The Baby Plan

Julia had long ago given up trying to enlighten her. There was clearly no chance of changing Lucy’s thinking at this point about the power struggle in male-female relationships. She obviously didn’t think there was any.

Ready for the games to begin, Lucy pulled open the door with a welcoming smile that stretched from hoop earring to hoop earring.

The man on the other side of the door wore as smile just as wide.

Julia took in his looks with a glance. Medium height with a round face, bright blue eyes and a warm, friendly expression that distracted from his shiny bald head.

Nicely dressed, Julia thought. While she hadn’t expected him to wear a uniform with his name on the pocket, the brown tweed sports coat, pale yellow wool vest and patterned tie looked rather country club-ish.

He was no movie star however. Not even an aging one. But not bad-looking, she amended. Most of all, Lester Baxter looked…friendly. Kind. Even patient. The type of man who would find her mother’s eccentricities charming and endearing.

Julia wasn’t sure how she could tell all that from just a glance. But she could.

He held out a huge bouquet of pink roses and offered them to Lucy. “Some flowers for the hostess.”

He handed them down to her, looking eager to see if the gift was pleasing. Lucy accepted the bouquet with a radiant smile. “Lester…you shouldn’t have. They’re just beautiful.”

“Just like you. You look like Miss America holding that bouquet, Lucy. I wish I had a camera,” Lester teased.

“Oh, stop.” Lucy shook her head, but Julia knew she was definitely enjoying the compliments and could have had him go on all night.

Julia sighed and rolled her eyes. This was worse than she imagined. Much worse.

“I brought you another surprise,” he added. “I told you my son was coming down from Boston for a visit? Well, he got to town a little sooner than I expected. He pulled up to the house just as I was walking out the door, so I brought him along. I hope you don’t mind?”

“Oh…of course not. Come in, come in….” Lucy stepped aside and Julia could see now that another man stood just behind Lester. He must have purposely been standing aside, waiting out of view.

Now he stepped into the light. He glanced at Lucy and smiled briefly. Then looked up, over Lucy’s head, at Julia.

Their eyes met. Julia felt her mouth go dry, her heartbeat go from zero to a hundred and ten in two seconds flat.

Lester—the bald, paunchy, eager-to-please repair man—had fathered that?

Impossible.

Lester’s son must have been adopted. He was without question the very definition of tall, dark and totally hot.

He stepped through the doorway, towering over all of them, Julia included. She rarely had to tip her head back to make eye contact with a man. But now she found herself staring up at him. And they were all in such close quarters in the small entrance to Lucy’s house. At least, it suddenly seemed much smaller and crowded, Julia thought. Draped in a dark leather jacket, his shoulders looked endlessly wide, his dark eyes looked endlessly deep.

“Sam, this is Lucy Martinelli. My Lucy,” he added, with a meaningful glance at Julia’s mother.

Sam Baxter held out his hand to Lucy and flashed a brief but brilliant smile. Julia blinked as the gesture transformed his features so completely from serious to something that was warm and full of light. Deep dimples creased the lean cheeks. His teeth were white and strong. Tiny lines fanned out at the sides of his eyes, a rich, dark, chocolaty shade of brown.

“Lucy…great to meet you. My father’s told me a lot about you.”

“And I’ve heard so much about you, Sam. I feel as if I already know you, dear,” Lucy said.

Sam shook his head, looking almost boyishly embarrassed. He glanced at his father. “I hope he hasn’t been boring you.”

“I can’t help bragging about my boy,” Lester laughed and patted his son on the arm. “And this must be Julia. Lucy told me plenty about you, too, young lady….”

Lester turned to Julia. It seemed that everyone else had forgotten she was there.

Lester gave Julia’s hand a hardy shake. “Good to meet you, dear.”

“Nice to meet you, Lester.” Julia smiled cordially.

It was hard not to like Lester. She made a sincere effort to match his enthusiasm—despite having only first heard of his existence five minutes ago.

She felt Sam Baxter staring at her. She looked up at him. No dazzling smile for her. To the contrary, his expression was serious again. His eyes, unreadable. He didn’t offer his hand and introduce himself, and for some reason, she felt relieved instead of slighted.

“Sorry to barge in. My father insisted I stop by for a minute and say hello….”

Sam’s apology was meant for her mother, Julia knew. Yet he addressed it to her.

She met his glance again. Just like the first time, she felt her mouth go dry, her polished conversation skills deserting her.

What in the world was going on here? When had she gotten so tongue-tied around a man? Silly…Had to be the wine. It had gone straight to her head. She’d never been able to drink on an empty stomach.

Before Julia had a chance to answer, her mother stepped forward and took Sam by the arm.

“Nonsense. Come inside and make yourself comfortable. You must stay for dinner. Lester, tell him he has to stay.”

“Of course he’ll stay,” Lester insisted, following them.

The seniors were double-teaming him. He didn’t stand a chance. He’d soon agree, Julia predicted, just to be polite.

The idea of spending the evening making small talk with Sam Baxter made Julia uneasy, but she brushed the feeling aside. She was just tired after a long workday, where she had to be polite and friendly to strangers all day at her job. Now she was forced to do it all night. Her annoyance had nothing to do with him.

“Well…maybe for a few minutes,” Sam Baxter said.

“Wait ’til you try her cooking. You’re in for a treat.”

“Lester, please. Your son is in the business. He’s not going to be impressed with my simple home cooking.”

“Don’t listen to her. You’ll see. You’ll be asking for her recipes,” Lester promised.

Julia thought her mother was a good cook and Lester’s lavish compliments were at least in the ballpark this time.

She wondered what Lester meant by Sam being in the business. Most chefs she’d ever met, even the younger ones, didn’t have Sam’s lean, fit body. Even the guys on TV. There was definitely something sexy about a man who cooked, though. An image of this man in chef’s whites, an intimidating force in a hot, steamy commercial kitchen was very…distracting.

“Come. Sit down. Relax.” Lucy herded everyone into the living room, though she didn’t sit down herself, Julia noticed.

Sam sat on one end of the long pillow-back couch and Lester sat on the other. Julia took an armchair.

She crossed her long legs, then noticed Sam’s eyes following her movement as she tugged her skirt down over her knee. Checking her out? She felt blood rush up her cheeks and hoped she wasn’t blushing.

“I have some cheese spread and nibbles in the kitchen. I’ll just run out and get them.” Lucy glanced at Lester, who sat on the couch near Sam. Julia wasn’t surprised when Lester quickly rose, as well.

“I’ll help you, dear.” Lester jumped up and followed Lucy like a loyal pet.

From the gleam in his eye, Julia guessed he was not only eager to help his hostess, but steal a little private time. Julia hoped they didn’t take too long. For one thing, it could get embarrassing. For another, she already felt uncomfortable being left alone with the tall, dark and smoldering son.

Julia looked over at Sam. “They might take a while out there,” he said quietly.

So he’d picked up on the same hints.

She glanced at him but didn’t know what to say. A seasoned saleswoman, she was rarely at a loss on how to start a conversation. She’d even taught classes on the topic, for goodness’ sake.

The polite thing to do would be to ask Sam what sort of work he did exactly, what had brought him down to Vermont from Boston. That sort of thing.

But some errant impulse caused her to start off on a completely different track.

“Did your father really tell you much about my mother? Or did you just say that to be polite?”

He looked surprised at her direct manner. But not at all offended. Maybe more like amused, she thought.

“The last few weeks, he hardly talked about anything else. It’s Lucy, Lucy, Lucy. Why do you ask?”

Julia shrugged. She picked a thread off her skirt. “I didn’t hear a word about your father until about fifteen minutes ago. Or maybe I did and I wasn’t paying attention…Does your father date very much?”

His eyes narrowed. Now he did look a bit offended. Or at least, taken aback by her question. “Are you suspicious of his intentions? He’s a very sincere person.”

“I’m sure he’s sincere. He’s seem very nice. Really,” she assured him. “My mother is very social. I just don’t want him to get…disappointed.”

She could tell he was definitely fighting a smile now. The corners of his mouth twitched and she nearly caught another glimpse of those devastating dimples. The entire gesture was utterly tantalizing.

“Don’t worry about my dad. He’s been out in the single scene a long time. He can take care of himself.”

Lester might think he was the James Bond of the AARP set. His son might think so, as well. But they had never encountered the likes of Lucy.

She glanced toward the kitchen. No sign of the lovebirds. After they’d first disappeared, she’d heard them talking back there, but now there was only silence.

Bad sign.

She turned back to Sam, leaning forward a bit in her chair. “Do you think this is serious?” she whispered.

“Excuse me?” He leaned toward her, trying to hear what she was saying. They were suddenly face-to-face, closer than she expected. The scent of his spicy cologne filled her senses. His cheeks were shadowed by a day’s growth of beard, lending a slightly scruffy and totally male edge to his handsome looks.

“I said…do you think it’s serious? Between our parents, I mean.”

“Looks pretty serious to me. They’re crazy about each other. Haven’t you noticed?” His deep, hushed tone was disturbingly intimate.

Julia leaned back and took a deep breath. She didn’t know if she was more disturbed by the message or the messenger.

Julia sighed. She swept her long hair to one side, back over her shoulder. Again, she found him watching her, his eyes following the movement.

“My mother’s been married…several times. Does your father know that?” she said finally, perhaps a bit sharper than she intended.

“He mentioned it. It doesn’t seem to bother him.”

“He’d be number five,” Julia persisted, whispering as she glanced over her shoulder again.

He finally showed some reaction. His eyes widened. “That’s quite a record. I’m not sure if he’s done the math.”

Now it was Julia’s turn to sound defensive. “There have been good reasons why her relationships didn’t work out. I mean, she was widowed twice. That certainly wasn’t her fault.”

“Of course not,” he agreed, yet still looked wary.

Before Julia could say anything more in Lucy’s defense, she heard the cooing twosome fluttering back into the room.

“So…you work in the restaurant business. Are you a cook or something?” she asked Sam in a loud, polite tone.

He looked straight into her eyes, signaling he was in sync with her cover-up. “Yes, I’m a chef. I’ve just left a position at a big restaurant so I could open my own place with a partner.”

The independent type. Julia thought she should have guessed that. He looked like someone who didn’t have the patience to take orders from a boss. From anyone, for that matter.

“That’s sounds exciting,” she said sincerely.

“It can be. Not always in a good way. My partner knows nothing about the business…except that he likes to eat out a lot. But I guess that’s the reason a lot of rich people want to invest in a restaurant.”

Sam smiled briefly, causing that curious buzz in her brain again. Julia valiantly shook it off.

She wondered how long he’d be in town visiting his father. But she didn’t want to ask and sound too…interested.

What did it matter to her? She just had to get through the evening.

As if on cue, the older couple returned. Her mother set down the dish of cheese and crackers on the coffee table. Lester followed with the bowl of dip. Then they stepped back and stood side by side, as if performing a rehearsed dance step.

Lester glanced shyly at Lucy and took her hand. Lucy blushed and looked down at the floor.

Julia sat forward in her seat, her tingling intuition lighting up like a pinball machine.

“Kids…we have something to tell you,” Lester began.

Julia cast a desperate look at her mother but couldn’t catch her eye. Her gaze darted over to Sam, but he was staring at his father.

“We were going to wait. But since we have both of you here with us tonight, Lucy and I decided…”

Lester swallowed a big lump in his throat, his old eyes misting over. Julia nearly jumped out of her seat and shook him.

“Say it already!” she wanted to scream.

Then he did. Julia held her breath and felt an urge to cover her eyes with her hands, as if she were watching a horror movie.

“This lovely lady at my side has agreed to be my wife.”

He turned to Lucy and planted a huge, wet, noisy kiss on her cheek. Lucy grinned, looking a bit tearful, too. She briefly hugged him. “Oh…Lester.”

Then she met Julia’s eye. Looking apologetic? More like a little kid who’d been caught doing something they shouldn’t, but didn’t want the teacher to be mad at them.

“Oh, Mom…you didn’t…” Julia sighed.

Lucy may have answered. Julia wasn’t sure. The image of her mother grew blurry…along with the rest of the room. She suddenly felt the room spinning and lifted her hand to her forehead, afraid she might faint.

She struggled to remain upright in her chair but felt herself losing control. Pitching forward.

Everyone in the room shouted at once. Though she couldn’t make out a word of it.

The last thing she remembered was her mother’s carefully polished coffee table, coming closer. And closer…

Then a strange but wonderful sensation as—instead of a crash-landing into solid oak—she felt her limp body being caught and cushioned in the strong embrace of Sam Baxter.

Chapter Two

“Julia? Sweetheart? Are you okay?”

Floating back up to consciousness, Julia heard her mother’s voice. But saw only Sam’s gorgeous face, his concerned expression, hovering above.

She seemed to be lying flat out on the living-room floor. On her mother’s scratchy area rug. Sam was crouched on one side, her mother on the other.

“I’m all right,” she insisted.

She tried to sound normal, but her voice came out shaky. She started to sit up, but Sam rested one big hand firmly on her shoulder. “Not so fast. What’s the rush?”

She felt…mortified to have fainted dead away like that. She wished she could just crawl off into some convenient hole.

“I’d like to sit up now,” she insisted.

Finally, Sam leaned back and let her go. Julia stared down at herself, then hurried to straighten out her clothing. During her flight, the wrap-style sweater had gotten unwrapped, exposing most of her lace-trimmed bra, and her skirt had hiked up to midthigh. She hurriedly covered herself, glancing sideways at Sam as she fussed. A twitch in his stoic expression revealed that he hadn’t missed much.

What else is going to happen tonight? Maybe my hair will catch on fire.

“How about a glass of water?” Lester appeared behind Lucy and handed Julia some water. She took a long swallow, grateful for something to do while they all stared at her.

“I’m okay. Really. Probably just hungry. I skipped lunch,” Julia explained, concocting a quick excuse.

Her mother still looked concerned. “Are you sure that’s all it is, sweetheart? Does it hurt anywhere?”

Lucy lovingly felt Julia’s forehead, the same way she had done all through her childhood. Julia felt a pang of love. How could she admit the real reason she’d fainted?

“I’m fine, Mom. Really.”

“She works too hard,” Lucy told the others. “Seven days a week. A regular workaholic—”

“Why don’t we all just sit down and start dinner?” Julia interrupted, feeling even more mortified by her mother’s diagnosis.

Julia started to stand up. Sam quickly stepped up beside her, slipping one arm around her waist and one under her arm to steady her balance. The contact was brief but electric, making her head spin all over again.

She caught her balance, then took a quick step away from him. But she couldn’t help glancing back over her shoulder to make eye contact. It was hard to tell what he was thinking.

She wasn’t sure she even wanted to know.

“Are you sure you feel up to it, honey?” Lucy stepped closer and put her hand on Julia’s cheek. “Maybe we should call a doctor.”

“No reason for that, Mother. Honest. Dinner is going to be ruined if we wait any longer. I’m sure you’ve been cooking all day.”

Finally, Lucy gave in. “Okay, then. Into the dining room everyone. Julia’s right. The roast will be all dried out if we wait any longer.”

They were soon all seated in Lucy’s dining room. Lucy sat across from Lester, and Julia sat across from Sam. A bottle of champagne appeared, and had probably been stashed somewhere in her mother’s vast refrigerator. Her mother was always prepared for a romantic celebration, Julia thought.

“Let’s start with a toast,” Lester said. “I wasn’t prepared with an engagement ring tonight. But this should make it official.” He smiled as he filled everyone’s glasses.

Julia covered hers with her hand. “No thanks, Lester. I don’t think I can handle it right now.”

She couldn’t handle it physically. Or emotionally. And didn’t want to be a hypocrite. The fainting spell had given her a perfect excuse to pass.

“I’ll say a few words.” Sam raised his glass, tilting it toward Lucy and Lester. “Though this announcement certainly comes as a surprise…and even a shock,” he added, glancing briefly at Julia, “I think you’re both old enough to know what’s in your minds. And your hearts. It’s a rare gift to find love. We need to cherish that gift. And run with it. Lucy, Dad, you’re both very lucky to have found each other, and I wish you every happiness.”

Julia was surprised. His toast was very touching, his words genuine and thoughtful. So, Sam Baxter was more than just a pretty face. She hadn’t meant to do it, but found herself lifting her water glass and joining in.

“Thank you, son. That was very nice. I knew when I found Lucy, my life was complete,” Lester said. “The only wish I have left now, is to see you with a true love of your own someday. Settled down. Giving me a few grandkids to spoil.”

“Oh, me, too!” Lucy chimed in, as if Lester had mentioned that grandchildren were on sale this week at Kmart.

Sam shook his head, a faint blush coloring his lean cheeks. Julia was glad that he was under the spotlight now and not herself. He did look totally adorable.

“Come on, Dad. This is your night. You know how I feel about that ‘settling down’ talk.”

Lester laughed. “I know you tried it once and it didn’t work out. That’s no reason not to try again. Look at me and Lucy.” He glanced at his bride-to-be. “We didn’t give up just ’cause we didn’t get it perfect the first time.”

Julia’s eyes widened. But she didn’t say anything. She wondered if Lester really knew how many false starts his fiancée had under her belt. More than the shuttle launch at NASA.

So Sam had a failed relationship in his past, too. Julia found that tidbit of information interesting. It was hard to imagine a man who looked like that running around unclaimed. But it seemed his father had hinted as much.

Sam didn’t reply. He took another sip of champagne. More like a gulp, Julia noticed.

“Pass the dishes, everyone,” Lucy instructed. “Here, Sam. You start with the roast. And there’s some gravy to your left. Lester…some string beans? I made them with the almonds, just the way you like.”

“Looks delicious, dear,” Lester said appreciatively. “Once we’re married I’m afraid I’ll gain fifty pounds.”

“We have to keep active. That’s the key. You can’t just retire and loaf around. Watching TV all day.”

“Not my plan at all. You know that,” Lester said between mouthfuls.

Julia took some food on her plate and began to eat. Veal roast with tasty herbed stuffing, roasted potatoes and string beans. She was hungry, more than she realized.

“What are your plans, Lester?” Julia asked, curious to know. “My mother mentioned you want to start a new business?”

Lester nodded and dabbed his mouth with a napkin. “I’m going to just follow my bliss. Your mother and I, once we’re married, are going to start a cheese-making business. Artisanal goat cheese. The secret recipe has been in my family for generations. I’m looking around for a good piece of property. Maybe you can help us out with that. I even have a pair of starter goats. Romeo and Juliet,” he added with a grin.

He sent a sugary glance Lucy’s way and they had soon joined hands on top of the table, gazing warmly into each other’s eyes.

Julia lifted her gaze to the ceiling as she struggled to take it all in. So that explained her mother’s new cheese dip recipe.

Was this a dream? Was it a joke?

Her mother, on a farm?

Making…goat cheese?

Julia sat back from her plate and took a deep breath, and then another. Her mother was hardly farm wife material. She didn’t even like to garden. She’d have to fit her farm chores in between trips to the nail salon and pocketbook parties. As far as Julia knew, they didn’t sell any outfits on QVC suitable for mucking out a barn.

Julia stared at Lester, wondering if he was kidding. But she could tell he was perfectly sincere.

“Well…these are big plans. You didn’t tell me any of this, Mom,” Julia said cautiously.

Lucy shrugged. “Lester’s very organized. He’s taken classes. And the recipe has been in his family for generations. There’s a big demand for goat cheese these days. It’s very gourmet.”

“Yes…you mentioned that.” Julia’s voice was flat.

“Restaurants use a ton of the stuff. I think he can do very well.”

Sam spoke up between bites. He met her gaze, his dark eyes issuing a faint challenge.

Julia countered with a withering look.

So, his true colors were finally showing. She could see where Mr. Handsome stood on this cheese question. Looked like three against one. She was alone in the battle to slow down this runaway train engagement and bring her mother to her senses about her fiancé’s goat farm scheme.

Did Lucy really believe she could spend her golden years surrounded by a herd of nasty, smelly, braying…goats? Julia knew Lucy wouldn’t last a week.

Obviously Lester had talked her into all of it. Her mother was so sweet and gullible. Especially when it came to men. A smooth-talking man who knew how to compliment her legs and her cooking could sell her the Brooklyn Bridge.

She’d bet anything the couple planned to finance the farm with Lucy’s savings. Lester’s contribution would the secret family recipe.

Lester might appear to be just an affable old guy. But there was more going on in the bald dome than first impressions let on.

Miss America indeed. More like Miss Cash Cow.

Hopefully, this whole thing hadn’t gone too far. It was hard to tell. All she knew was that Lester had a recipe and two goats.

Before she could ask any more questions, Sam changed the subject. “So, how did you two meet anyway? I don’t think I ever got the whole story.”

Lucy and Lester launched into a colorful narrative of their first meeting. Julia found her guess had been right. Lester did stay for lunch when he returned with the missing part for the garbage disposal. And Lucy had served stuffed tomato.