Page 39 of Blue Sky

Bacon and Eggs

Paloma snuck out of my bedroom at dawn, wanting to ensure that her sisters didn’t wake up and see her in my room. I had insisted that I would wake up with Sky, so Paloma could get a good night’s sleep.

She would need it. I planned to wear her out tonight.

When she and the girls woke the next morning, I had a surprise for them.

First things first—I was going to cook breakfast. Definitely wouldn’t be as delicious as Paloma’s food, but it would be filling. Perfect for a road trip.

I threw the bacon into the pan and started the coffee pot. My heart brimmed with excitement. No more telling Paloma how I felt. Today, I was going to show her that I was serious about having a future with her.

I walked over to the kitchen table to clear it and noticed that there was one of Mónica's papers from school crumbled up. I opened it up and my heart wrenched.

A Father Daughter Dance.

Paloma had told me that none of the girls knew their fathers and that she didn’t even have a clue who her dad was. I couldn’t even imagine that. My father was the best man I knew. Without his guidance, I was sure I’d be a womanizer like Sawyer.

When I had been with Paloma last night, it had been only about her. I wanted to be with her, hold her kiss her, make love to her, make her feel good. But now I realized that being with Paloma met so much more.

It wasn’t just about her. I needed to do right by her sisters.

The bacon sizzled in the pan and I flipped it over.

Paloma emerged from the room wearing a tank top with no bra and low-slung pajama bottoms—definitely less conservative that the fully dressed woman I was used to seeing in the mornings.

“Morning, sunshine.”

I walked over to her and gave her a kiss. A confused look graced her face.

“Are you cooking? Do you know what you are doing?”

Smartass. “I can feed myself, Loma. I did eat before you came into my life.” But honestly, the only thing I wanted to eat was her again. I wanted to devour her nightly. Last night, my balls were in a world of hurt. But I was a patient man and I wanted to wait until she felt more comfortable about dating me. To ensure her that I wasn’t using her.

Her eyes glanced over at my packed suitcase. “Are you going somewhere?”

I removed the bacon from the pan and patted it dry with some paper towels. Then I cracked some eggs to fry in grease.

“We are going somewhere.”

Her brow furrowed. “We? What are you talking about?”

“Babe, I’m taking you to San Diego. The girls too.”

She bit her lower lip. “Today?”

“Yes today. Tomorrow I have to fly over Coronado for a Navy SEAL graduation. We can stay at my buddy Grant’s place.”

“How are we getting there? We can’t all fit in your plane.”

“Right. The narrator on the squad is going to fly my plane to San Diego. It’s good practice for him. He will be taking over my slot next year. I’ll drive.”

Tears began to well in her eyes. “San Diego! Are you serious? Can we go to the beach?”

“Woman, we are staying on the beach. The base in the on beach.”

“Oh my god!” She ran over to me and threw her hands around my neck and kissed my lips. I pulled her into me and kissed her back, savoring her taste as I pressed her against the sink.

“Well well well, guys. Good morning to you,” Mónica said.