Page 19 of Navy Daddy

I’ve worked too hard at Arthur’s side for someone like Toby to ruin my day. Arthur left me panting and breathless, so sore I could barely get out of bed the next day, and it was for this exact reason.

Better to know and not need it,a line that sounded like utter bullshit at the time has never rung more true.

“Didn’t.” He shrugs. “I was grabbing a snack and saw you walk in.”

“Is everything okay?” Cindy asks from somewhere down the narrow corridor. She sounds nervous. “I thought I’d let your boyfriend have a peek at what’s waiting behind the curtain.”

His eyes widen at her statement.

“You told her you’re my boyfriend?” A frantic laugh follows.

Between the laughter and what I said, Toby’s face sinks.

“Why don’t you want to go out with me?” he asks. “You’re leaving in a few days. I’ve been trying for years. One date isn’t gonna kill you. I don’t want to go my whole life thinking of what could’ve been?—”

“You can pull this sad puppy shit somewhere else,” I hiss through clenched teeth. “I don’t want to go out with you. Never have, never will.”

I’ve rejected him so many times, tried every trick in the book to get him to drop it, and yet, he’s still persisting right up to the end.

Enough is enough.

I smash my way past him, expecting him to touch me. Maybe even hoping, just a little bit, so I can kick his ass the way Arthur taught me to. But he doesn’t make a move, not until I’m back at Cindy’s side and we’re heading for the checkout counter.

“I’ll take all of them,” I say, and she starts scanning my items.

“I’m so sorry about that,” Cindy says when Toby leaves the store with his tail between his legs.

“No, don’t mind that. You couldn’t have known,” I reply. “And like I said, I’m leaving anyway. So I can put all of it behind me.”

We finish up, and instead of going to the next shop, I call Father to pick me up. Arthur and I still have a session this afternoon, and I don’t want to be late again.

But thinking about what happened the last time I was, maybe I do.

16

ARTHUR

Something’s wrong.

It’s easy to tell by the way Eva’s fighting. Putting everything she’s got into every single punch. No dirty remarks or witty quips when I bark an order. Hell, she’s got that mean look in her eye I used to get before pulling the trigger.

Is it my fault? Have I upset her?

We were laughing at some bad pun when I dropped her at the mall. Did our short time apart make her realize what a mistake she was making entertaining me? Or did she find something else out about me? Some dark secret I forgot I was hiding.

No, it can’t be. I’ve hidden my military life well to avoid the unwanted irritations that come with it. But now isn’t the time to spiral into a pit of despair. My baby girl needs me to be her anchor.

“Left,” I say, lifting my hand in the air.

She cocks her shoulder, and her muscles bulge from the tension in her arm. A thunderous roar cries out as she drives her fistforward. It doesn’t just punch through the target, but it makes me take a step back to catch my balance. I’ve become loose in my stance while training Eva, and a blow like that would’ve floored me if it aimed at my jaw.

Right, time to figure out what’s going on here. I drop my hands at my sides and take a step back.

“What are you doing?” she growls. Her blue eyes narrow with fury.

“No. What areyoudoing?” I ask, keeping a calm and level tone.

“Fighting. I thought you’d be happy that I was finally getting into it the way you and my father wanted.”

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