Table Of ContentHe’s more than a man—he’s a fabulous father!
AVAILABLE JUNE 2009
1) Anything for Danny by Carla Cassidy
2) Father in the Making by Marie Ferrarella
3) Most Wanted Dad by Arlene James
4) The Nine-Month Bride by Judy Christenberry
AVAILABLE AUGUST 2009
5) Instant Father by Lucy Gordon
6) Daddy Lessons by Stella Bagwell
7) Most Eligible Dad by Karen Rose Smith
8) First Time, Forever by Cara Colter
AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 2009
9) A Father’s Promise by Helen R. Myers
10) The Women in Joe Sullivan’s Life by Marie Ferrarella
11) Falling for a Father of Four by Arlene James
12) Caleb’s Son by Laurie Paige
AVAILABLE OCTOBER 2009
13) Waiting for the Wedding by Carla Cassidy
14) Daniel’s Daddy by Stella Bagwell
15) Always Daddy by Karen Rose Smith
16) The Billionaire’s Baby Chase by Valerie Parv
Jonathan Wescott on Fatherhood…
Dear Emily,
I know I wasn’t around when you were born, when you blessed the world with
your first smile, when you took your first step, when you started your first day of
kindergarten. All these years I didn’t know I had a wonderful little girl like you.
But now I do.
I will read you stories, give you piggyback rides and hug you every chance I get.
I guarantee that when you talk to me, I will listen. Because I love you.
As you grow, I will answer your questions as honestly as I can, wipe your tears
and try to make you smile. When you’re old enough to think about boys, I will
warn you, I’ll probably interfere and ruthlessly interrogate anyone you choose to
date. Because I love you.
I promise you I will be the best dad I know how to be.
Always,
Daddy
KAREN ROSE SMITH
Always Daddy
KAREN ROSE SMITH
Award-winning and bestselling author Karen Rose Smith has had more than
sixty-five novels published since 1991. Living in Pennsylvania with her husband
—who was her college sweetheart—and their two cats, she has been writing full-
time since the start of her career. Readers can receive updates on Karen’s latest
releases and write to her through her Web site at www.karenrosesmith.com or at
P.O. Box 1545, Hanover, PA 17331.
FOR KEN—ALWAYS MOM.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Prologue
J
onathan Wescott read the letter a second time, not believing the words on the
white linen stationery. His hand shook as he looked up at his closest friend and
attorney. “My God, how could Cecile have done this to me?”
“From what her lawyer told me, she didn’t know she was pregnant until after
she got to Philadelphia,” Adam Hobbs explained as he sat on the corner of the
mahogany desk, his voice calm, yet his concern for his friend evident.
Jon whisked the letter in front of Adam’s nose. “She says she told her lawyer
I was dead and put the baby up for adoption because she knew I’d never let her
put her career before a child. Am I such an ogre that she couldn’t at least tell
me?”
Adam scanned Jon’s six-foot-two athletic stature. “Of course not. You just
never realized exactly how selfish Cecile was. She knew you’d want to keep the
child, and she’d always be tied to you and the baby if you did. She didn’t want
that responsibility.”
“And now she’s dead and I’ve missed five years of my daughter’s life!” Jon
restrained the anger that rolled through him, threatening to explode. He swore
viciously and swung around to stare at the Los Angeles skyline from Adam’s
seventh-story window as he realized that if Cecile hadn’t been killed, he might
never have known he had a daughter. A daughter!
A moment later, he felt Adam’s hand on his shoulder. They’d been friends
since college and understood each other well. Although Adam’s specialty was
corporate law and he handled Jon’s business matters, he advised Jon on personal
matters, too. “Besides assuaging Cecile’s guilt, Jon, this letter’s a gift. If she
hadn’t written it and left it with her attorney, you could have missed more than
five years of your daughter’s life.”
Though Cecile’s death was a shock, Jon wasn’t surprised it had happened in
her red sports car. He’d constantly worried about her penchant for speed in that
her red sports car. He’d constantly worried about her penchant for speed in that
vehicle…as well as her drive to get to the top in her profession. She’d left L.A.
for a position in the East because she’d decided furthering her career by
becoming vice president of a cosmetics company was more important than their
relationship. Today he’d learned that she also considered her career more
important than their child.
Adam dropped his hand to his side. “She left you more than the letter.
Apparently her guilt got the best of her when she was on her deathbed. She left
you blood samples.”
Jon faced his friend. “I don’t understand.”
“If a DNA typing lab has the blood sample of the mother, child and alleged
father, paternity can be determined with practical certainty. On her order,
Cecile’s attorney had her blood samples sent to a respected and reliable lab in
Pittsburgh.”
Jon wondered if Cecile had left the letter and blood samples because she’d
once cared or because, as Adam suspected, guilt had eaten at her.
Adam continued, “I did some checking after her lawyer called me. I felt I
should know the facts about the adoption so I could prepare you.”
But Jon hadn’t let Adam prepare him. As usual, he’d cut off his friend’s
preamble and platitudes and ordered him to cut to the bottom line. That’s when
Adam had handed Jon the letter from Cecile, the letter she’d directed her lawyer
to open on her death. The enormity of the information enclosed was starting to
sink in.
His jaw set, his broad shoulders straight, Jon faced the circumstances head-
on. “What did you find out?”
Adam picked up the notes on his desk. “The couple who adopted your
daughter took her home the day after she was born. They adopted privately for a
reason. Alicia Fallon was twenty-two—her husband was fifty-two. The PI’s
report said her husband had a low sperm count. And with him that age, they
would have had a problem going through an agency. They also didn’t want to
wait the years it might have taken through normal channels.”
Jon paced across the oriental rug. “I never could understand a match with
