Page 21 of Single Mom's Navy Seals
He sits up, curls flattened adorably on one side of his head. Sleepy blue eyes blink heavily at me as he rubs his fists across them, yawning wide enough that I can count every one of his tiny teeth. My chest tightens. No matter how hard this is, seeing him safe, even if exhausted, is worth every sacrifice.
I lead him into the bathroom, helping him wash up and brush his teeth. It takes longer than needed, considering I have to maneuver him myself since he’s determined to stay half-asleep.
A while later, Eli drags his feet back out of the bathroom, going and dropping onto the bed with another dramatic sigh. Wearing basketball shorts and a cartoon shirt, he’s still half-asleep, eyes blinking as he stares blearily around the motel room.
He stays like that until the motel door opens. Cole finally returns, carrying a white paper bag smelling faintly of biscuits and grease, and Eli’s suddenly fully awake. He scrambles upright on the bed, eyes wide and excited.
“Food!”
Cole’s mouth twitches into something resembling a smile as he hands over a wrapped white bundle. “Dig in, kid.”
I take a biscuit for myself when he passes it to me, my stomach growling as Eli eagerly tears into his own, crumbs scattering everywhere. I don’t hesitate to down mine either, happily accepting the bottle of orange juice that Cole also passes each of us.
God, I’m grateful to these men for this tiny kindness. My wallet is a hella thin, anxious weight tucked safely at the bottom of my bag, each dollar counted and re-counted. It’s impossible not to stress over every cent. The fact that they’re buying breakfast is something I can’t take.
When I finally finish eating, I move behind Eli and set to work with a brush through his tangled curls, pausing only when he protests dramatically around a mouthful of biscuit.
“You’re pulling my hair, Mommy,” he whines.
“I’m trying to make you look less like a caveman, honey. Hold still.”
“Cavemen are cool, mommy. They fought dinosaurs.”
Jax snorts, leaning against the dresser, biscuit halfway to his mouth. “He’s not wrong, Ava. Cavemen are badass.” He winks at me over the rim of his coffee, that lazy grin tugging at his mouth like he knows exactly how charming he is and how annoyed I am that it’s working.
“Don’t encourage him,” I mutter dryly, but Eli giggles, leaning back into me and shooting Jax a playful grin. God, the kid’s falling hard for them already. And the worst part? I get it.They’re strong, attentive, even kind in moments that matter. It’s the kind of thing that makes you want to lean in. Even when your gut tells you to keep your distance.
10
JAX
The car’s been silent for hours, nothing but the soft sound of Liam’s news station crackling through the speakers and the steady drone of the engine. Normally, I’d complain loudly about Liam’s taste in entertainment, but at this point, even the mind-numbing drone of a traffic update feels strangely comforting.
I stretch out my legs as best I can, cramped in the seat behind Cole, who sits statue-still up front, his head tilted toward the window. In the quiet, every slight sound seems amplified. The muted whisper of tires on the asphalt. The gentle rustle of clothing whenever one of us shifts position. It’s been hours since we stopped to stretch, and my back aches with the relentless stiffness that comes with being stuck in a car for far too long.
Glancing to my left, I can’t help but smile softly at the sight of Ava and Eli, both completely knocked out, mouths hanging open in identical sleepy expressions, soft snores harmonizing. Eli’s tiny head rests against Ava’s side, his small hand curled around the hem of her sweater. Ava leans her head against the window,strands of her brown hair falling haphazardly across her face, fluttering with each breath.
She’d stayed up the whole first day we’d driven. I’d noticed. Today, though, she made it eight hours. But, both of them fell asleep within a few minutes of each other. They’d been peacefully snoring like disgustingly cute little bears since then. Even now, slouched against the window with her hair messy and lips slightly parted, she looks... real. Not flawless. Not dolled up. But raw and beautiful in a way that wrecks me more than it should.
I’ve had a hard time tearing my gaze away from either of them for the past four hours. Especially when it comes to the brunette who seems to have captured my total infatuation.
I like to think I’m not easily captured by a pretty face, so I’m willing to admit that whatever weird things I feel for the women on the other side of me, they are deeper than the physical. She’s beautiful, sure. Any man with eyes could see that. But there’s something else about her that pulls me in deeper, something I haven't encountered before. I’ve known plenty of women, more than I probably should admit, but none of them ever stuck in my thoughts like Ava.
It might be Eli. The kid’s already wormed his way into my heart, and maybe Ava comes with that territory. But even as I rationalize it, I know it’s not the whole truth.
Liam clears his throat, breaking me out of my reverie.
“We’re about thirty minutes out,” he says, his deep voice rumbling softly from the front seat. “I found a small motel off the main roads. It should be safe enough to stop for the night.”
Cole grunts an affirmative, his usual eloquence on full display.
I lean forward, careful not to wake Ava or Eli. “You sure it’s secure, Liam?”
Liam’s eyes flick up to meet mine briefly in the rearview mirror, calm and assured. “As secure as it gets out here. It’s small, remote, nothing that should draw attention.”
“Good,” I say, nodding as I glance again toward Ava and Eli. “They need a break. This kind of drive isn’t easy on them.”
Liam nods once, eyes back on the road. “Exactly. Once we get there, I’ll check us in alone, scope it out, and text you two when it’s clear.”
