“But you always wanted to be in the Air Force, and last night when I hurt you, caused you pain, you realized that you wanted more to life than just this,” she guessed.
“Maybe,” I admitted. “I don’t know. But I at least had enough forethought not to sign up for the full deal. Other than a couple weekends a month, and a few weeks in the summer, I’ll likely never be in it more than that. The likelihood of ever needing to do anything more than that is slim to none. The recruiter was pretty blunt about that. If I wanted to be more than just a glorified part-time thing, then I needed to sign up for the real thing. But something in me told me that would be a bad idea. Regardless of wanting to be in the military, I do have a great life here. I have a fantastic job doing something that I really love.”
She turned in my arms.
“I want you to be Asa’s stepdad. I don’t want to take that away from you. I want you to continue to be in Asa’s life exactly how you have been.” she said. “Hell, I’d want you to be more, but I’m pretty sure that would break Booth’s heart.”
I smoothed my hand down over her hair, tucking it behind her ear.
“Booth deserves Asa,” I said. “One day, though, we’ll have some of our own, and when that day comes, I’ll get to be the dad I’ve always wanted to be.” I paused. “But I do want Asa to have me when and if he ever needs me.”
“I was an asshole,” she said. “I feel terrible.”
“You were scared,” I said, my eyes studying hers. “And your dad knew just what to say to get you that way. We all say some stuff that we don’t mean sometimes.”
“You didn’t,” she said. “Despite all the words I hurled in your direction, you never once said anything bad. It was all me.”
I sifted my fingers through her tangled hair.
“I’ll get over it,” I said and meant it.
I wasn’t over it yet, but I would be.
“My dad is an asshole,” she whispered. “I don’t know what his agenda is, but yesterday was the last straw. The lawyer is filing a few things tomorrow.” She paused, her eyes wide. “I changed my will, too. If anything ever happens to Booth and me? You’re up. Asa’s yours. With Dillan being pregnant…”
I crushed her body to me and hugged her hard. “Nothing is ever happening to you.”
She laughed. “I don’t want anything to ever happen to me. But if it does, you’re it. You’re his. He’s yours.”
I pulled her hair, tilted her head back, and kissed her.
She returned the kiss with gusto, pushing her body against mine.
I pulled away and looked down, then moved us so that we were once again on solid ground.
“I don’t have any choice not to go,” I told her. “I signed on the dotted line this morning…”
She pulled away and tilted her head way back on her shoulders so she could see me, then said, “Bourne Pena, I love you. Even though you’re going to be leaving me for eight weeks, I’m not going to be too upset about it. If it makes you happy, then I’m happy. That’s all that I ever wanted. Because I love you.”
I made love to her after that.
On the ground, right there in the middle of the clearing where anybody could’ve walked up and found us.
Thankfully, no one did.
And when we were walking back to the house, I said, “While I’m gone, I don’t want you to get your next birth control shot.”
She looked over at me with wide eyes.
“I also want you to plan our wedding, because when I get home, we’re doing it.”
She snorted.
“By the way, don’t involve my mom. Not if you want to get it done in a timely manner,” I continued.
She burst out laughing and jumped onto my back, and I carried her back to the house like that.
When we breached the dense woods, Asa was standing in the yard.
The minute he saw us he started running our way.
“Bourne!” he cried.
He hit my legs, and I rocked backward, causing Delanie to jump off or be forced to fall right along with me.
I hit my ass and laughed as I caught Asa up in my arms and squeezed him tight.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I don’t want you to leave.” He paused. “Can I go with you?”
I snorted out a laugh. “I don’t think that they’ll look too kindly on me bringing my almost six-year-old nephew with me to boot camp.”
He sighed. “You’ll miss my birthday.”
My stomach clenched.
He was right.
His birthday was the first of September, and the way it looked now, I’d be gone.
“I’ll be here not too long after,” I said. “And we’ll have a big party. I also asked if we could take you with us to the training yard along with a couple of your friends last week. I was given the okay… as long as you want to bring someone.”