The Surrogate (Clearwater)

Contents

Praise:
4

Dedication
..
6

Chapter One
.
8

Chapter Two
.
14

Chapter Three
.
18

Chapter Four
.
23

Chapter Five
.
29

Chapter Six
.
34

Chapter Seven
.
37

Chapter Eight
42

Marissa Dobson
.
43

Other Books by Marissa Dobson
.
44

Praise:

Clearwater
Series

Winterblom:

I
found Winterbloom to be a sweet and delightful little romance. Ms. Dobson does
a wonderful job of creating visual scenes that allow the reader to feel as
though they are right there within the story. ~
Romancing
the Book

Unexpected
Forever:

Unexpected
Forever made me cry. I’ll admit it; I teared up quite a few times
actually…Marissa has yet again written an amazing story full of emotions and
detail. I totally recommend reading Unexpected Forever and other great works by
Marissa. ~
Crystal
Out There

Alaskan Tigers

Tiger
Time:

This
is the first book that I have read from Marissa Dobson and it definitely won’t
be my last. I loved the tiger shapeshifter aspect of this book which I haven’t
read much about in previous books. ~
Jennifer
at Books-n-Kisses

When
I first read a review for Tiger Time, I knew this was a must read. Now I know
that it is definitely a must read for anyone that like were romances. It’s definitely
one of those that draws you immediately into the story, and never lets you go…
a wonderfully written story of a woman’s journey into the unknown and a man who
would show her to her destiny. LOVED IT!!!! Looking forward to the next one in
the series. ~
Addicted
to Romance

The
Tiger’s Heart:

This
book was so interesting and I loved it. Steamy with lots of twists and turns.
Recommend this to anyone who likes Shifter type books. ~ Amazon Reader

Tigress
for Two:

And
the plot thickens. I am really enjoying how the overall story arc of this
series is going. There are so many players that it is fascinating to watch the
plot unfold. Everyone’s story is connected, but not in the ways that I had
originally anticipated and that makes it all the more fun to read. ~
Delphina
Reads too Much

Wow,
Tigress for Two was everything I’d hoped it would be after reading some of
Marissa Dobson’s other books. She packed a whollop, enticing the reader with
angst, suspense, romance and suspense…oh did I say that twice?  Well good
cause I meant to, because she did a great job of keeping the reader in suspense
throughout the whole story.  I never knew what was coming next but i was
so intrigued I couldn’t put the book down.   I seriously never imagined
mixing shifter species but it was done well. ~
A
Passion for Romance

Stormkin Series

Storm
Queen:

To
use the word amazing is not too strong when describing this book. I’ve never
read anything like it and I loved every minute of it. Do yourself a favor of
buying this book, if you don’t you’ll be missing out. ~Rebecca Royce,
bestselling author of the The Westervelt Wolves.

This
was a great new addition to the paranormal romance world, it almost had a Urban
Fantasy feel because the sex wasn’t the main focus of the story and I LOVED
that! I thought each scene was done so well! I will be continuing this series!
I can’t wait for the next one! ~ Amazon Reader

Surrogate pregnancy…

Eight months ago Jessi Macis
was artificially inseminated as surrogate mother, never imagining it would land
her with more than she bargained for. Giving her word and her eggs to help the
man she pined for have the child he longed for would have been more than some
could handle but Jessi did it because of their friendship.

Divorce…

Doctor Michael Johnson’s
divorce came as a huge surprise to him, but he was even more shocked when he
realized he never truly loved his ex-wife. That he had always longed for the
woman that stole his heart when he was just an intern. Now with a successful
practice and twins on the way, can he convince her he wants to be more than
just the father to the twins?

Christmas and babies…

Add in the holiday season to
the mess he created, will it be enough to soften her heart and bring the two
together at last?

Chapter One

Jessi Macis white-knuckled her
car into the driveway of the Johnson’s household thankful she made it there.
During parts of the trip she thought the snow would get the best of her little
car. Just shy of eight months pregnant, she had no desire to get stranded by
the weather. She wouldn’t let the blizzard stand in the way of the commitment
she made to spend the holidays and last few weeks of the pregnancy with the
child’s parents.

She pushed open the car door
surprised no one had come outside. They should have been expecting her,
especially since she was two hours late. There had been times she didn’t think
she’d make it at all. The cold air whipped in swirling eddies sending shivers
through her as she slogged through the snow to the house.

The large three-story house
had huge white pillars lining the front, with large windows to take advantage
of the beautiful setting surrounding the house. White Christmas lights trimmed
the house giving it a warm feel without being over the top with the holiday
decorations. To look at the house and realize the twins she would give birth
two in just a few short weeks would grow in up that house was amazing. She
never thought she’d do such a thing, but Jessi had agreed to be the surrogate
for Doctor Michael Johnson and his wife Peg.

The feeling of giving children
to a couple who could give them so much more than just love was a mixed
blessing. She felt honored to help them have a family, but sad that in a few
weeks she’d have to leave the children she had grown attached to as they grew
in her womb.

Jessi stomped the snow from
her boots, then rang the doorbell. Seconds passed and the entryway light didn’t
come on. She pushed the bell again, before wrapping her arms around her body.
Gosh, it was cold. Even if something had happened, the housekeeper should have
been there.

When she was about to go back
to the car, to the warmth of the heater, and call Michael, the door opened. He
stood before her, his hair shaggy and tussled from dragging his hand through
it. He gazed at her as if he didn’t recognize her, there was something haunting
in his eyes. His clothes were wrinkled, the tie he normally wore was loose and
just draped over his shoulders, while the first two buttons of his dress shirt
lay undone. She had never seen him so disheveled, not even when he was an
intern and worked the long hours at the hospital in Denver.

In that moment she forgot
about the chill. “Michael, it’s me Jessi. Is everything okay?”

“Jessi?” He dragged his hand
through his hair, pushing it out of his eyes. He shook his head, as if trying
to focus and it seemed to push away the cobwebs. “Jessi, what are you doing
here? You shouldn’t be out in this.”

“What? I’m here as we agreed
upon. Michael what’s going on? Where’s Peg?” She looked past him, trying to see
into the house.

 “Come in. You’re going to
catch your death out there.” Still in a daze, he moved away, allowing her to
step into the warmth of the house.

Jessi pushed the door shut and
shrugged out of her coat, before she unlaced her boots. Something was wrong
with him and she was eager to get to the bottom of it. She touched her hand on
his arm, to draw his attention. “Let’s sit down and you can tell me what’s
happening.”

“I need a drink.” He moved
from her touch and into the family room.

Somewhat taken aback, she
followed. Even when Michael and her brother James were in medical school
together he rarely drank. In all the time she had known him, she only saw him
drink once, and that was at the graduation celebration she put together for
them. He had a half of a glass of champagne for the toast, and not another sip
through the rest of the party. Stepping into the living room was even more of a
shock to her already overloaded system.

The normally spotless house
looked—the only word she had for it was lived in. It wasn’t dirty, or even a
mess, it was just lived-in. His suit jacket was flung over the back of one of
the chairs, an open pizza box that was barely touched on the coffee table, with
a large bottle of whiskey and glass next to it. A stereo played soft jazz in
the background. Old memories pushed to the surface, Michael was the one that
took her to her first jazz club, one night after his intern shift at the
hospital. It was a night she’d always remember, it was also the night they
shared their first and only kiss, provided by a few drinks.

She refused to let the memory of
his lips on hers cling to her. Right now there were other issues that needed to
be attended to. “Where’s Peg? Is Betty here?”

Michael poured himself a large
whiskey. From the way his eyes seemed to gloss over, she was sure it wasn’t his
first. “She’s gone.” He sank onto the couch, his shoulders slouched in defeat
as he took a long drink from the glass he just poured.

“Gone? As to the store? To
work?” It was highly doubtful that Peg, a lawyer, was called to work at this
time of night. She mostly dealt with divorces and some family law. Why would
she go out in a storm like this, especially when she knew Jessi was due to
arrive? Even if Peg was out, it didn’t explain the absence of Betty.

“No, she’s gone for good.
Divorce papers were served a month ago.”

“Divorce?” Her voice was so
low she wasn’t even sure he heard. Running her hand along the curve of her
stomach she couldn’t believe it herself. A month ago—that was right around the
time of her last doctor’s appointment. He’d come to it alone. Had the papers been
served then? If so, why didn’t he mention it? What would happen to the twins
now? He was in no shape to provide for them, especially not alone. She became a
surrogate mother because the child, or in this case children, that she
delivered would have a family home. She wouldn’t have agreed to do this for a
single parent.

He finished the glass of
whiskey in record time, his head rested against the back of the couch and his
eyes shut.

He’d be no use to her tonight,
she’d have to head back out into the snow to get her luggage and find a guest
bedroom, because the snow was now fully upon the sleepy town of Clearwater.
Jessi got up from her perch and went to him. “Michael, wake up.” She shook his
shoulder until his eyes opened just a crack. “Where’s Betty?”

“With Peg.” His eyes closed
again and this time there was no waking him.

With her host passed out she
was left to find her own guest room. “Guess we’re on our own.” She looked down
at her protruding stomach and wondered what would happen now. She had no means
to provide for twins, but she was damn sure that unless Michael got his act
together she wouldn’t let him have them. She had to have some rights to stand
on. After all it was her egg that helped create the twins. Besides, there was
never any paperwork signed between them, it was all a verbal agreement. Before
then it never struck her as odd, but now she wondered why Peg being a lawyer
never forced the issue. She’d have to think about that later.

* * *

Michael woke to the chimes of
the grandfather clock in the hall. It was after three in the morning. “Shit,
Jessi!” He looked around the room. Had she arrived last night? He couldn’t
remember anything after the pizza came. Flipping open the lid of the box he saw
only the piece he started to eat last night was gone. If she had been there,
she didn’t eat any of it, nor was there another glass to be seen. Not that she
would have joined him in drowning his sorrows in whiskey. Jessi would have been
left alone with his bottle of whiskey to mark the end of his marriage. Those
damn divorce papers peeked out from under the pizza box as a faithful reminder.

The instant he stood from the
couch his head spun. Too much alcohol on an empty stomach, he would feel worse
in the morning. Now he had to see if his pregnant guest had arrived. He made it
to the window before his stomach revolted. Through the thin curtains he saw her
little red car parked in the driveway. Thankful she made it safely Michael
stood there a moment giving his stomach time to settle before he tried the stairs.

He still needed to find out
where she had settled for the night, and if by chance she was awake he owed her
an apology. How could he be so stupid as to try to drink away his problems on
the night she arrived? This was the woman who carried his children. He had to
show her he was still fit to raise the twins even if he was alone.

Each step was pure hell, a
clear reminder why he never drank. He couldn’t handle a beer without feeling
its effects in the morning. What made him think half a bottle of whiskey would
be better for him, he’d never know.

At the top of the stairs he
skipped the first door, knowing it was just an empty room now that Peg had
taken her things from her home office. That left three other guest rooms
between him and the master suite at the end of the hall. He moved up next to
the first door, it took his eyes a moment to focus in the dark room. The bed
was undisturbed. Two more to go.

He made his way down the hall,
his eyes unfocused because of the alcohol and the semi-darkness. The door was
only slightly ajar, unlike the others that were open. It had to be the room she
had chosen. It was the room he would have selected for her. It fit her
completely, the large queen bed sat on an ebony frame, with a high headboard,
the comforter was a rich shade of gold, and lighter gold and white pillows
decorated the bed. It was also the larger guest room, with a private seating
area and in-suite bathroom.

“Michael, is that you?” a
sleepy voice called through the darkness.

“Jes, I’m sorry.” He stepped
into the doorway so she could see him.

She scooted up so her back was
pressed against the headboard. Even in the moonlight, he could see her long
blonde hair cascaded around her shoulders.

“Come in.” When he did she
patted the side of the bed for him to sit. “How do you feel?”

“I was so drunk I don’t even
remember you arriving and you sit there asking me how I’m feeling.” He slammed
his hand onto the bed, thankfully missing her legs. Pain coursed through his
head from the sudden action. “Dammit, it was irresponsible of me. You could
have been stranded, or worse yet, injured.”

She laid her hand over his.
“But I arrived safely. Now tell me what happened.”

“There’s nothing to tell. Peg
left.” He really didn’t want to talk about it, but she had a right to know the
full story. This late at night wasn’t the time to get into it, if he could
avoid it.

“Why did she leave?”

“Could we do this later?”
Maybe never, he added silently.

“I think I deserve some
answers, but since it’s late and I’m sure you have to work in a few hours I’ll
let it slide for
now
.”

The way she stretched the word
now, he knew she wouldn’t wait long. “I took tomorrow off. Unless there’s an
emergency I don’t have to go in until Monday.” He sat there a moment before he
decided to just tell her everything now. It might be selfish but he had no
desire to go to bed to only lay there wondering how she would take the news.

“I want you to know I never
deceived you. Peg and I didn’t have problems until recently.” He frowned, not
able to help himself. Would things have been different with their relationship
if he never wanted children? He wasn’t sure, but he couldn’t give up his dream
of parenthood because she couldn’t have them, not when there were other
alternatives. When they explored the surrogate mother option, she seemed
completely on board, it wasn’t until months later he realized she wasn’t.

“Recently, as in when? You
said the divorce papers where served a month ago, why didn’t you tell me
before?”

“I didn’t know, I guess I
should say I wouldn’t admit it until you were about five, maybe six months
along. Looking back, Peg was distant from the time the pregnancy was confirmed,
but I wouldn’t admit it to myself.” He hated that he didn’t recognize it
sooner, if they had been patients of his he’d have seen it, maybe he could have
prevented it. “She came back from a doctor’s appointment with you when you
found out it was twins. That’s when it came out.”

“What did?” She leaned
forward, at least as much as her stomach would let her, her hand in his.

“That she only agreed to the
surrogacy because I wanted it. She tried, but she didn’t want a child that
wasn’t hers. She couldn’t get past the fact the doctor wasn’t able to use her
eggs, and in the end she couldn’t accept the babies.” He rose and walked to the
window. He needed to look away from the very pregnant and beautiful woman lying
in the bed wearing only a thin blue nightgown. “It’s better that I found out
now, before the twins are born. This way I can provide a life for them, without
the tension. The divorce changes nothing when it comes to the children.”

“Actually, I think it changes
a lot.” She adjusted in bed to look toward him.

“What?” His head whipped
around so fast, he felt the muscles pop and his stomach heaved. “What are you
saying, Jes?”

“I agreed to this when I
thought the children would be raised in a home filled with love and two
parents. Michael, you work long hours. How are you, alone, going to provide the
care to two infants?”