Page 105 of Keeping Penny

“No, I mean it. Bowie loves me. Of course she does, I’m her mom, but I’ve never in my life felt loved the way I am by you. And I haven’t loved anyone else the way I love you either. As if the sun rises and sets with you. I’m in awe of everything you do. So proud of all you’ve accomplished, because I know how difficult it was. How much of a handicap you had because you were a foster kid, like me. You rose above all that to become a true hero. Not only to your country, and the men and women you help on your missions, but to me. And to Bowie. I love you, Pyro. So much. And it doesn’t scare me. Because I know you love me back the same way.”

“Hell yeah, I do.” Pyro was overwhelmed. Didn’t have the words to express the depth of his feelings. But thankfully, Penny didn’t seem to expect them. She hugged him and sighed against his chest.

After a minute, she spoke again. “I can’t believe you took a knife that was sticking out of your thigh and used it to fight. My man is a complete badass!”

Pyro chuckled and kissed the top of her head. “I want to adopt Bowie. I mean, if that’s okay. And if that’s what she wants.”

Penny’s head whipped up and almost slammed into Pyro’s chin. “What?”

“She already feels like mine, even after such a short time. But I understand if you don’t want that, if you want to wait because⁠—”

“Of course I want that!” Penny exclaimed. “All I’ve ever wanted was a father who gave a crap about her. You…Pyro, you’ve done more for her in the short time you’ve known her than her biological dad did in the four years he was in her life. I don’t think he even changed one diaper. He certainly never got up in the middle of the night to comfort her if she cried. Never went to one doctor’s appointment about her eyes with me.”

“He was an idiot.”

“He was. Pyro?”

“Yeah, sweetheart?”

“You’ve made all the dreams I had as a kid come true. Of having someone love me. Of having a true family. Thank you.” She put her head back on his chest. “I’ll look into seeing what we need to do to change Bowie’s name, and the adoption thing.”

“I already have.”

Her head whipped up again.

“Easy, tiger. You’re gonna knock me out with your head if you aren’t careful,” Pyro joked.

“Seriously? You have? You just got out of the hospital like two-point-three seconds ago. When have you had time to research that kind of thing?”

“Um…I might’ve done it before all this shit happened,” Pyro admitted. He was worried Penny would be irritated with him, but she gave him a soft smile.

“Of course you did.” Her head went back to his chest. “I’m happy, Pyro. More than I ever expected I could be.”

“Me too. Although I’ll be happier when I can walk again.”

Penny chuckled. “You’re going to be a terrible patient, aren’t you?”

“Yup.”

“Well, it’s good that I’ve had practice at sullen and bored. And Bowie will be happy to entertain you as well.”

“I’m looking forward to it. To getting the chance to be with you all day, and Bowie when she’s not in school. Oh, you think she can have a sleepover with her friend Abigail? We could watch-slash-listen to movies and play board games and giggle all night.”

Penny laughed. “I’ll talk to her mom.”

Pyro sighed in contentment. He wasn’t happy that he wouldn’t be able to fly with his teammates for the foreseeable future, but he couldn’t deny he was thrilled with the extra time his injury would give him to spend with Penny and Bowie.

It wasn’t long before she fell asleep, her body going boneless against him. Pyro didn’t sleep right away. He spent the next hour memorizing the feel of the woman who would be his wife, who’d made him a daddy, and thanking his lucky stars that he was piloting the chopper that day in Gabon. It had literally changed his life, and he would forever be grateful.

EPILOGUE

The last two months had been tough on the team, with Pyro being on sick leave. The man’s leg was healing well, and he hoped to be back in the copilot seat with Casper before too long. Even though Pyro had loved being home with Penny and Bowie, Chaos could tell that his friend was more than ready to come back to work.

Flying was in his blood, just as it was for the rest of the Night Stalkers. They were born to fly and being grounded was akin to torture.

So it wasn’t a surprise that Pyro was upset when his teammates were sent on yet another mission without him.

Chaos understood his frustration. Casper also felt the effects of his copilot being out of commission, but he was a consummate professional and never let his feelings get the better of him.