Page 109 of Jay Bird

Lily sat up and patted his cheek as if concerned he wasn’t understanding the urgency of the situation. “Pancakes.”

“Apparently, I’m just the hired cook around here.”

Willow grinned. “I think she’s made your position pretty clear.”

He looked across Lily at her. “Keep laughing. You’re making breakfast tomorrow.”

Lily bounced between them. “Pancakes!”

Jay Bird threw back the covers. “All right, tiny dictator. Let’s go.”

He scooped Lily up as he climbed from the bed, and her squeal filled the room when he tossed her over his shoulder.

Watching them disappear through the bedroom doorway, Willow lay there for another few seconds with a smile on her face.

Was this what normal looked like? A toddler taking over the bed in the middle of the night. Sleepy laughter in the morning. Pancakes waiting downstairs.

Such simple things. Things most people probably never gave a second thought.

But to Willow, there was nothing simple about them. Because after years of merely surviving, normal felt more extraordinary than anything she could have imagined.

Breakfast consisted of pancakes, scrambled eggs, fruit, coffee, and juice.

Lily sat in her booster seat wearing princess pajamas, as she enthusiastically dipped pieces of pancake into syrup while Jay Bird stood at the island finishing his coffee.

Willow took another bite and shook her head. “You know, you’re ruining me.”

Jay Bird glanced over. “How?”

“Cooking breakfast. Buying me flowers. I’m going to start having expectations.”

“That’s dangerous.” He grinned before taking another drink.

Willow loved seeing him like this. The intimidating SEAL everyone described as quiet and brooding still existed, but she was beginning to understand there were layers beneath that exterior that very few people were allowed to see.

Jay Bird set his mug down. “How do you feel about meeting more people today?”

Willow stopped with her fork halfway to her mouth. “How many more people are there?”

His mouth twitched. “A few.”

“A few isn’t a number.”

“Ace and Alex are having an end-of-summer pool party. Alpha and Bravo will both be there, along with wives, girlfriends, and kids.”

Willow immediately recognized Ace’s name. “Mia’s brother, right?”

“Yep. You already know Mia and Stitch, and Riley and Nails will be there. Plus, you’ve met everyone from my team. This will give you a chance to meet the rest of the crew from Alpha team.

Willow’s stomach tightened slightly at the thought of walking into another large gathering of people she didn’t know.

Jay Bird must have seen something change in her expression because his teasing disappeared.

“We don’t have to go.”

She looked at him.

“I mean it. I thought you might enjoy it, and Lily would have plenty of kids to play with, but if you don’t want to be around that many people, we stay here.”