Securing Piper

by Susan Stoker

  “I’m more than ready. As long as you have a bed, I’ll be happy.”

  When Ace chuckled, she looked at him in confusion, then what she’d said registered. She blushed and rolled her eyes. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded,” she clarified quickly.

  “Darn,” Ace replied with a small smile.

  Before she could react to that, he went on. “I’ve got plenty of beds for all of us. I thought we could put the girls all together in one room, at least until they get used to their new space.”

  “Do you have enough bedrooms for all of them?” Piper asked. “I didn’t even think about that.”

  “My house has five bedrooms and three full bathrooms. More than enough for all of us.”

  Piper stared at him in disbelief. “Seriously?”

  “Yup.”

  “But houses here in Riverton are super expensive.”

  “Yup.”

  “Oh my God, are you a millionaire?” she blurted.

  Ace burst out laughing. “No. But I’ve got plenty of money to make sure you and our kids don’t starve, and you’ll always have a roof over your heads.”

  Piper couldn’t believe how much her life had changed in such a short time. Just hearing him say “our kids” made butterflies flutter in her stomach.

  “This is so crazy,” she muttered.

  Ace squeezed her hand. “My commander gave me a week of leave so I could spend it with you and the girls, and we can do our best to get some of our to-do list completed. I know you need to get back to work, and I’ll entertain the girls for a few hours each day so you can have some uninterrupted time to draw. And I’m sure there will be a lot of things that come up that we’ll need to discuss together, about how to parent the girls and whatnot. Things like bedtimes, whether we want to have family dinners at the table instead of eating in front of the TV, where to enroll them in school, and a million other things. So you’re right, this is crazy—but it’s also exciting, exhilarating, and only overwhelming if we let it be.”

  Piper stared at Ace as he drove. He was right. About all of it. She had a feeling she was in way over her head, but at least Ace was there to help. If she were a single mother, it would be twice as difficult.

  “I’m scared,” Piper whispered.

  “About what?”

  She liked that he didn’t immediately tell her not to be. “What if we screw up and they end up hating us for taking them away from their home?”

  “Look at them,” Ace ordered.

  Piper turned and looked at the girls again. They were soaking in everything as fast as their little minds could process it. The cars, the stores they passed, the way people were dressed. She could almost feel their excitement and happiness as they neared their new home.

  “We’re gonna screw up,” Ace said quietly. “All parents do. But as long as they know they’re safe, and that they’re now a part of a family who loves them very much, they’ll be all right. If they want to know more about Timor-Leste when they get older, we’ll do our best to educate them. Maybe someday we can even take them back on a trip.”

  Piper shuddered. She didn’t even want to think about stepping foot back in Timor-Leste.

  “Not anytime soon,” Ace soothed. “All I’m saying is that they have their whole lives ahead of them, and as long as we love and support them, I don’t think any little mistakes on our part will make much difference.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “We’re here,” Ace said.

  Piper’s head whipped back around—and she stared at the huge house in front of her. One of three garage doors was slowly opening.

  “It’s big!” Sinta said in awe from behind them.

  “This hotel?” Kemala asked.

  Ace chuckled, and after he parked the car, he turned to face the girls. “No, it’s not a hotel. This is your new home. This is where we live.”

  Piper almost laughed at the look on all the girls’ faces. Their eyes were huge and their mouths were hanging open. She was just as in awe as they were, but managed to hide it a little better. She climbed out and opened the back door to help the girls. Ace took Rani, and she led Sinta and Kemala around the Denali to the nearby door.

  Ace opened it and gestured for them to enter first. None of the girls took a step, as if they were afraid to make the first move.

  Piper eased between them to lead the way into Ace’s house.

  “I should carry you over the threshold, but I’m afraid that would freak them out even more than they already are,” Ace murmured as she passed him.

  Piper grinned and turned to share the joke with him, but he didn’t look like he was kidding. He actually looked sorry he couldn’t sweep her off her feet and carry her inside. She opened her mouth to say something—what, she had no idea—but anything she might’ve uttered stuck in her throat when she got a look at his house.

  The floors were beautiful dark hardwood and the hall from the garage led into a massive great room. There was a huge chandelier to her right, hanging above a large wooden table. The latter looked handmade, and was more than big enough for all five of them to sit comfortably. The kitchen was around a corner but also open to the large space.

  Piper immediately imagined her cooking dinner for the girls while they either did their homework at the table or watched the television in the other room off the kitchen. There was a huge TV affixed to the wall, as well as a sectional couch that looked soft and comfortable.

  Sinta ran into the back of Piper’s legs as she gazed around the cavernous space.

  “Welcome home,” Ace said.

  Piper stood in the middle of the room and turned in a circle, continuing to take in Ace’s house. It was utterly beautiful.

  “Piper?” he asked—sounding so unlike the man she’d gotten to know.

  She turned to look at him.

  Ace’s brow was furrowed and his lips were pressed together. “You don’t like it?” he asked, clearly concerned.

  “Not like it? Ace…it’s perfect! Like you reached into my brain and plucked out every dream I’ve ever had about what kind of house I wanted to live in one day. And now that one day is today.” She shook her head. “I’m overwhelmed, and kind of in shock.”

  Smiling, Ace walked over and took her face in his hands, leaning close to kiss her. His beard tickled as his lips sipped from her own. It wasn’t a passionate kiss, but heartfelt and intimate.

  When he pulled back, he said, “I’ve lived in this big ol’ house by myself for two years, and it’s never felt like a home until right this second.”

  Piper melted. She couldn’t help it. How he always said the exact right thing, she had no idea.

  “Ace?” Kemala said tentatively.

  He immediately turned to her. “Yeah?”

  “How many other kids you keep here?”

  Piper frowned. Maybe she just wasn’t understanding Kemala’s question. She spoke remarkably well for someone who hadn’t been studying English for very long, but there were times when her broken sentences lost something in translation.

  But Ace didn’t seem to have a problem knowing what she meant. He knelt to get down to his girls’ eye level. “No one. Just you, Sinta, and Rani,” he told her.

  Kemala shook her head, as if she was frustrated that Ace wasn’t understanding her question. “Too big for just us.” She looked around. “At least,” she flashed ten fingers, five times, “could live here. More orphans come too?”

  Ace reached out and gently put his hand on the back of Kemala’s neck, giving their oldest daughter his undivided attention. Piper knew that feeling…knew his hold was strong without being threatening.

  “Here in America, this house is a fairly normal size for a family like us. There are five bedrooms upstairs, one for each of you to have your own, one for me and Piper, and one for any other children we might have together. This is all ours, Kemala. This is your new home. Forever and ever. Just us. No other orphans.”

  Piper’s stomach clenched when he mentioned mor
e children. They hadn’t done anything other than kiss—but now she couldn’t stop thinking about the making of those future children.

  The thought of making love with Ace had her shifting where she stood. God, she was exhausted and overwhelmed, but just the idea of being naked with the beautiful man who’d made all her dreams come true had her both nauseous and horny at the same time.

  She wasn’t beautiful like Kalee had been. Sure, she had the stereotypical blonde hair and blue eyes women in California were known for, but she was too big to be considered sexy in this uber-body-conscious state. Not to mention, she was shy and would rather stay home and draw than go out. If she’d met Ace on the street, he wouldn’t have looked twice at her.

  But now they were married.

  Married.

  And he was going to want to have sex.

  Good Lord.

  All of a sudden, Piper couldn’t think of anything but having sex with Beckett Morgan. And given everything she’d learned about him thus far in their short acquaintance, she knew without a doubt he’d be attentive and generous in bed.

  Before her mind could go too far down that rabbit hole, Kemala turned to the other girls and said something in Tetum—which promptly made both Sinta and Rani burst into tears.

  Alarmed, she and Ace did their best to soothe them, but without knowing exactly what had set them off, it was difficult.

  “What’d you tell them?” Ace asked Kemala gently.

  “What you said. This home. Our home. For real.” Kemala struggled to find the right words as she continued, also crying. “We dream of this. Home. Family. Food. To be safe. We talk and say US had to be better than mountain. But we no thought this. It is a dream.”

  Ace beamed and addressed the girls. “There will be a lot of things you’re going to see over the next week or so that will be surprising. But soon, this will all become normal for you. All Piper and I ask is that you never take it for granted. Remember where you came from, and do your best to give back to those who aren’t as lucky as you. Okay?”

  All three girls nodded.

  Piper had no idea if they understood what Ace had said, but she had a feeling he’d tell them the same thing over and over. She approved. They were lucky, and she made a mental note to add trips to homeless shelters into their routine, and to do projects that would make sure none of them—Piper and Ace included—forgot those less fortunate.

  “How about we look at the rest of the house now, huh?” Ace asked. “I want to show you your new bedrooms.”

  The girls smiled, and after Ace stood, he reached for Piper and they walked hand in hand up the stairs.

  When he opened the first door, Piper gasped in surprise. There was a twin-size bed and a bookshelf full of children’s books, with about ten stuffed animals resting on top of the pink comforter on the bed. The door to the closet was also open, and Piper could see at least twenty different outfits hanging there.

  “How in the world did you manage this?” she asked as the girls entered the room and cautiously looked at everything.

  “Caite and Sidney.”

  “Who?”

  “Rocco and Gumby’s women.”

  “Oh, yeah, duh.”

  Ace grinned. “I asked the guys to see if Caite and Sid would go shopping for some bare necessities for the girls. I guessed on their sizes, so if any of the clothes don’t fit, we can return them. But I didn’t want them to come home to a sterile room. I wanted them to feel comfortable.” He huffed out a breath and motioned to the girls with his head. “Guess I failed in that, though, huh?”

  None of the girls had touched any of the toys or books. They were standing in the middle of the room as if they couldn’t quite understand or believe that everything in it was for them. Piper could tell Ace was somewhat disappointed that his gesture wasn’t going over like he’d hoped it would.

  “We need to give them time,” Piper said quietly. “And even if they don’t appreciate it yet, I do. Thank you, Ace. Seriously. You’ve gone above and beyond. A week ago you flew out on just another mission, and now you’re home with a wife and three kids.”

  “I wouldn’t change a thing,” Ace told her seriously. “Sometimes things just click. And from the moment I saw you sticking your head out of the floorboards of that kitchen in the mountain, something inside me definitely clicked.”

  “Pretty,” Sinta said from right next to them.

  Piper jumped slightly. She’d been so lost in the expression on Ace’s face that she’d forgotten where they were for a second.

  “Come on,” Ace told them. “Let’s look at the other two rooms. You can decide who wants what room later.”

  After touring the other two bedrooms that had been set up for the girls, Ace led them into the master bedroom. Once again, Piper could only sigh in delight. The entire room was welcoming and calming, just as a bedroom should be. The king-size bed had a beautiful quilt, which looked handmade, covering the surface. There was a large dresser opposite the bed and one of those oversized armchairs in the corner.

  Piper walked over to the entrance to the master bathroom and wasn’t surprised to see the bathroom of her dreams. Two sinks, a small closet for the toilet, a Jacuzzi tub, and a separate shower.

  “The closet goes through there,” Ace told her, pointing to an entrance at the back of the bathroom. “It snakes around and the laundry room is around the corner. It’s handy to have the washer and dryer right next to the closet. There’s also a door that leads out into the hall.” Ace grinned. “Of course, we might regret the placement one day, when we eventually teach the girls how to do their own laundry. We’ll just have to remember to keep the door to our bathroom closed so we aren’t surprised at an inopportune time.”

  Piper couldn’t help but blush. Every time Ace talked about their relationship as if being a married couple forever was a given, she could picture it more and more easily. She’d kind of thought that once they got back to the States, and weren’t in some intense life-or-death situation, Ace might regret marrying her. That he’d try to put distance between them. But the reality so far was exactly the opposite.

  The more time they spent together outside his mission, the closer they seemed to get. Piper couldn’t stop sneaking glances at him and, more often than not, found he was looking at her as well. Her entire body was aware of him. It was exciting and scary at the same time.

  “Who’s hungry?” Ace asked, as if he knew Piper was overwhelmed.

  “Is time to eat?” Kemala asked eagerly.

  “That’s another thing that has changed,” Ace explained, leading his little family out of the master bedroom down the hall. “If you’re hungry, you can eat. We’ll do our best to have three square meals a day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but if you get hungry in between those times, you can have a healthy snack.”

  “Why food square?” Kemala asked.

  Ace chuckled, and Piper couldn’t help but think how much she loved hearing him laugh.

  “It’s a saying,” he told Kemala. “But the bottom line is, there’s plenty of food to go around. Understand?”

  All three girls nodded.

  “So, does anyone want a snack?”

  Once again, three little heads bobbed up and down.

  Ace caught Piper’s gaze. “Caite and Sidney also went to the grocery store, so there should be plenty to eat. I can whip up something for dinner tonight, just tell me what you want to eat; we can discuss what you think would be best for them as they adjust to American foods.”

  Once again, Piper felt overwhelmed. Every little thing had to be considered for her new daughters. They couldn’t just dig into a big ol’ hamburger and fries. Their tummies and taste buds had to acclimate to new foods.

  When they reached the kitchen, Ace opened the refrigerator, and Piper saw that it was indeed full to the brim with fresh food.

  “I need to meet these women,” Piper said under her breath.

  “I’m sure they’ll probably be over here tomorrow,” Ace said nonchalantly. />
  “Tomorrow?” Piper asked.

  Ace looked at her. “Is that bad?”

  “I just…I want to make a good impression, and I have a feeling with the million and one things we have to do that I’ll be a little exhausted.”

  “You’re right,” Ace told her immediately. “I’ll call Rocco and Gumby and make sure they know we need some time before they all descend.”

  “It’s okay, Ace,” Piper said. “I want to meet them.”

  “No, I wasn’t thinking. You’re right, and we need some time with just the girls and us. To figure out our new normal and to get stuff done. How about some cheese?”

  The way he changed subjects so rapidly was somewhat amusing. One second he was talking to her, and the next he was focused on the girls.

  He got the three girls settled at the table with a plate of sliced American, cheddar, and mozzarella cheese, along with some grapes and baby carrots.

  “What about you?” he asked as they stood in the kitchen, watching as Rani, Sinta, and Kemala smelled and carefully examined each of the slices of cheese before they tried them.

  “I’m okay, thanks.”

  Ace put his hand on her arm, and Piper glanced at him.

  “Thank you.”

  She furrowed her brow. “For what?”

  “For this,” he said with a tilt of his head to the table. “For not telling me to fuck off when I suggested we get married. For giving me the family I’ve always wanted.”

  “I think I really should be thanking you,” Piper told him.

  Ace turned her and slowly tugged her into his arms. Piper went willingly. It seemed every time he held her, it made her mind turn off and she relaxed. But this time, instead of clearing her mind, all she could think of was how good it felt to be surrounded by him. She felt his hand glide up her back, and he ran his fingers through her hair before palming the back of her neck. She flattened her palms on his sides and looked at him expectantly.

  “I want our marriage to be a real one,” he said quietly.

  Goose bumps broke out on Piper’s arms at his words.

  “I know we didn’t go about this in the normal way, but every time I look at you, I want to know you better. I want to know everything, including how you made your cartoons into a career. I can’t wait to watch our girls blossom. I can’t wait until we’re rolling our eyes at how Kemala can take a thirty-minute shower and not see anything wrong with that. Until Rani starts talking our ears off, and we have to tell her to shush. Until Sinta feels comfortable enough to not agree with everything we say.