Being a pilot is all I’ve ever known.
I served my country, and I’m damn proud of my career.
But sacrifices were made, especially when it came to family.
I’ve missed first steps, first days of school, and first dates, to name a few.
My kids grew up. They’re having families of their own.
Was it worth it?
When an opportunity brings me to Seaside, I jump in feet first, no questions asked.
It means experiencing all those firsts with my grandkids.
With family as my focus and my guard down, I don’t even see Faye coming.
She may have been my first love, but I quickly learn she’s a force to be reckoned with and has me holding on for dear life.
I thought our ship had sailed, but now that I’m home for good, I just might get more than one second chance.
My eyes pop open, and without even looking at a clock, I know it’s zero five hundred. I just feel it. Hell, it’s been ingrained into every fiber of my being for the last thirty-plus years. Should I really be surprised?
“You’re supposed to be retired,” I groan in frustration. “What was the point of buying blackout curtains if I can’t even sleep until oh seven hundred?”
Maybe I should ask my daughters how they sleep-trained their toddlers?
Is it even possible to change your sleeping habits at forty-eight?
I could get up and go to the diner for breakfast. But the regulars are more my mother’s age than mine. Hell, last time I went in, one man told me how he’d been sweet on my mother for years.
Of course, everyone loved Jane Lancaster.
I love my mom and miss her like crazy; she was so vibrant and full of life. I’m honored when people tell me as much. I’m thankful she found Seaside to call her home, but I have no business knowing about any of her romantic interludes.
Rolling over, I finally glance at the clock that illuminates the room.
Yep, I’m right.
Zero five zero six flashes on the screen.
Knowing I’ll never get back to sleep, I toss the covers aside and get up.
I hate wasting the day away, but with the sound ordinance of the city, my project can’t start until zero seven hundred.
Welp… I may as well use this time to work out.
On autopilot, my body goes through the motions of getting ready. Before I make a conscious effort, my shoes are laced, and I’m stretched and ready to run. I’ve got a route I love following now that I’ve returned to Seaside. It takes me right past my daughters’ homes—though they’re rarely up at this hour unless their children decide to bless them with an early morning wakeup.
As my feet hit the pavement, and the cool misty sea fog fills my lungs, my mind drifts to the reason I’ve returned to this sleepy town. I could’ve retired literally anywhere in the world, but thanks to Mom and her love of Seaside, Oregon, my daughters have all somehow settled here.
At eighteen, I couldn’t wait to leave this place. I had dreams of joining the Air Force and traveling the world. I worked my ass off in high school and had most of my undergraduate degree before graduating high school, thanks to our local community college. I couldn’t wait to attend the Air Force Academy and complete my pilot training.
Then I met Sarah.
I fell hard and fast for that woman. When we got pregnant with Lanie, a mere six weeks after meeting, I married her, thinking I could have it all: a wife, a kid, and the possibility of a phenomenal career in the Air Force.
As I moved my way up in rank, my family grew. I swear, Sarah and I got pregnant by merely looking at each other. Of course, we never knew twins ran in my family until Sloane and Raven were born.
