Rugged Daddy

“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.”