Page 43 of SEAL's Angel
“Oooffff. Geesh girl, you’re getting big for this charge and pickup thing.” Dawn smiled at her daughter as she swung her up into her arms and kissed her on the forehead.
“Mom, can we eat?” Chase asked.
Jake laughed. “Looks like your brother arranged for backup.”
“It looks like it.” Dawn put Cindy down and went over to gather the rest of the food for dinner.
Jake followed, hoping for another excuse to touch her. She looked up after dumping the cans of baked beans into a pot and handed it to him, their fingers brushing.
“That goes on the metal grate over the fire. I’ll bring the rest.”
“You got it. Want me to bring anything else?”
Dawn shook her head and followed him over to her family as they sat around the small fire roasting the hotdogs. “I’ve got everything in here. I’m a pro at this.”
Her smile squeezed his heart. It was going to be damn hard not to pull her out of site to kiss her senseless.
“How are we doing?” she asked as she sat down and put the box beside her.
“Yup, all ready. Weenies are ready, just need the rest of the stuff,” Rafe said.
“Great. Can you help the kids?” Dawn tossed him the bag of buns.
“I don’t need help, Mom. I can do it myself,” Chase said.
“Okay, buddy.”
If Jake hadn’t been sitting close to Dawn, he wouldn’t have heard her sigh of acceptance. He didn’t want to remind her it wouldn’t get easier as he got older. But if he had his way, he’d be there to help her through it all.
“Uncle Rafe can help me,” Cindy chimed in.
“You got it, peanut.”
While Rafe supervised weenie construction, Dawn dished the beans onto plates and passed them out.
“Can’t we have soda instead of juice?” Cindy asked as she took the juice box from Dawn.
“Nope, juice it is. Unless you want water?” Dawn cocked her eyebrow as she waited for Cindy to answer.
Jake had to turn away so Cindy wouldn’t see his smile. Cindy went full-on pout with her bottom lip extended farther than he’d could believe. But she didn’t get anywhere with her mother.
“How about you guys? Beer, soda, or water?” Dawn offered to him and Rafe.
“Beer for me,” Rafe answered.
“Me, too.” Jake touched her fingers with his when he took the beer bottles, then handed one to Rafe.
“Rafe, do you have a hotdog for me?”
“I have your weenie right here, angel,” Jake said before Rafe could answer.
“Umm, what?” Dawn’s face turned pink. Then he wiggled the hotdog in front of her and she laughed. “Oh, thanks.”
Jake grinned. “It’s the least I could do. You did everything else.” Then leaned closer to whisper, “But you need to get your mind out of the gutter, angel.”
She shook her head but wouldn’t make eye contact as she grabbed the hotdog and put it on a paper plate.
As they ate, the sun set. Dawn looked even more lovely in the light of the flickering fire. He admired how she handled the kids and wondered what it would have been like to grow up in a family like theirs.
