Nikki scratched the back of her neck, but the itchy sensation persisted that she was being stared at. She turned, scanned the cement expanse. Carson was watching.
Watching her with Avery.
Darn it. Was Carson going to get all weird again and insist he was too old for her? She winced to think of herself two years ago hoping he would be jealous and notice her. How juvenile it sounded now. She truly had been too young for him then—what a surprise notion.
She wanted to reassure Carson that her eyes were so full of him that even when he wasn't around, no other guy existed. But he was working and she knew from years listening to her parents that PDA—public displays of affection—while in uniform were frowned upon.
But a smile would be cool. Right? Just as she started to grin at him— Carson winked. Quick. Then done. But the tingle lingered long after he turned away to speak with the aviators lining up in front of him.
And my goodness, she could sure keep staring at the tempting view of his oh-so-perfect tush in a flight suit, but someone might notice and she wasn't ready to go public with their relationship. Not yet.
If nothing else, she should let her parents know, although her mother had probably already guessed.
Her gaze skipped down and away, back to the present where... Oops. Kevin Avery had picked up on every bit of the exchange. She saw things through his eyes and her quick shuffle from Gary to Carson didn't look good. As Gary's friend, Kevin had reason to be confused, even pissed on his buddy's behalf. He had no way of knowing that she and Gary had already been finished. Even if she explained it, who's to say he would believe her?
She simply stared at him silently, fairly certain he wouldn't confront her if she didn't broach the subject.
He tipped his head toward the cluster of flight suit-clad aviators. "Guess I should line up with the rest of the welcoming committee. Glad you're doing okay."
As Kevin melded in with his friends, her mother sagged to sit on the bottom bleacher, the middle trimester of pregnancy already slowing her down while Chris followed with toddler Jamie.
Nikki extended a hand. "Hey Chris, let me see the little guy"
Rena grinned, taking the banner. "So Chris can catch me if I topple over the side."
"You said it, Mom, not me."
Squatting in front of Jamie, Nikki tied the ribbons around his chubby wrist, her heart squeezing as tight as the knot over how darn cute her youngest brother was. She hitched him up onto her hip and snuggled him close while pointing out airplanes.
Which took her eyes right back to the flyboys. Carson's eyes held hers across the tarmac. No wink needed this time. She saw it in his eyes, a warming. He definitely wanted her. She shivered.
"Are you cold, sweetie?" her mother asked.
Totally scorching inside. And oooh, wasn't that a tingly thought? Scorch inside her. "I'm fine, Mom, thanks. Just remembering how many times we've done this welcome-home gig"
And wasn't that a nontingly thought?
Then Carson's gaze slid to Jamie and her heart squeezed tighter, more so when something bleak sent clouds chasing through Carson's beautiful blue eyes. What could he want to talk about when they went sailing? They couldn't be jumping to a super serious level this quickly, and frankly, she wasn't sure she trusted him that much yet.
Shoot, she wasn't sure she trusted herself that much. None of which she needed to think about now anyway.
The cargo planes slowed to a stop, side stairs and back hatches lowering until each clanked on the ground. The high noon sun reflected off the lumbering beasts. People packed the bleachers and milled around at the side, excited chatter the common denominator.
How many of these had she waited through, waiting for her dad, holding her mom's hand tight like now? How many more might she wait through for Carson? He stood to the side with the rest of the squadron at attention as the cargo hold full of green-suited bodies came into view.
First down the ramp, a stretcher carrying Bronco. He'd made it through surgery, surprising everyone with his sturdy constitution by being cleared for transport to come home with his squadron. Never leave your wingman.
He would spend a couple more weeks in the hospital here, but with his doctor wife to keep him on his toes, he would be fine. Joker strode beside him with his arm in a sling, his free arm extended for his fiancée.
Yet even with the smiles there remained an underlying solemnity for the missing man. Gabby's body had already been flown to the small Maine town where he and his wife had been high school sweethearts. The base had held a memorial ceremony that left her hands trembling, even now just remembering.
And then from the middle of the mayhem emerged her burly father, big and alive, someone she'd alternately adored and resented all her life, depending on which country he parked himself in at the end of the day.
She liked to think she was past those childhood hang-ups, but couldn't ignore how messed up her life had become lately. She hated to think that her crush on Carson had been some sad father-figure deal. Ugh. Regardless, she knew her feelings for Carson were anything but familial.
Her father pulled back from Rena and turned to his two adult children, little Jamie scooped up in one arm.
"Hey, Daddy." Nikki stepped into his open arm. "Welcome home."