Rugged Daddy_A Mountain Man's Surrogate Romance Read online

“Just wanted to check on you and make sure you haven’t blown anything yet.”

  “I haven't blown anything in two years. What makes you think I’d do it now?” I asked.

  “You still have that encryption running on your phone I put on there?”

  “Always,” I said.

  “Good.”

  “So how are you doing? What’s Rebecca up to?”

  I really detested my daughter’s fake name. “She’s napping right now.”

  “Hard day at school?” he asked.

  “You have no idea,” I said with a sigh.

  “You sound like you're stressed. Have you been taking my advice?”

  “You mean to do something other than my self-defense training?” I asked.

  “I take that as a no. Seriously, Andrew—”

  “Can you please use my actual name?” I asked.

  “Andrew,” he said, “it’s precautionary.”

  I raked my hand through my hair as I moved down the hallway.

  “You need to stay busy beyond your self-defense training. Get out and have some fun. Try to do more to fit in. Assimilation is half the battle of blending in.”

  “I assimilated into the woods just fine,” I said. “You were the one who told us to run and lock ourselves away. Now, you’re saying I have to mingle in town and start making friends?”

  “I’d pay good money to see your idea of mingling. And anyway, Rebecca needs friends.”

  “Hence why I enrolled her in pre-kindergarten.”

  “But she needs more consistent socialization, more interaction than just with her father,” he said.

  “Then, it’s a good thing I’m looking into getting her a sibling.”

  The phone call fell silent, and I rolled my eyes. “Hudson. Come out with it.”

  “Uh, did you find yourself a woman or something?” he asked.

  “No. But I did find a legitimate surrogacy agency.”

  “You’re being serious right now.”

  “Yep. Aud—”

  “Come on, Andrew.”

  “I really hate this. Isn’t your phone secure enough for me to use our damn names?” I asked.

  “Humor me.”

  “Fine. Rebecca has been pining for a sibling for a while now, and she voiced her wish a few days ago. So, I did some research and had some conversations with what seemed like a professional and high-end surrogacy agency right outside of town.”

  “You’re insane. You know that, right? I’m going on record right now and saying that with your current, you know, life situation? It’s not smart. Not even sort of.”

  “Got it. But I know what my daughter needs, and I know what I need and want. Another child would make this house a little livelier. It would give Rebecca someone to bond with. She’s a nurturing and caring individual, but she’s introverted, plus it’s not like she can ask anyone she meets to come back for a play date.”

  Hudson sighed on the other end of the phone. “I mean, I get it. You’re in a tough place, but here’s the thing. If someone comes into town looking for you, you will literally be the first person the locals point out with the way you are living right now. You’re ‘the grumpy asshole that lives on the mountain with this kid and barely ever comes to town.’ If you start to make a friend here or there, you’re not such an odd man out. It will actually help you to remain more anonymous than you think you’re being now.”

  I rubbed a hand over my face. “I know you’re probably right, but I just can’t risk exposing my daughter to too many people.”

  “Ok, so you won’t go out to make friends, but you’ll go out to make a child with a random woman you don’t know?”

  “Something like that.”

  “Are you sure that mountain is doing you favors? Because it sounds to me like it isn’t,” he said.

  “You said to run.”

  I grinned as Hudson groaned over the phone. “You are one stubborn motherfucker, you know that?”

  “It’s still something I’m going to do.”

  “Because you’re stubborn.”

  “Because I’m willing to do anything to give my daughter what she wants out of life since I’m the reason she’s having to live like this.”

  I leaned against the wall and sighed. The guilt I carried around was enormous. My daughter lived this way because of me. She didn’t even know the name she was born with because of me, because I couldn’t keep my anger in check and let the police do what they needed to do. I’d released my anger in a fit of rage, and now, I’d turned my daughter’s life on its head. She knew nothing but the mountain, and while she loved it, she could have had so much more had I not fucked it all up.

  “Look, if you’re really going to do this, at least be careful.”

  “The agency guarantees secrecy,” I said.

  “But still. Double and triple check everything.”

  “I know, I know. I hear you,” I said.

  “And for the love of all things holy, don’t get attached.”

  “After what Leslie did to me, trust me. If anything, I’ll be glad to get this over with.”

  “Not sure that’s healthy either. Maybe you should add a psychologist to your payroll. And by psychologist, I mean a professional, not ranting to your self-defense instructor.”

  “So you have been checking up on me,” I said.

  “Goodbye, Andrew.”

  I let out a big sigh and hung up the phone.

  The evening was pretty quiet, but I didn’t sleep much. My nightmares loomed on the edge of my mind, and I wasn’t ready to fight with them. I wanted to get my head in the right space for this consultation with the agency. Audrey was in school Wednesday through Fridays with the option of half-days on Saturday, so I was going to make the best of my time while she was there. I lay in bed and drew out all the pros and cons that could come from something like this.

  “Mr. Thompson come right in,” the woman said. She boasted a bleached smile and a Botoxed face that didn’t move.

  “Thank you for seeing me on such short notice,” I said.

  “We aim to please. So, you are interested in our services?”

  “I am. I’ve wanted another child for quite some time. My daughter’s ready for a sibling, but circumstances in my life haven’t put me in front of the right woman.”

  “And we aim to fix that. We have a wonderful selection of healthy women ready to give you what you seek.”

  “Is it possible for me to get to know her one-on-one before we sign anything? I really want to make sure of the woman I’m trusting to carry my child.”

  “Oh, we encourage it,” she said. “There are certain rules in place that protect both parties, however. The meeting has to be mutual and funded by you. It also has to be somewhere safe. If the woman reports any activity she feels uncomfortable with, it drops you from our program.”

  “Understandable. I like that you look out for them in that manner.”

  “We look out for the men as well. We charge a large sum of money, but that comes with a lot as well. The best women at the peak of their health. The most fertile, as well. It also comes with total secrecy with regard to your income, who you are, and where you reside. Should you choose to reveal that at a later date, that is up to you. But that information never gets transferred from us to the woman or anyone else, for that matter.”

  “Good. That’s my number one requirement,” I said.

  “Do you have any preferences in traits or characteristics? Hair color? Eye color? Social status? Educational history?”

  “That’s why I want to get to know her a little bit. It isn’t about what she looks like or what she does. It’s more about her personality. The kind of woman my child comes from is important to me,” I said.

  “Well, if that’s the case, then I think we have the perfect candidate for you. She’s a recent applicant, so some of her health tests still have to come back. But she’s passed our very extensive initial application process.”

  The woman handed me a file, and I to
ok it. The second I opened it up, I was taken with her.

  She was fucking gorgeous.

  I looked up at the woman who leaned back into her chair and smiled at me like she knew she’d hooked me as a client. My eyes fell back to the applicant’s file, and I couldn't stop looking at her picture. She had long chestnut hair with natural highlights in both red and honey blonde. They played against her dark brown eyes, perfectly almond-shaped and slightly turned up. It lent her a mysterious look. Her smile was innocent. Kind. And her body was salaciously sweet. In another world—in another time—I would’ve definitely walked up to this woman on the street and introduced myself. Anything to get my hands around those sweet handfuls of curves she boasted.

  “So, what do you think?” the woman asked.

  “Hard to tell much about her character from a photo,” I said.

  “There’s information about her work history below.”

  “I like the fact that she runs her own business. A bakery?” I asked.

  “She does. She’s a very strong-willed woman. Incredibly independent.”

  “I like that as well,” I said.

  “Like I said, we have a few more tests that have to come back, but with her background and initial health screenings, we’re more than confident they’ll come back clean.”

  “So we can get the ball rolling then,” I said.

  “As soon as you want once those tests come in.”

  “One thing. Does she live close?”

  “Right in Whitefish,” the woman said with a smile.

  Oh, she was good. She knew she had me, and I wasn’t going to deny it.

  “When will I be able to sit down and talk to her?” I asked.

  “Once everything is processed. We’ll notify you on whether her health screening passes or fails, and from there, we can set the two of you up for your first face-to-face meeting.”

  “What will that require of me?”

  “We’ll need to know the address, name, and number of the place the two of you will be going. And if you switch venues without telling us, it drops you from the program. It has to be a public place, somewhere of a mutual location. Not at your place, and not at hers,” she said.

  “I wouldn’t go about it any other way.”

  “If all goes well and the two of you are comfortable with one another, then we start negotiating things like rate of pay, how many children you want her to have for you—”

  “I can ask her to have more than one?” I interrupted.

  “Oh, yes. Some men come in here looking for women to give them multiple children.”

  I could still have a house full of children? The idea was almost heavenly. A house full of laughing, giggling, bubbly, beautiful children. The idea that my dream life wasn’t so out of reach brought me so much happiness, it hurt.

  “Are you interested in multiples?” the woman asked.

  “Not as of now, but it is an interesting thing to know for the future.”

  “Just so you know, if the contact designates one child to be born, and if you want others by her, you’ll have to renegotiate a new contract.”

  “That’s fine. I’m not worried about that,” I said. “Thank you very much for meeting with me. Let me know once her tests come in.”

  “You don’t want to see any of our other candidates?”

  I stood from my seat and smoothed my hands down my shirt.

  “No,” I said. “Let me know when her results come in. We can go from there.”

  “Of course, Mr. Thompson. You'll be the first to know.”

  CHAPTER 4

  HEATHER

  “Heather Palmer speaking.”

  “Miss Palmer! This is Marsha from the agency.”

  “Hey there, Marsha. What can I do for you?”

  “I wanted to let you know that per interest with a very high-profile client, we decided to fast track your labs, and everything came back wonderful.”

  “That’s … wow. That was fast. I was only in there a couple of days ago.”

  “Well, we had someone come in for a consultation who we feel would be a great match for you and what you specified you were looking for in a man who would take over guardianship of the child.”

  “So he’s a good man?” I asked.

  “We’ve had him extensively researched. And he’s as good as they come.”

  A wave of relief rush through my veins, but I wasn’t getting my hopes up yet. I wanted to make sure that whoever I did this with could provide for the child and give them the best life possible.

  I wanted someone who would love them and take care of them and treat them with all the respect in the world. I wasn't going to do this with any man, and I liked that the agency gave me the ability to turn down a man like he had the ability to turn me down.

  But listening to Marsha tell me he was a good match did provide a bit of comfort.

  “So, where do we go from here?” I asked.

  “We’ll set up a mutual meeting for the two of you to sit down and talk. Just to get to know each other a little bit. See if it’s a good match. It’s one thing to match on paper, but it’s another to sit down and meet face-to-face.”

  “I agree with you there,” I said. “Am I allowed to know his name?”

  “Not until the meeting is set. We have strict guidelines from giving out that kind of information, but we will send you a picture of what he looks like. The company also has personal security that will be driving by the place the two of you will meet should something happen, so you’re watched over and protected by us.”

  “Good. That makes me feel better.”

  “Your match has two places he’s agreed to meet. One is a restaurant in the middle of Whitefish, and another is a coffee shop not too far from the agency itself. Do you have a preference?”

  “The coffee shop, definitely,” I said.

  “Perfect. I’ll inform our client, and he’ll get back to me with a time. Then, I’ll call you and relay that time to you. We’ll get it on the books, have security set up to check in on the place from time to time, and then we’ll get the two of you meeting.”

  I hung up the phone as nerves rushed through my veins. I distracted myself with baking and coming up with new creations I could use to really stick it to the bakery up the street.

  I needed something that drew people in, something different that no one could replicate. I kept the door to the kitchen open in case any customers came in for anything, and then I started messing around with hybrid desserts and looking up recipes for culinary masterpieces I could practice and sell.

  Then, my phone rang.

  “Hello?” I asked.

  “Marsha again!”

  “Hello Marsha.” “Our client suggested three o’clock today. Is that something you can do?”

  I looked down at my messy clothes and sighed. For two hundred thousand dollars or more, I would make it happen.

  “Yes, I can,” I said. “Tell him I’ll see him then.”

  “I’ll shoot you a picture of him. Good luck!”

  Then, my phone dinged seconds later with a picture of a very handsome man.

  Once I got myself cleaned up and my bakery shut down for the day, I headed to the coffee shop. I took a taxi to the meeting place.

  The second I walked in, I realized quickly that the picture Marsha sent did the man little justice.

  He was big, broad, with thick brown hair and emerald eyes that sparkled. He was watching the door and grinned the second he saw me. That was a good sign. He stood from his chair, towering over everyone else in the shop. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. His chiseled arms poked out from underneath a rolled-up button-down shirt, and his legs flexed in jeans that looked almost painted on him. His chin, his jawline, all of it seemed sculpted from granite.

  Strong and seductive.

  “You must be Heather,” he said in a deep rolling voice as he pulled out my chair. “Have a seat.”

  “Thank you,” I said.

  “Do you want anything?” he as
ked.

  “I should probably stay away from caffeine, given what this meeting’s about.”

  “I like that. What does your typical diet consist of?”

  My eyebrows twitched as I drew in a deep breath. “Shouldn’t I know your name first?” I asked.

  “Andrew,” he said. “Vegan, vegetarian, neither?”

  Well, he was going to waste no time.

  “Um, I am a meat eater if that’s what you’re asking. I also have a weakness for sweets.”

  “Doesn’t surprise me, with you owning your own bakery.”

  So far the conversation was bizarre. But he didn’t seem threatening, only curious and very pointed.

  “Do you drink alcohol?” he asked.

  “Not really, though I indulge in a glass sometimes.”

  He nodded. “What about processed foods?”

  “What?”

  “Fast food? Pizza?”

  “Wow. Um.”

  I looked into his eyes and lost myself there for a second. His blue stare was piercing. His massive hands dwarfed the large coffee sitting in front of him, but I shook my thoughts away. This was a professional meeting between two people who wanted what the other could provide. I needed his money, and he wanted a child.

  Suddenly a thought struck me? Was this any different than what I would’ve asked from Charlie?

  Yes. Yes, it was different. Because neither of us was leading the other on. It was no secret I was doing this for the money, and he wasn’t holding back any secret as to a desire for a child. No manipulation. No tactics. Just a mutual, professional arrangement.

  “Heather?” His gravelly voice stunned me back to reality.

  “Sorry. I don’t eat too much fast food. I prefer to cook in because it’s cheaper that way.” I cringed at the way that sounded. My financial back might have been against a wall, but he didn’t need to know that. I didn’t want to come off desperate.

  “That’s good. I keep myself healthy, and I’d like the woman I choose to do the same.”

  “I don’t go to the gym or anything, but I do walk everywhere.”

  “Did you walk here?”

  “No, I took a taxi.”

  “Do you not drive?”

  I had absolutely no idea how to answer that without showing too much. “I do. I just prefer not to.”