Believing in Tomorrow

by Kimberly Rae Jordan

“Let me print off some pictures for you to take.” The technician punched a couple of buttons, and a printer whirred to life. She reached over to tear off a narrow strip of paper. Holding it out, she said, “Congratulations!”

  “Thank you,” Samantha said as she took the paper, looking at it for a moment before handing it to Levi.

  “Let’s get you cleaned up,” the technician said, then as Levi stared at the images on the strip of paper, she chatted with Samantha as she wiped the gel off her stomach. “There you go.”

  Levi looked up to see Samantha sit up and swing her legs over the side of the bed. He got up from his seat and held out a hand to help her to a standing position. “Ready to go?”

  “Yep,” she said with a smile.

  He handed her the strip of paper which she carefully folded before sticking it in her purse. Then they headed out of the room and back down the hall.

  “Do you mind waiting for just a minute?” she asked as they came back to the main entrance to the building. “I gotta make a quick trip to the bathroom since I had to drink a ton of water prior to the ultrasound.”

  “Oh. Sure. I’ll be right here.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Levi watched as she walked off in the direction of the bathrooms as indicated by the signs on the wall. He felt as if his world had just shifted. Suddenly he was looking at things in the light of being a father to a baby girl. And he found that it was something he really, really wanted. He could only hope that Samantha would allow him to have that role.

  He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Henry.

  It’s a baby girl!

  Not expecting a reply, since he knew that Henry would be underground for several more hours, Levi went on to send a text to the men who were in charge at each job site.

  Everything okay? I’ll still be unavailable to visit sites for a couple more hours, but if you need something, just text.

  Jeff: We’re good at Jefferson.

  Tom: All’s well at Plessis.

  Spencer: We’re done at the school. Heading to the accountant’s now.

  Sounds good. If anything changes, let me know.

  Jeff: Will do, boss. Now just enjoy your afternoon!

  Levi had to grin at Jeff’s reply. Of all the guys he’d hired, Jeff was the one he depended on the most. He supervised the most important jobs if Levi wasn’t available, and he always made sure that things were done to Levi’s standards.

  “Ready?”

  Levi glanced up to see Samantha standing in front of him. With a nod, he slid his phone into his pocket and followed her as she headed for the main doors. As they walked side by side down the walk leading to the street where the parkade was, Levi said, “Are you in a rush to get home? I know you said you wanted to take a nap.”

  She glanced up at him, her brows raised. “What did you have in mind? My nap can wait a bit.”

  “It’s just that I realized a little earlier that you’re shouldering the expenses for this baby without any help from me.”

  Samantha shrugged. “I haven’t had too many expenses yet. It’s nice that all medical things are covered, so I don’t have to worry about those. And I haven’t bought anything specifically for the baby just yet.”

  “I was thinking more along the lines of things for you personally that you’ll have to spend money on because you’re pregnant. Like you know, prenatal vitamins and, well, maternity clothes.”

  They came to a stop and waited for traffic to clear before crossing the street. “Yeah, I was just thinking that I was going to have to get some maternity clothes soon. Unfortunately, I can’t get any family hand-me-downs since my sister, Makayla, is only a month further along than me.”

  “I’d like to help you with that,” Levi said, bracing himself for her rejection of his offer. He didn’t know why he thought she might brush aside the offer that he’d come up with as he’d driven to her place earlier. Most women wouldn’t. “I thought maybe, if you had some time, we could drive to Polo Park and visit the maternity stores there.”

  Samantha came to an abrupt halt on the sidewalk, forcing Levi to swing back around to face her. “You want to buy me some maternity clothes?”

  “Yes. There’s no reason why you should have to shoulder that expense all by yourself. I’m part of the reason why you need them, so I’d like to help you out.”

  Her mouth dropped open a little then snapped shut. “Thank you. I’d really, really appreciate that.”

  Levi couldn’t stop the smile that immediately came to his face upon her acceptance of what he wanted to do for her. “Great. So it’s okay to do that now?”

  Samantha nodded and began to walk again. “Yes. It’s more than okay.”

  Once they were in the truck, she told him how she’d just been thinking about getting some maternity clothes or at least some larger sized clothes to tide her over. She opened her purse as she spoke and pulled out the strip of pictures. When they stopped at a light, he glanced over to find her slowly separating the strip in half.

  She looked at him and smiled. “I figured you might want some of the pictures.”

  “I would. Thank you.”

  Her head bent back over the pictures. “Are you happy the baby is a girl?”

  Was he happy? Levi wasn’t sure exactly how he felt. “I would have been happy either way. I haven’t let myself think about it too much, to be honest.” He hesitated, not sure if it was the right time to pursue the conversation but really needing to know. “Have you decided if you’re going to keep the baby?”

  “I don’t know. I mean, as soon as I heard it was a girl, all these scenarios flooded my mind, and none of them involved giving her up for adoption.” She sat back in her seat, staring straight ahead. “I could picture her with dark curls and dark eyes. Sorry, she’s probably gonna get my eye color, but the dark hair is almost a guarantee since that’s what we both have. And I could see her dressed in a pink frilly dress, happily playing with her cousins. Once that image solidified in my mind, my heart seemed to get on board too.” She looked over at him. “Would keeping her be okay with you? If that’s what I decided? I mean, if you were counting on giving her up for adoption, I won’t force you to be part of her life. You can sign away your parental rights if you want, and I wouldn’t fault you for that.”

  “No. If you’re going to keep her, I want to be part of her life. I want her to know that I’m her dad.”

  Did he love the baby already? Yes. Levi realized that there was no question about how he felt for the little one who had unexpectedly landed in his life. He hadn’t even held her, and yet he knew the important role that she’d play in his life. She would be the family he’d somehow lost by doing the right thing where Davy was concerned.

  The thought of having someone love him as their daddy caused a lump to grow in his throat. It wasn’t until that moment that he realized that there was a part of him that was parched for love. It was hidden by other parts of his life where he found fulfillment. His job. His home. His friendship with Henry. But there, behind it all was a piece of his heart that wanted more than anything to have someone love him unconditionally. Though he’d convinced himself he had that kind of love from his mom, deep down, he’d always known that if push came to shove, she would choose Davy over him.

  “I should warn you, however, that with this decision of yours, you’re going to have to meet my family. I wish I could promise a joyful meeting, but I think we both know that’s not too likely at first, but please, give them time.” She lapsed into silence for a few moments then said, “I think maybe you should meet Bennett first. He’s the most level-headed of all the boys and my dad. He’ll give you a fair chance right from the start, I think.”

  Levi wished that he could avoid meeting them altogether, but he knew that Samantha was right. If he was going to be part of the baby’s life, he would need to be part of her family’s lives as well. He wished it was under better circumstances, and he wished that it wasn’t in such a way that painted him in a bad light as ha
ving taken advantage of their daughter or sister. He didn’t see it that way, and he didn’t think Samantha did either, but no doubt given the fact that he was a stranger and older than her, her family would.

  But right then, with the fresh knowledge that he was going to have a daughter, Levi couldn’t find it within himself to regret that night.

  “Did you just want to wait somewhere for me?” Sammi asked as they approached the first maternity store in the mall.

  “I don’t mind going in with you,” Levi said. “I’d like to see what’s available.”

  She turned and grinned at him. “Do you actually like shopping?”

  For a moment, one corner of his mouth lifted. “Well, like might be stretching it, but I don’t mind it.”

  “In that case, let’s go.”

  The first thing she spotted was a light purple dress. It had a v-neck and short flared sleeves with a tie back band just below the bust, and it looked like it would fall to about her knees. She fell in love with it but knew it wasn’t super practical since she’d probably only wear it to church. It made better sense to look for pieces that she could mix and match and get more use out of. Still, she couldn’t stop from reaching out to touch the material which was a heavy cotton that felt soft to the touch. She was so tempted, but when she flipped the price tag over so she could see it, she froze for a moment before dropping her hand.

  She stepped back, intending to look for a sale rack, and bumped into someone. She glanced up as Levi’s hands landed on her shoulders.

  “Don’t look at the price tag. If you want it, at least try it on before rejecting it.”

  “But...” Turning to face him, her words died at the determined look on his face.

  He stepped to her side and rested his hand on the first dress on the rack. “Size?”

  “Uh…ten.”

  Without another word, he turned to the dresses and looked through them until he found the right size. He pulled it out and draped it over his arm. “What else do you need? Pants? Shirts?”

  Sammi stepped a bit closer to him and kept her voice low as she said, “This place is more expensive than I realized. Maybe we should go somewhere else.”

  Levi pinned her with a hard stare. “Don’t worry about the prices, okay? I want you to get what you need.”

  “But I know I could get this cheaper somewhere else.”

  “I knew what the prices were before we got here. I checked out their website when I decided to make this offer to you. I know there are cheaper places, but I wanted to bring you here. Now, if you don’t want to buy your entire maternity wardrobe in this store, that’s fine, but I would at least like you to pick out a few pieces so that you don’t have to pay for everything yourself.”

  Sammi just stared at him for a moment wondering how—out of all the drunk men in Winnipeg she could have ended up having a baby with—she’d gotten this one. Most men would be running in the opposite direction. Or at the very least, waiting to spend money on the baby and not on the mother.

  “Okay. I need a pair of jeans and maybe a couple tops.”

  Another quick smile crossed Levi’s face. She was coming to realize that his smiles didn’t come easily, so she cherished them. It was crazy to think that buying something for her made him happy.

  “Let’s see what we can find.”

  Being taller than her by several inches, he was able to scan the store and then move her in the direction of the jeans. Once there, he let her pick what she wanted as he waited patiently for her to make her choice. Then it was on to look at the tops. He’d encouraged her to get four to try on in addition to the jeans and the dress.

  He carried the clothes to the back of the store where the change rooms were. The woman there took them from him and led Sammi to a room. After she’d changed into the jeans and the first top, she wasn’t sure if Levi expected her to show him or not. She hesitated for a moment before opening the door and peeking out. He stood where she’d left him, looking down at his phone, but he must have seen her movement out of the corner of his eye because he looked up.

  She slowly came out of the change room. “I…uh…wasn’t sure if you wanted to see the clothes on me or not.”

  “I’m happy to give my opinion if you want it, but in the end, the choice is yours.”

  “The jeans fit me fine although it feels a bit weird to have the stiffness of the denim end so far down my hips. The stretchy part does feel comfortable around my belly though, and it will stretch right to the end of the pregnancy, I think.”

  “I like the color of that top,” Levi said. “The pastels go well with your dark hair.”

  Sammi had liked the colors too, and it was a cute wrap style with sleeves that went to her elbow. While the top fit loosely at the moment, it would no doubt be well fitted by the end of the pregnancy. Though she was tempted to buy short-sleeved tops since the weather was still nice and warm, she knew that wouldn’t be prudent since she’d have to spend the last three to four months of her pregnancy in colder temperatures.

  “Okay. This one is a strong maybe.” She gave him a quick smile before returning to the dressing room for the next one.

  When she stepped out of the dressing room, Levi’s eyes widened, which made Sammi burst out laughing. It definitely wasn’t her favorite fit and had looked better on the hanger than on her.

  “No for this one?” she asked.

  Levi hesitated. “Well, if you really like it, then go ahead and get it.”

  “But you don’t like it?” For some reason, Sammi wanted Levi to voice an opinion.

  He seemed rather reluctant to do that, however. “I’m not the one that has to wear it. If you like it, and you’re comfortable in it, then you should get it.”

  Sammi laughed, surprised at how at ease she felt with him. Out with him, she wasn’t worried about judgment. Together, they were just another couple out shopping for maternity clothes. He had no expectations of her beyond choosing and trying on clothes. That was what she had badly needed right now. It was a reprieve from the mess her life seemed to be when she was around her family and friends.

  “Well, honestly, it doesn’t look quite as nice on as I thought. It’s already pretty tight. I can’t imagine how it will look once I get bigger. I’m not really wanting something that skin tight when my belly is huge. I’ll set this one aside.”

  By the time they approached the cash register, Levi had his arms full with a pair of jeans, some leggings, the dress and three tops. When the cashier gave the total, Sammi felt like she needed to grab a few things off the pile. Levi, however, didn’t blink at all as he handed over his credit card.

  Once it was all bagged, Levi slid his wallet into his back pocket and took the bag. As they left the store, he looked down at her. “Ready to go home or did you need to go anywhere else?”

  “I think I’m ready to go home. Baby is telling me that I need a nap.” Sammi found that the adrenalin from the shopping trip was beginning to fade away, leaving her tired.

  In fact, as Levi drove through the city, country music playing softly in the background, Sammi was lulled by the gentle movements of the truck. At some point, she must have drifted off completely because the next thing she knew, Levi was saying her name.

  “Samantha?”

  She felt a gentle shake on her shoulder and turned to see Levi leaning toward her. “Uh…sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

  The corners of Levi’s mouth quirked up. “It wasn’t a problem. Once I got used to the snoring.”

  Sammi sat straight up. “I do not snore. Believe me, if I snored, my sisters would happily tell me that since we do share rooms on occasion.”

  “If you say so,” he said as a corner of his mouth tugged up.

  She frowned at him, even as she experienced a lightness that she hadn’t felt in months. It felt so good, and she wished she could hang onto that feeling.

  “Hang on, and let me get the door.” Levi slid out of the truck and came around to let her out. “Do you need me to ca
rry the bag up?”

  “No. I’m good.” She lifted the bag from inside the truck and stood there as he shut the door. “Levi, thank you again for this. It’s beyond generous, and I totally didn’t expect it from you.”

  “It’s the least I can do at this point. And when it’s time to buy things for the baby, let me know. I’d like to help with that as well.”

  Again, Sammi was just overwhelmed to think how fortunate she was that in the midst of the mess of her bad decision, Levi was a bright shining light. She hoped that they would be able to be more than just co-parents, that maybe they could forge a friendship in the midst of it all.

  “For sure I’ll let you know.” Sammi gave him a big smile, sensing that even though Levi wasn’t smiling, he was pleased with their budding friendship.

  “Give me a call if you need anything,” he said again, and then headed back around the truck to get in.

  Sammi climbed the stairs to the wide veranda that ran around the large house. She let herself in and was on her way past the living room when she heard her mom’s voice.

  “Was that the father?”

  CHAPTER TEN

  There was no censure in her mom’s voice, only curiosity.

  Sammi veered off into the living room and spotted her parents curled up together on the couch. She sat down in the armchair across from them. Though they hadn’t talked much about her pregnancy since the night she’d told them about it, if they were going to show an interest, she wasn’t going to turn it away.

  “Yes. That was Levi,” she said as she set the bag down by her feet. “He came with me to the ultrasound today.”

  “Everything okay?” her mom asked.

  “I think so. The technician didn’t say for sure, but if something had been wrong, I think they would have paged the doctor on call.” Sammi paused. “It’s a girl.”

  Her mom smiled then. “So another little girl.”

  “That makes three of them now,” her dad said. He didn’t smile like her mom, but he didn’t seem upset.

  “I guess we’re doing our best to even out the score.”