The Way To A Soldier's Heart - GINA WILKINS

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room ceiling and mentally listing all the reasons that kiss had been a big mistake. As much as he’d enjoyed it, as secretly pleased as he was that she’d wanted to kiss him, he shouldn’t have let it happen while she was still unaware of his connection to her daughter. Of his reason for spending time with her—or at least, the reason he’d initially looked her up.

      Maybe it had been too long since he’d been involved with anyone. The only semi-serious relationship he’d had since getting out of the service had ended when the woman said he spent too much time working and taking care of his family, leaving no time for her. Fair accusation, he supposed. As he’d reminded himself before, he had more than enough on his plate for now; he certainly didn’t need to take on a single mom with her own business and an emotionally dependent widowed mother.

      Not that there’d have been much chance of that, anyway. Not once Elle found out that he’d deceived her, if only by omission, from the first time they’d met. She’d made it clear last night that she’d always dreaded the possibility of one of Charlotte’s biological relatives making contact. He had no plans to interfere with the perfectly legal adoption, but she couldn’t be sure of that. She would have to wonder why he’d been hanging around.

      At this point, he wasn’t sure he could answer her. He was beginning to question it himself.

       CHAPTER FOUR

      SHANE FOUND THE shop more crowded than he’d seen it before. Customers chatted around the little tables and stood in line at the counter where Elle, Janet and Amber bustled to take orders and serve everyone. At first he figured he must have misjudged the peak of Saturday rush hour. After a second glance, he realized that many of the customers wore matching bright pink shirts promoting a charity marathon that had apparently taken place that morning. Must be time for post-run carbs-and-caffeine, he decided.

      He thought about turning around and heading back out to return later, but Elle spotted him then with a smile and a little wave of greeting. Giving in, he threaded through milling pink shirts toward the counter. Elle had a coffee mug and a plated chocolate-filled doughnut waiting for him by the time he got there.

      “You didn’t change your mind about wanting one of these, did you?” she asked, looking remarkably at ease despite the chaos. In fact, she seemed to thrive on it.

      “I’ve been looking forward to that doughnut since I woke up this morning.”

      She laughed and nudged the plate closer. “Then I’m happy to be of service. Enjoy.”

      Damn. Something about the sound of Elle’s laughter erased every cautious, coherent thought from his head. When he looked at her bright smile, he found himself hungrier for a taste of her lips than for chocolate and pastry. She glanced at his mouth, and he had no doubt that she, too, was thinking of the kiss they’d shared.

      Maybe he really did need a vacation. But he had to keep in mind that this wasn’t one. His reasons for being in Shorty’s Landing were serious and pressing.

      Looking up from her toys in the play corral, Charlotte spotted him. She tossed a toy truck aside and sprang to her feet, clutching the plastic railing for balance with one hand while reaching out to him with the other. “Shane! Shane!”

      He smiled at her from across the counter, his chest tightening. Her eyes were so much like Charlie’s. Very much like little Aubrey’s. Charlotte and Aubrey could have passed for siblings. “Hi there, Charlotte.”

      Bouncing on her feet, she opened and closed her outstretched hand in appeal. “Shane! Want Shane!”

      So she did get tired of being in that plastic fence-thing. He looked inquiringly at Elle. “I think she’d like to come out and sit with me for a while. Do you mind?”

      Her hesitation was only natural, he supposed. After all, they still hardly knew each other. Truth was, he wouldn’t want her handing off the child to just any friendly stranger who wandered in. But maybe watching him with Charlotte at the festival, in addition to their very public surroundings, gave her some reassurance. “Of course not, if it wouldn’t interfere with your snack.”

      “I’ll enjoy the company.”

      He claimed a two-seat table just being vacated, set down his coffee and doughnut and then returned for Charlotte. Elle passed her over. The child gripped a picture book in one hand, refusing to leave it behind. “Just bring her back when you’re ready for a break. She’s perfectly happy with her toys most of the time.”

      Elle turned then to take an order from another customer. Hoisting his niece onto his hip, Shane carried her to his table and sat with her on his knee. Still clutching her book, she watched him with big blue eyes as he took a bite of his doughnut.

      With a grin, he broke off a small piece and offered it to her. She accepted it with a sweet, “T’ank you, Shane,” then crammed it into her mouth, leaving a smear of chocolate on her soft cheek.

      “Good?” he asked.

      “Good,” she agreed with a fervent nod.

      They shared the doughnut as they leafed slowly through Charlotte’s picture book. She pointed out the drawings on each page, naming every item with a familiarity that proved she knew this book very well. He watched her closely as she scanned the pages. Her eyes seemed to be tracking fine as far as he could tell, though granted he was no expert.

      “Horsey,” Charlotte pronounced, poking a finger at the book.

      “Yes. That’s a horse. A big brown horse,” he said, reading the caption.

      He’d noticed Charlotte rarely used complete sentences, but he was confident it wouldn’t be long before she was chattering a mile a minute. Her dad had been quite the conversationalist, always the life of a party, rarely at a loss for amusing banter or a quick quip.

      God, he missed his brother.

      He swallowed painfully, then forced a smile when Charlotte pointed to a big-eyed cow and said, “Cow. Moo.”

      “Yes, Charlotte, a cow says moo.”

      She pointed again. “Big.”

      “Pig,” he corrected her with a smile. “That’s a pig.”

      “Big.”

      “Pig. Puh-pig.”

      “Puh-pig,” she repeated carefully. “Oink.”

      He chuckled, then made piggy sounds that elicited giggles from her.

      “Silly Shane,” she said with a shake of her head, making him laugh again.

      Charlie would have adored this cute little girl. And Shane had no doubt the feeling would have been mutual. Everyone had loved Charlie.

      Brittany had claimed to love Charlie, too—and Shane tended to believe her. Yet she’d given away his child without even offering to let Charlie’s close-knit family raise her, as she must have known they would have been happy to do. The sting of that rejection had hurt them all, especially after they’d gone to such great lengths to assure her of their willingness to help, to provide whatever she needed, to take her in as part of the family even after Charlie died.

      Shane didn’t blame Brittany for giving up her parental rights; if anything, he admired her for making the best choice for the child’s welfare. He had no issues with adoption, considered it as valid a route to parenthood as biological pregnancy. But for Brittany to give her child to a stranger without even considering her family had been unjustified, in his opinion. Her choice, which he still didn’t entirely understand, had hurt them badly at a time when they were still grieving Charlie’s loss. It had been especially painful for Charlie’s father and grandmother, who’d have given anything for more time with his child.

      “You two seem to be having fun,” Elle said from behind him.

      Shane looked up in response to her voice. “We are. Charlotte’s

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