but as that was as implausible as flying to Saturn he was safe.
‘Now, there’s a novel idea,’ she quipped as she snuggled closer.
He swallowed hard and lowered his chin to the top of her head, breathed deep to absorb the scent of sunscreen and flowers, and relaxed against her. Felt her breasts rising and falling softly, not hard points pressing against him like last time he’d held her. Her short breaths against his shirt, her hands on his chest, everything about her made him feel complete. She took away some of the doubts that had been niggling him since he’d first seen that baby bump. Whatever the difficulties ahead, they’d manage, would sort out how to go about raising a child between them in less-than-perfect circumstances. He wasn’t worried on that score. He also wasn’t giving up trying to convince her to move into his house. Not yet. Though he should be. Because becoming a father still didn’t sit easily with him. And having a woman on his patch permanently had him in a hot sweat of the worst kind. Yet—this was Sophie. The one woman he’d never forgotten; remembered her body as hot satin in his hands that night that had led to this situation.
Sophie pulled back, smoothed her already smooth shirt over her breasts. Then she locked her eyes on him and drew in a deep breath. ‘I’ve got something to show you. Can you wait here?’ It must be important, going by the way she held herself.
‘Of course.’ Glad of the distraction, he switched the ignition off and got out to open her door. Leaning back against the car, he watched her walk slowly into the building. Exhaustion tugged her shoulders downward and made her head droop. What was so important that she had to show him tonight? His mind came up blank, so he stopped trying to work it out and waited for her to return.
Then she was back, handing him a large envelope. ‘This is yours to keep. If you want,’ she added with uncertainty.
Which only intrigued him more. ‘What is it?’
‘Take a look. I kept a copy for you.’
He opened the tab and shook the contents out into his hand. One sheet of heavy paper. A photo. No, a scan. His mouth dried. His heart went into overdrive, sending his blood thudding around his body. His hand shook as he held the picture out to study. ‘Our baby?’ he croaked.
Sophie stepped closer. ‘Yes. Look, there are her legs, and one arm. Isn’t that amazing?’
He was incapable of speech. His chin jerked downward once, abruptly. Wow. His daughter. Amazing didn’t begin to describe the overwhelming love for this tiny being flattening him. It filled his heart. It would be easier to chop his arm off than to walk away now. He was a goner. Over a baby. A baby he hadn’t met yet. Who’d have thought?
‘Gorgeous, huh?’ An arm slid around his waist. Sophie. She must feel exactly as he did. Smitten.
He blinked as tears threatened to spill down his face. ‘Yeah. Gorgeous.’ And still downright terrifying. And so not what he’d wanted for his life, but he would not, could not give up now.
‘Stop fighting it.’ Sophie grinned up at him before stretching to place a soft kiss on his mouth. ‘Goodnight, Cooper. Sleep well.’ Then she walked inside, closing the door behind her.
He wasn’t going to sleep. Not tonight. Staring at the scan, he shook his head at the enormity of what had befallen him. Yesterday he’d thought it’d take a long time to accept his upcoming fatherhood. He’d never factored in the love, the instant need to protect, the expectations of watching her grow up that were gripping him. He hadn’t had a clue. Not one.
Sliding into the car, Cooper drove slowly across to the accommodation block he was staying in, barely taking his eyes off that photo long enough to see where he was going.
Sleep well, Sophie had said. Not likely. He was going to put the scan back in the envelope and store it safely in his bag, then he’d go for a run. Pound the road and try to settle the beating in his chest and find some reason for all the turmoil going on in his head.
AFTER TAKING FOR ever to go to sleep, Sophie was woken by banging on her door and someone calling out. ‘Captain, wake up. You’re needed in the medical hut.’
Two-twenty in the morning. Must be urgent. ‘Coming.’ Rolling out of bed, she grimaced. Her back ached. Her head was full of cotton wool. And the baby was dancing nonstop. As for the thoughts about her baby’s father that had followed her right into sleep, she was about ready to forget she’d ever met him if it meant some peace. The pillow beneath her hand was wet. Her cheeks below her eyes were puffy. She’d been crying? In her sleep? Never.
Shrugging into a shirt and pulling up her fatigue trousers, she opened the door. ‘Hey, Simone, what’s the problem?’
‘Some of the guys have been in a brawl with civilians,’ Simone told her. ‘Down at McGregor’s Bar.’
‘So we’ve got drunks to contend with.’ Great. ‘Where did I put my boots?’ She looked all around her room, came up empty-handed.
‘Want me to look?’ Simone grinned.
‘Go ahead. Oh, no, there they are.’ Feeling unsteady, she held onto the bed end as she leaned down to pull the offending boots out from under a chair.
Simone was at her elbow immediately. ‘Are you all right?’
‘Must’ve leapt out of bed too fast.’
‘Captain Daniels is already at the unit, trying to quieten some of the noisier of the idiots.’ The nurse was not known for her patience with soldiers who’d overindulged and got themselves into trouble.
‘Who asked Coop—Captain Daniels to lend a hand?’
That grin widened. ‘Your friend Cooper?’
‘That one.’ Of course everyone on base would know she and Cooper had spent a few hours together.
‘Seems he was out running when he came across the guys fighting with two locals outside the pub. Pulverising them was his summation. Something about the soldiers defending a young woman.’
Why was Cooper running in the middle of the night? Sophie shut her door and led the way outside. ‘The police involved?’
‘Our MPs and the state troopers. The troopers have taken the civilians to their hospital. We’ve got our morons to deal to.’
‘Maybe not morons if they were looking out for a woman.’ Any male who could go past a woman, or any one, in trouble wasn’t worthy of being called a man. Unlike Cooper. Even now she could feel his body covering hers in that dirt as the air had exploded around them.
‘Huh,’ grunted Simone.
‘Nothing too serious reported in the way of injuries, though we have a minor knife wound and a couple of black eyes,’ Cooper informed Sophie the moment she stepped inside the medical unit and noted the four men waiting to be checked over. ‘Noisy but not drunk,’ he added.
Two MPs were trying to hold one of the men upright but he seemed determined not to use his legs for some reason.
‘Wonderful,’ she muttered.
I
