by Joanna Blake
Again.
It had taken me almost ten minutes to realize it. I'd been waiting patiently, pleasantly contemplating the night ahead. Then I'd started to get suspicious of her motives.
She'd been awfully angry. Then she'd been awfully agreeable. Then she was... gone.
Sweet, sexy, conniving Jenny was gone.
She'd tricked me, plain and simple. I ran after her, not just to yank her into my arms. I also wanted to ask her why. I was riled up but good. She'd played the classic bait and switch on me. But why bother? She could have told me to go to hell just as easy.
Unless... she just didn't want me to know where she lived.
Maybe she had a man. Maybe she'd moved on. It wasn't a stretch by any means. It had been a long while since our night together after all, and she was a damn fine woman. I was sure dozens of men had tried to tie her down since I saw her last.
Hell, probably hundreds.
But if she had a man, why would she kiss me like that? She wanted me, whether she knew it or not. And Jenny didn't strike me as a tease. She'd been a damn virgin the last time I saw her!
Maybe she was making up for lost time now that I'd deflowered her. But if that was true... she would have taken me up on my offer to go back to my place. I knew I'd pleased her the last time we were together. And then some.
I was jogging through the base, just on the off chance I might catch sight of her. But the whole time my mind was racing like an engine on overdrive. I would get to the bottom of this, come hell or high water.
Jenny was going to pay the piper, even if it was just an explanation.
I hoped it was a whole lot more than that though.
I went home after an hour of aimless wandering. I took a cold shower, trying to lose the wood she'd given me when we were fooling around. Two kisses. Two boners. All in one night.
I put a sheet on the bed and lay there, staring at the ceiling. It was unnerving how quiet the nights were after Iraq. No feral dogs barking. No bombs. No patrols.
Just... silence.
And tomorrow, I started my new job as an Instructor Pilot. There were manuals to study and new Marines to train. I knew I was going to be a good teacher. I knew the aircraft they'd be learning on inside and out.
I just didn't know if I was going to like being stuck in one place. Not without something sweet and pretty to come home to each night. If I had a girl though... if I had Jenny...
Well hell, I'd be the luckiest guy on the base.
Hell, I'd be the luckiest guy on the damn planet.
I closed my eyes and smiled. Jenny had done the impossible it seemed. She was domesticating me, without even trying.
I just hoped she'd let me domesticate her back.
Jenny
✈
"More eggs, Dad?"
He nodded, wiping his lips.
"You're a fine cook 'Niffer. Your mother would be proud."
I scrambled the eggs, adding the low sodium seasoning the doctor's recommended for dad. I didn't look up. I didn't want him to see the tears in my eyes.
I was way too emotional this morning. I must have been hormonal or something. It had nothing at all to do with Jagger's unexpected return, or how he'd looked at me... or how he'd kissed me...
Or how I'd felt after I left him high and dry thinking he had a willing woman on his hands...
Definitely not that.
I did not feel even remotely guilty about that. Why should I? He was a player. So what if he liked me? He liked all women. Maybe I was just one in a hundred.
Actually, from what I'd heard that's exactly what I was.
But more like one in a thousand.
Still, even if he was promiscuous, he wasn't entirely unlikable. It had been considerate of him to walk me home last night, even if he had ulterior motives. And that tip he'd tried to give me... well, he was extragantly generous.
He had some very nice qualities, and I wasn't just talking about his looks.
Hopefully Hallie would inherit some of those as well. It was too bad he wasn't real daddy material. I sighed. It would be awfully nice to have his help raising our little girl.
I knew I'd have to tell him about his daughter at some point. That would be the end of his pursuit of me though. And for some reason, I wasn't ready to do that.
It was so... final.
Once he found out how fertile I was, how tied down he would be, I knew he'd run for the damn hills.
I turned the heat off and served dad a few more eggs. I had more important things to worry about than Jagger and his wandering dick.
Hallie cooed from her high chair and I kissed her head.
"You working again tonight?"
I nodded.
"Thanks for looking after her. I'll be able to afford a sitter soon."
He waved his hand, brushing me off. He took a bite of his breakfast and looked at me. Then he set his fork down again.
"Jenny..."
Uh oh, I could sense another one of his famous talks coming. My dad was used to being in charge of soldiers. He was prone to giving speeches that involved words like 'discipline' and 'rules.'
"You know I don't approve of what you did. Having unprotected... relations with some stranger. It was selfish and risky and irresponsible."
I grit my teeth, swallowing my retort.
"But I'm proud of you for how you've handled everything that came after. You gave up a lot for your little girl. And... you're a good mother."
My jaw must have dropped because he flushed. My dad never said nice things like that. Praise was rare in our house and always had been. That was two compliments in a row, and it wasn't even eight o'clock in the morning.
I poured him another cup of half decaf/half caff and sat down to feed Hallie. She'd already had a few spoonfulls and I liked to feed her slow. It kept her spit ups to a minimum.
I fed her and myself, alternating bites. She cooed at me, shaking her hands in excitement. I wondered why she was in such a good mood today. She seemed even happier than usual, and that was saying something.
Personally, I was feeling the opposite of happy. I was depressed and worried about Jagger. How I would avoid him... How I would deal with the Hallie situation...
How I would resist him...
I cleaned up the kitchen, wiping down the counter with a baby wipe. I used a fresh wipe on Hallie's cheeks and then used it on my own face. No time to shower. We had to get out and get some fresh air before it got too hot.
Morning was prime playground time. I'd even made friends with some of the other moms. Well, one of them anyway. A few of them seemed to take an issue with the fact that Hallie didn't have a daddy on the base.
I sighed.
If only they knew.
I got her dressed and pulled on jeans and a clean-ish t-shirt. I pulled my hair into a high ponytail, tucked it into a baseball cap and glanced in the mirror. I swiped on some lipgloss and was out the door not soon after my dad.
I pushed her stroller through the base, feeling like I was on a mission.
Operation Avoid Jagger
I slid on my oversized sunglasses. They had belonged to my mother, one of the things of hers I'd managed to hang onto. A few impossibly soft t-shirts, some plain gold jewelry, and her sunnies. She had a big collection of them and I put them all into rotation.
These were the biggest though, and therefore the best disguise.
And I needed the disguise. I was desperate to avoid you-know-who. At least with Hallie in tow. I knew I'd see him at the bar again soon. Maybe even tonight.
There was no way I was going to avoid him forever.
I wasn't even sure I wanted to...
I waved to my friend Crystal as I pushed Hallie's stroller into the playground. I sat and pulled out a bottle of water, watching Hallie play in the sand box. The sprinkler was on too, but she was way too small to go in with the bigger kids running around in there.
Maybe in a year I'd let her play in there. That's if I was still here. And that was a big
'if.' The minute I made enough money at the bar I would hightail it out of here so fast that heads would spin.
I sighed. It would be hard to leave dad, but I had my own life to build. And this was not the best place to start it... it was hard to meet guys when you were an unwed mother who also happened to be the daughter of the highest ranking officer on base.
Not that I needed a man, but... it would be nice to go on a date once in a while. And college. The nearest school was an hour away. And I would need money to pay a sitter all day while I sat in classes.
Soon Jenny. When Hallie was a little older, I'd do it. I'd get that education my mother had always wanted for me.
"Earth to Jenny! Where is your head today?"
I grimaced, smiling apologetically at Crystal. She was a smart ass, and cool as fuck. She was pretty much my best friend in the whole world.
And a lot less high in the instep about hanging out with a single unwed mother than the rest of the young moms.
She handed me a stick of gum and I took it, popping it into my mouth.
"Thanks Crys. I... um... bumped into someone last night."
She pulled down her aviator glasses and gave me a look.
"Who?"
"No one. He just used to be someone."
"Uh huh."
She gave me the look again and shook her head. Her chin length hair was artificially colored a bright cool auburn. It was also straightened and styled to the max. She might not be a natural redhead, but she had enough sass to pull it off.
Not to mention inch long fire engine red fingernails and perfectly applied makeup.
We called ourselves 'The Reds.'
It was just another thing that made us different from the rest of the moms. Though Crystal was happily married to a Marine, like most of the other playground moms. I was... not.
"You will tell me everything."
I snuck a glance at her. I probably would tell her everything. But not yet. I was still figuring out how the hell I felt about Jagger showing up like this.
That's when I saw him. He was walking and talking with a group of young Marines. Fresh recruits from the look of it. They fell in step behind him.
He turned his head and I could have sworn he saw me.
Right before I hit the ground and rolled under the bench we were sitting on. Crystal was laughing uproariously as I peeked out. The marching soldiers had moved on, so I could only see the back of Jagger's head.
I tried not to stare at his cute little butt.
I didn't think he'd seen me, thank the good lord.
"Don't tell me-"
She was laughing to bust a gut as I brushed myself off and sat back down next to her.
"That was 'someone'?"
I shrugged sheepishly and nodded. She fluffed her hair dramatically and smacked her lips.
"He's fine girl. What's the hold up?"
"He's a manwhore. That's the hold up."
"Oh, whatever. Everyone is a tramp before they settle down."
She looked at the trio of uptight moms giving us dirty looks from across the playground.
"Well, everyone interesting anyway."
She turned towards me, clearly wanting the full scoop.
"Who is he anyway?"
"His name's Jagger. He's... I guess he's kind of nice. When he's not trying to dick every woman in sight."
"And now he wants to dick you?"
I nodded.
"Yeah. He has no idea I'm a mom though."
"So what?"
"I... I just want to avoid him for now okay?"
She smiled.
"Sure, but that's not going to stop my mission to get you laid. You don't have to fall in love or get married, even though I think you should. Just get something up in there."
I laughed, shaking my head.
"I'm serious girl. If you don't use it, it might dry up and fly away on you. And then you wouldn't have a pussy."
I was cackling at Crystal's dirty mouth when the strong hands appeared on the bench behind me. I froze, knowing who it was before he said a word. Only one person on base would invade my personal space that way.
Well, other than Jagger.
Lieutenant Davis.
"Hey Crystal. Hey Jenny."
His eyes were all over me as he came around to stand by the side of the bench. Davis was the latest in the single soldiers that Crystal kept trying to 'accidentally' introduce me too. I refused set-ups but she was relentless.
So was Clyde Davis.
He was good looking, with dark hair and piercing eyes. He was tall and built and always polite. And he knew about Hallie.
For some reason, I wasn't sure yet if I wanted to go out with him. I was starting to lean towards a definite 'no.' Something about him made me feel a little bit... slimy.
"Uh, hi."
I hoped he hadn't heard what we were talking about before he showed up. I needn't have worried though. The man was slightly obsessed with himself.
"How's the new job going?"
I glanced at Crystal. Her husband had served with Clyde. That's how she knew him. She must have told him I got a job at the juke joint.
"Good. How are you?"
He sat down beside me and launched into a monologue about how he'd impressed his CO again. I stared at his shoes, noticing the perfect polish on them. I had a sudden vision of his closet, all neatly pressed uniforms and perfectly shined shoes.
He never had a hair out of place either.
Not like Jagger's adorably tousled waves.
I bit my lip, wondering why I was comparing them. It's not like I was interested in Jagger anyway. Davis was a much better candidate.
Even if he bored me to tears.
Chapter Six
Jagger
✈
I sipped coffee as I gave my lecture. This was a hell of a lot better than active duty. Nobody was bringing me a fresh cup of joe back then. I stared out at the newest crop of pilots. Their wide-open faces stared back at me, hanging on every word.
The kids were so wet behind the ears it made me feel like an old man.
Well, not old. Mature. Wise. And feeling oddly like it might be time to settle down.
I'd sworn up and down it would never happen to me. But then I'd met that gorgeous redhead. The girl kept me on my toes and kept me guessing. It wouldn't be boring to be stuck with her.
Not even a little.
Hell, I'd go to sleep every night with a smile on my face if she was curled up against me.
I grinned, remembering how she'd tried to duck and cover from me that morning. She had no idea how noticeable she was with that hair of hers. Even tucked under a cap I'd seen her from fifty paces.
I rubbed my chin thoughtfully.
So, my sweet Jenny was a babysitter and a bartender. Industrious little thing. At least I knew she lived on base for sure now. Maybe as a nanny.
That meant she liked kids. That was good. Because I'd like to make some with her.
A whole passel of them.
I clicked through the slides, carefully describing what I considered to be the most important parts of the practice jets they'd be training on. The twitchy fuel gauge. The almost overly responsive engines. The importance of never skipping a single step.
The dangers of getting cocky.
Of course, I was the cockiest pilot in the service, known for skipping protocol all the time. But there was no need to tell them that. I wanted them to do as I said, not as I did.
I sent them off to the mess hall for lunch and got up to stretch my legs. I walked back towards the playground, hoping to get another glimpse of my girl. I got there just in time to see her and her friend walking towards the market.
Perfect. I needed some groceries. And I could say hello to Jenny in the meantime.
Hell, that was a lie. I wanted to find out why she'd run out on me the night before. I wanted answers dammit.
I watched my quarry as they strolled along, having no idea they were being tracked. I was going to divide and
conquer. Then I would interrogate the subject.
I'd get to the bottom of this before lunch was out. Then I'd ask her out on a proper date. Get some quality alone time with her.
I grinned and followed her into the grocery store. She headed straight for the produce aisle. I watched as she leaned forward, talking to the kid she was watching. Her face lit up with obvious affection for the baby.
God damn, the woman was fucking beautiful!
I'd give just about anything to have her look that way at me. I grabbed a basket and started putting things into it willy nilly, hurrying over until I could 'accidentally' bump into her cart.
She stood up sharply. I could tell she was about to give me a rude comment before she saw who it was. Those gorgeous eyes of hers got wide as saucers. I smiled at her, leaning against the melon display.
"Hi."
She just stared at me. Her friend on the other hand, was grinning ear to ear. She nudged Jenny out of the way, holding out her hand.
"I'm Crystal. And you are?"
I flashed a smile at her.
"Jagger."
She gave Jenny a look and cleared her throat.
"I think I'm going to get some ice cream. You want any, Jenny?"
She stared at me, ignoring her friend. I answered for her.
"Yes. She'll take... a big ole tub of Neapolitan. My treat."
Jenny's cheeks got red as her friend rolled away with a shit-eating grin on her face. Clearly the girls had talked about me. That was a good sign.
I hoped so anyway.
"What are you doing, Jagger?"
"Grocery shopping. A man needs to eat, doesn't he?"
She glanced at my basket and laughed.
"You must really like... bananas."
I looked at my cart. I had grabbed a lot of bananas. I coughed a little.
"They have a lot of potassium. Here, you should take some."
I tried to put some of my bananas into her basket. She gave me a look, then started rolling her cart away.
"I can shop for myself, Jagger."
"I know. You can do a lot of things. Like run out on a man. Why'd you do that anyway, Jenny?"
She stopped and looked at me. She chewed on her lower lip and I got all hot and bothered. I would love to be the one to do that for her.
