  “Not particularly,” she admitted with a little laugh. “But I can get a Coke.”

  “Or, if you prefer, we could go for that walk.”

  “I don’t know, have I earned it?” She batted her eyelashes as she poked fun at him.

  “Not hardly, naughty girl, but I’m in a merciful mood tonight.”

  Something strange happened when he called her that. For some reason she couldn’t understand, her insides flipped and her face became warmer and warmer until she felt heated from the inside out. Which didn’t make one bit of sense, because he had just insulted her. At least, she thought he had. Except he didn’t look anything more than teasing.

  Relax, she told herself. He’s just being funny.

  “Georgia? Is that a yes? Or would you like to give coffee a try?”

  “Um…” She cleared her throat. “Uh, no, we can go. A walk is… fine.”

  “Are you all right?” he asked as he turned the keys in the ignition. “Was it something I said?”

  She shook her head. She couldn’t very well explain it to him when she didn’t understand it herself. Best to just forget about it altogether. “Where are we going?” she asked instead.

  “I thought I’d show you my favorite place in the whole world.”

  She was already sold, but the wink he gave her more than sealed the deal. They drove in companionable silence for a few minutes before she saw an adorable birdhouse-style mailbox. “Is this your house?”

  “Yep. Thought I’d show you the ranch.”

  Wow. Quite a step for the first date, wasn’t it? Or maybe he took all the girls here. She shot him a covert look beneath lowered lashes, but he was just looking at the road.

  She had to admit, right from the moment they pulled up, it was very pretty. The sun was just beginning to set, and oranges, pinks, and buttery yellow hues painted the sky. Sam didn’t stop in front of the house—in fact, she couldn’t even see it looking out the truck’s windshield—but instead in front of a row of evergreens. There, he stopped the engine and she waited for him to come around and open her door. Not because she thought he should, but because she had a feeling he was the kind to make a fuss about that sort of thing if she didn’t.

  “Thank you. So…”

  “Follow me.” With a quick, boyish grin that made her heart do a flip, he began to walk through the thicket of trees. As she began to follow behind him, she could see that there was a clear path that had apparently been walked many times.

  “How often do you come out here?”

  “As often as I can. Especially when I need to think.”

  “Oh, and you think now is a good time to ponder the meaning of life?” she teased.

  “Only with the right person.” He grinned at her over his shoulder.

  She wasn’t sure whether to feel flattered or perplexed, so she just followed behind him.

  “Watch your step. I run across a snake every now and again.”

  She’d always considered herself to be a bit of an outdoorsy girl, but snakes she couldn’t stand. Instinctually, she hurried forward and took Sam’s hand. It wasn’t until she was squeezing it, hard, that she happened to notice his grin.

  “Now, how did I know that would happen?” He smiled down at her. “Talk about a line that works every single time. You can relax your grip though, baby. It’s October. Snakes hibernate.”

  “Oh.” She dropped his hand, laughing awkwardly. “Right.”

  “Hey, I said relax.” He took her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “I didn’t mean for you to drop me like a hot potato.”

  She returned his grin, relaxing as he’d instructed. It wasn’t hard to do in his company. So long as he wasn’t using those steely eyes of his to turn her insides to quivering jelly, that was.

  “Come on. It’s only a little further.”

  They walked hand in hand down a bit, then up a small hill. They had to drop hands for a few yards as they walked single file across a narrow bank of a shallow lake. There was one more hill, this one a bit steeper. But when they reached the top, Georgia couldn’t believe her eyes.

  “Wow.”

  “I know,” Sam agreed, his voice just as reverent as her own.

  She blinked, doing a double-take. But when her gaze refocused, she saw the same lush paradise. The grass was tall, waving in the breeze, and greener than green. It looked so pure, so beautiful that surely the name of the color had never been invented. There were patches of flowers everywhere she looked. Purple, blue, pink. There were two tall, solid trees that looked ancient and yet, remarkably beautiful, like something out of a story book. Feeling half in a daze, Georgia voiced her thoughts aloud.

  Sam seemed pleased that she understood, as though her thoughts mirrored his own. “I call it my private Eden. Like this a part, just a piece, and God left it here on Earth just for me to find.”

  “Wow,” she said again.

  “I’ve always wanted to bring someone here. Someone special, I mean.”

  She looked at him in surprise. “Oh, come on. Don’t tell me you’ve never brought anyone. If I knew a place like this, I’d take everyone I knew.”

  “Well, now you do know, and you can come any time you want. But as for me, I was waiting for just the right person.”

  “But,” she spluttered a laugh, feeling suddenly both very pleased and awkward all at once, as though she was a fraud. “But you barely know me.”

  “I know. Sounds silly, doesn’t it? But when I kissed you… I just knew.” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Sam grimaced. “I’m normally not this corny, I swear.”

  “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that kiss,” Georgia admitted, her voice soft.

  “What kiss?” He leaned forward and brushed his lips against her bare throat. “This kiss? Or this kiss?” Her lips were his next target, and the moment his met hers in a gentle pressure she felt a ball of fiery desire begin to build in the pit of her belly. Oh. Every nerve in her body stood on end, ready to obey him for the price of another kiss. When he began to pull away, Georgia wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for just a moment longer. By the time they pulled apart, her toes were curling and a moan was escaping her lips.

  “You do that pretty well.”

  “You’re not so bad yourself.”

  “Not so bad for a kid, you mean.” She laughed.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Oh, come on. This makes it twice now that you’ve met me and thought I was young enough to be your friend’s kid sister.”

  Sam cleared his throat, looking a bit embarrassed, which made her smile grow. “In my defense, you weren’t old enough to be smoking cigarettes when I first met you.”

  “I was eighteen!”

  “Just barely, if I recall, and the legal smoking age here is nineteen, darlin’.”

  Georgia’s lips curved in a wicked grin. “Well, I’m old enough now.”

  Sam’s expression turned instantly stern. It took her breath away how quickly he could transform from a man who looked lovingly at her to one who stared down at her formidably. “That, young lady, is no excuse.”

  There he went again, making her insides twist in a way that was both uncomfortable and strangely sexual. She didn’t understand it for the life of her, but she knew for certain that her panties dampened more around him than any man she’d ever dated. Hell, all she’d ever dated was boys—until now.

  “And if I ever catch you with a cigarette between those pretty lips of yours again, I’ll…”

  “You’ll what?” she asked, somehow breathless with anticipation at his answer.

  “I’d think you’d know by now,” he growled.

  Damn, even threatening her he was sexy.

  “But, if you like, I could give you a reminder.”

  “No…” Her breath caught on the word. “No, thank you.”

  “That’s what I thought. But just remember—only good girls get kisses.” His head bowed as he began to kiss her collarbone.

  Talk about damp panties—although they’d passed being merely damp approximately two seconds ago, the moment his lips had touched her skin again.

  “Why are you such a procrastinator?” he asked when he came back up for air.

  Oh, God, how could he even ask her a question like that after what he’d just done? Her brain was barely functioning enough to keep her standing upright! “Um…”

  “I want you to get up and go to the grocery store and do your shopping first thing tomorrow. Understand?”

  “Yes, Sir.” Then, almost as though her inner feminist was rearing its ugly head, she rethought it. “Why do you feel like you have the right to tell me what to do?”

  “Someone has to. Your father is clearly happy to be served wilted lettuce.”

  She didn’t laugh at his quip. “I’m serious. I’m not a child, Sam. I thought we just covered that.”

  “We did. And, for the record, I don’t think you’re one, either.”

  “You have a funny way of showing it.” She tried to pull away from him, but he kept her in his grasp. And, to be fair, she didn’t try very hard.

  “I think you’re a very capable young woman, when you want to be. I think you need a little help and encouragement to be your best.”

  “Oh, and naturally you are the best man for the job?” She couldn’t help it—now she really was starting to get riled up.

  “Well, unless you’d rather someone else.”

  That one caught her off guard. She didn’t have an answer for it, to be honest.

  “I’m not some chauvinist pig, sweetheart. I just believe in a man helping his woman to be her best.”

  His woman? Did he just call her his woman? Wait, was this a tactic to get her to stop being mad? Damn it, if it was, it was working!

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