Read Online Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Rescuing Pandora (Kindle Worlds Novella) by Kori David - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kori David
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you let someone know where you were going? I don’t want your mama or grandparents worried about you being lost.”
“Grandpa knows.”
“You look like you’ve got something on your mind, kiddo. And I think you have some questions for me.”
Pandora snuck another look. Cam was now sitting on a straw bale with his back to her and she couldn’t see Sammy, so she guessed he was inside the stall with the kittens. It was muffled, but she could hear the meowing going on.
“You’re my daddy, aren’t you? My real daddy.”
“Did you figure it out all on your own?” He sounded impressed.
“You are though, right?”
“I am, and I think you figured it out a long time ago. So, what do you want to know?”
There was a long pause, and Pandora waited. She was so glad that he finally asked, and she was oddly relieved that he was asking Cam. The right time hadn’t come up, or maybe she had delayed because answering that question would make her have to come to a decision sooner than she’d been ready.
“Why didn’t anyone just tell me?”
“Well, let me tell you something kinda secret.” Another long pause, so she peeked again. Cam leaned forward as if to whisper, but she heard him clearly enough. “Grownups don’t always know what to do. I’ll bet your mama didn’t want you to know yet because you miss your Baba. And you needed time to just miss him. He was a good man and your mama tells me that he loved you more than anything.”
She couldn’t hear the reply, and her throat worked with the effort to keep the emotion at bay. After everything he’d been through, and the things he’d told her he’d done in the five years they were apart, Cam had managed to keep that soft side she’d fallen for.
“Can I call you my daddy?”
“You can call me whatever you like, son. When you’re ready to call me Dad, then I will love to hear it. And if you’re not ready yet, you can still call me Cam, okay?”
“Okay. I better get back before Mom has a cow.”
Pandora bit her palm to keep the tears and the laughter from spilling out and ruining the moment her boys were having. She left the open door and slid around the side of the barn so Sammy didn’t see her. A moment later, her son ran back the way he’d come and climbed the fence again, where her father waited for him. It was too far away to see much of the interaction, but those two were very close, and Pandora guessed that her father knew exactly what Sammy had been up to.
“He’s a smart kid,” Cam said.
Startled, her head jerked toward his voice. Leaning against the corner of the barn, Cam smiled at her and gave her a slow wink. Then his eyes swept up from her sneakers to her short jean shorts and white tank top, to the messy bun she had her hair in. And that look left no doubt in her mind that he wanted her.
“How did you know I was here?”
“I’ll always know when you’re near, honey. I have a built in Pandora radar.”
“So I guess he knows,” she said. It was a lame statement, but she felt raw and open in a way that she hadn’t in a while. Suddenly, she could smell the alfalfa hay and the fresh scent of newly cut wood. And him. She could smell Cam, sweaty, dusty, and all man.
“He’s been on the verge of asking for a while. I could see it in his face. I’m glad it’s out and that he knows for sure now.”
She nodded. “I’m proud of him.”
“He’s a great kid, Pan. You did an amazing job.”
Her heart swelled at the compliment. This is what happiness felt like. Joy was creeping into the cracks where grief and fear were receding. And she wanted to let it. And she wanted Cam. Maybe she’d been waiting for this final moment, this final healing. Sammy had been smiling when he ran from the barn. He was happy and that made her happy—and freed her.
Freed her to take what she wanted to.
“Yes.”
He cocked his head to the side and one eyebrow shot up. “Did the subject just change?”
Pandora nodded and smiled. “I’m
“Grandpa knows.”
“You look like you’ve got something on your mind, kiddo. And I think you have some questions for me.”
Pandora snuck another look. Cam was now sitting on a straw bale with his back to her and she couldn’t see Sammy, so she guessed he was inside the stall with the kittens. It was muffled, but she could hear the meowing going on.
“You’re my daddy, aren’t you? My real daddy.”
“Did you figure it out all on your own?” He sounded impressed.
“You are though, right?”
“I am, and I think you figured it out a long time ago. So, what do you want to know?”
There was a long pause, and Pandora waited. She was so glad that he finally asked, and she was oddly relieved that he was asking Cam. The right time hadn’t come up, or maybe she had delayed because answering that question would make her have to come to a decision sooner than she’d been ready.
“Why didn’t anyone just tell me?”
“Well, let me tell you something kinda secret.” Another long pause, so she peeked again. Cam leaned forward as if to whisper, but she heard him clearly enough. “Grownups don’t always know what to do. I’ll bet your mama didn’t want you to know yet because you miss your Baba. And you needed time to just miss him. He was a good man and your mama tells me that he loved you more than anything.”
She couldn’t hear the reply, and her throat worked with the effort to keep the emotion at bay. After everything he’d been through, and the things he’d told her he’d done in the five years they were apart, Cam had managed to keep that soft side she’d fallen for.
“Can I call you my daddy?”
“You can call me whatever you like, son. When you’re ready to call me Dad, then I will love to hear it. And if you’re not ready yet, you can still call me Cam, okay?”
“Okay. I better get back before Mom has a cow.”
Pandora bit her palm to keep the tears and the laughter from spilling out and ruining the moment her boys were having. She left the open door and slid around the side of the barn so Sammy didn’t see her. A moment later, her son ran back the way he’d come and climbed the fence again, where her father waited for him. It was too far away to see much of the interaction, but those two were very close, and Pandora guessed that her father knew exactly what Sammy had been up to.
“He’s a smart kid,” Cam said.
Startled, her head jerked toward his voice. Leaning against the corner of the barn, Cam smiled at her and gave her a slow wink. Then his eyes swept up from her sneakers to her short jean shorts and white tank top, to the messy bun she had her hair in. And that look left no doubt in her mind that he wanted her.
“How did you know I was here?”
“I’ll always know when you’re near, honey. I have a built in Pandora radar.”
“So I guess he knows,” she said. It was a lame statement, but she felt raw and open in a way that she hadn’t in a while. Suddenly, she could smell the alfalfa hay and the fresh scent of newly cut wood. And him. She could smell Cam, sweaty, dusty, and all man.
“He’s been on the verge of asking for a while. I could see it in his face. I’m glad it’s out and that he knows for sure now.”
She nodded. “I’m proud of him.”
“He’s a great kid, Pan. You did an amazing job.”
Her heart swelled at the compliment. This is what happiness felt like. Joy was creeping into the cracks where grief and fear were receding. And she wanted to let it. And she wanted Cam. Maybe she’d been waiting for this final moment, this final healing. Sammy had been smiling when he ran from the barn. He was happy and that made her happy—and freed her.
Freed her to take what she wanted to.
“Yes.”
He cocked his head to the side and one eyebrow shot up. “Did the subject just change?”
Pandora nodded and smiled. “I’m
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