AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He fanned a blanket out over me, and I got comfortable against his chest.
“You thought I had a personal chef on board.” He was still smug about that.
I would love to respond with something incredibly witty, but I had zero comeback material in my exhausted brain, so I jumped at the opportunity to crash Dad and Uncle Greer’s conversation about this place.
“You wanna become a PMC, Dad?” I asked.
He chuckled and shook his head. “No, but I was thinking I wouldn’t have minded going this route back in the day. Fewer Skype Christmases and less missing the wife.”
“Yeah, I can see that.” Uncle Greer nodded pensively. “It’s a miracle you didn’t miss any of the boys’ births.”
“I’m mostly glad I didn’t miss the creation of them, to be honest.”
I coughed around a laugh. That was my dad.
I remembered missing him when he’d been deployed, but he’d made up for it in spades whenever he was home. Those had been interesting days, since almost all my uncles had been gone a lot. Mom and Aunt Gen had banded together when Dad and Uncle Angus shipped out.
“Your homecomings were better than Christmas,” I admitted.
Dad smiled. “Don’t make me mushy, boy.”
I shrugged, and Adrien kissed the top of my head.
Uncle Greer twirled his finger, gesturing at our surroundings. “You never came down here when you wanted to become a contractor?”
I made a face. “No. I never made it that far.” My ego was still bruised about that. “I aced all the tests they threw at me in DC—until I failed some dumbass talk with their counselors. They were concerned I wouldn’t thrive without a unit.”
Unfortunately, they’d been correct in their assessment.
“Shit. I’d fail that too.” Dad glanced around him and threaded his fingers together across his stomach. “We got lucky.” He nodded at Greer. “We served together most of the time—with Angus.”
I remembered.
Uncle Kyle and Uncle Ben had ended up deployed together as well. Kyle as a badass helicopter pilot, and Ben as a mechanic.
“Sure made the holidays easier,” Uncle Greer murmured. “Fuck, now I miss my kids.”
I grinned. “You’ll be home soon. Give li’l Dylan a smooch from me. And tell Emma-Jo and Kyla I’m still waiting for their FaceTime dance.”
That got him going, and he launched into a story of when his girls got into trouble, which, let’s face it, happened all the time.
Adrien squeezed me to him and spoke quietly in my ear. “I’m picturing holidays and introducing my son to your family.”
I shivered and looked up at him.
Fuck me, that was almost as hot as dirty talk. Shit like this was gonna make me fall for him insanely quick—I could feel it. For the first time ever. It was overwhelming, not to mention a bit of a mindfuck, to be so certain about something I’d never experienced in the past. I guessed those who said “sometimes you just know” were right.
“I’m ready to bribe his ass off to get him to like me,” I murmured. “Elliott has Lakers tickets through work. If he doesn’t shitcan me, maybe we can go.”
Adrien’s eyes lit up with amusement, and he pressed his lips to my forehead. “Remember, I’m raising a little geek. I think he’ll be starstruck by your charisma, but you don’t need any Lakers tickets. Bring a science magazine, and you’re good.” He paused. “His father wouldn’t mind going to a Lakers game, however.”
I grinned. We could make that work. “How about I bring something signed by Roe and Jake? Better yet, we can visit them when they’re filming in LA.” They were always up to something.
“Mornin’,” I heard someone say.
Danny. Followed by Emerson. They trailed into the common room, and I sat up straighter.
CHAPTER 4
