A Soldier for Poppy Read online

  The thought had him pausing for a cognizant breath. He was jealous! The realization broadsided him. He was attracted to her but that didn’t give him the right to be jealous. Wanting to spend time with her, to know her better and see where it led… that was all well and good, but this? Was he already in over his head?

  Playtime over, he grabbed his plate from the oven and demolished the ham, eggs and toast in record time. He poured another cup of coffee and stood at the kitchen window, watching for their return. They should’ve been back by now. It didn’t take that long to walk to the fountain and back.

  Becky tugged at his pant leg. He crouched beside her and asked, “What can I do for you, little lady?”

  She giggled adorably, her pigtails bouncing with the motion. “Unca Carl, would you push me on the swing?”

  “Sure thing, sweetheart. Where did your brother go?”

  “Gone potty.”

  He chuckled. “Should we wait for him?”

  “Nope.” She grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the back door.

  He wasn’t complaining. He’d been trying to think of an excuse to go back outside that wouldn’t seem too obvious. Busy pushing Becky on the swing, he almost missed Poppy’s appearance as she rounded the turn on Luke’s arm.

  What the heck? They were deep in conversation, seemingly oblivious to anyone else’s presence. Becky’s squeals of delight drowned out the conversation and for a split second, he considered shushing her. Then, shaking his head in frustration, turned back for another push and almost collided with the swing as Nathan came running and under-ducked it, whooshing it backwards.

  “Whoa, Nathan! That’s too high.”

  “Nah! She loves swinging high.”

  Carl reached out to slow the swing, uncertain as to just how tight a three-year-old could hold on. Not tight enough. As the swing came down, Becky fell off, right into his waiting arms. She turned into his chest, sobbing in reaction to the fright.

  “Wow! Good save!” shouted Nathan, drawing his mother’s attention.

  She rushed over. “Carl, what happened?”

  He gave Nathan a stern look. “Something that will never be repeated again, right Nathan?”

  Nathan grudgingly consented as he kept his head down, scuffing the toes of his sneakers in the sand surrounding the play structure. “Right, Uncle Carl.”

  “Is she all right?” Poppy asked, coming closer to brush the hair back off her daughter’s face.

  “She’ll be fine. Got quite a fright but it could’ve been worse.”

  “Nathan, explain. Now!” Poppy stated in a firm, no-nonsense voice.

  “I pushed-ded the swing too high and Becky fell off, but Uncle Carl caught her,” he said, a hopeful look in his eye as he finished the sentence.

  “Nathan, go to your room and think on the consequences of your actions. I’ll be up in fifteen minutes to mete out your punishment and you better have a good one ready or I’ll think up something.”

  “Yes, Mommy,” he said, “But I knew Uncle Carl would catch her.”

  “That’s not the point. Now go!”

  As he ran to the house the clearing of a throat behind them caught their attention.

  “Luke, I’m sorry to desert you like that. Can we finish our conversation later?’

  “Certainly, just promise me you’ll think about what I’ve said,” Luke replied as he stared at Carl and seemed to dislike him holding Becky.

  “Of course I will. You’ve become a dear friend and I appreciate your thoughtfulness. I’ll show you out.”

  Carl watched, bewildered, as she led Luke through the side gate. Becky’s sobs had quieted and she’d fallen asleep in his arms. Poor little mite. There’s nothing like a good scare to get the adrenaline pumping only to come down on a wave of fatigue. He carried her inside, laid her gently on the bed, removed her shoes, and tucked her in before returning downstairs.

  He found Poppy in the kitchen, washing up the breakfast dishes. He grabbed a cup towel and started drying.

  “Thanks for saving Becky from a nasty fall.”

  “I’m just glad I was in position to catch her. To fall off backwards like that could’ve had disastrous results.”

  Poppy’s face paled. “Backwards? How could that happen? How did you come to be there?”

  “Becky dragged me outside to push her on the swing. I got distracted for a moment and that’s when Nathan came flying under it from the other side. The swing went too high and Becky couldn’t hold on. I caught her. End of story.”

  “Oh my God! If she’d landed on her head she could have broken her neck.” Poppy started to tremble from the shock of the near escape.

  “Shhh!” he said as he hauled her into his arms. “She’s okay. No harm done and I don’t think Nathan will pull that stunt again.”

  “Do you think he did it on purpose?’

  “Why on earth would you think that? Nathan is a fine boy, a little over exuberant perhaps, but I don’t think he’d intentionally set out to harm his sister.”

  “Maybe he was jealous.”

  “Nonsense! He’s just a little boy.”

  “A little boy who needs a man’s attention.”

  “Perhaps. If that’s the way of it, he’ll get plenty of attention this summer. They both will.”

  “Thanks, Carl. I’d better go speak with Nathan now.”

  “Try not to allow your fear to set the punishment too harsh.”

  She straightened her shoulders and gave him a level stare. “I think I know how to handle my own children.”

  Whomp! He felt the words as a direct hit to his solar plexus. Apparently, she wasn’t open to advice on parenting. Hell, what did he know about it? The only children he’d ever been around were Nathan and Becky, but he had been a child once. That should count for something.

  He finished washing and drying the dishes, changed into his sweats and struck out for a belated morning jog.

  ***

  Nathan sat on his bed, his back propped up against the headboard when she entered his room. Not wanting to appear too soft, she sat on the chair in the corner instead of perching on the side of his bed as she usually did.

  “Why, Nathan? What made you push Becky so high?”

  “I only wanted to play with them.”

  “Uncle Carl would have pushed you on the other swing. Why didn’t you ask instead of barging ahead like you did?”

  “They went without me.”

  “Where were you?”

  “In the bathroom.”

  “Were you angry because they left without waiting for you?”

  He nodded and picked at a ball of fuzz stuck to the bedspread.

  “Do you realize that Becky could have been hurt real bad?”

  Nathan’s head jerked up in alarm. “But Uncle Carl was there. He caught her.”

  “Yes, and I’m thankful he did catch her, otherwise we could be having this conversation at the hospital. Understand?”

  He nodded again. “I’m sorry, Mommy.”

  “I know you are, but don’t let anything like this happen again. If you’re angry, talk to someone about it. Don’t act carelessly. Next time, someone might end up hurt.”

  “Okay, Mommy.”

  “Have you decided on a consequence for your behavior?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “What is it?”

  “I need to ‘pologize to Becky,” he said.

  “And?”

  “She can have my dessert tonight and I’ll stay off the swing today.”

  For a boy with a sweet tooth larger than her own, that was quite a consequence. “Fair enough. You will apologize for scaring Becky, give up your dessert, and stay off the swing for the rest of the day.”

  “Okay, Mommy.” He was off the bed in a flash and barreled into her arms. “I love you, Mommy.”

  “I love you too, sweetheart. Now, go wash up and I’ll see you downstairs. Becky is sleeping so don’t disturb her. Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  Lost in t
hought, she collided with Carl as she stepped into the hallway. Strong arms, glistening with sweat, held her up when she would have fallen, the musky, male scent of him more pronounced than usual.

  “Sorry, Carl. I seem to make a habit of bumping into you.”

  “I’m not complaining. Are you all right?” he asked as he held her a little away from him.

  “Yes, I’m fine.”

  “How did your discussion with Nathan go?”

  “Good. He offered to apologize, give her his dessert tonight, and stay off the swing today.”

  “Great! I wish I’d had the choice of punishment growing up.”

  “Didn’t we all, but you know Nathan and sweets. That’s a consequence I would never have figured coming from him.”

  Carl chuckled. “You’re right. Nice way to handle it though. I commend you on your parenting skills.”

  “Thanks, and I’m sorry for snapping at you earlier.”

  “No problem.” He slapped his left shoulder. “I’ve got broad shoulders. I can handle it.”

  Mmmmm, yes. He did have broad shoulders. And a bare chest! Not a spare ounce of fat on him anywhere that she could see.

  “Were you out for a run?” Duh! Stupid question.

  “Yep! Not my usual five miles but it’ll do for now. Thought I’d shower and take you guys out to lunch, if that’s all right with you?”

  “Fine by me, but there’s only one restaurant my kids are interested in.”

  “Let me guess, McDonald’s?”

  “Yes, but not just any McDonald’s. It has to be the one downtown with the indoor play area.”

  “That can be arranged,” he said, his smile indulgent. “I’ll be down in twenty.”

  “No rush. Becky’s still sleeping. See you downstairs.”

  He turned toward his room and she watched him go, his back muscles rippling with every step. She wasn’t much for physical exercise, except for gardening. In her opinion, there were much better ways of working up a sweat, her body coming to life at the thought. No! She wasn’t ready for this. She might be attracted but he was career army. No way would she risk her future with another army man.

  Chapter Four

  McDonald’s was a hit, as she knew it would be. Poppy secured a table near the wall of windows where they could watch the children play. They scarfed down their food, kicked off their shoes and they were off, joining the other children in climbing, sliding, and landing in a bin of brightly colored balls.

  “Those two certainly are active,” Carl noted.

  “You think?” She giggled softly so as not to attract undue attention, although the restaurant was hopping and it was sometimes difficult to hear yourself think let alone carry on a conversation. “I deal with them twenty-four, seven. You’re not telling me anything I didn’t already know.”

  “How are they socially? Do they befriend other kids when out playing like this?”

  “Sure they do, but they mostly play with each other.” Poppy frowned, wondering if her children were learning enough social skills. They weren’t around other children all that much. She rarely took them to the neighborhood play park as they had better equipment at home, but next year Nathan would start school and Becky would be lost without his company. She sighed. It seemed there was always something to worry about when you had kids.

  “What was that for?” Carl asked.

  “What was what for?”

  “That sigh. It sounded as if the weight of the world rested on your shoulders.”

  “For their world, it does. It’s not always easy having to make all the decisions, but being a single parent, I don’t have a choice.”

  “You could remarry.”

  “Humph! Yeah! Sure! I’m going to marry and have a man underfoot just to help make decisions about the kids? I don’t think so. If I do marry again, it’ll be to someone I love and respect wholeheartedly, someone who loves my children as much as he’d love his own. There aren’t too many of those around.”

  Seeing he was about to speak, and not really wanting a second opinion on her views, she continued. “I need someone willing to be an active member of my family, someone who can be home with us, not going on assignment or tour or business trips. I’ve had my fill of being alone. The next time around is going to be different—if there is a next time.”

  “You’ve set some pretty drastic obstacles in your way of future happiness. Sometimes a man can’t control his calling. No matter how much Peter loved you, he loved his country too.”

  “He should have loved me more. He should have loved us enough to stay home with us, to obtain a position on base, but noooo, he had to go off to war, get himself killed, and leave me to raise our children alone. Was he trying to prove how strong and brave he was? I already knew that about him. Is it that he couldn’t stand to be home with us? Why, Carl? Why did he have to enlist? Why did he prefer active duty to being home with us?”

  “I don’t have the answer to that, Poppy. We are who we are. You married Peter knowing he wanted to join the army. When you’re an army man, being called to active duty can make or break your career.”

  “Or end your life and the lives of those who love you.” She played with the paper napkin in her hands, practically ripping it to shreds, as she watched her children playing.

  “Luckily, I don’t have anyone like that.”

  “Oh, Carl! I’m so sorry. Here you are, taking us to lunch and I get all maudlin. You know we consider you a member of our family. I worry about you, about something happening to you when you’re gone. Just look at what happened to your leg. It could have been so much worse. We depend on you too much at times, but I’m glad you’re here.”

  “Thanks, I enjoy spending time with you and the kids,” he said. “And now maybe we should round them up and head home.”

  Carl went to the door and opened it, calling for the children while she disposed of the cartons and drink cups.

  “What do you think of going for a drive in the country?” Carl asked.

  “Can we go to the pier and skip stones?” asked Nathan.

  “Sounds good to me. Buckle up,” instructed Poppy as she fastened Becky in her car seat.

  Carl took the long way to the pier, circling the lake and coming back around to where it jutted out over the water.

  “Pick out the round, flat ones,” advised Carl when the kids started gathering handfuls of rocks. “They’re the best ones for skipping.”

  The water was still and calm, almost a mirror finish, which made it easy for them to watch the stones skip across the surface.

  “Wow! Did you see that Uncle Carl? My rock skipped eight times before it sank.”

  “Yes, I did see that. Good job, Nathan!”

  Becky didn’t care about her rocks skipping. She was happy just to throw them and make a splash. Her enthusiasm was contagious and they were soon competing to see who could make the biggest splash. Laughter filled the air and Poppy felt happier than she’d been in a long, long time. She enjoyed being alive and being in the company of her three favorite people on this gorgeous spring day.

  She noticed Carl’s limp becoming more pronounced and decided to call a halt. “It’s time for this old lady to sit down. How about it, guys? Ready to head home?”

  “Just one more, Mommy?” asked Becky.

  “Okay, one more. Then we have to go.”

  Becky took her time scampering around, searching for the perfect rock. Nathan did the same. Only when the last ripple died away did they head to the car.

  Carl surprised her by stopping at The Ice Cream Shack and purchasing cones for everyone, then herding them over to a picnic table.

  “It seems as if we’re constantly eating with you around.” Poppy laughed as she spoke. “I’ll end up gaining too much weight during the summer at this rate.”

  “You could stand to gain a few pounds.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment, thank you very much.”

  “It’s meant as one. I never veer too far from the truth.”r />
  “No, you never have, but you’ve never been known for flowery speech either.”

  “Nope, I just say it as it is and right now I think your daughter’s in trouble.”

  Poppy looked sideways at her. “Becky, use your napkin. Your ice cream is dripping down the front of your t-shirt.”

  Becky giggled. “It’s cold!”

  “That’s why it’s called ice cream,” said Nathan, his deadpan expression drawing genuine laughter from everyone.

  They finished their cones and went home. Nathan offered to push Becky on the swing and, her morning scare forgotten, they ran outside. Carl stood with his hands in his pockets watching out the kitchen window.

  “Don’t become a mother hen. They’re fine,” said Poppy.

  He turned toward her. “How do you know he won’t push her too high again?”

  “I think it scared him as much as it did her. He’ll be careful.”

  “God! I hope so,” he said, turning back to look out the window.

  “Would you like a coffee? It’ll only take a minute to brew a pot.”

  “Sure, if you’re having one.”

  “Coming right up!”

  She set the coffeemaker to do its thing and set out mugs, cream and sugar.

  “What made you decide to stay stateside during your leave instead of traveling and seeing the world?”

  He grimaced. “I see enough of the world through my work. No thanks. The US of A is still home and it feels good to be back, no matter what part of the country I’m staying in.”

  “Do you think you’ll ever settle down to one spot?”

  “Haven’t found any place I’d want to live year round, but I do have the option to buy the rental this summer if I like it there.”

  “That’s great! You’re going to need a permanent address when you retire.”

  “Hey! I’m not that old yet,” he teased.

  Poppy felt the hot, telltale color rushing to her cheeks. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

  “I know, but I couldn’t resist.”

  “Grab your coffee and we’ll sit outside,” she said.

  “Worried about the kids?”

  “Only if they’re out of my sight more than a few minutes.”

  Poppy found she truly enjoyed Carl’s company. He didn’t expect her to entertain him or keep up a constant stream of witty chatter. Content as she was to sit and enjoy the day in companionable silence except for the bubbling laughter coming from the children, it was unusually comforting to share this time with the man at her side. The kids had the squirt guns out now and took turns chasing each other through the garden paths.