Bobbi wasn’t sure how to respond. The lonely teenager in her who’d been madly in love with him wanted to throw caution to the wind and seduce him right here and now. The widow with a sad nine-year-old and a job she couldn’t afford to lose had to be cautious. She’d known Ron for almost 20 years but they’d parted ways at 18 and didn’t know much about each other anymore. As much as she still liked him, it would be smarter if she used her better judgment and kept things casual. Dating another military man wasn’t on the list of things she ever wanted to do again, no matter how attractive this one was.

“No, we’re not young, but we’re not foolish anymore either.”

“Foolish? There’s nothing foolish about a mutual attraction between two single adults with a history of friendship.”

“Are you single? I never thought to ask.”

“You think I’d ask you out if I wasn’t?”

“Pizza in the park with our kids isn’t actually a date…”

He chuckled. “Dinner Friday night?”

She bit her lip nervously. She wanted to say yes, but she wasn’t sure what to do. Anything that happened between them personally could impact her professionally and she shouldn’t do anything to risk her job. Not only did she need the money, she loved her classroom and the kids she taught.

“I’d never do anything to get you in trouble at work,” he said quietly, as if he’d read her mind.

“I don’t, I mean…” She sighed. “I guess I never imagined someone like you would want to go out with me.”

“Someone like me? I’m just a guy who lost his little sister six months ago and is now a single dad to her kid. There’s nothing special about me.”

She shook her head in disbelief. “Nothing special about you? You’re Force Recon—that pretty much says everything about your inner fortitude and strength. You stepped up to the plate for your niece, which says a lot about your soul and humanity. I remember a guy who was smart, thoughtful and caring…and now I see a man who makes my heart beat a little faster. Just like he did all those years ago. And I don’t have any idea what to do about it.”

“What do you want to do?” he asked, his voice dropping, his silver eyes burning into hers.

“Er…” She swallowed as he leaned forward.

“Can I kiss you, Bobbi?” he asked softly.

“Yes.” Her eyes had just started to close when they heard a loud pop, startling them apart.

“Beanie!” Sam let out a shriek of distress as a can of Sprite hit the ground and exploded, scaring all of them and covering Ron and Bobbi in the cold, sugary substance.

“It’s okay, Sam-Bam.” Bobbi was on her feet instantly, stepping away from the spray of liquid and gathering the shaken little girl in her arms. “It was an accident. Everything’s okay, see?” She looked over at Ron, who was shaking his head, a wry smile on his lips.

“It’s okay, honey.” He picked up the soda and tossed it into the nearby trash container.

“Why did you throw away my soda?” Julian chose that moment to reappear, a grumpy look on his face.

“Sorry, kiddo,” Ron said, meeting the boy’s gaze. “Sam accidentally dropped it and it exploded everywhere.”

“What?!” Julian threw up his hands. “What am I supposed to drink? Little kids are stupid!” He pointed a finger at Sam, as if he was planning to say more, but Ron immediately stepped between the two, his eyes hard though his voice was soft.

“She’s a baby and it was an accident,” he said. “Please don’t get aggressive by pointing at her like that. I understand that’s how your father acted, but that’s not how gentlemen behave.”

“You don’t know my father,” the boy shot back. “And you can’t tell me what to do!”

“Actually, I can,” Ron stood firm. “You’re a child and I’m an adult.”

“Mom!” Julian let out a whine, turning to his mother, who still had Sam in her arms.

“You can’t be disrespectful, Julian,” she said quietly. “I keep telling you about consequences but you don’t listen. Now you’ll have to listen to someone else.”

“I don’t have to listen to him!” Julian stalked off again and Bobbi sighed.

She put Sam down and sank back onto the picnic bench. “It’s been like this for about nine months,” she said. “I don’t know what to do anymore.”

“You want me to go after him?”

She made a face. “I don’t know.”

“Let’s let it go for now,” he suggested. “Maybe he’s feeling territorial about some new guy sniffin’ around his mom, you know?”

“Maybe.”

“I owe you a kiss,” Ron said after a moment, resting a hand on her shoulder.

“You do.” Her eyes met his.

“I still think we need to go out on a real date. What do you think?”

She hesitated. “I haven’t left Julian with anyone since Wade died. I don’t have a sitter.”

"The two ladies I use are great. What if we ask them and see what happens? We’ll stay close by in case he melts down, but he’s what, nine?”

She nodded.

“I’ll talk to Sandy. Maybe she can take both of them. She has a boy that’s eight so they might hit it off. If not, we’ll think of something else.”

“Okay.” 

Bobbi couldn’t remember the last time she’d worn a skirt. Or the last time she’d gone out on a date. Never, really. Wade was the only guy she’d ever gone out with and they’d gotten married less than two months later. Staring in the mirror, she cocked her head, trying to decide if she looked okay. Her black skirt hit mid-thigh, showing more leg than she was used to, but she’d liked it when she put it on at the store and it had been a long time since she’d bought clothes. It wasn’t in the budget since Wade died, but her first date ever—since she and Wade met at a bar and went home together—seemed to warrant something special. 

She’d come a long way since she’d married Wade, hanging out with the wives of the men he’d served with over the years and then working at the preschool. It had taken her a while to get past her acute shyness and realize it was okay to talk to people, make friends, have a life. That was probably the only good thing Wade had done for her; his verbal abuse had forced her to stand up for herself, something she’d never done before. Somewhere in her subconscious, she’d refused to allow her son to grow up listening to his father beat her down. Unfortunately, it appeared the damage had been done and she was still struggling even though he was gone. 

Ron made her forget all that. In the two weeks since he’d come back into her life, she’d been happier. Smiling more, thinking about him, indulging in a few sexual fantasies that made the blood rush to her head. And other places. She was looking forward to going out with him tonight, and though Julian was furious, he’d held his tongue because she’d told him his behavior with the sitter would determine whether or not he got his gaming console back. 

She jumped when the doorbell rang and smoothed down her skirt again before hurrying to open it. Ron stood there with Sam in his arms, looking handsome in a pair of khakis and a blue polo shirt. 

“You look beautiful,” he said as she greeted him.

“Thank you. You look pretty good yourself.”

“Gross,” Julian muttered.

“What’s gross?” Ron asked him. “Me telling a lady she looks nice is good manners, not gross.”

“It’s so you can get sex,” Julian retorted.

“Julian!” Bobbi was shocked. She hadn’t even talked with him about sex yet so she’d had no idea he knew what it was.

“Who told you about sex?” Ron asked calmly.

“My dad said he only told Mom she was pretty so she would give him sex.”

Bobbi’s mouth fell open.

“Do you even know what sex is?” Ron asked.

Julian hesitated but then shook his head no. 

Bobbi sighed with relief.

Ron took a breath. “If you don’t know what it is, you shouldn’t talk about it. We’ll have to have a conversation about that another time but for tonight, tell your mother you’re sorry so we can get going.”

Julian hesitated but then sighed. “Sorry, Mom.”

“It’s okay, hon. Let’s go.”

She got in Ron’s SUV thinking about the wonderful man next to her. He seemed unfazed by anything Julian said, making Bobbi fall a little bit in love with him each time he stepped in to handle him. He’d never had kids of his own yet he dealt with Julian like a pro. Maybe being new to parenting was why he had so much patience, but whatever the reason, with each passing day she remembered why she’d liked him so much in high school.

As soon as they’d dropped off the kids, she relaxed against the cool leather seats, comfortable just being next to him. She wondered if he felt the same and smiled when his fingers sought out hers.

“You read my mind,” she murmured.

“You wanted me to hold your hand?” he asked with a faint smile.

“I wanted to be closer to you.”

“Me too.”