“I hope so. It was fun to do.”
Addison tugged at her jeans and asked, “Bwina, do you have little girls we can play with?”
“I’m afraid not, sweetie. But I’m looking forward to you teaching me games you like to play. And we’re going to go to fun places like the park and zoo and do lots of surprise things for Mommy.”
“Is Unca Colon gonna have fun with us?”
Sabrina lifted her eyebrows at Collin. She wanted him to handle that question.
“Well, I do have a job so I can pay for that fun, but I hope to join you ladies on weekends at the very least.”
Whether it was for his formal address or the tickle on her belly, Addison laughed. “Wenotladies, we little girls.”
“Wash up time.” Cass directed her daughters toward the bathroom. “We’re going to have lunch in less than fifteen minutes.”
“You needn’t have gone to any trouble,” Collin said as the two diminutive blondes sped out of the room. “I would have gladly taken you all out somewhere for a treat.”
“Believe me, the treat is firing up the grill and not caring if you get mustard or ketchup on your face and hands,” his sister replied. “Besides, I want to spend as much time picturing them as they are, and not having to be on their best behavior because they’re in public.”
“They’re extremely well behaved,” Sabrina assured her.
“Yeah, they’re pretty good, but when they’re overtired, they can find an earsplitting octave that you’ll want to restrict to once every full moon. Go flip those burgers and dogs, Unca Colon. I’m going to pass on more boring tidbits to Sabrina.”
As soon as the door closed behind him, Cassie turned back to Sabrina, her expression relaxing to weariness and worry. “How was the drive down?”
“Better than expected. It can’t help but get awkward every once in awhile considering our history.”
“He likes to watch you when he thinks you won’t notice.”
“I suppose I am becoming like a second kid sister to him.”
With a badly faked cough, Cassie replied, “Right. That’s exactly the conclusion that I came to.”
Feeling heat in her cheeks, Sabrina shook her head. “You don’t have to worry that I would—or he would, for that matter—behave improperly in front of the girls.”
“I’m so not worried. In fact, I wish you would drive the old fossil a little crazy.”
“Oh, please don’t start.”
“I hereby quit. I’ll just point out that a complete stranger would notice you’re good for him.”
“Thank you, but you know the chant better than I do. Your brother is ‘not the marrying kind.’ What about you?” Sabrina asked. “Do you ever have time for a life, let alone romance?”
Cassidy glanced over her shoulder to make sure the girls were still down the hall. “Believe me, I could have a different man every night if that was what appealed, and I have to admit one or two have been tempting, but as you can tell, right now it’s the girls and the job that need to take priority.”
“It must feel like a huge responsibility to fly something where everyone counts on you to get them home.”
“It does, but I count on them just as much to do their jobs, so it’s a team thing.”
The girls returned and Cassie effortlessly changed the subject to who wanted to drink milk and who wanted to drink spring water.
“I try to keep soft drinks out of their diet as much as possible,” she told Sabrina. “They can thank me for their healthier teeth and digestive systems later. Oh, and for afternoon snacks, I always keep carrot and celery sticks. Add a little peanut butter and they’re good until dinner. They like apples with peanut butter, too. And bananas.”
“I know Collin doesn’t have any peanut butter in the house, but I’ll get it. What about D-E-S-S-E-R-T-S? What is and isn’t permitted?”
The spelling had Cassie smiling. “That won’t work much longer. Not only can they now spell their names, not just recognize them in print, they can spell cat and dog. But back to your point—it’s your call. I know the calendar is charging into the most sugar-intense time of the year on top of the kids craving comfort food for one reason or another.”
“You’re making it so easy for me. I thought since you’re so slender, you might be concerned about them gaining too much weight.”
“Those two take after me. I burn triple-digit calories just breathing. That’s one thing you don’t have to worry about. If they tell that you they’re hungry, feed them.” Cassie added, “I would love not to look like a boy going and coming. Please tell me yours aren’t a boob job?”
Sabrina gasped. “Why, no!” She couldn’t imagine what her family’s reaction would be if she did such a thing. “With a B-cup, I’m considered the flat-chested one in my family.”
“You’re from Wisconsin? Your family is Scandinavian?”
“On my mother’s side. My father’s people are English.”
“Ever curious to see the old family haunts?”
“If it wasn’t so cold. I hate being cold.”
“I’m with you there. So where am I going? The mountains of Afghanistan—during the winter, no less.”
“Make a snowman, Mommy, and send us the picture,” Addison said returning to the kitchen.
“I will, my glass-half-full girl.”
Sliding Sabrina a wry look, Cassie started pouring the children’s drinks. “What will you have, Sabrina? I do have beer or wine if you’d prefer.”
“Oh, no, thanks. That and the long drive back to Dallas will put me to sleep.”
“I’ll have a glass of that wine,” Collin told his sister returning with the tray of grilled food.
“You’re driving,” Cassie sang, gently reminding him.
“Actually, we’re staying the night at a hotel just down the road,” he sang back.
Cassie glanced at Sabrina’s startled face. “Would have been nice if you had told her that.” Then she concentrated on getting the rest of the food onto the kitchen table.
As Collin poured himself the wine, Addison studied him with furrowed brow and pursed lips. “I don’t get it,” she began.
“Well, if you don’t, love, I’m sure the experts at NASA haven’t got a clue. Tell me what the problem is.”
“What do we call you when we live by you, Unca Colon? You can’t be Daddy Colon?”
Collin had taken a sip of the chardonnay and launched himself for the paper towels. Cassie and Sabrina covered their mouths and had to turn away.
Seeing no adult corrected her sister, serious Gena took over. “He can’t be our Daddy, Gena. He’s our Uncle Daddy.”
It was dark by the time Sabrina and Collin left the base. After a picnic-style lunch, and a tour of the base, they went through photo albums and then snacked. Afterward, she helped Cassie give the girls their baths, learned how they liked their hair dried, listened to prayers and tucked them in. She was exhausted and told Collin that she didn’t know how Cassie did all she did and fulfilled her military responsibility.
“I’m more impressed than ever with her,” Sabrina