One Sexy Daddy by Vivian Leiber Page A

hullabaloo was? So that she could be the stable and unchanging Stacy Poplar—with some memories to cherish? And that she had thought up all this, had even worked up the herculean courage to ask a man—a virtual stranger—and then, after only an hour’s reflection, reconsidered and called it off.
    â€œAnd at Tanglewood, of all places,” Marion continued. “Nobody goes to Tanglewood unless it’s something special—or you’re a tourist who got lost driving up to Lake Geneva Resorts.”
    Relief.
    Marion didn’t know everything .
    â€œIt was just dinner,” Stacy said, confirming the limits of her sister—and Nancy Tigerman’s—knowledge.
    â€œIt was a date,” Marion countered peevishly. “And it’s okay if you date. It’s wonderful, in fact. Just I wish I would have known first. To hear it from Nancy is humiliating. By the way, do you think he’s the marrying kind? Because I’ve heard he’s got a love-’em-and-leave-’em reputation. I can have Jim sit down and have a talk with him.”
    Oh, Marion, there’s not going to be any wedding bells , Stacy thought, but she merely said, “It wasn’t a date. He was saying thank you because Itook his daughter yesterday when it was Institute Day.”
    â€œWhich reminds me—you could have called me,” Marion said. “The boys would have liked to have seen you.”
    Oh, so that was what this was about.
    â€œI’m sorry, Marion.”
    Marion sighed wearily. “I couldn’t get anything done. I couldn’t be on the phone two minutes with a supplier without one of them attempting to murder the other. And when I sat down at my desk in the kitchen—oh, if I don’t send Jim’s bills out to his customers, we don’t get paid! And it’s not as if there’s all that many customers.”
    Jim had a reputation as a plumber. A good one. In fact, so good that nobody in Deerhorn had ever had any plumbing problems of any significance. He seldom had repeat customers, but not because there was any problem or any other plumber to call.
    â€œI’m sorry, I should have thought of you,” Stacy said. “I could take them off your hands today if that would help.”
    She nearly added that the boys might like seeing Karen and that Karen could sure use some friends. But maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to tell Marion about the job quite yet. No need to add fuel to the gossip bonfire.
    â€œI have a better idea. Jim’s got the truck for the weekend. He says he’s happy to spend Sundaymoving your stuff into the room upstairs. Do you think you’d be ready by then? We would love to have you and that old house is too big for a single woman all on her own.”
    And, Stacy guessed, Marion could use the money the two sisters would receive from the sale of the home they grew up in.
    â€œI think this weekend’s just a little too soon for me.”
    â€œOh, Stacy, please hurry and make up your mind,” Marion said. “And don’t go out with that man again if you don’t want the whole town talking. Because they will.”
    â€œWhat if I was working for him?”
    â€œAs what?”
    â€œA baby-sitter.”
    â€œThat’d better be all you’re doing for him.”
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    O N THE FRONT PORCH , Adam, relaxed and confident, waved a CD under her nose.
    â€œSinatra,” he said. “If I learned to dance to this, you can, too. The music is old-fashioned as all get out, but no experience necessary.”
    â€œWe’re talking about dancing, right?” she asked, staring at his shoes, feeling a hot blush exploding on her cheeks. Really nice shoes, actually. Work shoes. Worn but clean. Jeans that were faded nearly to white and a white oxford shirt with its top button undone. A smile as sexy as original sin.
    Her eyes met his. She ducked her eyes and thenthought Hey! This is my life! If I