Caitlyn and the Alien Protector (Intergalactic Brides 7) (12 page)

Katy beamed at her.

“Let’s go back to the car and head home. We’ll pick up some food on the way and see if Daddy can have lunch with us. Sound good?”

Katy nodded.

With her hand wrapped around Katy’s, she led the little girl back to the parking lot and found her car. Once Katy was buckled into the car seat, Caitlyn started the car and headed back toward their sleepy little town. Katy sang to her doll for the first part of the journey, and after about forty minutes, she fell asleep. Caitlyn smiled at her in the rearview mirror and turned the radio down to give the little girl time to nap.

Caitlyn wasn’t sure what everyone would want to eat, but she didn’t know a man or child alive who didn’t like pizza. She just wasn’t sure what they would want to eat on it. Only one way to find out. She pulled out her cell phone and called the fire station, asking to speak with Cosmir.

“Caitlyn? Is everything all right?” he asked as he came on the line.

“Everything’s fine. I was going to grab a pizza and swing by with Katy for lunch. We’re almost to town. But I don’t know what y’all like on your pizza.”

Cosmir chuckled. “Your brother and you must think alike. He just ordered a half dozen large pizzas to be delivered in about thirty minutes. Why don’t Katy and you swing by and help us eat some of it? There should be plenty.”

“Sounds good to me. We should be there around the same time as the pizzas.”

“Drive careful. I’ll see you soon.”

Caitlyn hung up and focused on driving. When she reached the fire station, she saw the pizza delivery guy pulling out. She turned into a parking space next to Cosmir’s SUV and turned off the car. Katy still dozed in the backseat, but she managed to unbuckle the little girl and pick her up, doll and all. As she neared the front entrance, Cosmir pushed the door open and smiled at them.

“The car ride put her to sleep?” he asked.

“I guess so. She was humming along to the radio and suddenly it got very quiet.”

He reached out with a finger and caressed the doll’s curls. “That’s new.”

“We stopped at the mall near the Terran station and I let her pick something out. There’s this great store there where you can build your own stuffed animal, but I thought you would want to be with her when she did that for the first time.”

“Sounds like a fun outing for one of the days I’m off. We can drive over to the Terran station and I’ll introduce you to a few people, then we can have lunch and hit the mall before coming back home. We can make a day of it.”

Caitlyn followed Cosmir through the station to the back room, which was a combination living area and kitchen with a really long counter dividing the two. The pizzas were lined up down the counter with a stack of paper plates on one end. Katy must have smelled the food because she started to stir then slowly opened her eyes. She saw her daddy and nearly dropped her doll in reaching for him.

Cosmir swung her into his arms and gave her a kiss before pointing at the pizza. “Hungry?”

Katy nodded. “Cheese.”

Cosmir fixed a plate for Katy with a slice of cheese while Caitlyn fixed her own plate. She waited for Cosmir to get his but realized he couldn’t hold Katy and two plates, so she gave him a hand. They took their plates out the side door and settled at a picnic table in the shade.

“Wait here and I’ll get us some drinks. Does Katy have a cup with her?” he asked.

“I forgot her bag in the car. It’s unlocked.”

He nodded and disappeared inside. When he returned several minutes later, he had a cold sippy cup of juice for Katy and two sodas for them. Katy sat in her daddy’s lap while she ate and Caitlyn admired how nice they looked together. He was obviously made to be a father, so at ease with Katy. It didn’t take them long to finish their meal and Katy began squirming to get down. Cosmir set her on the ground and let her run around for a bit, chasing butterflies and picking weeds.

“I received the report from Jerick. He said Katy is perfectly healthy.” Cosmir sipped from his can of soda. “He also said you mentioned shots.”

“Human children get them from the time they’re babies until they’re much older. I just assumed that Katy would need some. But if she’s immune to Earth diseases, then she should be fine.”

“He called and checked with Xonos, a doctor in Kentucky, and it was decided that Katy will not need shots. But if she gets so much as a sniffle at any time, I’m supposed to call him immediately to determine the best course of action. Since he’s so far away, she would either have to be airlifted for an emergency or seen by a local doctor for something more common like a cold.”

“But a local doctor isn’t going to know how to treat a Terran child, right?”

“Right. Plus, Jerick has medicine at his disposal that Earth hasn’t even invented yet. So if we can get her to Jerick if at all possible, that would be the best thing to do. Truthfully, now that I have Katy, I may have to look at moving closer to the station. If something were to happen, it would take too long for her to get medical care right now.”

“You’d move away from here? I thought you liked working at the fire station.”

“I do. The guys are great, and I have a house here, but I have to think of Katy now.”

“I’d miss you if you left,” she admitted. “Both you and Katy.”

Cosmir reached out and caressed her hand. “You could always come with us. You said most of your work is done online. Since you don’t have an office to go to every morning, there’s no reason you couldn’t work from home in another town. You could even help us pick the house out.”

“Cosmir… we’ve gone from friends with benefits to me picking out your home?”

He sighed and looked away. “I know. I’m moving too fast for you. I have a little bit of time to figure things out, but I’m going to tell the chief today that I’ll be putting in my notice. I believe two weeks is customary, but I’ll need time to find a home closer to the Terran station. I don’t want to live out of a hotel room like I did when I first came to Earth.”

“So soon?” she asked softly.

“Please consider coming with us. We don’t have to change our relationship status, but I’d like to have you around a while longer. And if you ever decide that you’re sick of us and want to move on, I won’t stand in your way.”

“I’ll think about it.”

An awkward silence fell over them. Caitlyn was torn, not knowing whether moving to another town with him was the best thing. What if he just got more attached to her? She didn’t want to break his heart, and it was clear that he was thinking more long-term than she was.

The siren went off and Caitlyn gathered Katy while Cosmir rushed off to prepare for another fire. She saw herself around to her car and buckled Katy in as the fire truck squealed out of the parking lot, sirens blaring. She said a quick prayer for their safe return and drove home.

What the hell am I going to do? I’m not ready to say goodbye, but am I ready to take a chance on becoming more than a friend with benefits? Katy deserves another mother. Would I just be in the way of her getting one
?

There were too many things to think about, and if Cosmir was serious about moving within the month, then there wasn’t a lot of time left to mull things over.

It had been a hellacious two days, with one fire after another. And not just an “oh my God, my stove is on fire” type, but the kind that devastated the families involved. Another apartment building had burned down, three homes were a total loss, and a business had lost most of its inventory. The other fires had been minor, but were no less tragic. By the time he walked through his front door at home, he’d come to a decision.

Caitlyn was on the couch with her laptop and Katy was nowhere to be seen. He quietly closed the front door, not wanting to wake his daughter if she was still sleeping. Setting his bag down, he moved further into the room, waiting on Caitlyn to realize he was home. As he watched her, he realized she had earbuds in. He waved a hand in front of her face and she jumped.

“You scared me,” she said as she pulled out the earbuds.

“How are you supposed to hear Katy if you have those in?”

“I was watching a video on a new technique for painting in my graphics program and didn’t want to disturb Katy. She’s in her room playing. The video was only fifteen minutes long so I didn’t think it would be a big deal.”

Cosmir went down the hall toward his daughter’s room, pausing in the doorway. She sat in the middle of her room with her new doll on one side and her stuffed bunny on the other. A book lay in her lap and she was telling her “babies” a story. He smiled and leaned his shoulder against the doorframe.

Caitlyn came up beside him and placed a hand on his arm. “I promise that I take good care of Katy.”

“I know you do. I’ve seen the way you are with her.”

“Have you thought some more about moving?” she asked.

“Your brother showed me how to look at houses online. I found one I want to check out while I’m off work. I called and set up an appointment for this afternoon.”

The light dimmed in Caitlyn’s eyes, and she nodded then moved away. She acted like she wanted them to stay, to be with her, and yet she didn’t want to commit and move with them. She confused him and he wasn’t certain he would ever figure her out. Jake had mentioned that moving away might be just the thing to make her realize that she was ready for more. Cosmir wasn’t so sure. More than likely, once he moved, he wouldn’t see Caitlyn again unless they bumped into each other through Jake.

“Your brother offered to go with me to check things out and meet with the chief at the station where I would be working. There’s an opening at the one near the house I like, and my chief already called and spoke to the chief at the new place. I’m pretty much hired as soon as I turn in my application. He said I could do an interview over the phone.”

Caitlyn gave him a faint smile as they walked into the living room. “It sounds like you have everything set up. Maybe we should pick up some boxes so you can start packing.”

“I’ll hire someone to do all that. Some of the guys at work offered to meet the movers for me if I need to leave before they come to pack and move everything. I really just need a few changes of clothes for Katy and me to get us started. Maybe some of her toys, and of course the essentials like her bed and stuff. Maybe I should just bring her entire room first off.”

Caitlyn seemed to pull inward, as if every one of his words were a nail in her coffin, and yet she only had herself to blame. There was nothing holding her to this town except her brother, and according to something Jake had said during one of their daily calls, he just might make the move too. What would she do when both of them were gone?

She sank onto the couch and pushed her laptop away. Cosmir knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his. His thumb caressed her as he tried to get her attention. Her gaze lifted and he saw unshed tears in her eyes. It pulled at him and made him want to stay, for her, but he had to do what was right for his daughter. Katy had to come first, no matter how much he wanted Caitlyn in his home and in his life.

“I’m not moving away out of spite. Katy has to come first with me, always. I was quite serious earlier when I said you should come with us. Katy adores you and so do I. Even if you don’t want a long-term relationship, we can still make things work.”

“Cosmir, it was one thing to stay here temporarily while I wait on my insurance check, but you’re asking me to move in. Friends with benefits don’t live together.”

He sighed. “Caitlyn, I’ve made it no secret that I would love more from you than that. I won’t push you, but know that the offer stands. If you change your mind after we’re gone, you can always pack up and head toward the city. I’ll make sure you have the new address and you’re welcome there anytime.”

“How fast is this move going to happen?” she asked softly.

“Two weeks. Jake downloaded the job application for me so I can fill it out and turn it in this afternoon while I’m in the area. I spoke with the realtor and the house is vacant and ready to move in. I also called the Terran station. While I don’t want to stay at a hotel, they’ve offered me a furnished suite nearby. They also have daycare there if I need a place for Katy to stay during the day. I’ll just have to figure out something for the nights I’m not home.”

A ghost of a smile crossed her face. “You really do need a live-in nanny.”

“What Katy needs is a mom.”

She winced and pulled away from him.

“I need to start getting things ready for this afternoon. I’ll listen for Katy if you want to get some work done. And if you want to come with us to check out the house, you’re more than welcome to. Jake was going to meet me there to give me his opinion.”

Caitlyn stood abruptly and grabbed her computer. “I have work to do. If you want me to watch Katy while you’re gone, I’ll be happy to.”

Cosmir shook his head. “I think Katy should see the new place. But thank you for offering.”

Caitlyn fled to her room, the door closing with a click that seemed to echo in his home and in his heart. He wanted to give Caitlyn what she needed, even if that was space, but it didn’t hurt any less when she turned away from him. He was good enough to sleep with but not good enough to mate? He’d hoped she would change her mind, even if they hadn’t been together long, but he was starting to think that would never happen. If they were going to part ways, he knew it was better to do it sooner rather than later. The more attached Katy became to Caitlyn, the worse it would be when she did walk away.

Cosmir filled out his application and got Katy’s things together. When it was time to go, he softly knocked on Caitlyn’s door and told her they were leaving. She didn’t respond and he wasn’t sure he’d expected her to. Cosmir picked up Katy and within a few minutes, they were on their way to the city.

Jake met them at the house Cosmir wanted to buy and the realtor was waiting when he got there. He set Katy down inside and let her roam around while he checked the place out. It was larger than the home he had now and there was a small pool in the backyard. He wasn’t too certain about the pool since Katy couldn’t swim, but there was no reason she couldn’t learn.