Gina Wilkins - The Soldier's Forever Family

That all felt like another lifetime now.

She swallowed hard. “Yes, he loves music.”

Adam studied her face. Was he thinking back to the same things she was? Had he remembered their previous encounter as fondly as she had, or had she been nothing more to him than a pleasant diversion he’d forgotten about since? Still, he’d immediately recognized her face and knew her name on the beach this morning. She supposed there was some gratification in that.

But it was getting late. Looking down at Simon, she jostled him gently. “Come on, honey, let’s go back to the cabin. You need to get to bed so you can rest for tomorrow.”

“I don’t want to go yet. I want to hear the music,” Simon roused enough to respond, a hint of whine in his protest. As well-behaved as he generally was, he could be a pill when he was tired, which he certainly was now. She hoped he wasn’t about to show one of his rare flashes of five-year-old temper here in front of...well, in front of everyone.

Adam motioned toward the lodges. “As it happens, I’m headed that way myself. How about a lift, buddy? You can ride on my shoulders if you like.”

Distracted and intrigued, Simon lifted his head to peer at Adam. “I’d be really high up, wouldn’t I?”

Adam smiled faintly. “Yes, you would. You’d be able to see a long way.”

Simon promptly climbed onto the bench and held up his arms. Joanna felt a ripple of dismay at the sight of her son reaching out to the man he didn’t know was his father. And something else...maybe a little possessiveness? Or was it fear of something she couldn’t quite define?

Adam crouched in front of the bench while Simon climbed on, then straightened with the boy high on his shoulders.

Giving her a slightly crooked smile, Adam asked, “Ready, JoJo?”

From his lofty perch, Simon giggled drowsily. “That’s a funny name for her. Aunt Maddie usually calls my mom Jo, but sometimes she calls her Joey.”

Joanna fell into step beside them. “Not if she wants me to respond.”

“Maybe I should call you Dr. JoJo.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “Not if you want me to respond.”

“Oh, I absolutely want you to respond,” he said lightly.

Something about his tone made her miss a step on the pebbled pathway. She pulled herself together sharply with an admonition that she had to keep her wits about her this week. She couldn’t think clearly if she allowed herself to be dazzled again by infatuation—or whatever it was she had once felt for Adam, if only for a weekend.

It didn’t help to see him with her—their—son on his shoulders, both laughing when Adam bobbed and weaved to give Simon a more entertaining ride. Her fingernails dug painfully into her palms. As appealing a picture as they made, what would be the consequences of bringing this man—this virtual stranger, really—into their lives?

Adam glanced down at her, and whatever he saw in her expression made him stop smiling. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Just tired.” More tired than she’d realized, apparently, she decided, considering the dramatic turn her thoughts had taken. She’d be able to think straight tomorrow, after she’d had a chance to rest and process this change in their circumstances a bit more.

They’d arrived at their building, so she reached up to help Simon down, too vividly aware of each time she brushed against Adam in doing so. “Good night, Adam. Thank you again for inviting us to dinner.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Mr. Adam?” Simon asked hopefully.

Adam ruffled his hair. “Sure, buddy. See you tomorrow.”

He turned his head to look at Joanna then. “I’ll see you tomorrow, too.”

She nodded in resignation, knowing they still had a lot to talk about. “Simon leaves for his field trip at one.”

“Right. I’ll find you.”

Was that a promise...or a warning? She was too exhausted to decide.

* * *

MADDIE WAS GRATIFIED to see her sister’s number on her caller ID Tuesday morning. She’d been on pins and needles wondering how everything was going between Joanna and Adam. It had been all she could do not to hop on a plane yesterday after Joanna’s frantic call, but she’d forced herself to take some time to make responsible arrangements for her work obligations. Still, family came first. As she’d learned during the past six years, a family didn’t have to be perfect, just mutually supportive.

“Jo? Is everything okay?”

“It’s...nerve-wracking,” Joanna answered. “But it’s okay, I guess.”

Hearing some odd beeping noises in the background, Maddie asked, “What’s going on? What are those sounds?”

“Simon wanted to come into the arcade after breakfast. I figured you’d be impatient for a report, so I’m taking the opportunity to talk while he’s engrossed in a pinball machine.”

“Pinball, huh? That kid’s probably already figured out the geometric trajectories of the balls to get the best scores,” Maddie said with an indulgent laugh.

Joanna’s answering chuckle sounded strained. “He’s working on it.”

Maddie really did adore her funny nephew. The way her own love life had fizzled lately with one disappointing date after another, Simon could be the closest she would ever come to having a kid, something she hadn’t realized she wanted before spending so much time with Joanna and Simon. She just didn’t want to make babies with any of the guys she’d been out with lately.

“So? Have you talked to Adam again?” She’d waited as long as she could to ask.

“We had dinner last night,” Joanna said, then added quickly, “Not alone. We ate with Simon and Trevor Farrell, the owner of the resort. So we didn’t talk about anything important, just small talk.”

Even mentioning the man’s name added another layer of tension to Joanna’s voice, something Maddie noted with a deepening frown. “So how’s Adam acting? Is it weird with the two of you? Is he trying to get to know Simon? He totally believes Simon is his kid, right?”

“Yes, it’s weird. And yes, he believes me. Or he says he does. He seems sort of fascinated by Simon. Maybe even intimidated by him. Like he’s not quite sure how to behave.”

Maddie supposed that all made sense. Had to have been a shock for the guy to find out suddenly that he had a kindergarten-age son. She cleared her throat before asking the next question. “I don’t suppose you’ve told Mom and Dad that Adam is—”

“No!” Joanna interrupted quickly. “And don’t you dare say anything until I’ve had a chance to talk to them.”

“You know I won’t. Trust me, I want nothing to do with that conversation.”

Henry and Gail Zielinski still hadn’t recovered from the shock of having their most responsible and previously compliant daughter return from vacation pregnant and unmarried. They’d wrung their hands and asked—within Maddie’s hearing, of course—what they’d done wrong to be the parents of not just one but two rebellious daughters.

Maddie shook her head at the memory of that conversation. To give them credit, their parents had supported Joanna’s decision to raise the child, and they’d welcomed Simon with as much warmth as their reserved personalities allowed. Still, Joanna had seemed to feel even more pressure to excel in her career and lead an exemplary life to make up for her “lapse in judgment.”

Joanna had never quite mastered Maddie’s ability to shrug off their parents’ disapproval and live the way she wanted, though Jo said she was working on that. The cross-country move ahead should help. Still, Maddie hated thinking about how much she would miss her sister and nephew.

She brought the conversation back to the present. “When are you going to talk to Adam again?”