Life was good and exciting. Paige squeezed Kirstie's hand and savored the happiness, the wonderful sense of normalcy she would never take for granted again.
Fire trucks circled the plane as crew members raced down the steps out of the craft. A final man filled the hatch. The flight-suit-clad aviator, younger than the others, thundered down the steps and made up the distance in seconds, overtaking, passing.
And so wonderfully familiar. Her gaze tracked her sprinting husband abandoning the scene with heart-pounding athleticism. Bo's coal-black hair reflected the sun rays, some of the beams lingering to catch along the hint of curl in his close-cropped cut. Wow, but he turned her on, a feeling she knew would last through their gray and wrinkled years when he would still have those killer blue eyes and that incredible smile with slightly crooked teeth.
Her husband chose that vulnerable moment to glance her way. Dry lightning crackled overhead, her skin prickling, fine hairs rising with an awareness that nature was about to unleash a storm of passion.
How much longer until bedtime?
And speaking of Bo...
He peeled away from his crew and jogged toward her on the tarmac. "Hey, there, gorgeous." He dropped a kiss on her lips along with a hello stroke over her tummy for the baby, then turned to tug Kirstie's ponytail. "Well, hello, Cupcake. Hope you waited for me so we can have one of those steaming turkey legs."
"And hot dogs." Her daughter smiled up, happy, hungry and healthy.
How ironic that with a nurse in the house now, Kirstie no longer suffered disease-of-the-week outbreaks. She'd even made it through a round of school vaccines with barely a wince over the word shots. She was joyful and secure these days.
Bo passed Kirstie folded dollar bills. "Don't forget the cotton candy."
"Got it!" Kirstie sprinted to the nearby booth within eyesight.
Bo stepped behind Paige and looped his arms around her waist, hands folded over their child on the way while they watched Kirstie stand in line. Paige leaned back against him, welcoming the support of a real partnership. "Love you."
He kissed her temple, lingered, his embrace tightening. "Love you, too."
Sighing her contentment, Paige clasped her hands over his on her stomach, still checking on her little girl moving up in the food-stand line— their little girl. Paige wasn't sure when they would get past the need to keep Kirstie in view all the time. But for now their daughter didn't seem to mind the extra attention.
Paige tucked her head under his chin. "Do you have to go back in to work?"
"Just for a quick debrief, and then I'm off for the rest of the day." He backed her into the shade of a nearby palm tree, his warm breath along her neck launching tingles all the way to her toes.
"Vic's taking Kirstie to see the latest Disney movie tonight. We will be alone for at least three hours."
"Oh, really?" His voice rang with unmistakable anticipation.
Three cheers for Uncle Vic!
In a strange and wonderful twist of fate, her brother had decided the exploding Cessna was a sign to close his already struggling veterinary practice. He'd sold the family house and moved to Charleston for a fresh start near relatives. He currently worked in a local animal clinic, the stresses lower in a business he didn't own. She hoped that would give him the healing he needed, too.
Seth had taken the insurance money from the burned plane and started a flight school.
Last time they'd talked, he planned to fly out for a visit. Kirstie's world was full of family who understood about "real" love—even gaining a grandmother in doting Sister Nic.
"Oh, yes, Uncle Vic most definitely is. He even offered to throw in ice cream afterward if we're nice."
Time alone was a real gift, given Bo's frequent TDYs, a kid and two dogs, Honey plus another new puppy just last week.
"Do you want to make dinner plans?" His strong hands stroked gentle circles over her increasing waistline. "Is there anything in particular our baby's craving?"
"That's sweet." And it really was, given she knew what he really wanted, the same thing she wanted, actually. "But I had something else in mind." She couldn't miss the whispered ooh-rah against her ear. "Did you read that book on pregnancy I gave you?"
"Yeah, I especially liked chapter eight." He sneaked a kiss on her ear that sent fresh shivers of desire through her. "That was the hormone chapter about how some women in their second trimester are particularly, uh, amorous."
"I thought you might enjoy that part." But probably not as much as she was enjoying the slight rocking of his h*ps against her backside, so subtle no one else would notice, but she couldn't miss.
"Is chapter eight true for you?"
Paige stepped away before she embarrassed them both by dragging him off the flight line right now. She fit her hand in his as they started forward to help Kirstie carry their order.