The Broken Soldier She Fell For (Book 2 of Something Series)

Chapter 14

"Emmie!" someone exclaimed as soon as we walked into the mess hall and ran toward me with their arms open wide.

I bit back a small smile and knelt down a little so that I could give the kid, a boy about five-years-old, a hug, and he ran into my arms, giving me a big hug. "Hi, Stupid," I teased while I hugged him close before I picked him up and set him on hip. "How are you?"

"Good," the young boy, Johnny, said and wrapped his legs around my waist. He cocked his head and studied me with a raised eyebrow. "Are you sad?"

I raised an eyebrow in question, amused. "Sad about what?" I asked and pushed his glasses up his nose because they were falling down.

Johnny wrinkled his nose and pursed his lips while he moved his head away from me. "That I'm back," he said before he looked at me again, "and that I am back to bug you."

I bit back a scoff and rolled my eyes, scowling playfully. "Haha," I teased. "Very funny, Johnny. Why would I be sad that you are here?" I asked and cocked my head, studying him.

Johnny shrugged and looked at me nonchalant. "I don't know," he said honestly, and I rolled my eyes again before I smiled. "Daddy is here, too."

"I am not surprised that he is back. He does work here and not only in the summers like you." I poked his nose, and he wrinkled his nose and pursed his lips in annoyance while he turned his face away from me.

"Rude," he said and looked at me again. He furrowed his brows and cocked his head, studying me. "Why did you poke my nose, Emmie?"

"Because your nose is fun to poke, Johnny," I teased before I poke it again, and he wrinkled his nose and groaned.

"Stop," he complained and moved his face away from me so that I couldn't poke his nose again. "Don't do that again, Emmie. Please. It's annoying."

I laughed and nodded before I set him down onto the ground, and begrudgingly, Johnny unwrapped his legs from around my waist and stood. "Ok," I said, biting back another laugh and nodded. "I will not poke your nose again."

"Good," Johnny said and grinned. He glanced at Kanen before he looked at me, not saying a word about him yet.

"Now, are you happy to be here?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "You are able to help set up the party this time and not just be there as a guest."

Johnny rolled his eyes and scowled, and I bit back an amused grin. "But I don't want to help set up the party," he said and folded his arms across his chest, scowling. "Daddy is being mean and saying that I have to."

"Oh, did he now?" I asked, and I raised an eyebrow in question with a small amused smile on my face. "And where is your father?" I looked around the mess hall but didn't see him before I turned my gaze to Johnny again. "I don't see him."

"Dad is somewhere," Johnny said and shrugged with a small grimace on his face. He cleared his throat and shifted on his feet before he cocked his head and studied me. "Why? Do you not want to hang out with me any longer?" he asked, pouting.

I laughed and shook my head. "Oh, no, I love hanging out with you, Bud," I said, the laughter in my voice. "However, I want to make sure that you don't have to do anything "important" and get to help me and my buddy out doing stuff."

Johnny's ears seemed to perk when I said "buddy" because the last time that I had a new buddy was a couple of months ago. "Buddy?" he asked and raised an eyebrow, and I nodded in confirmation. "Like a new buddy, or..?"

"Like a new buddy," I said before I gestured to Kanen, and Johnny looked at him before he looked at me. "Say hi to..." I trailed off and looked at Kanen, my cheeks turned slightly red. "Do you want to be called Sergeant Ross, Mr. Ross, Mr. Kanen, or just Kanen to the little ones like Johnny?" I asked and gestured to Johnny, and Kanen looked at him before he looked at me with a blank look on his face.