Riding Shotgun. Joanna Wayne

living like this on his military salary.

      She parked next to the curb. He followed her and Jaci up the path to the front door. Jaci’s hand was securely encased in her mother’s as if she needed protection from the stranger referred to as her father.

      He was a stranger. That was the problem. A stranger to Leslie, too. A stranger to this life that seemed positively foreign to the secret mission he’d been on in the Middle East for the past nine months.

      “Nice digs,” he said as he followed Leslie through the door.

      “We needed more space,” she said as if that explained it all. “Jaci, why don’t you show your father your room and some of your favorite toys while I put lunch on the table.”

      Jaci looked as if she’d been asked to pick up a slimy fish with her bare hands. Pierce had a handful of medals that claimed he was brave and tough, yet facing Jaci alone daunted him.

      “I can help you in the kitchen first if you’d like,” he offered.

      “No help needed. All I have to do is toss a salad. Everything else I picked up at the deli earlier. I thought it would be easier to talk here than at a noisy restaurant.”

      “No doubt.”

      Jaci left the kitchen and he followed her to her room. It was even more daunting than Jaci. Pink satin and lace everywhere from the curtains to the bed with its multitude of throw pillows. Looked like it had come straight from a designer’s showroom. He wouldn’t have dared sit on the bed and put a wrinkle in the frilly coverlet.

      He wondered if Jaci did.

      Not a toy out of place. Books in perfect order along a low bookshelf. Dolls on display.

      “It’s a very pretty room,” Pierce offered.

      “It’s okay, I guess.”

      “You don’t like it?”

      “I wanted a cowboy coverlet like my friend Joey has, but Mommy said no.”

      “So, you like cowboys?” Maybe they did have some common ground. He’d loved the cowboy lifestyle himself once, had been sure he’d own his own ranch one day.

      “I like horses,” Jaci said.

      “Have you ever ridden one?”

      “Once. At Joey’s birthday party, but they just walked around real slow in a circle. And they were all tied together. I don’t think they liked it.”

      “I’m guessing they didn’t,” Pierce agreed. “I’ll take you riding on a real horse.”

      Jaci tilted her head and cut her eyes at him. “Mommy says they’re dangerous.”

      “For Mommy, maybe. But I’ve ridden lots of horses. I can keep you safe.”

      Here he was, back in her life less than an hour and already usurping Leslie’s authority. That might not be the best of ideas. “We’ll get your mommy’s approval before we ride.”

      “She’ll say no.”

      “But she must let you do lots of fun things.” He wasn’t about to fall into the trap of competing with Leslie. “So show me those favorite toys your mother was talking about.”

      “It’s just kid stuff. You wouldn’t like it.”

      “I was a kid once.”

      Jaci didn’t look convinced. She went to the shelf and pulled out a basket of Lego. “I like to build things.”

      “What kind of things?”

      “Towers. As tall as I can. And bridges. They’re the hardest.”

      “I bet.”

      “How come you went away for so long? Joey’s daddy comes home every night and they go to the park and play. Sometimes they take me with them.”

      “I had an important job to do that was too far away to come home every night, but I’m here now and I’m not going anywhere. How about you show me that park after lunch?”

      For a half second he thought she was going to smile, but the curve to her lip turned downward as quickly as it had appeared.

      “Lunch is ready.”

      Pierce looked up. Leslie was standing in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest, her expression troubled.

      Leslie crossed the room and put a hand on Jaci’s shoulder. “Go wash up, sweetie. Your dad and I will meet you in the kitchen in a few minutes.”

      Jaci marched off. The tension in the room soared. Pierce figured the moment of truth had come, but he stayed silent. Always better to know the enemy’s position before you sprang into action.

      “I thought this could wait until after lunch,” Leslie said, “but I’m not good at these games.”

      “I’m not too keen on them myself.” Especially when he didn’t know the rules of engagement. “Don’t spare my feelings. I’m a big boy. Hit me with it.”

      “I’m planning to remarry in the spring. I felt you should know.”

      “Is the groom anyone I know?”

      “Does it matter?”

      “Probably not.”

      He waited for the sting of betrayal. Or rejection. Or whatever a guy was supposed to feel when his wife of six years told him she’d replaced him with someone new. It didn’t come.

      He’d known it was over for months, would have been even if there wasn’t another man in the picture.

      They’d tried the last couple of times they were together—at least he’d given it a halfhearted shot. Things had gone fine in bed from his standpoint. Leslie was a beautiful, sexy woman.

      The problem was there was just no connection anywhere else. He’d actually been glad when his leave was over.

      Except for leaving Jaci. It always hurt like hell to say goodbye to Jaci.

      She was three months old when he saw her for the first time. He’d been anxious, afraid he wouldn’t bond, nervous that he’d be expected to hold her or even tend her alone.

      And then he’d peeked into the crib and she’d kicked her tiny feet, waved her pudgy arms and smiled up at him. His heart had melted like a slab of butter in a hot skillet.

      The sting he’d expected a few seconds earlier finally hit. Struck everywhere at once, pain scalding his skin and burning his insides, the way it had on that pitch-black night when he and his team members had crawled through the mud into a bed of huge fire ants.

      Leslie was welcome to a new life with anyone she chose, but he would not just turn over his parental rights like Jaci was a prize in a competition. Might as well get that straight right now.

      “I’m good with you remarrying, but I left the navy SEALs to come home and be a father to Jaci. I am going to be in her life, and not just as a bystander who gets to show up a couple times a year at your convenience.”

      “I didn’t expect that you would, though you missed the first five years by choice.”

      “That’s not fair. I served my country. I was with you and Jaci every opportunity I had.”

      “That’s a moot point now, but you should know that Dan and I will be moving to Cuba next week.”

      “Cuba? You’re moving to Cuba?”

      “Temporarily. Dan works for a wealthy developer and is researching possible business opportunities now that the two countries have reopened ties.”

      The impact of her words hit with dizzying force. His muscles tensed.

      “You can’t take Jaci to Cuba without my permission. I’m her father. I have rights.”

      “I