Cockpit: A Second Chance Romance by Joanna Blake

I could have told him everything so long ago. I could have kept in touch, instead of just worrying if he was okay.
    And I had worried. I'd checked the reports for his name, more often than I would ever admit to anyone. But maybe that was natural. Anyone who loved an active military man or woman, they would tell you how it was. When I was a little kid and my dad was far away, my mother and I had both gone through it.
    You pretend not to worry, but it's pretty much there all the time. You had to just get up and get on with your day. But it was always there. Worrying became like breathing.
    You did it every minute of every day.
    That's when it hit me. I'd felt that way when he shipped off. Even after I'd heard the rumors about him.
    I was in love with Derek Jagger. I think I had been, ever since that night. That crazy, perfect, unforgettable night.  
    I smiled at my daughter, who had been sleeping peacefully in her crib. She stretched her little hands and feet out in her sleep, her chubby legs kicking slightly as she let out a half-hearted cry. I stood and rubbed her belly gently.
    That did it. She yawned and was instantly back into deep sleep again.
    I stared at her, imagining that Jagger must have looked like this as a baby. I frowned, realizing he probably didn't have any baby pictures. So he wouldn't know that he looked like her.
    He must have been so lonely growing up... maybe he still was.
    Well, other than all the female companionship he'd had.
    I sighed and slipped out of the room, leaving the door open a sliver. My door was just across the hall and I'd leave that open too. I'd always been a deep sleeper, but the slightest noise from my daughter had me up and awake instantly.
    It was just one of those things. I figured it must be biology at work.
    Speaking of biology...
    I was sore between my legs, but in a good way. My back had red marks from the runner on the stairs. But I felt good. Better than good.
    I felt satisfied. Whole. Complete.
    I decided not to worry about how long that feeling would last. How long before Jagger moved on to another girl. How I would tell him about his daughter.
    The last thing I wanted to do was try and trap him.
    If he thought I wanted him to do the right thing by me... that wouldn't be the same as if he'd stuck around on his own. I'd give him a chance to prove me wrong before I told him.
    I rolled over and hugged my pillow, figuring I'd solved my problems, for now.
    The ball was in Jagger's court. I'd just have to see what he did with it.

Chapter Thirteen
    Jagger
    ✈

    I sat on the playground bench, waiting for Jenny. We'd been on five dates over the last two weeks, all of them amazing. All of them ending in sweaty monkey sex.  
    Screetching, banana throwing, crazy upside down monkey sex.
    Well, almost all of them.
    We'd had slow, melt in your mouth, kissing all night sex too.
    Except she lived with her dad, who would murder me if he knew what we were up to. So 'all night' was a stretch. But our dates had started earlier and earlier, and we'd ended up at my place earlier and earlier too.
    We both wanted as much quality alone time as possible.
    I walked her home from the bar each time she had a late shift too.
    Basically, we were going steady.
    I just hadn't gotten her to agree to it yet. Or anything really. She seemed determined not to talk about the future, or even see me during daylight hours.
    So I was waiting. I was going to pin her down dammit. I wanted her by my side, ring on her finger, living under my roof.
    And this was phase one of my operation.
    I saw her coming and twisted to the side, hoping she wasn't going to turn tail and run when she saw me. She'd done it twice already, disappearing down another street the moment I clapped eyes on her. It was like she was a damn vampire and didn't want to see me with the sun out!
    Like I'd care. I'd be in love with her even if she was a werewolf. I'd love her if she was pigeon toed or buck toothed. I didn't even care how beautiful she