It wasn’t until she was giving him his bath that he put his little hands to her face and asked, “Fend?”
“I’m your mama.”
He kissed her, said, “Mama,” and then asked again, “Fend?” followed up by lifting his hands and looking around.
“Ah. No, he’s not here, honey. He’s at home getting the baby ready for bed.”
“My baby.”
She wrapped a big towel around him and lifted him from the tub for a hug. “She can be your baby for a little while, but not forever. Now, how would you like a story?”
“Bears!”
“Bears it is, but a diaper and pj’s first.”
Somehow, asking about Brogan and Shayna turned into a thing over the next couple of days. While at the shop, Andy kept watch for Brogan, and each night during his bath, he asked about the man. Pixie could distract her son with games, books, and sometimes just talking about something else, yet Andy didn’t forget.
Twice, they ran into Brogan on walks, even though she walked Andy in the opposite direction. Apparently, Brogan did like to jog and he had a special stroller for Shayna. The motion seemed to rock her to sleep.
Andy spotted him again on the last night before her day off. They’d already had dinner, and the kitchen was clean. The days were getting longer, and with spring flowers everywhere, it was too beautiful to stay inside. Given how Andy kept looking out the window, he could use a little fresh air.
It was slightly later than she usually walked, so she doubted they’d run into Brogan this time. It would be interesting to see how Andy reacted to that. He always enjoyed walks, but even more so, now with Brogan and Shayna in the picture.
For a change in scenery, she went up the main street, pushing the stroller at an incline, which made her calves ache. They saw more wildlife, including a few chipmunks and a massive hawk that swooped down over a field, no doubt looking for mice.
After Andy spotted a bunny, too, she finally turned the stroller and headed back home. Though the evenings could still be cool, tonight it was mild. A fresh breeze came off thelake, rustling the leaves of the mature trees in the wooded areas. She had her head down, lost in the lyrics of a song she softly sang for Andy, and then suddenly he was squealing, “Fend! Fend!”
She looked up and there was Brogan, grinning as he smoothly jogged closer. Shirtless. In shorts and running shoes. Her heart was suddenly pounding against her ribs.
High on his right shoulder was a tattoo. At first, she couldn’t make it out, but as he got closer, she recognized an eagle, an anchor, and a spear. It was similar to a tattoo that Cort had, and yet it was different, too.
As he neared, she also saw several scars, some small, many larger. The injuries were healed but not old, and in no way did they detract from his physical appeal. Still, she hurt for him. The wounds had to have been agonizing, especially the longest one that slashed across his ribs. Knowing he’d served made her immediately think of battle wounds.
Good God, she was staring at his body in the rudest way.
She was about to apologize when she saw that his attention was on Andy, not her.
They met at the intersection as Brogan pushed Shayna’s spiffy three-wheel stroller alongside hers and knelt down to muss Andy’s hair. “Hey, bud. Sorry, I can’t hold you. I’m sweaty.”
Beads of perspiration clung to his forehead and temples, and his upper chest and shoulders gleamed. He might be ignoring her, but Pixie couldn’t take her eyes off him. Until she realized he was lavishing Andy with attention and she’d barely looked at Shayna.
Guilt had her turning quickly to the infant. Shayna was wide awake and grinning at her, showing off two shiny bottom teeth. She wore one of the new outfits Brogan had bought from the shop with a lightweight blanket over her. Surreptitiously, Pixie felt the material of her outfit and knew he’d washed it more than once for it to be so soft already.
“Hello to you, too, Shayna. Thank you for that beautiful smile.” Unable to stop herself, she stroked the back of her finger along the baby’s cheek. So soft. “You are such a cutie.”
In answer, the little girl kicked her legs and cooed.
Andy announced, “My baby.”
“Yes, sir,” Brogan said in a crisp military tone, and dutifully pulled the stroller back enough that Andy could see Shayna.
Her son kissed the air and even blew a few kisses at Shayna, making both Pixie and Brogan laugh.
While he pulled a T-shirt from the back of the stroller, he asked, “Do you walk every night?”
“Most nights,” she said, doing her best not to look at his chest or shoulders. “I want to make sure Andy gets some outside time on the days I work. If it’s raining, we sit on the enclosed porch and listen to the storm.” Pixie looked around the area. “It’s so peaceful here, without much traffic, since there are only our homes on this stretch of road. Sometimes fishermen come by on the lake, and even when they whisper, I can hear them.”
“It is nice,” Brogan agreed. Acting as if he weren’t covering battle scars, he pulled the shirt on over his head and tugged it down.
