Determined To Be A Dad
Biology teacher Peter Gladstone may have lost his beloved wife, but the tragedy only strengthened his resolve to create a family. With a donor egg and a surrogate mom, Peter is sure to be a proud papa soon, thanks to the fertility specialists at Safe Harbor Medical.
Harper Anthony seems like the perfect choice for the donor. Sheâs smart, beautiful and a great mom to her young daughter. The problem is, Peter has recently become reacquainted with the young widow and now sees her as a friendâor maybe something more than a friend. And Peter has chosen to keep his identity a secret. If the truth comes out, the consequences may threaten their budding romance. But only the truth can turn them into a familyâ¦.
âLet me tell you my dream.â
Peter reminded himself to breathe. âPlease do.â
âItâs a real dream.â Harper ducked her head. âI mean, itâs not a wish or a fantasy, itâs something that comes to me while Iâm sleeping. Over and over.â
With no idea where this might be heading, he merely waited.
âIâm out in a field.â Harper studied her clasped hands. They were pretty hands, with long tapered fingers and lightly polished nails. Sheâd moved her wedding ring to the right side, he noted. âThere are two boys playing. Sometimes theyâre toddlers. Other times, they might be five or six.â
âTwo boys?â he repeated.
A quick nod. âThereâs a shadowy figure playing with them. A man, but I canât make out his face. Theyâre playing catch, or tagâit varies.â
âI see.â But he didnât.
âNobody realizes Iâm there, and I think thatâs because Iâm not.â Although tears glittered on her lashes, Harper met Peterâs gaze squarely. âI have the sense that Iâm meant to give them life. Thatâs all. They wonât be my sons. Theyâre supposed to be born and Iâm supposed to make that happen.â
âAnd let them go.â
âExactly.â
Dear Reader,
Not many years ago, the notion of achieving parenthood through egg donations and surrogates lay in the realm of science fiction. Today the opportunity exists for a widower like high school biology teacher Peter Gladstone to have longed-for children.
No wife? At Safe Harbor Medical Center, thatâs no obstacle. A fertility issue of his own? No obstacle there either.
But Peter does have one problem: choosing the woman who will be the genetic mother of his child or children. Although all the donors at Safe Harbor have been screened, sheâll still be a stranger.
When an unexpected opportunity presents itself, heâs torn. Harper Anthony, a nurse whoâs the widow of a former colleague of Peterâs, is listed among the donors. Sheâs attractive, intelligent and a wonderful mom to her six-year-old daughter.
If he picks her, is it ethical to keep his identity a secret? Perhaps so, except that heâs teaching her daughter in a summer sports program and keeps connecting with Harper. The closer they become, the stronger his dilemma.
I hope youâll join Peter and Harper, and share their journey with them!
Best,
Jacqueline Diamond
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The author of more than ninety romances, mysteries, Regencies and paranormals, Jacqueline Diamond lives in Orange County, California, with her husband of more than thirty years. Writing about a fertility program at a medical center draws on Jackieâs long-standing interest in medicine, which began when her father, then the only doctor in the small Texas town of Menard, delivered her at home. You can learn more about the Safe Harbor Medical series at www.jacquelinediamond.com and keep up to date with Jackie at her Facebook site, JacquelineDiamondAuthor.
Chapter One
Glancing up from his clipboard across the shouting, seething crowd of children and parents half filling the community college gym, Peter Gladstone spotted the woman with an eerie jolt of recognition. For an instant, the entire scene froze.
Taller than most of the moms, she moved toward him with easy grace, her soft, short chestnut hair framing an animated face. His chest squeezed. She reminded him so much of Angela.
Jerking himself out of his daze, Peter noted the little girl hanging on to her left hand and the little boy trying to pull free on the right. âCan I help you?â he asked as they reached him.
âIâm sorry to bother you, Peter.â From her tone and use of his first name, she obviously knew him. And he had seen her before, so why couldnât he place her? He certainly ought to remember a woman who bore such a marked resemblance to his late wife. Perhaps heâd met her last summer here at Safe Harbor Sports Camp, but he had a strong sense that he knew her from somewhere else.
âItâs no bother.â He strove for polite words to obscure the fact that heâd forgotten who she was. âThe first day is always chaotic.â