Dare To Love Series: Dare Me Again (Kindle Worlds Novella) by Cora Seton Page A

planned to dive into the second phase of his adult life with as much gusto as he had the first. It wasn’t enough for him to buy a ranch; it had to be a spread worth keeping in the family for generations to come. He wasn’t just going to have kids; he would work with them, play with them, teach them to ride, rope, and catch a pass for a touchdown. He wasn’t just going to marry any woman, either.
    He wanted Carolina.
    That’s where things got tricky. She’d attracted him from the start with her intelligence, her passion for all things sports-related and her big heart. Not to mention a body that was all delicious curves. The first time he’d laid eyes on her something within him had shifted and he known she was special, but all too soon she’d quickly announced her plans never to marry. She’d been burned before by a man—badly. She refused to be hurt again.
    Connor was smart. He’d backed off right away, sure she’d change her tune over time. She hadn’t, though. He’d tried a hundred tricks to convince her he should be the exception to her rule. He’d even dated other women when nothing else worked. Carolina didn’t blink. He’d have thought she simply wasn’t into him if it wasn’t for the way she’d kissed him.
    Once.
    A kiss that pushed his body into overdrive.
    Afterward she blamed it on the booze, the crowd, the night, but Connor knew better. Carolina wanted him too.
    She was just too stubborn to admit it.
    CAROLINA RICHMOND SAT uncomfortably on the paper liner that covered the padded examination table and crossed her bare ankles. “Are we done?”
    “Not so fast.” Dr. Marjorie Sharp smiled over her shoulder. “I’m going to order up some tests for you.”
    “Tests?” Carolina didn’t like the sound of that. She was as healthy as a horse. Always had been. She only came to these annual appointments to be a good example to the young women she mentored.
    “You’re thirty-five,” Dr. Sharp said. “You’ve moved into a new age bracket. You need to keep a closer watch on your cholesterol and blood pressure, among other things.”
    “Wait a minute, are you calling me old?” She was far from old. Carolina jogged ten miles four times a week. She worked out with weights three times a week. Took exercise classes as often as she could. Women half her age didn’t look as good.
    “I’m calling you thirty-five. Now let’s talk about birth control. You’ve been on the Pill for a number of years. Is that still working for you?”
    “Yes.”
    “You’re using condoms with new partners?”
    What new partners? She was too busy for dating. “Yes.”
    Dr. Sharp raised an eyebrow. “What about kids? Have you ruled them out?”
    Carolina blinked. “Of course I haven’t ruled them out. I’m going to have a family.”
    “When?”
    Dr. Sharp waited for an answer, and for the first time ever Carolina was at a loss for words. When was she going to have a family?
    “I don’t know. Someday.”
    Dr. Sharp pursed her lips. “I understand this is an uncomfortable topic for many women. You think you have plenty of time to have a child, and maybe you’re right. Science is doing all kinds of wonderful things that can prolong a woman’s child-bearing years.”
    “I don’t need to prolong them. Women don’t hit menopause until fifty, right? I’ve got tons of time!”
    “Maybe. Maybe not.” She shrugged. “At your age it begins to be a crap shoot. Some women get pregnant easily in their forties. Others don’t. If you wait too much longer you could face IVF and charts and shots and things like that.” She held up a hand to stop Carolina’s protests. “I’m not saying you have to make up your mind today. I want you to think about it before you slide into your forties. If you want a child, and especially if you want several, now is the time to make a plan. Go ahead and get dressed. You can pick up your test orders at the front desk.”
    Carolina stood up slowly after the door closed behind the