Daddy Says, I Do!

by Stacy Connelly

  “I’m not questioning Kara’s love for Timothy. I’m questioning your love for Kara.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Have you thought of how much she’s giving up to move there? She has a life here, a career she’s worked hard to obtain. She’s in line for head of the English department, and if she’s named to the position, she’ll be the youngest department chair at her college.” At Sam’s silence, Marcus asked, “She didn’t tell you about that, did she? Kara has a bright future ahead of her. If you love her as much as you say you do, then you really should let her go.”

  * * *

  When Kara stepped into the garage, she was surprised to hear the sound of a raised female voice coming from Sam’s office. “I thought I could count on you to back me up on this, Sam!”

  “All I’m saying is that it’s Will’s life and I think he’s old enough and smart enough to make his own choices.”

  “He’s smart enough to go to college, but only if he finishes high school!”

  Kara stepped back as Nadine brushed by her on the way out of the garage with a mumbled apology. “What was that about?” she asked as she stepped into the office.

  Sam shot her a glance before refocusing on a stack of invoices on the desk. “Will wants to drop out of school to work here full-time.”

  “No wonder Nadine’s upset. I know you think of Will as a friend and that you want to support him, but you can’t encourage him to drop out of school. Education is too important.”

  “Having a roof over his head and food on the table is pretty important, too.”

  Kara blinked at the short response. He almost sounded angry at her, but why would he be when she was only trying to help? “If things are that bad, maybe there’s another way to help out. Dropping out can’t be the answer. Will has his whole future ahead of him. If he quits school to work full-time, he could—”

  “He could what, Kara?” Sam pushed away from his chair and braced his hands on the desk. “End up a two-bit mechanic in a one-car town?”

  Kara recoiled at the sting of sarcasm whipping through his words. “I would never say something like that. I never thought anything like that. I don’t understand where this is coming from.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were up for department chair at your college?”

  That was the last thing she’d expected Sam to say, and she stared at him in surprise. “How did you even know about that?”

  “Your father called me.”

  “My father? I can’t believe he did that. He had no right—”

  “What? He doesn’t have the right to tell me the truth? Or do you think that I don’t have the right to know the truth?” Anger blazed in his eyes as he rounded the desk, coming to a stop inches away. “More Starling secrets, right? Anything else that you haven’t told me?”

  Only that she loved him.

  But with the accusations he was throwing at her, Kara had no intention of telling him. Not when it would only be something he would twist around and use against her. “I didn’t tell you about being up for chair because I didn’t even know if I’d be named to the position. And what does it matter now that I’ve told the college I’m not coming back?”

  “What matters is that you lied.”

  “I did not lie!”

  “No. You just didn’t bother to tell me.”

  “Like I didn’t tell you about Timmy? That’s what you’re thinking, right, Sam? I told you how sorry I am, and I thought you’d forgiven me. But if you haven’t...is this how it will always be? Are you going to keep throwing my mistakes back in my face? I can’t live like that, Sam. I can’t. I won’t.”

  * * *

  “Whoa, you look like hell.”

  Sam glared as his brother sank onto the stool beside him at the bar. The Clearville Bar and Grille had a good crowd, the patrons eager to start the weekend with an after-work happy hour. Sam wasn’t sure why he’d agreed to meet Drew there considering he’d never felt less happy.

  “I’m not sure this is good timing or bad, but as your best man, I wanted to talk about your bachelor party. Any chance that conversation would cheer you up?” Drew leaned back at the look Sam shot him. “I’m taking that as a no.”

  “Don’t have to worry about a bachelor party if there’s not going to be a wedding.”

  “Things are that bad?”

  Yes. “No. Maybe. I don’t know.”

  His expression sobering, Drew said, “If you’re not sure about going through with this, now’s the time to say so.”

  Sam stared hard at his brother. “Hell, Drew, who said I was the one who was unsure?”

  At any other time, he might have been amused at catching his always-think-before-you-speak brother with his foot so firmly lodged in his mouth. “Sorry, I guess I just assumed. So Kara’s getting cold feet?”

  After filling his brother in on the conversation with Dr. Starling, he added, “Kara said the reason she didn’t tell me she was up for department chair was because she wasn’t planning on taking the position. Maybe that’s the truth, I don’t know. But that phone call blindsided me.”

  To know Kara had kept something so important from him reminded him too much of the way Heather had gone behind his back, applying for scholarships without telling him. Finding out about the promotion only reminded him that there was so much more out in the world for a woman like Kara than Clearville could offer. So much more than what he could offer. The thought of her leaving him behind was like a kick in the gut and he’d lashed out. But he had every right to be angry.

  Are you going to keep throwing my mistakes back in my face? I can’t live like that, Sam. I can’t. I won’t.

  The memory of the hurt shimmering in Kara’s brown eyes shook some of that certainty. He’d only had one conversation with Doctor Starling, but Sam could only imagine the man’s reaction to his teenage daughter’s pregnancy. How many times had he used Kara’s “mistake” as a way to keep her in line?

  Sam swore beneath his breath, tightening his hand around the cold beer bottle.

  “So, in the interest of full disclosure, have you told Kara everything? Have you told her you love her?” At Sam’s answering silence, his brother shook his head. “Didn’t think so.”

  He did love Kara. He loved how calm and cool she was on the outside and how kind and caring she was to anyone fortunate enough to see inside. He loved how fiercely proud and protective she was of his son. He loved when she let loose and laughed, and he understood why it wasn’t always easy for her to do. That only made those moments seem like even more of a gift.

  But the thought of telling a woman he loved her for the first time in over a decade had him so tied up in knots, he didn’t know if he’d ever work his way free.

  Almost as if knowing where his thoughts had gone, Drew said, “You know I never did ask you all those years ago, but when Heather left, why didn’t you go with her?”

  “Yeah, right,” he scoffed. “They never would have let me in.”

  Drew raised his eyebrows. “To Oregon? Why? Is there some kind of statewide ban against you that I’m not aware of?”

  Sam felt his face heat. “I thought you meant go with her to college,” he muttered.

  Heather had been as desperate to get into college as he’d been to get out of high school. Somehow their lives, which had once traveled so closely on the same path, had veered in different directions. He’d known once Heather was surrounded by other students as eager to learn and party and soak up the whole four-year experience, what they had wouldn’t be enough to keep them together. And so when the time came, he’d let her go.

  He’d taken the easy way out. Failing to try rather than trying and failing.

  Not this time. Not with Kara. This was too important for him to give up without giving his all. For the first time since the phone call w
ith Kara’s father, Sam felt a slight smile pull at his lips. Failure, as the saying went, was not an option.

  * * *

  “Hey, look! There’s Dad’s car.” Timmy tugged on Kara’s hand as they left Rolly’s Diner and pointed down the narrow street.

  Kara’s stomach dipped at his excited words. She hadn’t seen Sam since their fight earlier in the day, and she wasn’t sure she was ready to see him now. Oh, why hadn’t she ordered room service instead of going out for dinner? If they had, maybe Sam would have driven by and she’d have a little more time to nurse her wounds.

  She’d really thought that he’d forgiven her for keeping Timmy a secret. She knew she’d made a mistake by not telling him the truth right away, but she’d apologized and she’d been completely honest since then.

  Completely honest about everything except her feelings.

  Her father never should have called Sam, but she couldn’t help thinking that if she’d been truthful with Sam—about her feelings, about the stupid nomination for department chair—maybe he wouldn’t have been so quick to jump to conclusions. Maybe he would have been more willing to listen to what she had to say.

  Taking a deep breath, she looked in the direction her nephew pointed. A wave of disappointment washed over her. “Timmy, your dad’s car is red, remember? That one’s black.”

  A sleek, glossy black, nothing like the primer-spotted dull red of Sam’s Corvette.

  “He colored it,” the little boy argued.

  “You mean painted it?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Kara took a closer look at the car across the street and shook her head. “Sorry, Timmy, but that’s not the same car. See? There’s some other guy driving it.”

  The words were barely out of her mouth when Timmy pulled his hand from hers and raced down the sidewalk, hollering at the startled driver. “Hey, how come you got my dad’s car?”

  “Timmy!” Her heart in her throat, she caught the little boy by one arm before he reached the street. “What are you doing? You know better than to run off like that!”

  Tears filled the little boy’s eyes. “That man stole Dad’s car. We gotta get it back!”

  “Hey, is everything okay?”

  Embarrassment heated Kara’s cheeks as she realized Timmy’s accusations had been loud enough to reach the “car thief.”

  “I’m really sorry—you’re Billy, right?” she asked, recognizing the man as one of Sam’s friends who’d attended their engagement party. “I’m sorry about this, but Timmy thinks you’re driving Sam’s car. I’ve tried to explain it’s not his.”

  “Well, it’s not Sam’s car. At least it’s not anymore.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He sold it to me a few days ago. Right after he finished the paint job.”

  “So you mean that is—was Sam’s car?”

  “Told you so,” Timmy muttered at her side.

  “But Sam said he was going to take the car to an auction.” Where she knew he could have made far more money than by selling it to his friend. “Why would he sell it now?”

  Billy shrugged. “I guess he found something that was worth more.” Kara imagined she must have still looked completely stunned when he felt the need to add, “And I’m not talking about another car.”

  * * *

  After Sam left the Bar and Grille, he’d wanted to go to the hotel to talk to Kara, to lay everything on the line and tell her how he felt, but Will had called with an emergency. A motorist was stranded on the highway outside of town, not far from the spot where Sam and Kara first met. As he pushed the tow truck over the speed limit, he hoped the breakdown was something simple, like a flat tire. He’d give a NASCAR pit crew a run for their money when it came to how fast he’d have that tire changed out, so he could be on his way back to town. Back to Kara.

  The sun was sinking behind the mountains as he followed the bend in the road and spotted the vehicle up ahead—a blue minivan. A very familiar blue minivan.

  His pulse started to pound as he eased the truck off the side of the road, nose to nose with Kara’s van. She climbed from the driver’s seat the same time he did, but unlike the first time they met, she didn’t have a cell phone in hand. She looked as beautiful now as she had then, but a softness in the loose waves in her hair, in the simple floral-print dress, in the welcoming curve of her smile added even more to her beauty.

  Almost afraid to ask what that smile meant, Sam glanced over at her vehicle. “What happened to the van?”

  “What happened to the Corvette?”

  “Nothing,” he answered in surprise. “I sold it to my friend, Billy.”

  “But that car was supposed to be the first step in your plan to start dealing in classic cars. You could have sold it for so much more at an auction.”

  “I don’t want to be going to car shows every few weeks. I want to be here with Timmy—and with you. You mean more to me than any car—” Sam cut himself off with a curse. “That didn’t come out the way I meant it to.”

  But Kara only smiled. “Maybe to another woman that wouldn’t sound like much of a compliment. But I know how much you love cars...” Her voice trailed away, but Sam read the hope in her expression.

  Now or never, he thought as he sucked in a deep breath. No letting go or taking the easy way out. He was going to hold on tight and hope he survived the fall. “I love you, Kara. I think I fell in love with you right in this spot. When your father called and told me about the promotion, all I could think was that I was going to lose you and I didn’t know what I would do if you left.” As the words poured out, a feeling of relief swept over him and Sam realized he’d been wrong. Telling Kara how he felt was the easiest thing he’d ever done.

  Especially when he saw that same emotion reflected in her eyes. “I love you. All the titles and promotions in the world can’t compare to knowing you love me, too. I’m not going anywhere.”

  Pulling her into his arms, standing in the very spot where they met, Sam kissed her. It was what he should have done that very first day, but he vowed to make up for it by kissing her every day from that moment on. His pulse was pounding and he was struggling for breath by the time he broke the kiss. “It’s a good thing you’re not leaving,” he murmured against her lips, “because I just remembered something.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You still owe me dinner.”

  Epilogue

  Nothing could make a woman’s heart skip a beat like the sight of a guy in a tux, Kara decided. Even if the guy was only four years old. Gazing across the dance floor crowded with friends and family, she couldn’t stop smiling as she watched Timmy sneak a finger full of frosting off a piece of wedding cake. His tie was crooked, his shirt was untucked, his hair was a messy halo around his head, and Kara knew her sister was smiling down on all of them.

  Thank you, Marti.

  His sister’s letter had been a gift, giving Kara a life and love she’d never imagined. Giving her a son and a husband and a wonderful extended family. Vince and Vanessa were slow dancing together, gazing into each other’s eyes as if it was their wedding day. Nick was also dancing, but he had to split his time between the two women in his life as he took turns spinning first his wife and then his daughter around the floor. Jake was waiting hand and foot on Sophia who only had a few more weeks until her due date—a Christmas present they would always remember. And Drew was outside, helping Kara plan a surprise for Sam later in the evening.

  The Hillcrest Hotel would be beautiful any time of year, but seeing the elegant ballroom with its carved mahogany trim and floor-to-ceiling windows decorated with green garland, fresh pine wreaths and red bows took her breath away. A glorious Christmas tree draped with white twinkling lights was the centerpiece of the room while miniature versions sparkled on every table.

  In keepin
g with the holiday theme, Kara’s attendants—Olivia, Sophia and Darcy—wore off-the-shoulder, deep-green gowns. All three women looked stunning even though Sophia jokingly complained she looked like she’d swallowed a Christmas turkey.

  At least the dresses aren’t red velvet, she’d added. I wouldn’t want all the kids to mistake me for Santa Claus.

  Despite her worries, Kara’s parents had also attended the wedding. Her mother had looked incredibly elegant in a rich ruby-colored skirt and jacket and her father had looked as distinguished as always in his tuxedo. They may not have approved of her decision, but they had been there for her when she asked, and if Kara wasn’t mistaken, she’d seen tears in both of their eyes when Marcus announced that he and Kathryn were giving away their daughter to be Sam’s bride.

  “Ready to start our honeymoon?”

  Kara shivered as Sam wrapped his arms around her waist, his voice full of promise against her ear. “Ready to start the rest of our lives,” she replied as she glanced back over her shoulder.

  His green eyes glinted in the romantic glow of the chandeliers. “That’s my girl. Has our whole future planned out already.”

  “Not all of it. Just the part where I love you every day for the rest of my life.”

  “Now that is a plan I can get behind, but I hope you don’t mind a few surprises along the way.”

  “Are you kidding? I love surprises.” Seeing the doubt in her husband’s eyes, Kara added, “Come with me. I have one waiting for you outside.”

  Slipping away from the reception that was still going strong, Kara led the way as they stepped out into the cold, crisp night. Anticipation danced along her nerves as she waited for Sam to spot the sleek black car shining beneath the parking-lot lights. A dozen cans were tied to the bumper and the words “Just Married” were scrolled across the back window.

  She knew the instant Sam saw the Corvette. He stopped short, his breath escaping in a white cloud as he stared at the car. “Is this the surprise? Billy loaned you the ’Vette?”