Ginger's Heart (A Modern Fairytale, #3)(141)

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 f*ck, 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.

CW: Move in with me.

The Princess: Soon.

CW: I love you.

The Princess: I love you too.

He tucked his phone back into his pocket, then ate the shitty food and attended the remedial classes that felt a little silly after six years of active service. But on Thursday night, lying in his bunk, he pulled out his phone again.

CW: How was work today, baby?

It took a little longer for her to respond this time, and he was almost asleep when his phone buzzed.

The Princess: Still here. Just leaving.

CW: Late shift?

The Princess: Spent a little extra time with Gran.

CW: How’s she doing?

The Princess: Not good. I wish you were here.

His heart twisted because he wished he was there too. For a moment he thought about calling her, but he knew that cell phone calls at Silver Springs were frowned upon.

CW: I’m halfway there. Day after tomorrow.

The Princess: I know. She’s just . . . I don’t know. She’s so frail and weak. And the tube is bothering her. I can see it in her eyes. She’s giving up.

Cain thought about Miz Kelleyanne—a woman he’d known his whole life. She’d been kind to him, an especially good friend since—

The Princess: How’s training?

CW: Mostly bullshit. But at least I don’t have to come back for four weeks.

The Princess: Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask, can we go away sometime? Together?

CW: Like on a vacation?

The Princess: Uh-huh. I’ve barely been anywhere.

Cain rolled onto his back, sighing with pleasure as he thought about all the wonderful places he’d seen on his travels—all the amazing places he’d like to take Ginger.

CW: Where do you want to go?

The Princess: Where would you take me?

He thought about her wearing a bikini on the white sand of Crete, or getting a tan poolside in Madrid. But when he thought of Ginger, really thought about who she was and what she loved, a different place sprang to mind, all the more perfect because it would be new to him.