Page 6 of One Unexpected Gift

“I don’t know. It was a quickie. Not even a date. I didn’t learn his last name, and he never asked for mine or my number.” Which was sort of true. She’d learned his last name after the second time they’d hooked up.

“Does he know about Gabriella?” Gina lifted her gin and tonic and took a sip. “Will he see her around base?”

“No.” She hid behind her glass and sipped as well. It was wrong, she knew, not telling him. He had a right to know, but what if he wasn’t father material? From the little she’d learned about him, he wasn’t one people took too seriously. He lived too carefree and reckless to be responsible for a child. Their tryst in his office and in a supply closet was proof of that.

“I don’t blame you for not telling him.” Brooke tore apart a roll and buttered it. “He could be a douchebag. I know I’d be better off if I didn’t know who my father was.”

Ike Ross may be an iconic rock star, but Brooke had every right not to like her father. He was a racist, womanizing scumbag. His album which had released a few years ago shed light on his white supremacy, and then he had the gall to try to use Brooke’s time in the service and then their summer camp to help paint him in a better light.

“Or maybe learning he has a beautiful baby girl could be the best thing for him.” Of course Gina would see it that way. Her parents had died of a drug overdose on her twelfth birthday. They were careless junkies, but from what Gina had shared about them, they loved her as best they could. Unfortunately, their drug addiction prevented them from caring for Gina, and themselves, leaving her orphaned.

She waited for Charlie’s two cents. Her parents were still alive but were pretentious snobs who blamed Charlie for her brother’s death. If she hadn’t snuck out at night and needed her brother to pick her up, he’d still be alive. The fact he was drunk before he got behind the wheel was Charlie’s fault as well, according to her parents.

“You do what you feel is best.” Charlie patted her hand. “I worry about you going back to Virginia alone though. We need to find you a guy.”

“Wow. I never thought I’d hear such anti-feminist comments coming from you.” Sky huffed, somewhat offended. She was more than capable of taking care of herself and her daughter.

“That’s not what I meant.” Charlie pointed her finger at Sky. “If I had to guess, I’d say you haven’t gotten laid since you got knocked up.”

“You’ve always been the classy one.” Brooke snorted.

“Dating when you never know when your morning sickness is going to surface isn’t my idea of a good time. And finding a willing guy who wants to mess around with a pregnant woman, well, that’s not cool either.”

“Like I said, you need to hook up.”

She and Charlie were the most casual when it came to dating men. They didn’t allow feelings to get in the way and preferred to keep things uncomplicated. Well, until Charlie fell for Owen.

“I know you mean well but having a baby changes things. Having sex isn’t a priority now. Caring for Gabby is.”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t date,” Gina said, surprising Sky by taking Charlie’s side.

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite foursome. I didn’t know you were in town, Skylar.”

Sky’s stomach tightened at the sound of his voice, but she wasn’t ready to face him yet. She could feel Nick’s presence behind her. Heat radiated off his body as it had the last time she saw him. He was a looker. A dangerous one, and she tried to stay as far away from him as possible.

“I have a short leave. I won’t be here for long.”

“You never are.” Was that a trace of disappointment in his voice? “Just for the weekend?”

Swallowing her nerves, she tilted her head and looked at him. His deep blue eyes were framed by the most gorgeous eyelashes. They would look feminine on any other man but with his olive skin, dark messy hair, and chiseled cheekbones, no one would ever accuse him of being anything but devilishly handsome.

“A little longer.”

“Great.” He smirked, and she did all she could do to not yank his head down so she could kiss his lips.

Dangerous. He was one hundred percent dangerous.

Charlie was right. It had been too long since she’d been with a man.

“Maybe we could...” He lifted a shoulder appearing nervous. Funny since he’d been nothing but confident—too confident—around her before. Like he knew how strong his sex appeal was and how easy it would be to get her to drop her pants for him.

Which she did. Twice. Well, once. The second time she lifted her dress.

“She’d love to,” Charlie interjected.

Sky scowled at her.

“He didn’t even say what it was they could do,” Brooke teased, and Sky kicked her in the shin. “Ow.”