Chapter 27

Cam

The base had been put on hold for the day as work was being carried out on the stage for the concert later in the day. It was an annual event that was held in aid of all the disabled SEALs and their families. It had become a huge event, and it was expected that everyone should attend.

“Cam, you ready for tonight?” Owen asked.

“I don’t know. I might give it a miss this year, you know. I would love to take Katie with Emmy, but I know we will have a fair few strange looks from a lot of people,” I replied.

“Fuck, Cam. When has anyone’s comments ever scared you? You know all that stuff; stick and stones will break my bones, and names will, blah blah blah,” he said.

“This is a bit more than playground names and all that stuff. These are people’s emotions and reputations we are talking about her,” I replied.

“You will be missing out on a great concert. Jazzy Jigg and the all-stars are playing,” Owen said with a smile.

“Who the hell are they? I’ve never heard of them,” I commented.

“Where have you been for the last two years? Fuck man, they are huge on the radio,” Owen said.

“What’s the problem anyway? Katie is your babysitter. So what? Well, she may be more than that, but not everyone has to know,” Owen said and glanced over his shoulders to make sure no one could hear.

“That’s the whole point. If I just took her, the word could get around. The Admiral could do one on me for keeping it a secret,” I said.

“Well, there is a simple solution,” Owen said.

“What? Please enlighten me.” I pressed

“Don’t keep it secret. Go and tell the old man that you want to take Emmy and you would like his stunningly hot daughter to go with you in case you need a hand. Feel free to leave out the stunningly hot part. I’m sure he wouldn’t take too keen on that bit,” he added with a grin.

“Owen fucking Hardwick; on odd occasions you have signs of pure genius, and today is not one of them. It may be a smart solution, but not in the realms of being a genius,” I said and laughed.

Owen looked at me with sad puppy eyes. “Geez Cam, you could build me up sometimes, give me confidence and help me build my ego,” Owen said.

“That is one area you have no problem at, whatsoever. Your ego; and that is big enough already,” I replied.

“But I’m gonna ask the Admiral and see if he minds. Actually, I will call him now,” I said and headed back to the office.

I slumped in my chair; picked up the phone and called the Admiral’s reception.

“Hi, this is Cam Cox. Can you patch me through to the Admiral please,” I asked the receptionist.

“One moment,” she said, followed by silence.

“Good morning, Cam. What can I do for you, solider?” the Admiral asked in a deep tone.

“There’s a concert tonight and I was wondering if I could take Katie as assistance for Emmy, Sir?” I asked nervously. Of all women for me to fall in love with. Shit.

“I don’t see why not. It will do her good to go somewhere respectable for a change,” he said.

“Thank you, Sir. It’s very much appreciated,” I replied before I hanging up the phone.

That was the Admiral out of the way. Now, I just had to check that Katie would come with me. I called her, and she agreed and said it could be fun. I told her to reach my house at around 6.30 pm, and we could take Emmy around some of the smaller stalls and rides that were there before the music started.

I was just putting Emmy into her jacket, when Katie walked in through the door.

“Is everybody ready for out big family date?” Katie shouted as she entered the house.

“Katie!” Emmy yelled and ran to her with her arms outstretched.

“Who’s my big girl?” Katie said and gave Emmy a big hug.

I grabbed my jacket and we exited the house. I was a bit wary as I knew we could get a few funny looks. It would be the first time that we had actually been seen together in public.

We neared the base and could see the traveling fun fair, and the merry go-rounds. The bells and whistles filled the early evening air.

“You want to go on a ride, Emmy?” Katie asked.

Emmy pointed at the Alice ride. She wanted a go in the big teacups that were spinning around and around. Katie picked Emmy up into her arms and carried her into one of the big teacups and sat beside her.

The ride started, and the cups began to go around. The music blared, and I could see Emmy was laughing and holding her arms in the air.

The cups spun around, and I could hear the faint cries of “Hooyah” from Emmy and Katie as the ride started to turn the chairs wildly. I tried to take photos with the phone, but it was just too fast to catch them properly. The ride slowed down, and they came from the exit. Emmy started to walk like a crab. I think she was a little dizzy from her experience.

“Enjoy that?” I asked Emmy.

“Again, again,” she said.

“Later. You will be sick,” Katie said as she held her hand.

We headed closer to the smaller stalls, and I could see a few of the families turning their heads as we approached. I guessed this would happen, but I had no idea of the impact that it could have.

Many of the families there would know me, but there was hardly anyone who would have an idea who Katie was. It would seem very strange to them that I had a young girl walking so close to me, especially one who looked younger than she was.

“Are they looking at us?” Katie asked.

“It’s, nothing. I used to come with my wife, so it’s probably that I have come and she’s not here. So, it may seem strange to them,” I said.

Why don’t they just mind their own business?

“Hey, Cam. Look, it’s a shooting range. Are you gonna win me something?” Katie said with a grin. God, she was too cute for her own damn good.

“I can try,” I replied, letting my eyes run across her. She was everything I wanted in my life, and yet I knew she would have to have a little bit of room to finish growing up. Twenty was still so damn young.

“That is very modest of you. I thought you were a top shot when you were on tour?” she asked.

“Okay. It might be an unfair advantage,” I said and picked up the rifle.

The targets fell one by one, and the guy behind the counter looked a little pissed that I had not missed one. I finished four tickets, and we ended up walking away with one giant teddy bear and a small stuffed unicorn for Emmy.

“See, that is what they do on real dates!” Katie said and held onto my fingers.

I noticed a few more glances from some of the mothers as Katie held my fingers, and I could sense what they were thinking. How many babysitters hold the hands of the baby dads?

“Cam, I’m sure people are looking at us, or should I say me?” Katie asked.

“Just ignore it. You know they all love a bit of gossip,” I replied, trying to reassure her.

The concert always attracted a lot of people from the surrounding areas as well as families from the base. It was these people that generally gave a little glance in our direction. They would have no idea who Katie was.

If they had known she was the Admiral’s daughter, they would have ignored her. But as it was, she may have well had a sign on her back saying ‘Cam Cox is screwing me’. Hell, maybe it was the way people were looking at her. It was almost as if you could see that was what they were thinking.

We walked to the area where the stage was set. It had been placed at the edge of the beach, and it was backdropped by the ocean. We stood and watched as a few bands playing were attracting most of the people. I looked around at the families and thought of how it used to be. My face was a regular feature around the base, and so I was quite well known by many people here, especially as I had been at the receiving end of attention from our last tour. I returned and was decorated for acts of valor.

To me, it was nothing. Bravery was something you did in those times of conflict. Yet, it made me a public figure. And, it was worse when my wife died, because everyone instantly heard about it. And now, I was under scrutiny by those very same people who looked up to me, and it was all because I had Katie standing very close to me.

I had Emmy on my shoulders, and she was busy watching the lights from the stage. The music blared and the crowd started to sway in rhythm. Katie stood in front of me, and I took a step forward towards the group. Katie was close, and her sweet ass rubbed against my dick. She wiggled her ass along with the sound of the music, and my cock woke up and decided it was time to play. I was so turned on as her young body rubbed against mine. But the stares had now become more evident.

“They are looking at me Cam, I know it,” Katie said.

“It will be all right,” I said to reassure her.

“Come on, let’s go back a little,” Katie said.

Once we started moving to the back of the crowd, I heard a couple of women make some sly comments about me being a cradle snatcher and a sugar daddy and all the usual trash talk that was associated with that sort of thing.

I ignored the comments because, to me, they meant nothing. Yet, I could see Katie had heard them, and it was beginning to wear her down. The smile had left her face, and I could see she no longer enjoyed the music.

“Is that Cam Cox with a younger woman?” I heard a voice from behind me.

I turned in shock, and it was Owen fucking Hardwick the dick. He had put on the voice of a woman as he had sneaked up on us.

“I see you’re late, again,” I said to Owen as he smiled at me.

“Duty calls,” he said and looked at his new girlfriend.

“I see. So you just had to go AWOL for an hour or two,” I replied with a giggle.

“Hi Emmy,” Owen called as he looked at Emmy on my shoulders.

“Hi Owen,” she called back down to him.

“How are you enjoying it, Katie? Is it your first time to this sort of thing on the base?” Owen asked.

“Yeah, all the years Dad has been here, and it is the first time I have ever attended,” she replied.

“Awesome,” said Owen.

“It’s just the stares and comments are freaking me out a little,” she said.

“Fuck them, they have nothing better to talk about,” Owen shouted as he looked at the ones who had been staring at us.

Owen had a great way with words, and although it was what I had wanted to say, it was one way of drawing more attention to us.

“They are just too busy with other people’s lives instead of their own,” Owen said. He glanced around and stared at them.

A few of the heads turned away, but they soon turned back in our direction after a few minutes.

“So, Cam, where is the beer tent this year? They keep moving it, and I can never God-damned find it,” Owen asked.

“Come on. We’ll show you. They have hidden it good and proper this time,” I replied.

We led Owen towards the beer tent and shared a beer with him. The crowds had thinned out in this direction, and I thought it would make it less of a problem with the stares and comments. Yet, it appeared to have made it worse.

Katie tugged on my arm. “Cam, this is really bugging me now. There are just too many people talking about us.”

“You want to go home? We can do if it is bothering you. Just say the word, baby,” I replied.

“Can we? I really do feel uneasy all of a sudden,” Katie said.

We finished our beer and said our farewells to Owen. He understood and again told Katie to fuck all of them for being so nosey. We strolled across the base, back toward the housing, and I could tell that Emmy had been overcome with excitement and had started to fall asleep. Her arms dropped to the side of my head, and her stuffed unicorn swung busily in my face.

“That was just too much, you know Cam. Their stares were really intense,” Katie said as we started to approach the road toward our street.

“Well, that is the way some people are, unfortunately,” I replied. We started to walk up our street.

We reached the house. Katie opened the door and walked inside. I put Emmy on the couch, and she was fast asleep, her stuffed unicorn tucked firmly under her arm.

I stood closer to Katie and wrapped my arms around her.

“Thanks for going; it meant the world to us to have you there,” I said and looked down into Katie’s eyes.

“I wouldn’t miss it. But, the stares, and some of the comments, were too much. Why are they like that?” Katie asked.

“The simple reason is they are jealous. It is always the jealous ones who tell tales and gossip,” I replied as I pulled Katie closer into my arms.

“Cam, did any of their stares or comments bother you?” Katie asked me while resting her head on my chest.

“Not at all. I’d expected a few, but there was even more than I anticipated,” I replied and kissed her forehead. It wasn’t an odd feeling to want to protect her, but it was different, knowing that my reasons were more intimate. I was falling in love with her.

Falling? Fuck. I was already there.

“But why are they jealous?” Katie asked.

“Ah, the answer to that one is easy,” I smiled.

“What is it?” Katie asked, confused.

“It’s because I was with the most beautiful woman at the concert; pure and simple,” I said, beaming down into her gaze.

Katie explained that she had to get home. Her dad knew the time the concert would finish, so he would, for once, be expecting her home.

“He will be waiting for me,” Katie said.

“It is fine. I understand.”

I looked into Katie’s eyes and placed my lips on hers. We kissed and embraced each other before she headed home.

“I will be back once Dad has gone to bed,” Katie said and opened the door.

“I can’t wait to look forward to seeing you later,” I replied as I watched Katie head down the street.

Fuck, yeah.