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MY OFFER TO WATCH OVER Campbell and her baby is nixed by none other than Hazel herself. As soon as her momma’s head hit the blanket, she woke up and let out a bloodcurdling scream that was loud enough to wake the dead and make me think of mortar attacks.

Campbell fusses over Hazel, checking her diaper, trying to nurse her, burping her... No matter what she does, the baby won’t be soothed.

And by the look on Campbell’s face, she’s going from exhausted to straight up desperate and embarrassed.

“Okay, sweet girl. We’ll walk around again.” Her words end in a whimper, and I can’t sit idly by a second longer.

“Let me.”

Chocolate-colored eyes meet mine. “Knight, I—”

Hazel wails louder, her arms flailing as the rest of her stretches out in a hard line. “I’ll stay right here.”

Biting her lip, she nods and allows me to take Hazel. I snuggle the baby against my throat, just like I used to do with my niece, and start to walk with her.

Campbell makes a sound of distress.

“Right here, sweetheart. Not going anywhere,” I assure her.

Hazel’s cries grow weaker, but in a good way. Maybe she likes the sound of my voice.

“Hey, sweet girl,” I say, stopping in the middle of the aisle. “Want me to tell you a story?”

Hazel lets out a high-pitched wail in response.

Nope. My voice isn’t helping.

“Pat her back while you walk,” Campbell suggests, worrying on her bottom lip so hard I’m sure it will end up bloody soon. “That’s what she wants, I think? I don’t know anymore.”

“Yes, ma’am.” At first, it’s a little awkward to hold Hazel and pat her back, but I somehow get the hang of it. Soon, Hazel is only letting out little whimpers. “See, we got this,” I say to Campbell. “You knew exactly what to do, Momma.”

Campbell’s cheeks flush pink, her dark eyes starting to shine. “If I knew what to do, you wouldn’t have to hold her.”

“Nah, I have more experience than you.” I nod to the right. “Let’s go for a longer walk.”

She joins me. “Do tell me all about your experiences with babies.”

“When my niece was little, I helped raise her. Her momma ran off, and Duke was trying his best to keep what was left of the business going. He was... at the end of his rope. Quinn and I were the only ones living at home old enough to help. Well, Laird kind of helped. He mostly stayed out of the way because he was afraid of shitty diapers.” I laugh, the pain in my chest easing and constricting as memories of my family come to the forefront. “Can’t say I blame him. Personally, I think taking care of a baby helped prepare me for the Army. There was nothing they could ask me to do that was any worse than being simultaneously covered in vomit and shit. River had food allergies, still does, but uh, she’s ten now and got things under control.”

“Wow. You’re... You’ve always been rescuing people, haven’t you?” she says.

“That’s your takeaway?”

She shrugs. “I figured you had a duty to live up to your name.”

“I like helping people. Never looked at it as something I had to do,” I counter. She grins, a teasing light entering her eyes. “Oh, you got jokes huh?”

“Sorry. I couldn’t help myself.” She touches Hazel, gently stroking the side of her face with her fingertips. “I think she’s asleep again.”

“How old is she?”

“Two months.”

I run my gaze over Campbell. No fucking wonder she’s exhausted. She practically just gave birth. “Where’s the dad?”

Campbell looks away. “Not in the picture.”

“When did he leave?” Yeah, it’s not my business, but I need to know these things because, honestly, I am a liar. I do feel a need to help people. It’s in my DNA, and I can’t change that any more than I can permanently change the color of my eyes.”

“As soon as I shared the good news,” she smiles bitterly, “He gave me cash to take care of the problem. When I didn’t, he kicked me out of his place. I... eventually ended up in a women’s shelter.” She lets out a shuddering breath. “When we broke up, no one would hire me for modeling jobs. The only ones I could get paid the minimum. I couldn’t afford transportation, an apartment... food. I stayed with friends on and off until I started to show. Suddenly, hardly anyone was returning my calls or texts. My mother would say I got what I deserved for running away from... everything.”

“I take it going back home isn’t going to be pleasant?”

She shakes her head. “They won’t be throwing a party for me.”

“That’s a damn shame.”

“What about you? Headed home or somewhere else?” she asks.

“Somewhere else.”

“Dangerous or safe?”

I could be all bravado and badass—act like it’s nothing where my buddies and me are going, but that’s not me. “Dangerous.”

She frowns. “How long will you be there?”

“Five months, then back to Cali for the final countdown.”

“You’re getting out?”

I nod. “It’s time to move on.” And I’m fucking tired of the nightmares, of the unending missions, and the inability to form roots. “Not sure where I’ll go next.”

“Not Castle Beach?”

Hesitating, I sort through my thoughts. “I haven’t decided if the good outweighs the bad.”

“What’s so good about it?” she asks.

“You don’t want to know the bad?”

“It’s not the bad you need reminding of. The bad is always with us. At least until we remember the good.”

“When you put it that way...” I stop patting Hazel on her tiny back, rubbing in small circles instead. “The ocean, the sand... catching a wave at sunrise. The constant wind over the dunes. Watching sea turtles make their way to the ocean. The food... Blackbeard Days.”

“Blackbeard Days?” she asks. Apparently, she didn’t notice I left out my family, or she noticed and doesn’t want to pry. This woman is careful with her words. So careful it makes me wonder how she threw all caution to the wind and ran away from home.

“The Kings are Blackbeard’s descendants. One of many, seeing as how he was rumored to have thirteen wives.” I wriggle my brows at her, and she snorts. “Anyway, the Princes and the Kings put it on. We have mock battles, an oyster-eating contest, pirate queen and king... basically, all the things that make small-town festivals fun.”

“You have a family with the last name of Prince in the same town as y’all?” Disbelief colors her tone.

“Nah, they live over in Royal Bay. Supposedly, they’re the decedents of Maynard.”

“The guy who beheaded Blackbeard?”

“The one and only.”

“Sounds like something you’d read in a book.”

I grin shamelessly. “You know what they say about the truth.”

“Well, you are strange, Knight King.” She bumps my hip with hers, and I chuckle. “Why don’t either of y’all have the last name of Teach or Maynard?”

“At the time, our ancestors were dealing with people who were not happy with what happened with Teach or with the one who did it. Supposedly, we became Kings first to spite the Maynards. Later, when their family took over Royal Bay, they became the Princes. It’s all a little fuzzy, but I’m sure they have their own family lore that explains it. Mine, however... we’re the Kings of the sea and the Princes have always eaten our bunker fuel.”

Until they kicked our asses when King Global Shipping nearly went under.

I frown.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. It’s nothing.” I walk a little faster, and Campbell has to jog a little to keep up. Fuck. I need to slow down. “Sorry.”

“Bad memories?” she asks, no censure in her voice.

“A few.”

“If it makes a difference, I’d love to visit Castle Beach and meet the decedents of the one and only Blackbeard.”

“Sold you on it, huh?”

“You’re like a real estate pro.” Her smile lights up the airport terminal.

This woman... how easily she can make me feel like laughing. How easily she can make me feel normal, like my brother’s not missing at sea, and I’m not going off to war.

“Ready to attempt to sit down?” I ask.

“Absolutely.”

We head to our seats. Holding my breath, I lay Hazel in the middle of the pile of blankets.

“Please keep sleeping. Please keep sleeping,” Campbell whispers beside me.

When the baby doesn’t wake up, I high five Campbell. “That’s what I’m talking about.”

Campbell’s fingers slide in between mine. “I feel like I can’t stop saying thank you, but I can’t seem to help myself.”

Heat arcs between us, making me acutely aware of the way she feels, the way she smells, and the way she fits so perfectly with me. I give her hand a gentle squeeze and let go. I have to let go because I can’t allow myself to think our chance meeting is anything more than that. She’s not looking for a relationship at all, and I’m... Well, I have nothing to offer her.

“Promised to watch out for you and Hazel,” I say roughly, then clear my throat.

“Has the temperature dropped?” she asks, shivering and wrapping her arms around her herself. The t-shirt she has on is long-sleeved, but the material is so thin I can almost see the golden color of her skin.

For a split second, I focus on the air around us instead of the heat she inflames. It is getting colder. With floor-to-ceiling windows all along the outer wall and very little carpeting, there’s barely anything keeping out the cold.

“Want to borrow my sweatshirt?” I fish it out of my rucksack before she can say no and hand it to her.

She pulls it over her head, the sheer size engulfing her. “You got a bed in there, too, Mary Poppins?”

“I wish.”

“Me, too.” Campbell yawns, stretching. “I haven’t slept in forever.”

“After River’s mom took off, Duke looked like a zombie...” I give her a once over, enjoying how she looks in my sweatshirt. Yeah, it swallows her up, but knowing it’s keeping her warm makes me feel all kinds of manly. “You still look damn good.”

She blushes. “Every new mom needs to hear that at least three times a day.”

“Then I’ll tell you again at dinner,” I say with a wink.

Her brows rise. “Dinner, huh?”

I shrug. “I figure we’ll be here at least that long.”

Panic flares in her eyes. “I hope not... I’m not prepared for—I...” She nudges her bag with her hand, her voice so low it’s a damn good thing we’re sitting close. “This is all we have.”

“I can—”

“Do nothing,” she insists. “You’ve already done more than any person in their right mind would do for a stranger.”

“Then consider me not in my right mind.”

She sighs. “Knight... I’m not joking. You’ve done enough.”

“Why don’t you let me be the judge of that?”

“Fine. Spend your last dollar on me.” She throws her hands in the air, clearly aggravated. “But don’t say I didn’t tell you to stop.”

“Never have been good at following directions.”

“Which makes total sense for you to join the Army,” she points out.

“I’m a contradiction to be sure.”

Her pretty eyes narrow. “Oooh. You are so—”

“Happy to be stranded at the airport with you.” I mean it. Really and truly mean it.

Campbell bursts out laughing. “I can’t even stay mad at you.”

“Good.” I make a move to grab her. When she doesn’t scoot away or protest, I plant her right beside me. “Here’s what’s going to happen next—you’re going to lean on me and sleep. That’s an order.”

“Aye, aye, Captain.”

“That’s Lieutenant.”

She presses against me, her slight weight nothing I can’t handle. “Whatever.”

As we sit there and she dozes, the terminal fills up with more people. There is less and less space available. “Let me get Hazel out of the way.”

Campbell, obviously exhausted, murmurs her agreement. The baby hardly weighs a thing as I lift her. Her hands fly out, like she’s trying to catch herself as she falls, but I quickly soothe her by wrapping her up like a tiny burrito.

I can’t claim this bit of baby knowledge came solely from my niece. I’d dated a single mom once, for about eight months. She ended up back together with her son’s father, though. Can’t say I was too tore up about it, but I did enjoy my time with her and Elliot. For some reason only known to God, or maybe simply a sense of self-preservation, I never got attached to him.

Or maybe it was because his mom never committed fully to our relationship.

The fine hairs on the back of my neck prickle. Sure enough, two of my buddies are recording me with their phones, grins wide on their faces. I don’t even want to know what they’ll do with the video. I can only imagine how Campbell and I look, all cozied up, her head on my shoulder while I hold Hazel. The two of them are asleep, and I’m halfway there.

“Cut it out, or else,” I half threaten.

“Don’t worry, Big Papa. We’ll only share this on Facebook,” Boston says with a snicker.

I roll my eyes. “Whatever, man. Just don’t be stupid.”

“I’ll text you the video and pics.”

“Oh, c’mon. You took pictures, too?”

Boston laughs. “You bet I did.”

I flip them off, and they respond in kind before jetting off again.

“Are you upset?” Campbell asks.

I turn slightly to look at her upturned face. “Nah. Busting my balls is how they show their love.”

She smiles slightly. “Only men.”

“We make life interesting.”

“Oh my gosh,” she gasps, pointing at the window. “Is that snow?”

I look outside, trying to find the best angle, and groan. “No that’s... ice.” Shit. I know what that means. Our flights are about to be cancelled, and we’ll be stranded for the night while Atlanta shuts down. It’s the South. We can’t deal with snow or ice because we’re not equipped for it.

I jump to my feet, managing to not knock Campbell over in the process. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

“No problem.” She cocks a brow. “What are you planning now?”

“To try to secure some accommodations.” Grabbing my phone from my pocket, I take off for the USO Lounge. We’d passed it on the way, but since our layover was only an hour, I didn’t think to check in there.

Luckily no one’s at the front counter when I step inside, reading their policy on who’s allowed inside—active military and their families. Fuck. Doesn’t matter if I have to lie again; I swore to watch over Campbell and Hazel, and I am man of my word. “Hey there. So, I need three rooms, two for my buddies, and one for my wife, baby, and me. She’s a newborn. The baby, not my wife.”

I wait for the guy at the counter to see through my lie, to escort my ass out of there with the promise to let my superior know, but he smiles, his fingers flying all over the keyboard.

“You’re mostly in luck.” With an apologetic grin, he says, “We have two rooms left. Hopefully your buddies won’t mind doubling up?”

As opposed to sleeping in a chair on our last night in the States? “We—they’ll make do.”

“All I need are IDs for you and your fellow soldiers, as well as a credit card in case of damage.”

I slap my ID and a credit card on the counter, then text Boston and our commanding officer. “Can I pay for them and have my buddies follow up with you, with their IDs?”

“Absolutely... Lt. Knight.” He takes my card and my ID, making copies of both. “Will you need a pack n’ play?”

“A pack n’ what?”

“Definitely a new dad.” He smiles at me. “For the baby to sleep in.”

“How many beds are in the rooms?”

“One queen and the other has two doubles, with private en-suite bathroom accommodations for each.”

Three huge soldiers in two beds that will actually be more like singles. Oh, well. All of us have slept in worse.

“How long have you been married?” he asks, keeping up the conversation while he writes a fucking book. I don’t know how anyone behind a front desk keeps from getting cramps with all that typing.

“Just married, actually.”

“New baby and a new wife.” He chuckles. “Can’t say I’ve never heard of that before.”

The printer behind him comes to life. He grabs the paper it spits out, has me sign at the bottom, and then hands over a copy.

“Best wishes to you and your bride. I’ll make sure to put something special in y’all’s room.”

“That’s... uh... that’s not necessary.”

“Actually, it’s my job.”

I can’t argue with the man. He’s trying to do the right thing.

“Thanks. Looking forward to staying here.”

“Especially with the ice storm on its way.” He glances over my shoulder and sucks in air through his teeth. “In about an hour, actually. Not to worry, though. We have anything you might need, including diapers, formula. In fact...” He nods, as if he’s working something out in his head. “Give me fifteen minutes and your rooms will be ready.”

“No problem. Thank you.” I shake his hand, because not only does it seem like the right thing to do, but I also have a sneaking suspicion this dude is going above and beyond what’s required of his position.

I jog back to Campbell. She’s sitting in the same spot I left her, nibbling on her fingernails. Her eyes are wide, panicked. “They made a bunch of announcements while you were gone. Everything is cancelled. Monster ice storm on the way.”

“No worries, sweetheart. I got everything covered.”