Daddy Says, I Do! Read online

  “Are you sure you still want to go?” As reluctant as he was to give Kara an easy out, something felt off. For a brief moment when he’d held her in his arms, she’d let down her guard. She’d kissed him back with enough unfiltered desire to let him know the attraction wasn’t one-sided. But now the warmth in her caramel eyes had hardened with a reluctance and wariness he didn’t understand.

  Some of the tension eased as she lowered her arm from across her chest. The locket she’d been clutching like a protective amulet slipped back beneath the shallow V of her pale yellow shirt. “I’m sure. I’ll just be a minute.”

  “Take your time,” Sam said, but Kara closed the bedroom door on the last word, disappearing inside and leaving him alone with Timmy.

  The little boy was gazing down at the miniature tow truck, slowly spinning one of the back tires with his index finger. Finally, he looked up shyly and asked, “Is the tow truck fast like your red car?”

  “Not as fast as the car.” Wondering if Timmy was still trying to outrun those monsters, he added, “But the thing about a truck is that it has a diesel engine that’s really loud. Loud enough to hear from miles away so everybody knows it’s coming and gets outta the way.”

  Timmy thought about that for a moment before saying, “I like the fast car better.”

  “Me, too, but why don’t you keep the tow truck anyway.”

  “What do you say, Timmy?”

  Sam looked up at the sound of Kara’s voice. She’d changed her entire outfit, replacing the stained off-white pants and silk blouse with a navy blue dress. He mentally gave Timmy a high five for spilling his juice. The dress wasn’t showy, with its short sleeves and modest neckline trimmed with white fabric, but the knee-length skirt left Kara’s legs bare. She’d swept her hair back into a low ponytail and had touched up her lip gloss, too, replacing a bit of the shine he’d wiped away with his kiss. Which only made him want to kiss her again....

  He wondered how long she’d been watching from the bedroom doorway and at the mix of emotions behind her eyes. He thought he’d done okay in his talk with Timmy, and yet, instead of looking pleased, she almost looked...worried.

  “Thanks, Sam.”

  She smiled at her nephew’s show of manners, and whatever Sam saw or thought he saw was gone. A knock sounded at the door, and Sam greeted Hope Daniels with a hug.

  Curiosity gleamed from behind her wire-rimmed glasses as he introduced her to Kara. “So nice to meet you, dear. And this must be...Timmy?”

  The little boy had ducked behind Kara’s skirt at Hope’s arrival but peeked out to stare at the older woman like she was some kind of fairy godmother. With her long silver-streaked hair, floral skirt and flowing blouse, she could almost fit the bill.

  Hope inhaled softly as she caught sight of the little boy. “Well, look at you.”

  Sam smiled. Hope had always had a soft spot for kids. He thought she’d always had a soft spot for him, too, so the frown she shot his way took him by surprise.

  Hope knew he didn’t normally date women with kids. Did she think he was in over his head? If he could, he would have assured her he knew what he was doing. Any relationship with Kara had a built-in expiration date. He wanted to see Kara for as long as she was in town, but once she left for home, that was it.

  Game over.

  But as he reached out to take Kara’s hand, the quickening beat of his heart made him wonder if the rules hadn’t already changed.

  * * *

  I can do this, Kara repeated the reminder as Sam led her along the brick walkway cutting across the hotel’s lush green lawn. I just have to stay focused.

  She needed to find out the kind of man Sam Pirelli was. To learn what kind of father he might be. To know without a doubt how amazing it felt to be held in his arms....

  Kara stumbled slightly as the brick pavers gave way to asphalt in the parking lot. Sam reached out, wrapping a muscled arm around her and pulling her back against his chest.

  “Careful,” he murmured.

  Shivers danced along her spine at the brush of his lips and his breath against her ear, and Kara hazarded a glance over her shoulder. A dangerous move that brought those lips mere inches from her own.

  Oh, yes, she had to be very careful.

  Tonight Sam had replaced his usual jeans and T-shirt with a pair of neatly pressed khaki pants and a button-down shirt. The soft blue fabric did amazing things to his green eyes and brought to mind the glorious combination of the blue sky above towering pines.

  She’d been right in believing when it came to Sam clothes didn’t make the man, but he did look good. Good enough to steal her breath and scatter her thoughts. Something she couldn’t allow with Timmy’s future—with her future—at stake.

  “Um, thank you,” she said as she eased away, only to immediately miss the warmth of his arm around her.

  Sam gazed down at her, and for a split second, Kara worried he was going to question her reasons for drawing away. Or worse, pull her back into his arms where she feared she wouldn’t have the willpower to resist a second time.

  But he merely took her hand and led her across the parking lot. “I thought we could go to the Clearville Bar and Grille. The food’s good, and there’s a live band tonight.” He turned to face her as they reached the Corvette, his gaze sweeping her from head to toe with a look of complete male appreciation.

  “Or maybe the Sand Dollar Inn. It’s where all the locals go for special occasions—birthdays, anniversaries, engagements...” His voice trailed away for a moment before he shook off an old memory. “I just realized I haven’t set foot in that place since my senior prom.”

  Despite the easy laugh, Kara sensed he’d just as soon never set foot in the restaurant again. And although she’d never heard of the Sand Dollar Inn, she could already picture it—fresh-cut flowers in tiny vases, elegantly patterned place settings and rich tablecloths. A place with a quiet, intimate, romantic atmosphere and not at all somewhere she should be with Sam Pirelli.

  “No, really, the Bar and Grille sounds fun.”

  “Good.” Sam’s smile was relieved enough to make Kara wonder what had happened on that prom night, but digging into his ancient history would be going too far.

  “It’s just down the street, isn’t it?” She’d feel better about leaving Timmy knowing that she was only a block or two away.

  “That’s right. You know, my family has known Hope for years. She owns the antique shop in town but recently hired my sister to run the place.” He reached out to open the passenger door.

  “She seems like quite the character.”

  “Oh, she is. But you don’t have to worry. Timmy’s in good hands.”

  Kara had never put much stock in the power of suggestion, but the mere mention of being in safe hands was enough to make her gaze drop to the wide palm he’d braced on the top of the open door. Against her will, her imagination leaped to the memory of that same hand pressing into her flesh...

  “And this is Clearville, so no matter where we go, we won’t be more than fifteen minutes away.”

  Realizing Sam had picked up on her concern, she gave a slightly self-conscious laugh. “You probably think I’m being ridiculous.”

  “Not at all. I think you’re a very caring aunt.”

  Curiosity lingered in his expression, and Kara knew he wondered why she was the one taking care of Timmy. Nerves gripped her stomach. The longer she put off telling Sam the truth, the harder it would be when she told him. If she told him....

  Unable to meet his gaze, she turned to the open door. “There’s no backseat.”

  Sam’s deep chuckle danced down her spine like a playful caress even as embarrassed heat flooded her cheeks. No backseat? Did she have to make it sound like she wanted to crawl in the back for a make-out session?

  “Nope. We’ll just have
to keep our hands to ourselves. It’s gonna be tough, I know.”

  Turning to face him, she argued, “I didn’t mean that. I just meant—”

  A two-seater hot rod didn’t have room for a child’s booster seat in the back. It was a bachelor’s car. Not the kind of vehicle that spoke of responsibility or safety. A ride that, instead, screamed freedom and speed, one that was fast enough to outrun the monsters in a four-year-old’s mind.

  Memory of the big man crouched down in front of the little boy replayed in Kara’s mind, weakening her resolve. He was good with Timmy. Kind and patient and thoughtful. Try as she might, she couldn’t deny that.

  “It doesn’t seem very...practical,” she finished lamely as she ducked into the passenger seat.

  Sam was still chuckling as he slid behind the wheel and turned the key. The engine jumped to life, and Kara sensed the power and speed beneath the hood, but Sam controlled both with ease as he pulled out of the lot and drove the small town speed limit. Taking his time...the same way he had with their kiss.

  Heat rose in her cheeks, and she had to force herself to listen to what he was saying. “You’re right. Most guys buy a car like this because it’s cool or powerful or because girls dig it.”

  “I guess I’m not like most girls.”

  “And I’m not most guys.”

  “So you didn’t buy the car because it’s cool and powerful and girls dig it?”

  “Nope. My reasons were far more...” Glancing over, he winked. “Practical.”

  Kara couldn’t help but give a small and disbelieving laugh. “Really?”

  “Yep. This car was in pretty bad shape, but I could see her potential.”

  “Her?”

  “Anything this gorgeous has to be female.”

  “If you say so.”

  “Jealous?” he teased.

  “Please,” Kara scoffed. “So you bought this pile of junk—”

  “Hey, watch how you talk about my girl here!” Sam patted the wheel as if soothing the car’s feelings before continuing. “I knew once I fixed her up I could sell her at a car auction.”

  She shot him a curious glance. “I’ve seen some of those auctions advertised on television.”

  “The first one I went to, I was working for a rich old guy who used to live here in Clearville part-time. He didn’t like to fly, so he would drive from back east in this amazing Rolls-Royce. One year, he had some engine trouble. He was ready to fly his own mechanic out when someone gave him my name. He took one look at me, and I didn’t think I had a chance of getting my hands on that car.”

  “How did you change his mind?”

  “I told him if he wasn’t happy with the job I did, I’d fly his mechanic out to fix the car.”

  “I’m guessing that wasn’t necessary.”

  “Nope. I got that baby up and running, and after that, we spent hours talking cars. He told me he wanted to invest in another classic and asked if I’d be willing to work an auction for him, to pick out the cars I thought were the best deals and make a bid for him.” Sam shot a grin her way. “I spent over three-hundred grand on a sixty-year-old Mercedes-Benz.”

  His grin turned into a full laugh when Kara’s jaw dropped. “That’s crazy!”

  “Yeah, but it sure was fun.” Even after five years, Sam still remembered the air of excitement and anticipation as the bids rose higher and higher until all other competition fell away. It hadn’t even mattered that the money and the car weren’t his. And the attention that came with making the winning offer hadn’t hurt either, he admitted to himself, remembering the curvy blonde who’d caught his eye and the heated two-week fling that followed.

  At first, they’d exchanged phone calls and emails. But after a month or so, the calls and texts had dwindled away. He figured the reality of a long-distance relationship with a small-town mechanic wasn’t as exciting as a fantasy getaway with a guy on a millionaire’s payroll.

  Pushing thoughts of the other woman into the past where they belonged, he glanced over at Kara. “Malcolm’s health isn’t good enough for him to come out anymore. And even though I only had a chance to work on his cars for a few months, it was enough to show me what I really wanted to do. This beauty may be my first, but she won’t be my last. As soon as I finish her paint job, I’ll start taking her to auctions, see what I can get for her and find another classic to fix up.”

  “What about your garage? I mean, you have a business to run.”

  “Will’s been asking for more hours lately. I figure if I hire on another part-time mechanic, that should cover the days when I’m out of town.”

  “You sound pretty excited.”

  “I am. This baby’s going to give me the chance to do more than everyday oil changes. I’ll finally be able to focus on restoring classic cars as more than just a side job.”

  “That’s important, isn’t it? To follow your dream?”

  Sam wasn’t sure how it happened, but once again, their conversation was centering around him, and he had to ask, “Have you followed yours?”

  She hesitated just briefly before saying, “I did. I always wanted to be a teacher.”

  “What grade do you teach?”

  “College, actually. English Lit.”

  He shouldn’t have been surprised. From the first, Kara had struck him as intelligent and well-educated. She had loved school enough to make teaching at the highest level her profession while his only dreams about school had centered around the day he could escape and never go back.

  “So,” he teased as his defenses from those school days kicked in. “Does that mean I should call you Professor?”

  “Only if you sign up for one of my advanced literature classes.”

  Yeah, Sam didn’t see that happening. But there was something else he didn’t see happening either. No reason to worry about the miles that separated where they lived.

  Not when their lives were worlds apart.

  * * *

  Walking into the rustic bar with Sam, Kara immediately saw what it would be like to hang out with a minor celebrity. In a town the size of Clearville, she supposed it wasn’t uncommon for everyone to know everyone else, but she hadn’t expected half-a-dozen or so people to stop him for a handshake or high five.

  “Hey, Sam! Good to see you. Don’t forget, I owe you a beer for checking out that car for Cindy,” a man in his fifties with salt-and-pepper hair called out from his seat at the bar.

  “You don’t owe me for that. Besides, I doubt Cindy thinks I did her much of a favor.”

  “She’s sixteen years old,” the man argued with a father’s exasperation. “She needs a car that’s reliable.”

  “I know, but it was a nice-looking car.”

  “Yeah, and she would have looked great standing next to it when the engine gave out in the middle of nowhere.”

  “Let me know if she finds another one. I’d be glad to take a look.”

  “That was nice of you,” Kara said as he guided her toward a table away from the dance floor and the area where the band was setting up.

  “I was doing a favor for a friend. No big deal,” he said as he took his seat and leaned back in the chair.

  Like his posture, his statement was relaxed and comfortable with no sense of pretension or false modesty. Maybe it was all part of small town mentality of neighbor helping neighbor, or maybe it was just...Sam.

  He fit so well. Maybe that was why his plans to spend so much time away from Clearville had taken her by surprise. But that was a good thing, right? Hauling classic cars to shows all over the country didn’t fit with raising a young son. Wouldn’t it make so much more sense for Timmy to live with her and Sam could visit whenever his travels brought him south?

  For the first time since reading Marti’s letter, a small seed of hope started to bloom in
side her.

  A short-skirted waitress swung by with ice water and menus. Kara barely had a chance to glance inside when a feminine voice called out Sam’s name. She looked up and recognized the brunette who’d brought Sam lunch the day before.

  “I didn’t expect to see you here.” The woman’s dark brows winged upward when she caught sight of Kara, and Sam gave a faint groan.

  “This is a part of small-town life I didn’t get a chance to warn you about. No matter where you go or what you do, you’ll end up seeing somebody you know.”

  Someone like a girlfriend who wasn’t supposed to know Sam was on a date with another woman?

  The thought was enough to make Kara want to duck beneath the tablecloth. But then irritation overcame embarrassment as Sam rose and met the other woman with a wide, unrepentant grin. “Fifi!”

  If he was the least bit ashamed at getting caught red-handed, he didn’t show it. He greeted the brunette with a one-armed hug, and even though the petite woman slapped his arm, the blow wasn’t the least bit serious.

  “How many times have I told you not to call me that?” she demanded.

  “Sorry.” Sam grinned unapologetically before adding, “Sophia.”

  As in his sister Sophia? Only then did Kara spot the dark-haired man gazing at the other woman with a look of—well, Kara wasn’t sure she’d ever seen a man look at a woman with such love and tenderness and pride. And when Sophia glanced over her shoulder to return his gaze, Kara thought she knew what Sam meant about not having enough privacy. After witnessing that personal exchange, she felt like she’d been spying on an intimate moment.

  “Kara, this is my sister, Sophia, and my new brother-in-law, Jake Cameron.”

  Jake slid an arm around his wife, and Kara saw what she’d missed from a distance. The red-and-white summer dress with its ruffled bodice and high waistline loosely draped Sophia’s petite frame, but up close her rounded belly was more obvious.

  Sam’s sister was pregnant.

  Painful memories closed in—shadows creeping near as light disappeared—but Kara shoved them back. Her fingers itched to reach for the locket around her neck, but she hid them in her lap beneath the table.