Cockpit: A Second Chance Romance (7 page)

The front door of the house had opened.

"Niffer? Who's this?"

I opened my eyes and saw my father standing in the open doorway with a very, very unhappy look on his face.

Uh oh.

Jagger was about to meet the General.

Maybe I should have warned him after all.

Chapter Eight

Jagger

✈

I stared at General Reeds where he filled the doorway with his broad shoulders. He didn't just fill the space either. He ate it up. He
loomed.

I did the only thing I could do.

I saluted.

Everyone knew General Reeds was the toughest motherfucker to set foot on American soil. Or Middle Eastern soil. Or anywhere there had been a conflict in the last thirty years or so.

The man was a fucking legend.
 

"'Niffer? Care to explain what you are doing with this young man?"

"Dad, this is Sergeant Derek Jagger. Jagger, this is... my dad."

I looked at her and back at the General. Then back again. I nodded to myself, as if something had just fallen into place.

Of course, she was the daughter of the guy who ran the entire damn show. Naturally that was the particular pile of shit I would land in. He was looking at me like something he'd scraped off his damn boots.
After
he'd stomped on it.

This wasn't going to be easy.

But it was worth it.

She was worth it.

"At ease, Sergeant."

Now he was giving me a piercing stare. Like he was a farmer and I was the weasel in his henhouse. And he wasn't far off. I had been kissing the beejesus out of his daughter. Hell, I'd been ready to toss her over my shoulder and take her back to my lair, caveman style.

This was it. Time to man up. It was now or never, Jagger. I stood up straight, my eyes clear and my voice strong.

"Sir, I would like to call on you at a more convenient time and state my intentions toward your daughter."

He looked at me. Then he nodded.
 

"I hoped to take her to dinner tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow evening then. Be here at eighteen hundred hours. Then we'll see about you taking my daughter out. Come inside, Jennifer."

"Honestly, you two-"

"Come inside 'Niffer. Now."

Jenny gave me an exasperated look. She looked irritated by the exchange. I wanted to kiss her until she was melting against me again.
 

But I restrained myself for obvious reasons.

"Tomorrow night, Sergeant."

"Yes, sir."

"Don't be late."

"No, sir."

He pulled Jenny inside and shut the door in my face.

All the same I was whistling as I walked down the walkway to the sidewalk. I glanced back at the imposing house and shook my head.

After all this time, all this wondering, all this waiting, I finally had her last name. I had her number now. There was no more chasing my own damn tail.

Her name was Jenny Reeds.

Jenny

✈

"Dating? Don't you have other things to worry about, young lady?"

I sighed, closing Hallie's door behind me. I'd gone in to check on her before dealing with my dad. I gestured for him to follow me to the kitchen, where I put a kettle on for tea. Then I turned to face him, bracing my arms against the counter behind me.

"Yes dad. But it's complicated."

He gave me a hard look.

"Does he know about the child?"

I stiffened. My dad had no idea that Jagger was the father. But if he did know, he would never give Jagger a chance.

"No. And I don't want to tell him yet."

My father looked at me with a look of dawning understanding.

"You already care for this young man."

I sighed.

"I do. More than I want to."

He said nothing, just stared at the table in front of him. The kettle went off and I poured us each a mug of chamomile tea. Lord knows, I could have used something stronger.

"Jenny... This is hard for me. I'm trying to think of what your mother would say."

"I know dad. Me too."

"I'd like to take that boy out back and tar his hide."

I stiffled a laugh. Jagger brought that out in people apparently. But he also brought out... other things.

Tingly skin, butterflies in the tummy sorts of things.

If I wanted us to have a chance to be something real, or even just to have a little fun before he went on his merry way, I had to keep my dad from murdering him.

If nothing else, I had to keep him breathing for Hallie.

"Please don't do that, dad."

"I won't. But if he hurts you..."

"I know, I know. The firing squad, right?"

My dad's stern face cracked the teensiest bit of a smile. I put my hand over his. We were both thinking the same thing... how my mother used to tease him when he got too worked up. She'd softened him.

She'd softened us both.

I could almost imagine that she was here, stirring something on the stove behind me. She'd listen to use argue with a wistful smile, only stepping in when one of us wasn't fighting fair. Her two mules, she'd call us. But always with a kiss or gentle hand on my shoulder.

"Well, I guess you are old enough to know your own mind."

 
He seemed to shake off the memories and come back to the present. Not that I wanted to. I could have lived in those memories forever.

But that wasn't life, was it? I had to deal with what was happening. With the here and now.

"Thanks dad."

He lifted his mug and stood.

"Thank you, Jenny. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

I washed my face and brushed my teeth before crawling into bed with my tea. I was too restless to sleep so I picked up a book. Then I was too distracted to read it. I tossed and turned for a while, trying to focus with no luck.

All I could think about was Jagger.

And how I was going to explain to him why I'd kept his daughter a secret all this time.

I knew in my bones he was going to be upset when I told him.

He'd probably walk out on me for having too much baggage. But there was nothing I could do about that. Me and my girl were a package deal.

Maybe if I waited... if I gave him a chance to get to know her, and me. Maybe he'd warm up to the idea.

Maybe he'd even be glad.

I slid lower under the covers, inhaling the familiar scent of the detergent. It reminded me of my mom, even though I was the one who did the wash now.
 

I knew what she would tell me.

She would tell me to come clean and let the chips fall where they may. She would tell me that I was strong and I would survive with or without him. She would tell me I was a good mother and would do the right thing for my daughter and myself.

I felt tears sting my eyes as I finally started to drift off.

I wasn't so sure I was as strong as my mother after all.

Chapter Nine

Jagger

✈

"Just a little off the top. I like the sides close, though."

The barber nodded, using a spray bottle to dampen my hair. Lefoy walked in, and plopped down in the seat next to me. We'd come up in the early days together.

We hadn't liked each other much back then. People said it was because we were so much alike. He'd grown on me slightly over the years though.

Slightly.

"I heard you were back stateside, SPD."

I glanced at him, then back at my much more handsome reflection in the mirror.

"Easy on the top now."

The barber started snipping all over the top of my head. I wanted to look neat, but I wasn't looking to go back to a damn crew cut. I'd earned the right to sport a little more style.

Lefoy ran his fingers over his spikey flat top.

"Not me. I keep my shit high and tight."

"What do you want, Lefoy?"

"I want a drinking buddy. You can drink with the best of them, even if you steal all the women."

I snorted. He was worse than I was with women. Past tense.

"Not tonight my friend."

"Oh no? What's up? You got a date?"

I smiled smugly.

"Indeed I do."

"You got the bug already, doncha?"

I glared at him.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Guy like you, never bothering to take a lady out anywhere but your bedroom. Now all the sudden you got shined shoes and your dress uniform on. Looks like you're looking to settle down."

 
I said nothing. I wanted to smack him. But what he was saying was a little too close to the truth.

 
"Seen it happen a hundred times. Guy sees some action. Watches his friends get blown up. Next thing you know, he's itching to spawn."

He stretched and stood.

"Anyway, I'm heading down to that rib place. I saw a sweet little ginger piece of ass there the other day that would make your head spin."

He winked at me.

"Too bad you got a date."

I was out of the chair and gripping him by the collar before he could so much as blink.

"You keep your hands off her, you pig."

He held his hands up.

"Oh oh oh! Easy now, Jagger. I didn't know you had a date with little red riding hood."

I let him go, his feet settling back on the floor. He was a big guy, but I'd managed to lift him off his feet. I was so angry I could have thrown his sorry ass across the room. It made me furious hearing him talk that way about Jenny. I stepped back, willing myself to calm down.

"Just forget you ever set eyes on her."

He smiled and nodded, but I wasn't fooled. Lefoy walked to the door. Just outside he shook his head and shouted.

"She's kind of hard to forget, Jagger. I think I'll go think about little red right now- in the shower!"

He made a crude gesture in front of his crotch and took off.

I cursed and ran for the door but he was already running away like a little snake. And I was in my dress uniform. And I had a towel draped over my shoulders.

And if I took the time to properly beat his ass I was going to be late.

I could not be late for this. Especially with Lefoy sniffing around Jenny. His reputation with the ladies was almost as bad as mine.

Almost. But not quite.

I sat back in the chair and nodded at the barber. I wondered how often there were fights in the barbershop and decided to leave him a big tip for my poor manners. In ten minutes I was done and on my way to my meeting with the General. I made a quick stop at the grocery store for some flowers.

Roses. Red ones too. Like her hair. They weren't cheap either.

Women loved roses.

I walked up to the door and pressed the buzzer.

Jenny

✈

"Up or down?"

I rolled my eyes at Crystal. Her husband had turned one of the guest rooms in their house into a salon for her to do hair. It was simple but nicely tricked out with a big mirror and a swivel chair. He'd even put in a sink and one of those chairs that leaned back for washing.

"Down. I'm not going to the prom."

She snickered.

"Were you still in high school when you... knew Jagger?"

I gave her a suspicious look in the mirror. What was she getting at anyway? I decided just to evade the question.

"No. But it wasn't long after graduation."

She made a clucking sound with her tongue. I tried to wait her out, thinking she would change the subject.

She didn't.

"What?"

She gave me a pointed look.

"You can't fool me. I saw them together, girl. I know he's her daddy."

I sighed. Of course Crystal would have figured it out. She was like a super sleuth sometimes.

She also claimed that she was psychic but I didn't believe in that kind of thing.

"Yeah. Okay."

"Does he know he shipped off with a bun in your oven?"

I shook my head quickly.

"No. We didn't... keep in touch."

"His choice or yours?"

"Mine. I mean, he said he wanted to find me but he didn't know my name. I knew his though."

"And you decided not to clue him in when you found out about Hallie?"

I nodded and she held my head still so she could work the curling iron.

"I asked around about him. And the stuff I heard... well, it made me think he wouldn't care that he'd gotten me knocked up. I felt stupid for thinking he..."

"Actually cared about you?"

It was a relief to tell someone else. Maybe she could help me figure out what to do. How to... work around the big ole elephant in the room.

"Hmmm... well, if you ask me girl, he does care. Now, anyway. I have no idea what he was like before but he is into you, no doubt."

"You think so?"

I couldn't hide the eagerness in my voice.

"Hell yes. He's smitten. I also think you better tell him ASAP, girl. I know that look."

"What look?"

"You look starry eyed."

"I do not."

"You do. You look like you are a inch from falling in love. Him too."

She pulled the curling iron through my hair again and started to fluff me.

"If you haven't already."

"I haven't! I barely... know him."

She made a rude noise and I scowled at her. Then she pulled out the hairspray. I dove out of the seat, holding my hands up.

"Keep that stuff away from me."

"Suit yourself. You will be wilting by dessert."

"I don't care. I hate that sticky stuff."

She shrugged and grumbled at me.

"Eh, you don't need any extra help anyway. Not the way you look."

"Oh, stop."

"You could wear a trash bag and look like a movie star. You hooker."

Crystal had this weird obsession with convincing me I should be a model. Or an actress. Or do something with my looks. I honestly didn't know what she was talking about.

I just didn't see it. I was plain featured and not the twig type they showed on TV, other than my hair. Sure guys made fools of themselves around me, but didn't they do that with every fertile female within spitting distance?

"Trust me, honey. Jagger doesn't stand a chance."

Chapter Ten

Jagger

✈