Page 42 of SEAL's Doorstep Baby
And now the only thing I can think of when I look at Allison like I am doing right now, is her smiling this way, amusement lighting up her green eyes and turning them from emeralds to jade flames.
When her cheeks pink in a light blush, I can’t help but tease her just a little bit more. “And this one, too. I like this smile too; this little shy one you get when I compliment you.”
She lunges at me with her fists, lightly batting against my chest as she protests. “I don’t have a shy smile. And even if I did, you’re the one causing it with your corny dad jokes. I can’t help but laugh at your poor attempts at humor.”
“Whoa, whoa! Back up. My dad jokes are wonderful for one. Maddie agrees. Don’t you, princess?” I ask, but Maddie is too preoccupied with trying to maneuver her way out of her chair to pay me any attention. “Okay, Maddie may be distracted but it doesn’t mean anything. She’s not a very good witness either, so I’m ignoring her right now.”
Allison cackles in response, and that exact look on her face slows down the world around us until it is just the two of us. “You hear that Maddie? He’s denying you.”
“All lies.” I promise Maddie offhandedly before turning my attention back to Allie. “And the second thing I wanted to say was, I am completely responsible for that smile, so I will keep on telling as many jokes as I need to make you do it. Do you understand me, sweetheart?”
I doubt if she is paying attention to me, because her look is momentarily one of distraction for a split second before it diverges into the one I recognize. I notice her lingering gaze onmy bottom lip. She nods distractedly, and the notion that I can do that to her—drive her to distraction this way—is worth all the cleaning I have done today.
“I’ll be home soon,” I promise, before I head out.
Maddison aka ‘Princess Maddie’ is regally sitting in the chair when I walk to her. I place a kiss on the top of her head and leave to get all the shopping done.
The parking lot is nuts when I get there. I remind myself several times that Allison is a very good co-parent, and also a very good kisser. I make my way inside, relying on the mental discipline I developed in the SEALs to block out the chaos around me.
Seeing a familiar face in the middle of a convenience store is unusual to me, because I haven’t seen one person I've known intimately very well in the whole time I have been back
When Emily and I moved here for a fresh start, and even after we had both gotten settled in our homes here—Emily having a much easier time of this than me—I hadn’t made lasting connections with anyone here on purpose. I didn’t want any reunions and it meant I had a good chance of not meeting anyone significant from my past. Until now.
Standing under the fluorescent lights, looking every inch the effortlessly flawless model in front of a photographer's lens, waiting to be captured—there is Naomi. The fluorescent lighting doesn’t wash all the color from her hair and complexion like it would most people, and even though I can’t see her gray eyes from this distance, she is a hundred percent recognizable.
Naomi.
The woman I was going to marry if things had gone just a little bit differently and I had made a different choice so long ago.
I consider the options I have. On the one hand I can go all the way around a couple of shelves and avoid the aisle she is in, or I can walk up to her and ask her what she is doing here. This is thelast place I would have expected to see her—especially after how we ended things.
No. I have to leave before she sees me,I decide, accepting at this moment that discretion is the much better part of valor for now.
I don’t know why fleeing is the first thing on my mind to do, but I don’t bother to investigate my thought process. I turn my attention back to my cart, readjust my grip on it, and head in the opposite direction to Naomi.
If I can get my stuff checked out, I can leave before she sees me.I hope, but fate decides that this is the best time to screw me over.
“Jakey!”
Sherry?I think, but the voice is different from the only person allowed to call me that. When I don’t immediately see a shuck of gray hair, I know that who I’m looking for is the only other person who calls me that.
Janice.
The fact that she manages to spot me and call my name before I can see her is the exact sort of thing that would have me put my men through another ten sets of reps for their lapse in concentration, but this time I’m the one who has lost sight of my environment. Unforgivable, and costly, in my line of work.
Now that I recognize the voice, the volume with which she calls me is enough to pick her out of the aisles immediately. She is coming in my direction with a large smile on her face.
Of all days?I ask the universe plaintively. Janice is nice, but the risk of Naomi catching a glimpse of me increases with every second I spend with her.
“Hi. Hello Janice. Fancy meeting you here. I’m sorry I have to go, I’m in a bit of a hurry.” I rush out as I push the trolley in the direction of the checkout counter.
“Me too. I'm keeping someone waiting.” She calls out to me as she continues on her way, scanning the aisles in search of who she came with.
“Okay. Hope you see them soon.” I tell her as I hurry along without waiting for any response from her.
I make my way to the counter and quickly scan everything so it can be bagged, and when I have finished I choose the nearest exit.
There is no reason why I should be afraid of seeing Naomi. I’m definitely not afraid.I remind myself.We ended everything sadly, but not on a bad note. And besides, I’m sure she’s moved on now, and I’m old news.
