The Price of Valor (Global Search and Rescue #3) - Susan May Warren Page 0,1
his, but the man turned to him. “We’ll do anything for our kids, won’t we?” Then he walked away. Yes, actually, he would.
“Daddy, do you want some?”
He looked down and found Aggie looking up at him, grinning, holding out a fluffy piece of blue cotton candy.
For a second, he was back in time, Signe grinning at him as they sat on a picnic table near the blue waters of the community pool, her blonde hair a mess, her face grimy as she held out a melting ice-cream cone. “Want some?”
He drew in a breath.
Aggie’s eyes widened. “Daddy?”
He wasn’t sure if he saw fear or just confusion in her pretty blue eyes, but whatever it was, it snapped him back to now, and he crouched before her. “Yeah, I’d love some, honey.” He opened his mouth.
She smiled and fed him the cottony sugar.
Oh my. He hadn’t had cotton candy since . . . well, maybe that was another memory he should tuck away. It seemed that every good childhood memory contained a shadow of Signe.
He really didn’t know how he’d survive knowing she was out there . . .
“Don’t try to find me.”
Right.
“Ooh, look. Orion and Jenny are on the big Ferris wheel!” Aggie’s gaze had turned past him. He noticed that she wore ketchup from today’s hot dog on her teal Frozen-themed sweatshirt. And a hint of chocolate ice cream on her sleeve.
Apparently Orion was right, he had problems saying no. But how was he supposed to deny anything to this pint-size version of the woman he’d never stopped loving?
“I wanna ride!” Aggie grabbed his hand and pulled him with her. Ham nearly fell, still crouched, but managed to scramble up and pull her back.
“No, Aggie. We’re not riding—”
“Please?”
From high above, Jenny was calling to them, waving. Aggie waved back wildly. “Please, Daddy? I’ve never been on one.”
Really? He knew so little about her past ten years. Aggie had shown up three months ago on a seashore in southern Sicily after the yacht she’d been a passenger on, with her mother, had exploded in the Mediterranean. The US Air Force base took her in after she identified herself as an American . . . and former SEAL Hamilton Jones as her father.
He’d gotten on a plane, not sure what to believe. After all, he’d watched Signe die ten plus years ago in Chechnya, during an op-gone-wrong.
“I don’t think so, pumpkin.”
“Please?” Her cheeks were stained blue. He pulled out a napkin from his pocket and tried to wipe her face. She jerked away.
Yes, sometimes he’d really like to know what happened to his child over the past ten years to put that hue of fear into her eyes.
Except, just thinking about it gnawed a hole through him. Maybe he didn’t want to know the details.
He handed her the napkin and she wiped her face.
Around them, the midway was a cacophony of screams and laughter, music and the smells of fried cheese curds and hot dogs. People milled everywhere, crowds ever moving through the narrow thoroughfares. The perfect place for someone to sneak out and grab her when he wasn’t looking. Only a couple months ago, that very thing had happened at the Mall of America. Someone from Signe’s past.
A Russian.
Probably in league with the man who had held her hostage for ten years—Chechen warlord Pavel Tsarnaev. That much Ham had gotten out of Aggie.
Yes, better that he didn’t know the details of Aggie’s past, or he might never sleep again.
Might, in fact, completely ignore Signe’s request and find her anyway.
Because deep in his gut, he knew she was in trouble.
Needed him.
The Ferris wheel was slowing to let people out, and Aggie ran over to Jenny as she got off.
Ham followed. Raised an eyebrow to Orion.
Orion shook his head.
Yes, well, pulling your heart from your chest and offering it to a woman with a proposal just might be the most terrifying act a man did. He well remembered when he proposed to Signe.
He’d meant forever.
Apparently, she thought their marriage should just last the weekend.
No, that wasn’t fair. He shook the thought away as Aggie ran back to him. “Jenny said it was amazing. You can see for miles.”
Ham gave Jenny a look. She shrugged. “It is. You can.”
“Please, please? I won’t ask for another thing tonight, I promise.”
Oh kiddo. “Honey, it’s not . . .”
“Go with her, Ham. I’ll hold the zoo.” Orion stepped up to him and reached out for the stuffed prizes.