“Move in with me,” he said, searching her eyes.
She chortled, then sobered when she realized he wasn’t kidding. “Cain. We’ve been dating for five minutes.”
“We’ve known each other for over two decades and been in love for at least one.”
“Woodman died in the fall. It’s only winter.”
“He wanted us to be together.”
She dropped his hopeful eyes, adjusting her dress over her lap.
“Ginger?” he prompted.
She took a deep breath before meeting his gaze. “I’m not ready yet.”
His lip twitched to the side with disappointment, and his grin faded, but he nodded in acceptance.
“But I will be,” she said. “Soon.”
He shrugged, giving her a small smile. “Can’t blame me for tryin’.”
“Don’t stop,” she said, adjusting her legs on his lap and feeling the evidence of their lovemaking between her thighs. “I need to get cleaned up.”
He held her tighter. “Not yet. Tell me about your gran.”
She sighed, laying her head back on his shoulder. “Same. Fadin’.”
“You saw her yesterday?”
Ginger nodded, sorrow filling her heart. “She doesn’t know me anymore. She called me Amy the whole time.”
“Your aunt.”
“I didn’t know her. She died before I was born.”
“Maybe it’s not such a bad thing,” said Cain gently, his hand stroking her bare arm.
“How do you mean?”
“I imagine losin’ a child is the worst thing that can happen to someone . . . but now? Her Amy’s back. She can see her and talk to her, and . . .” He shrugged, looking sad. “. . . maybe it doesn’t hurt as much anymore.”
This hadn’t really occurred to Ginger, but she felt an odd comfort in it, that her Gran was passing, little by little, from this world to a place where she could be together with her baby girl forever.
“You believe in heaven, Cain?”
“Do you?”
She nodded. “I do. Yes.”
“Then I do too,” he said. “Because if you’re goin’ there, I’m goin’ to go there too.”
She leaned up, cupped his cheeks, and looked into his eyes. “You always goin’ to be this sweet to me?”
He reached for her hair, gently tucking the loose strands behind her ears. “As long as you let me, darlin’.”
“How ’bout forever?”
He grinned. “You stakin’ a claim, Miss Virginia Laire?”
“On you?” she grinned, nodding her head. “You better believe it.”
His smile got wider and wider, until it turned into a laugh—a truly joyful sound that filled the room and filled her heart and filled her soul so full of Cain Wolfram that she knew for certain that whatever had ever been broken was whole, and that, as long as he was beside her, it would never break again.
***
Leaving for Navy Reserve training on Wednesday morning was the last thing Cain felt like doing, especially because Ginger had stayed overnight and he woke up with their feet tangled together, staring at her lovely face fast asleep. Groaning with self-pity, he rolled his naked body to the edge of the bed and left her as quietly as possible to get in the shower.
After this month, he’d need to attend Reserves training only one night a month, but he had deferred his December service because of Woodman’s passing, which meant that he needed to make up two more days in January. He hadn’t seen any reason not to make them up now, but as he came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, he stared at the beautiful girl asleep in his bed and had a pang of regret. He didn’t want to leave her. Especially not for three nights.
Squatting by the bed, he blew softly on her cheek. Reflexively, she swiped at her face with the back of her hand, and Cain did it again, watching her eyes flutter open.
“Cain?” she said, rolling onto her back and sighing. “What time is it?”
“I gotta go soon.”
She opened one eye. “Wish you didn’t have to.”
“Me too.”
She reached out her hand as her eyes closed and her voice got dreamy. “Get back in bed with me for a few more minutes.”
And fuck, he was tempted, but he shook his head, stood up, then bent over to press a kiss to her forehead.
“I’m goin’ to get dressed and leave as quietly as possible. Stay as long as you want, okay?”
She nodded, curling onto her side and falling back to sleep.
He did PT upon arrival, at 0700, followed by a shower. And now he was hanging out until formation at 1100, doing nothing but missing her. And since the afternoon would be busy with classes and other busywork, he took his phone out of his hip pocket.
CW: Sure was hard to leave you this morning, baby.
He stared at the message for a moment before slipping the phone back into his pocket, surprised when it buzzed almost immediately. He whipped it back out, looking down at the screen.
The Princess: I barely remember saying good-bye. Glad you got there okay. Saturday seems like a long way away.
He grinned at the phone.
CW: I’ll come to you on Saturday night and stay at your place.
The Princess:? Okay. What time?
CW: Suppertime.
The Princess: I’ll have frozen pizza waiting.
He chuckled at her sass, then typed.
CW: Miss me?
The Princess: I do.