Page 173 of Sloane

“I did. It was the nicest surprise I’d gotten since the last one you sent.”

Oh, you mean before you started sending my mail back?

Of course I didn’t say that.

“I’m so glad. I love hearing that. It makes the effort worthwhile.”

“You know I’m stateside now, right? I can buy my own beef jerky and snacks.”

“But you can’t buy my cheesecake or pictures of Millie. And since I had room in the box, I thought I’d include some other things I knew you enjoyed.”

“Like I said, most thoughtful woman on the planet. Thank you, Ash. Seriously. You made my month.”

“Of course.”

There was an awkward pause until he asked, “Are you making dinner tomorrow?”

“No. I’m just in charge of dessert, and I’m making that now.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“You’re not interrupting. I’m glad you called; it’s nice to hear your voice.”

The minute the words were out of my mouth, I closed my eyes tight. That probably wasn’t something I should have said to him.

He didn’t make a big deal about it, though. Instead, he asked, “How’s Millie?”

“She’s sacked out in her playpen. Stu and Bobby left a little while ago for the holiday weekend, so they kept her awake during her nap time.”

I expected him to ask who Bobby was, but instead he asked, “You’re alone this weekend?”

“Yeah.”

For a second, I thought he was going to invite himself over, but he replied, “Make sure all the doors and windows are locked downstairs before you go to bed.”

Our little portion of the beach was secluded and always felt safe. The neighbors were all friendly, and I recognized almost everyone who walked along the beach. The house next door had just become vacant, but the signs along the property indicated it still had a security system, so I couldn’t imagine there’d be any squatters or anything like that.

Still, I knew it was better to be safe than sorry. Besides, I appreciated that he seemed concerned for us.

“I will as soon as I hang up with you.”

“Why don’t you do it now, while I’m still on the phone. I’d feel better knowing you were safe.”

“Okay, let me put this pie in the oven first.”

“No problem. I’m happy to keep talking to you.”

I couldn’t let my heart be vulnerable again, and I tried to give it a reality check.

“So, any word about when you can get back to active duty?”

“Not yet. It’s still too soon.”

But I knew it was only a matter of time. Hopefully, he wouldn’t change his mind about being a father once that happened.

****

Sloane

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