The Soldier's Forever Family Read online

  Adam loaded the now-sniffling boy into the car, leaving Maddie to make sure he was safely strapped in. Then Adam turned to Joanna. The lines around his mouth were carved even more deeply now. His gray eyes were so dark they looked like charcoal.

  “So,” he said, his voice as tight as his jaw, “we’ll talk.”

  She nodded. “Of course. I’ll send you some of the pictures I took this week.”

  “Sure. You’ve got a long trip ahead. Be careful, okay?”

  “We will.” She had an impulse to hold out her hand for a shake, but that seemed absurd. She kept her arms at her sides, her fingers curled around her phone.

  He looked equally conflicted for a moment, then shook his head and reached for her with a mutter. “One last time.”

  Ignoring her sister and anyone else who might be watching, Adam kissed her. Hard. Thoroughly. Not angrily, but not gently, either. And she returned the kiss with a mix of equally volatile emotions.

  He released her as abruptly as he’d embraced her. “’Bye, JoJo,” he said with a big step backward.

  The most she could manage in return was a whisper. “Take care of yourself, Adam.”

  “I always have,” he muttered.

  He tapped lightly on the trunk of the car as he walked past it. And then he was gone.

  “Want me to take the first shift driving, Jo?” Maddie offered, her voice compassionate.

  “I think that’s a good idea.”

  They moved to separate sides of the vehicle, paused with their hands on the handles for a last look around, then glanced at each other over the top of the car before simultaneously opening the doors and climbing inside. Neither looked back as they drove away.

  * * *

  FROM THE SHELTER of the trees at the side of the parking lot, Adam gripped his neck as he watched the car turn onto the highway and drive out of sight. This was why he hated goodbyes. They were too damned hard.

  “So that’s it? You’re going to let them just drive away?”

  He looked around to find Walt standing nearby, dressed in a casual pullover and jeans that made it clear he wasn’t working. Adam didn’t know why Walt was here, or why he hadn’t come forward to say goodbye. Was this merely Walt’s way of supporting Adam, or had he felt the need to watch Maddie drive away?

  Whatever the reason, Adam’s response was cross. “Well, I could force them to stay, but that’s called kidnapping. It’s sort of against the law.”

  “Funny. And I was being serious.”

  “What the hell else am I supposed to do? Chase after them?”

  “Is that what you want to do?”

  God, yes.

  Keeping the words to himself, he glared at the man who looked back at him with sympathetic eyes. “Trying to play shrink, Walt? Maybe you should leave that to the professionals.”

  “Like Joanna.”

  “Yeah. Like Joanna.”

  Letting his arm fall to his side, he glanced again at the now empty road. “You’re no better yourself or you wouldn’t have been lurking back here rather than coming out to see them off. To see Maddie off.”

  Walt sighed to concede the point. “Maybe you’re right.”

  “So that’s it?” The imitation was deliberate. Pointed. “You’re just going to let her leave?”

  Walt replied with a grimace. “Touché. I guess you aren’t the only man scared spitless by a pretty Zielinski sister.”

  Adam shifted abruptly to walk around his friend. “I’ve got a lot of catching up to do around here. I think I’ll start now.”

  Walt patted Adam’s back a little too heartily. “Looks like we both need to figure out what we really want. And how to go about it without getting ourselves—or anyone we care about—hurt in the process.”

  “It’s a little less complicated for you than for me,” Adam muttered. After all, Walt didn’t have a son to think about.

  He regretted his cranky tone when Walt said quietly, “I might be older and a little more beat up, but I’ve got feelings and fears just like you do, my friend. Our circumstances are different, I’ll admit, but the risks—and the potential rewards—are more alike than you want to acknowledge.”

  “Walt, I—”

  “—have some work to get to,” Walt finished for him, sparing them both the awkward apology. “Go take care of it. I’ve got some thinking of my own to do.”

  He turned to walk away without looking back.

  * * *

  DRESSED IN A reasonably conservative, at least for her, blouse and skirt, Maddie looked up from her desk when someone tapped on her closed office door. It was late in the workday on a Friday afternoon almost three weeks after the trip to South Carolina. Most of her associates had already left for the weekend. She had no more appointments scheduled, and she’d thought her secretary had gone already, so she wasn’t sure who was interrupting her now. “Come in.”

  Her frown faded into a speculative smile when an unexpected visitor entered the office, closing the door behind him. Her heart rate increased, and anticipation shivered along her nerve endings. She rose slowly to her feet, cocking one hip into a cheerfully impertinent stance. “Well, hello, Sarge. This is a nice surprise.”

  Smiling, Walt crossed the room toward her. “I hoped it would be a nice one. And I hope you don’t have plans for the weekend.”

  She felt her lips curve in delight. “If I did, I don’t now.”

  He paused a couple feet away to give her a leisurely once-over. “You look great, Maddie.”

  “I look like a lawyer,” she corrected him, her tone self-mocking as she glanced down at her conventional outfit.

  “Yeah, well, it works for you. But then, you’d look good in anything.”

  She moved closer and walked her fingers up his blue-dotted tie to the neat knot at his collar. “Does that mean you’re happy to see me?”

  “Oh, yeah,” he said huskily, reaching out to pull her against him. “Oh, yeah.”

  She rose on her tiptoes to greet his hungry kiss.

  A long time later, he lifted his head. “Does that mean you’re happy to see me, too?” he asked, his voice hoarse.

  “Oh, yes. Assuming you’re here for reasons that have nothing to do with my sister or your idiot friend.”

  “Nothing at all,” he promised. “Joanna and Adam have to work out their own issues. I plan to spend the next day or so trying to figure out exactly what you see in a divorced, war-damaged lawyer a few years older than you. Doing my best to convince you I don’t think you’re flighty or irresponsible. And following your advice about finding out where this chemistry between us could lead.”

  She didn’t much like his self-deprecating description, but she figured it wouldn’t take her long to convince him she saw a lot more in him. She cupped his face in her hands and brushed a kiss across his mouth. “I’m pretty sure my instincts are right. As I said before, I’m good at that sort of thing.”

  His crooked smile made her body tingle in response. “I’d imagine you’re good at a lot of things.”

  Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed against him. “You have no idea.”

  She smothered his laugh beneath another eager kiss.

  * * *

  SEVERAL HOURS LATER, Maddie snuggled with Walt in her big bed. Her every inch felt boneless and relaxed. Satisfied. As she’d predicted, Walt used his one hand—not to mention the rest of his very fine body—masterfully.

  “Nice apartment,” he said, glancing around the colorful room. She hadn’t given him time to admire it when she’d ushered him in, straight through the living room and down the hallway to the master bedroom.

  “Thanks. I’ve considered buying, but haven’t found a place I liked enough to commit to.”

  “You should visit me in South Carolina sometime,” he
said a little too casually. “Got a nice top-floor condo. Ocean view. I bought it just before Christmas. Got a good deal on it because that’s not a peak time for home buying.”

  Amused by the brusque practicality in contrast with his obvious pride of ownership, she smiled and kissed his chin, the only part of his face she could reach at the moment. “You’re a funny guy, Walt.”

  He looked at her with a lifted eyebrow. “You think it’s funny that I bought a condo?”

  “No. Yes.” She ran her fingertips over his firm jaw. “I just really like you.”

  He shifted to brush her smile with his lips. “I really like you, too. In case you hadn’t figured that out.”

  His smile faded a bit then. “The situation between your sister and my idiot friend is still strained, right? I hope that’s not going to be a problem for us. I don’t know about Joanna, but Adam’s been a bear for the past three weeks.”

  “Joanna’s been so smiley and cheery she could audition for the lead in a kiddie show. And before you misinterpret that, it’s roughly the same sign as Adam’s grouchiness. She’s hurting and confused.”

  Maddie propped herself on one elbow, the sheet draped over her hips. “As far as you and I are concerned, their problems have no bearing on whatever might develop between us. It’s neither your fault nor mine that they’re making each other miserable. Why should we do the same? We clicked three weeks ago. So...here we are.”

  “Here we are.” He kissed her lingeringly before asking, “Will she mind?”

  “It wouldn’t matter if she did. But no, she won’t mind. Jo and I lead our own lives. She wants me to be happy. And I want the same for her.”

  He sighed, twisting a strand of her bright red hair around one finger. “I wish the same for Adam. He’s just so damned skittish.”

  “If anyone can get through that thick head of his, my sister and nephew will manage.”

  Walt tumbled her back down beside him. “How about we talk about Joanna and Adam later?”

  Laughing, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Much later.”

  * * *

  ADAM PAUSED IN his morning run to swipe his forearm over his wet face, his attention caught by the sight of a small group of tourists out for an early horseback ride down the beach. He was taken back to the feel of a child’s arms around his waist, the sound of a boy’s laughter in his ear as ol’ Dez had trudged patiently beneath them. He scowled down at his feet, only then realizing he’d stopped in the very spot where he’d first found Simon. Damn it.

  He missed Simon. Missed Joanna. He doubted that he would ever again be satisfied with his formerly commitment-free life now that he’d had a taste of what he was missing. He hadn’t been sure about telling Simon he was his father, but that was irrelevant now. The boy knew, and he’d made it clear he wanted his dad to be a part of his future.

  After seeing Joanna and Simon drive away, Adam had asked Trevor for a little more time before giving his answer about the change in his job. Trevor had encouraged him to take as much time as he needed to be certain. Adam had wrestled with old doubts and fears during the past three weeks, but he finally had an answer, though he’d yet to share it with his friend and employer.

  It was time to stop running. Time for Adam to reach out and grasp what he’d always wanted, but had never expected to find. It was scary as hell to make a lifetime commitment when he’d spent so many years avoiding emotional risks, but this time it was worth his best effort.

  He wouldn’t be a pop-in, long-distance near stranger known only through phone calls and brief visits. He’d be there for ball games and fishing trips and teacher conferences and whatever else real dads did. In Seattle, if that was where he had to move to be near his son. That was the least his boy deserved.

  He still had his doubts, of course. Still worried that he wasn’t up to the task. He hated the thought of failing his son. Just remembering the way the kid’s lower lip quivered when he was sad made Adam feel gut-punched.

  He was equally apprehensive about hurting Joanna. And as much as he hated to admit it, he couldn’t help worrying about being hurt by her instead. He’d never allowed any woman into his guarded heart, and the thought of doing so now made him break out in a sweat, though not from running this time.

  He drew a deep breath. Regardless of his fears, it was time to make some changes. Time to prove once and for all that he didn’t have to be the kind of dad—the kind of man—his own father had been. He only hoped Joanna’s faith in him was justified.

  * * *

  JOANNA WAS STAGGERING across her living room with a teetering stack of books when her doorbell rang three weeks and one day after she’d come home from the resort. Simon was sleeping over at a friend’s house, and she’d been using the time alone to do some organizing for the move in two weeks. Boxes sat everywhere around her, but the one she’d earmarked for these books was in another room. She looked around for someplace to set the stack quickly, finally tumbling them on the couch to be packed after she saw who was at the door.

  Sidestepping a box half filled with framed photos, she wiped her hands on her jeans and made an effort to smooth her hair. She was expecting a delivery today—the vacation photo book she’d ordered. She’d placed the order only a few days after they’d returned, thinking Simon would like to look at the pages during the flight to Seattle. He’d probably be both excited and a little nervous about the approaching changes in his life, so she’d chosen shots that featured him laughing and having fun. She’d tried to include pictures from each day of the week, and as many as possible of the other children he’d met so he’d remember the friends he’d made there. The Explorers Club counselors had sent all the parents snapshots taken during the field trips, so quite a few of those were included, as well.

  There were, of course, quite a few photos of Simon and Adam in the album. Simon would love those. He hadn’t stopped talking about his dad since they’d gotten back, and he’d been thrilled to have spoken with Adam on the phone a few times since they’d parted. Maddie had sent Joanna the photo she’d snapped of Adam hugging Simon goodbye, but Joanna hadn’t included it in the book. Instead, she’d selected the one she’d taken herself of Adam and Simon from behind, walking hand in hand and smiling at each other. The moment Maddie had captured had been too raw, too poignant to fit the lighthearted vacation theme of the book. Joanna would save that for later.

  Thinking of how excited Simon would be to see his gift, she opened the door. Only to find Adam Scott standing there, giving her a tentative smile that made her heart skip a few beats. Her hand tightened around the doorknob. “Adam?”

  “Hi, JoJo.”

  “You’ve cut your hair.”

  She winced as soon as the words left her mouth. What a stupid thing to say. Wouldn’t it make more sense to ask what he was doing here? Or maybe why he hadn’t told her he was coming?

  He brushed a hand over his hair, which still wasn’t as short as when she’d met him, but had been trimmed and tidied in the past couple of weeks. It looked good on him—but then, everything did. “Yeah, it was time. Uh—can I come in?”

  “Oh. Of course. I’m sorry, I’m a little—I didn’t expect to see you.”

  “I know.” He closed the door behind him, glancing around at the room. “Getting ready for the move, huh?”

  “Starting to. I’m trying to throw some stuff away rather than move it.” Shaking her head to clear it, she added, “Simon’s not here, I’m afraid. He’s having one last sleepover with his two best friends here in Alpharetta. They were going for pizza, then a movie.”

  She’d thought he would be disappointed, but he merely nodded. “That sounds like fun.”

  She rubbed her hands down her jeans again, feeling grubby from her packing. “I’m sorry you missed him. Had we known you were coming—”

  “Actually, I have a confession to make.”r />
  She’d been about to invite him to sit, but the hint of sheepishness in his tone made her study him with an arched eyebrow. “What sort of confession?”

  “I knew Simon wasn’t going to be here this evening.”

  “How—?” Had he somehow talked to Simon without her knowledge? It wasn’t that he needed permission to speak with his son, but Simon didn’t have his own phone.

  “Your sister told me.”

  Startled, she asked, “When did you talk to Maddie?”

  “I called her to tell her I was coming and to ask if she could watch Simon this evening while you and I talked. She told me about the sleepover. Just as well, I guess. She has company for the weekend. Walt’s with her.”

  Joanna tried to follow. Why hadn’t Maddie told her Adam had called? Or that Walt was in town? Why did Adam want to speak with her privately? Had he decided he wanted more active involvement in Simon’s life, after all? More input into decision-making? Into living arrangements? She couldn’t blame him for that, of course, but—

  The only way to know was to ask. She raised her head. “Are you here to talk about Simon?”

  His mouth twisted into a half smile as he took a purposeful step toward her. “Joanna, you are a wonderful mother. The best. But not everything is about Simon.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  He took another step closer. “I came to see you.”

  “Why?” she whispered.

  Placing a hand on either side of her face, he lowered his head. “Because...this.”

  The kiss rocked her all the way to the soles of her feet. She managed to resist for all of two seconds before she threw her arms around his neck and dove headfirst into the embrace.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  ADAM FINALLY LIFTED his head enough to allow them both to breathe. “I’ve missed you, JoJo.”

  “I’ve missed you, too,” she confessed, almost unbearably touched by the unexpected admission.

  He spoke rather fiercely then. “You said there’s a chance we could have more than great sex. Do you still believe that?”