That Touch of Pink (14 page)

“In other words, lie. Except about the beautiful child part.”

“Pretty much.”

“So did you?” he asked.

“I don't lie. Ever,” she said emphatically. Not about anything. Including her feelings for Riley, although that was the last thing she wanted to talk about. If she could rewind their last conversation and take back the words, she'd do it in a heartbeat. “The fact is, no one's called me to ask about him. It's Fred tilting at windmills again. I just thought you should know.”

“Thanks for telling me.”

“You're welcome. And again, thanks for coming today.”

“You didn't think I would. That's why you're here, isn't it?” He held up his hand. “I don't blame you. Based on my recent unforgivable behavior.”

“I just didn't want Kim to be alone. She has such a tender heart and—”

When her voice broke, Riley moved closer and touched her hand, took it in his own. The warmth felt so good wrapped around her fingers. How she would love to trust him, to take the support he was offering. But she couldn't trust and she had to stand on her own two feet. She'd made the mistake of reaching out to Riley once. She wouldn't do it again. Not only because she hated being needy, but it hurt too much when you loved someone who couldn't love you back.

“Abby—”

She pulled her hand away. “I have to get to work.”

“Wait, we need to talk.”

“I don't have anything else to say.” She stepped up on the curb.

“I have plenty to say.”

She walked slowly backward. “Now that camping is over, so are we. There's nothing you can say that I want to hear.”

Because all she wanted to hear was that he loved her, and it was the one thing he couldn't say. She turned away before he could see the tears in her eyes and walked to her car as quickly as possible.

He was noble and loyal and wonderful, and he would try to do the right thing. But he obviously couldn't love her. It had been stupid to even hold out hope that he
could. She was umbrella drinks and ordering off a menu. He was catch it, kill it, cook it over an open fire. The differences between them were why she'd bought him in the first place—to give her child what she couldn't. It was never supposed to get this personal.

She backed her car out of the space and looked in her rearview mirror. Riley still stood there, watching. Sweeping the back of her hand across her cheek, she brushed at the trail of tears. It hurt a lot to know this was the last time she would ever see him. Her heart cracked, and she was pretty sure she'd never be able to put it back together.

Because she'd never loved anyone the way she loved Riley.

“B
ut, Mommy, why can't I ask Riley to come over for dinner?”

Abby glanced in the rearview mirror at her daughter, securely buckled in the backseat. They'd just come from day care and were on the way home. Kimmie had chattered nonstop about her day at school, which included Riley and Doughnuts With Dad. How could she make this child understand that the man they'd both fallen in love with wasn't coming around anymore?

“It's not polite to bother him. He probably has plans, Kimmie.” Now wasn't the time for that conversation, because Abby knew she was dangerously close to an emotional meltdown as it was. When it happened, she wanted to be in the privacy of her own bedroom where her little girl wouldn't see.

“Today at Doughnuts With Dad, he told me he wasn't doing anything tonight,” Kimmie said.

“Did he volunteer that information? Or did you grill him like a raw hamburger?”

“Huh?” The little girl brushed her hair out of her eyes.

“Did you ask him a lot of questions?”

There was complete silence. Abby kept her eyes on the road as she asked, “Are you shaking your head? Use words, Kim.”

“No. I didn't bother him. He just said so.”

“Why would he tell you he didn't have anything to do tonight?”

“Because he wants me to call and 'vite him over for dinner. How many times do I have to tell you?”

One glance and Abby read her body language—hands out, palms up clearly saying
duh
. Kimmie was a miniversion of her, and the words were straight from Abby's top ten list of maternal rhetorical questions. If only her brain didn't seize up when irritation got the better of her and she could remember what a little sponge her child was. It was like looking into a mirror, and the reflection she saw wasn't pretty.

But right now, Abby was too focused on her own pain and loneliness to even be irritated. Surely Riley hadn't been hinting for an invitation. He'd shown up today because he felt badly about breaking a promise, but Doughnuts With Dad was his last obligation to them and he was moving on. She needed to do the same. And she would know she had when the thought of never seeing him again didn't produce a fresh wave of sadness and raw pain. Somehow she had to convince Kim to back off. Let it go. Let him go. Maybe that would be easier, Abby thought, when she figured out how she was going to forget him.

She turned onto their block, grateful that they were almost home. Neighborhood kids were playing ball in the street, and she drove slowly, watching that they were all out of the way.

“Mommy, what's that in our front yard?”

“What, sweetie?” She glanced at her house and for the first time saw what looked like a domed tent in the front yard. If she wasn't mistaken, it was the ultralight one they'd slept in on the campout.

“There's a bunch of kids in our yard,” Kim said, pointing out the obvious.

They were gathered around the tent and a tall man beside it. Abby's heart started to hammer and the blood rushed to her head, pounding in her ears. The noise was so loud it took several moments before she realized what Kimmie had said.

“Mommy, that looks like Riley,”

She recognized his SUV parked at the curb. After all, it had only been a few hours since she'd hurried away from it, and him, in the lot at Kimmie's school. He'd said he wanted to talk, but she couldn't bear to hear him say goodbye. Her pulse skipped as she pulled into the driveway.

After the car had stopped, it only took Kimmie seconds to unbuckle herself and hop out. Abby took her time, trying to brace herself, shore up her defenses. She couldn't take much more of this emotional stuff. Force of habit made her press the automatic garage door opener. Then she went to see what was going on.

“This is the tent I slept in when we went camping,” Kimmie boasted to three children gathered around who lived next door.

“That's right,” Riley confirmed.

“Is it heavy?” four-year-old Gavin asked.

“A big guy like you wouldn't have any trouble carrying it,” Riley said, and the towheaded little boy grinned at the praise.

“Girls can carry stuff, too,” his seven-year-old sister Mary pointed out. Her hair was the same shade as her two brothers'. “Kimmie carried it and she's younger than me. Right, Kim?”

“Riley carried it all the way to where we camped. But I picked it up.”

“No way.” Colin was ten and in the boys-are-bigger-and-stronger stage. “It's too big for a girl.”

“Did too, didn't I, Riley?”

“You did. When we were breaking camp, you were a big help. When you go camping, everyone has to pull his weight. That's what survival is all about.” He looked at Abby as she joined the group, but his expression was as maddeningly impassive as ever.

“Hi, Mrs. Walsh,” all the kids said together.

“Hi,” she answered.

“Are you going camping again?” Gavin asked Riley, eyeing the tent with undisguised envy.

“Are we?” Kimmie asked.

“We'll see.”

He looked at all the children who stared back with hero worship written all over their sweet, innocent faces. Abby didn't blame them. She had a raging case of it herself. Riley was definitely hero material. Although she didn't think it was especially heroic of him to show up and put her through more heartache.

“Kids, I think I hear your mother calling you,” Abby said.

Colin listened. “I don't hear anything.”

“I think you just got your marching orders,” Riley pointed out.

“Yeah. I guess it's about time for dinner.” He looked at Riley. “Can we play in the tent after we eat?”

“That's up to Mrs. Walsh,” he said, meeting her gaze.

Looking into his blue eyes, Abby suddenly knew what it would feel like if fire sucked all the oxygen from the air. “It's fine with me.”

“Okay, let's go eat,” the oldest sibling said to the other two.

When they'd gone, Abby looked at her daughter. “Kimmie, you need to go inside and wash up.”

“But I'm not eatin' yet.
My
dinner's not done. Can Riley stay?”

She looked at him. “Help me out here,” she pleaded.

He looked down at the little girl. “I need to talk to your mom for a few minutes. Then we'll see about dinner.”

“Okay.” Kim raced into the house through the open garage door.

Suddenly they were alone, and Abby didn't know what to say. He was so close she could feel the heat from his body as his breath stirred her hair. How she wanted to lean into his strength, but she didn't dare. She decided to say the obvious. “What are you doing here? What's with the tent?”

“It's about survival,” he said.

“What about it? Although I have to say I'm all in favor of it.”

“Me, too.”

“But, Riley, I thought I made myself clear—”

“Crystal,” he interrupted. “Which is why I brought the tent.”

She shook her head. “You lost me.”

“I hope that's not true,” he said. His expression grew intense and became the one he assumed when he was on a mission and failure wasn't an option.

“When you skipped Kimmie's badge ceremony, you sent a clear message.”

“Yeah. That I'm an idiot.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I'm here to get the message straight.”

“By setting up the tent?”

“Today you said when camping was finished, so were we. That's unacceptable so I set up camp on your doorstep.”

Abby could hardly breathe, what with the hope that expanded inside her like a helium balloon. “But, I don't understand—”

“It's about survival,” he said again. “I'm prepared to camp out here indefinitely because I don't want us to be finished. I can't survive without you.”

“Oh, Riley—” Her throat closed with emotion.

He curled his fingers around her upper arms and stared into her eyes. “There's a saying in the military. It's a motto that men in combat live by. Leave no man behind. That includes women and children, too.”

Abby didn't say anything. She couldn't since emotion closed her throat.

“I'm completely defenseless,” he said. “You and your six-year-old secret weapon have taken over my heart.” He waited several moments, then frowned. “Say something, Abby.”

She wanted so badly to believe what he was telling
her. Sincerity was written all over his face. But how could it not be? He was one of the good guys who took responsibility for the whole world. The same one who so badly wanted a family to belong to.

“How do I know Kimmie and I aren't substitutes for the family you lost?” she finally managed to ask.

He let out a long breath as he ran his fingers through his hair. “I don't know what I can say to convince you. Except these days, there are lots of single moms looking for a man.”

Abby knew this firsthand. Many of her high school students came from single-parent homes. “What's your point?”

“If I wanted a substitute, there are lots to choose from and anyone would do. But you're not just anyone, Abby. You're—everything.”

“Oh, Riley—” The lump in her throat choked off the words.

“You're right about the fact that I want a family. I found out how much when I lost mine. But you made me realize that love is the glue that keeps families together. It's the foundation everything is built on. I didn't have that the first time, and I'd rather be alone than botch things up again. In fact, I didn't even want to try, because I was afraid of making another mistake. But from the very first time I saw you, in my gut I knew that you were different and I was in trouble.”

How could she resist that? As she'd said, he was the kind of man who made a girl want to try again. Finally, her heart and her head were in sync and sending a clear message all the way to her soul. Riley Dixon wasn't a chance; he was a sure thing.

“Really?” she asked.

“Really.” The corners of his mouth curved up in a smile as he pulled her to him. “I love you, Abigail Walsh.”

“Them's fightin' words.”

He leaned back to look in her eyes. “What?”

“Never call me that. Abby will do.”

“Abby will do nicely.”

“I love you, too, Riley Dixon.” She met his gaze and sighed. The worry and stress and pain and loneliness slipped away. “The two of us are a piece of work, you know?”

“Why's that?”

“We've been so busy protecting ourselves and everyone else, we forgot to simply love each other.”

“Protection is what soldiers do. And I plan to protect you and Kimmie for as long as I live. But I won't forget to love both of you with all my heart.”

“And how do I know you mean that, soldier?”

“Because I intend to marry you.”

“Is that an order?”

“It could be. But I'd rather have a willing volunteer,” he said.

“Ready, willing and so very able.”

He smiled, then dipped his head and touched his lips to hers. As he took her weight against him, Abby savored his strength and the sensation of support. She was going to love leaning on him. She was going to love loving him.

He broke the kiss and rested his forehead to hers. “So that's a definite affirmative? You'll marry me?”

“Yes. With pleasure. And you certainly don't waste any time.”

“What can I say? Once a man of action, always a man of action. There's no point in wasting any more time than we already have. This mission is on course, and there's every indication it will be a rousing success.”

“So you knew I was different. In your office that first time we met,” Abby said skeptically.

“Yeah. Why?”

“The way you acted, for one thing. You told me no,” she reminded him.

“I'm saying yes now. In fact, I don't think I could ever say no to you again. It scares me how much I need you. How much I love you.”

Her heart was overflowing with happiness and love. “But you're not afraid of anything.”

“I didn't used to be. A man who's got nothing to lose has no fear. But now I've got the whole world, right here in my arms.”

“Me, too.” She snuggled against him, right there in front of God and all the neighbors.

She didn't care who saw that her soldier was going to make a married woman out of one very happy single mom.