Angel's Peak (Virgin River #10)(58)

“Yay!” she yelled.

Later that evening, while Rosie was singing in the tub, Sean and Franci did dishes together and talked about Sean’s day. “Here’s a shocker, Franci—Rosie is a babe magnet.” He grinned at her. “I’m a catch. You can’t believe the number of women who almost propositioned me today.”

“While you’re with my daughter?” she asked, appalled.

“Well, nothing racy. Just a cup of coffee or a kid’s playdate. Who’d guess, huh?”

“What a comfort that is,” she grumbled.

“Should Rosie be alone in the tub?” he asked.

She smiled at him, happy that he was over-protective. “The bathroom is ten steps away and as long as you can hear her singing, she’s not underwater.”

So Sean told her about the question Rosie had posed while they were in the parking lot of the grocery. Franci had to lean against the counter, laughing so hard she was doubled over, yet trying to keep quiet lest Rosie come running soaking wet to the kitchen to see who would dare have fun without her.

“Yeah, funny,” Sean said. “What would you have said?”

She wiped her eyes. “Well, I have a special book about all that. It’s right about time to look at it together, but I didn’t know how to explain you to Rosie, so I’ve been putting it off. I guess I can go ahead with it now.”

“A book? Come on!”

“No, really. It talks about all the differences in the mommy’s and daddy’s bodies—it’s very cute. Sweet. Non-threatening.” She smiled at him. “If you’re very good, I’ll read it to you later.”

“If you’re very good, I’ll show you how it’s done.” He leered at her. “By the way,” he said. “How was it done in this case? We were always very careful. Do you remember?”

“Every detail,” she said, turning away from him to put away dishes.

He turned her back. “Could I have a couple of details, please?”

She took a breath. “Remember I used to go off the pill for a couple of months a year and your job was to be very good about the condoms? Well, there were a couple of times you got real worked up and just let it slide.” She shrugged. “It was as much my doing as yours. I was also a little worked up.”

Silence enveloped them for a moment. He leaned forward and kissed her brow. “We were like that,” he whispered. “I’m not sorry about that. Big accident. Huge reward. She’s awesome.”

Franci hugged him. For once he managed to say the right thing. “You’ve had a nice week with Rosie, haven’t you?”

“She’s pretty amazing. Listen, there’s no good way to do this, Franci. I’ve been thinking all day about how to sneak up on our issues, but I’m kind of up against the wall. The air force wall. After we get Rose settled in bed, can we please have a glass of wine and talk about things? Practical things.”

She looked terrified. “Like what?”

“Everything from insurance to…” He took a breath. “Franci, I’ve been at Beale four years. I’m going to have to call MPC tomorrow, first thing in the morning, and see if I can get the boys down there to work with me on an assignment or I’m going remote. Maybe to the Middle East.”

Iraq. Afghanistan. She went visibly pale. “In the U-2?”

He shrugged. “If there’s a need for manned surveillance. But the U-2 travels to a lot of places. I don’t want to go since I have you and Rosie here. That aside, they’re not above changing my weapon system back to a fighter or finding me a staff job in the desert. I pinned on major—I owe ’em three more years at least.”

“Sean,” she said weakly.

“I know you’d like to just roll with this awhile—see where we are in getting to know each other—but we’re gonna have to face it. I’m only on leave another four weeks and two days. I’m sorry, Fran.”

“You’ve been at Beale four years, and you know that’s a long time for an air force assignment,” she said. “This can’t have come as a total surprise.”

“No, it didn’t. You and Rose came as a surprise. I tried to get into Air Command and Staff College and I’m on the waiting list as an alternate. My plan was just what you’d expect out of me—do whatever I have to do, go wherever I have to go, to head toward a command position. I wanted this job for life—so it didn’t matter where they sent me, as long as it all added up to a real good command slot down the road. I figured I’d take a remote for a year and come home to a year in Air Command and Staff College, a lieutenant colonel promotion and a squadron of my own.” He swallowed. “Now I don’t want to get too far away. I don’t want Rosie to think I can’t keep my word. And time’s short.”

Franci was quiet. “She’s still singing in there,” Sean said, tilting his head toward the bathroom.

“But I bet she’s pruny by now.”

Vivian and Maureen had a very nice day together, too. They’d gone out to lunch and then did a little shopping at the local mall—Maureen felt woefully behind in adding her special grandma gifts to Rosie’s coffers. They went back to Viv’s for the rest of the afternoon, looking through pictures of Rosie from her birth to the present.