A Soldier for Poppy Read online

  Nathan and Becky woke him with their hushed giggles and whispered words. Opening one eye to see what they were up to, he registered a kids’ show of some kind on the television.

  “What’s that you’re watching?” Carl asked, causing both children to jump in surprise.

  “Unca Carl! Youse awake,” said Becky.

  “Doodlebops,” answered Nathan.

  “Yes, I’m awake. What are Doodlebops?”

  “Them,” he said, pointing at the trio on TV.

  “What was so funny?”

  “Mo pulled the rope,” Nathan said.

  “What rope?”

  “The one that gets him wet, Silly.”

  “Ohhh! That rope!” Carl hadn’t even heard of the Doodlebops and made a mental note to ask Poppy about the rope.

  Becky came over and put her arms around him. “I’m hungry.”

  “So am I, Sweetheart. Let me up and I’ll order our breakfast.”

  “Pancakes?” she asked, an innocent yet hopeful expression on her face.

  “I think that can be arranged.” He smiled as he folded the blanket and left it on the arm of the sofa. After consulting the menu, he found out the hotel offered a huge buffet breakfast in the restaurant. “Where’s your Mom?”

  “In the shower,” said Nathan.

  Poppy in the shower…now that conjured up images he’d best put to rest for the time being.

  “Why don’t you two get dressed and when your Mom comes out, we’ll go down to the restaurant.”

  Nathan looked at Becky in a conspiratorial way. “We want to eat and watch TV again.”

  “You do, do you? Well, we could order one thing from the room service menu, or we can go to a buffet breakfast downstairs.”

  “What’s a buffet breakfast?” asked Nathan. “I never eats that before.”

  Carl chuckled. “They cook oodles and oodles of different breakfast foods and it’s all you can eat. Want to try it?”

  “All I can eat?” asked Nathan.

  “Yep.”

  “Whoopee! Let’s get dressed, Becky.”

  Becky reached the bedroom door as it swung inward and ran smack into her mother.

  “Whoa! What’s your hurry?”

  “I hafta get dressed. Unca Carl is taking us for a buff it breakfast.”

  Poppy smiled. “He is, eh? Then I guess we better hurry before all the food is gone.”

  Becky panicked. “Hurry, Mommy! Hurry! I’m hungry.”

  Poppy cast a quick glance at Carl and smiled. “Be right back.”

  “No rush.”

  As soon as Nathan exited the bedroom, Carl went in to dress. Mornings were still rather cool, so he changed into light brown khakis and a white polo shirt. Poppy and the kids were waiting when he emerged.

  In a bright pink T-shirt, gauzy-type white skirt, and strappy sandals that fastened around her ankles, Poppy appeared much too sexy this early in the morning.

  “Ready?” He pocketed the key card as they all nodded and said, “Let’s go.”

  Breakfast was a riot! Nathan chose a little of everything, his plate ready to overflow as he carefully carried it over and set it on the table. Becky claimed pancakes and sausage while he and Poppy filled their plates with a select assortment of items. He went back for coffee and juice before joining them at the table.

  Becky upended the syrup bottle and tried to squirt some on her pancakes. Poppy grabbed the bottle trying to help and in the process, Carl’s pristine white shirt received a liberal dose of sweetness.

  Poppy gasped and her free hand flew to her mouth. Becky and Nathan were quieter than he’d ever seen them. Carl stood, removed his polo shirt to reveal a white T-shirt beneath, and resumed his seat.

  “I am so sorry,” Poppy said, her face suffused in a rosy blush. “Here I was trying to avert disaster and I caused it.”

  “No harm done. It’ll wash.” He smiled at her and took a sip of coffee. “Now, let’s eat up so we can get back on the road.”

  “Yippee!” said Nathan as he shoveled in his food.

  “Beach,” said Becky.

  “Yes, our next stop is the beach,” Carl answered, happy that the children were excited about their impromptu vacation.

  Chapter Six

  The house Carl rented was a white bungalow with burgundy trim and an abundance of colorful flowers and shrubs graced the front walkway and yard. Poppy fell in love with it at first sight.

  “This is a beautiful spot and that’s quite a view,” Poppy said as she stood looking out at the ocean. “Thank you for bringing us here. Water soothes the soul and I feel the peace surrounding me already.”

  “Good,” Carl said and shot a smile her way. “The deck runs from the front door all the way around and across the back. What’s even better is that it has four bedrooms, one for each of us, a modern kitchen, and it’s just a few steps up from the beach,” he informed them as he unlocked the door.

  The kids dropped their backpacks full of toys for the trip as soon as they were inside and ran to the patio doors leading onto the deck.

  “Can we go to the beach now, Mommy?” asked Nathan.

  “In a few minutes. We need to take our stuff to our rooms,” she replied.

  “Come on. Let’s take a look so you two can pick where you want to sleep,” Carl said, ushering the kids down the hallway.

  They followed the kids from room to room and back again.

  “I sleep here, Mommy,” said Becky when they arrived back at the green room. She ran in and bounced on the bed. “It’s soft.”

  “Okay. Nathan, which room do you want?” Poppy asked.

  “The blue room ‘cause I’m a boy.”

  “You certainly are,” said Carl. “Poppy, you take the master bedroom. It has an ensuite bath with a whirlpool tub. More privacy.”

  “Are you sure? I’d be happy enough in the yellow room.”

  His grin was contagious and she smiled back. “I’m sure. It also has a desk and chair which you can probably make use of.”

  “Oh!” She went and looked again as she hadn’t paid much attention the first time, assuming that Carl would be using the master bedroom. “You’re right. It does. It hadn’t even registered.”

  She crossed to the window and perched on the cushioned window seat. “What a glorious view. I could sit here all day.”

  “Now where’s the fun in that?” Carl teased.

  “No fun, just relaxation at its finest.”

  “If we’re going for a swim, we should get a move on. It’ll be dark soon and we need to unload the car.”

  Carl carried in the cooler and the box of groceries she’d brought from home while she and the kids took in the suitcases.

  “Change into your swimsuits and I’ll grab the towels,” Poppy said as she went to her room to change. Hers was a fairly modest one-piece in royal blue with tummy flattering diagonal stripes of green and lilac at the waist. It was high in the thigh and virtually backless, but all her private parts were covered. Would Carl like her swimsuit? Giving her head a shake to dispel such thoughts, she turned away from the mirror and went into the hall to grab towels from the linen closet.

  For a rental, the owners sure kept the linens well stocked, she thought as her gaze took in the full shelves. She picked out four different colored bath sheets, grabbed the sunscreen, and went to find Carl and the kids. She found them waiting on the back deck.

  “What are you standing around out here for? The beach awaits,” she said. “We’ll apply the sunscreen once we’re wallowing in sand.”

  Carl turned at the sound of her voice and the look he gave her was smoldering. Her attention focused the kids as they laughed and took off running down the steps.

  “Be careful. I don’t need you two breaking your necks first thing.”

  “Okay, Mommy,” both kids called back as they reached the foot of the stairs.

  Carl snorted a laugh, held her arm, and walked beside her down the steps to the beach. “At least they made it to the bottom so they
could answer.”

  “Yes, but they’re so rambunctious at times, I worry about them.”

  “I know, but there are two of us to watch over them while you’re here, so relax. They’ll be fine,” Carl said.

  “Easier said than done. I can’t just turn it off like a faucet. Although sometimes I wish I could.”

  She bent to apply sunscreen to both kids while Carl forged ahead into the water. She could barely keep her gaze from straying to his perfectly toned body in tight swim trunks, relieved when he dove beneath the waves.

  Nathan ran into the water as soon as she finished applying sunscreen and Becky followed. They swam for a while, then laughed and played in the shallower water, splashing each other mercilessly.

  “You coming in?” Carl asked. “The water’s warm.”

  She’d been so focused on her children that she hadn’t seen his approach. Poppy turned to him and gasped at the sheer magnificence of the man. Water ran down over his shoulders in rivulets that traced the muscles of his chest and arms. Thank goodness, he was still waist deep in the water.

  Needing to cool her overheated flesh, she ran into the ocean without answering. When she surfaced, he was right there. She treaded water as she glanced back to where the kids played.

  “They seem to be having fun,” Carl said.

  “Yes, they’ve always loved the beach. Unfortunately, I don’t always have time to take them.”

  “Then I’m doubly glad to have you here.”

  “Thank you, Carl.” What was that look in his eyes? He seemed to see through to her very soul. Was he trying to ferret out her secrets? He held her gaze captive and the attention of this handsome, muscular man made her feel like a woman again…a very needy woman. “Race you back,” she said, not knowing how to deal with the new feelings flowing through her. Not even Peter had turned her on with just a look—and this was Carl—Peter’s best friend. She couldn’t give in to her body’s cravings. Could she?

  ***

  He wanted nothing more than to hold Poppy in his arms and kiss her until they had to come up for air, but he could easily read her confusion. She wanted him, he knew that, could read the signs. Yet she wasn’t ready. For now, it was enough that she and the kids were here.

  Long, steady strokes propelled him through the water as he kept pace with Poppy’s progress. She was an excellent swimmer and that bathing suit might be a one-piece, but it sure didn’t cover much. He let her get ahead of him once they were close to shore, but at the last minute, he grabbed a leg, pulled her backwards and then lunged toward the shore.

  “Hey! No fair!” she said, laughing and sputtering as she came up for air. “I’ll get you for that.”

  Carl chuckled as he gained his feet and walked backward toward the beach. “Promises, promises.” Then she stood and his blood ran south as the already tight bathing suit molded itself to her curvaceous frame and outlined her nipples, puckered in response to the cool wind blowing in off the ocean. Good God, the woman was a knockout.

  He turned and grabbed a towel, drying himself while striving to control his raging hard on.

  “Uncle Carl, come help us build a sandcastle,” Nathan shouted.

  He sauntered over and studied their work in progress. “You’re doing a fine job. Maybe put a little tower here on the corner. What do you think?”

  “Cool,” said Nathan.

  “It needs a motes,” said Becky.

  “Why yes, all castles should have a moat. Great idea.” He sat on the sand, his bad leg stretched out to the side, and helped a smiling Becky dig a moat around the castle, supremely conscious of Poppy’s approach. She’d wrapped the towel around herself sarong style, which hid her assets from view. Just as well. He didn’t need to get all excited again in front of the children.

  Poppy dropped to the sand on the other side of Becky and leaned forward to heap more sand at the base of a wall. When she did, her towel fell and he received a delicious view of cleavage. Man, he was in trouble. Attracted was one thing. Lusting after his best friend’s wife quite another.

  Widow! She was Peter’s widow. He was gone and never coming back.

  The sun was hovering above the horizon and he knew it would be dark soon. “How about we go for another swim to rinse off before we go inside?”

  Nathan and Becky took off, leaving him alone with Poppy. He stood and rubbed at a kink in his leg.

  “You all right?” she asked, her face creased in concern.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Just needed to get rid of a kink before I dive back in.” He reached out a hand, pulled her to her feet, and kept hold as they walked across the wet sand.

  “This is a lovely spot. Thank you for bringing us.”

  “My pleasure. Water therapy is supposed to help my recovery and I couldn’t think of a better place to exercise than in the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Having such pleasant company will keep me from being bored silly.”

  Poppy giggled. “Life is never boring with kids around.”

  He let go of her hand, reluctant to break the contact, but the kids had already rinsed off and were headed back to the shore. “Time to dive.”

  ***

  After a lovely dinner on the patio at an Oceanside café, they rented a movie, nuked a couple bags of popcorn, and sat in the living room. The children had changed into their pajamas and claimed spots on the rug in front of the TV. Poppy joined Carl on the sofa so they could better share the bowl of popcorn. At least, that’s what she told herself.

  It was a partial truth at best. She felt an overwhelming need to be close to Carl. His was a commanding presence, but he was so much more. He was kind, caring, dependable, and great company.

  Was it just that she needed the company of another adult? Or had she been alone too long with only her children for company? Whatever. She’d make the most of this vacation, her first with the children. And if anything else developed, she’d take it in stride.

  She put a halt to her thoughts and tried to concentrate on the movie, and when Carl’s arm came around her shoulders to pull her close, she didn’t resist. It felt so good to be held again. She needed this.

  It wasn’t as if Carl hadn’t held her before. There were plenty of times when they were younger and in foster care that he’d comforted her after every little hurt. And when Peter died, Carl became her strength, holding her and little Nathan during the ceremony and letting them cry on his shoulder. Her grief had encompassed her entire being and it was a small wonder that she’d carried Becky to full term. It still saddened her that Peter hadn’t lived to see his beautiful little girl.

  “The kids fell asleep,” Carl whispered in her ear.

  Jerked out of her thoughts, she glanced at her children…little angels when asleep. “There’s no need to whisper. Once they’re down for the count they’ll sleep through anything.”

  “I’ll help you carry them to bed.”

  “Thank you.” Poppy stood and went to turn down their beds intending to return for Becky, but when she went back into the hallway, Carl had her in his arms.

  He laid her down on the bed and pulled the covers up over her shoulders. Poppy leaned over and brushed a kiss across Becky’s forehead. “Sleep tight, my angel.”

  She went out and closed the door as Carl carried Nathan into his room and covered him up. “Sweet dreams, sweetheart,” she said as she leaned over to give him his nightly kiss. He never stirred.

  When she turned to leave, she saw Carl leaning against the doorjamb.

  “You’re a good mother, Poppy…very tender and loving.”

  “Thank you. Those kids are my world.”

  “Yes, I know. Are you heading to bed? Or would you like to join me for a glass of wine. We can take it out on the deck and enjoy the evening breeze.”

  “That sounds lovely, Carl.”

  He took her hand and led her from the room, closing the door behind her. Back in the living room, he turned off the movie and crossed to the bar at the end of the room. He set a bottle of white wine, chi
lling in an ice bucket, on the counter and reached for two glasses.

  “When did you buy this?”

  “I asked the caretaker to have a bottle on ice for our arrival.”

  “Nice,” she said as he popped the cork, filled their glasses, and passed one to her.

  Carl held up his glass. “To a memorable summer vacation,” he said as he clinked his glass against hers.

  “And to the man who made it possible.”

  He inclined his head to acknowledge her words and then moved toward the patio doors. She followed, stepping out into the moonlit night and crossing to the rail, the only sound the lapping of waves against the shore.

  “The ocean looks silver by moonlight,” she said. “It’s so beautiful and peaceful out here. Makes you glad to be alive.”

  “Yes…very beautiful. Makes me glad to be a man.”

  She heard the wistfulness in his tone and glanced his way. He wasn’t talking about the view. He looked at her as if he’d never seen her before…or as if he saw her in a different light. “Carl?”

  He lifted his free hand and ran his fingers down her cheek, pausing before tracing the outline of her lips with his thumb. “I want nothing more than to make love with you, Poppy. If Peter hadn’t seen you first…well…I’m not sure where we’d be right now.”

  “You’ve always been the more serious and dependable one. Peter had a joy of life that drew me like the proverbial moth to a flame. And we had a few good years together, but Peter’s gone now and I need to somehow start living again. I can’t make any promises, but I’m thinking this vacation could be a new start for all of us.”

  “I’m glad you feel that way.” He took her now empty glass and set it with his on the patio table, then he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

  His lips tasted of sweet white wine. His touch was tender and gentle as he wound a hand through her hair and clasped the base of her neck. The heady smell of the ocean and the crashing of waves against the rocks spurred her on. She opened for him and her tongue touched his, retreated, and touched again. Their tongues dueled and danced as if they had a mind of their own. Passion ignited and the kiss became anything but gentle as they clung to each other in the moonlight. No one and nothing else existed beyond this space, this time, this man.