CHAPTER THREE

It was nearly three a.m. by the time Moose made it back to Belle Fleur. He'd never been so excited to see a bunch of small cottages in his life. AJ stuck his head out of the office doors, waving at him.

"Saw you come through the gates," he smiled. "Welcome home, brother."

"Thanks, man. I'm damn happy to be home." Before he could say anything else, Moose was practically jogging toward his cottage.

Staring at it a moment, he wondered if there had been any changes made since he'd left. He'd have to get rid of anything of Ece's, but he was more than happy to do so. Pissed at first, then hurt, he was now pissed again. It was his M.O. Trust a woman, get hurt by a woman, be pissed at the woman, forgive the woman, move on. He was done. Done with being hurt, done with trusting women. Famous last words.

Using his key and handprint, he opened the door and smelled something different. At first, he thought it was the lingering scent of Ece's perfume. But he didn't remember this scent. It was cleaner, fresher, different somehow. Her fragrance had always been too much for him. It was a mix of something spicey, but it wasn't appealing to him. This was different. He enjoyed this scent.

He set his bags on the floor and opened the refrigerator, grabbing a bottle of water. It appeared to be full of food, but Mama Irene most likely prepared that for him, knowing he was coming home. When he turned, Beast was standing behind him, his cold nose touching his hand.

"Whoa. Hey, boy, what are you doing in here?" he asked, frowning at the dog.

Beast just nudged his hand, giving it a playful lick, and walked back to the spare room. Moose followed the dog thinking maybe someone was sleeping in his guest room, then looked up to realize there was a crib in the bedroom.

"What the hell?" he muttered.

Staring down at the sleeping face, he nearly wept. Layers of thick dark hair lay across a sheet of circus animals. The infant was wearing a pink onesie with a ballerina on the front. Her full red lips were pouting as she held onto a stuffed dog, two more at her feet.

"Holy shit, you're a cutie," he smiled. "But if you're here, where are your parents?"

Moose could have sworn that Beast rolled his eyes at him. Walking across the hallway to his own bedroom, he was shocked to see a small figure in the center of the bed.

Not wanting to startle her, he just looked at her. She was very small. He was huge, but this woman, or girl, was damn tiny. Her dark hair matched that of the little girl across the hall. It was long and shiny. Even in the darkness, he could see it clearly. Usually preferring that women in his bed were nude, she was wearing a set of pretty silk pajamas, and he thought it was the sexiest thing he'd ever seen.

Backing out of the room, he pulled the door closed halfway, then crawled into the bed in the spare room where the crib was located. Someone had placed these two in his cottage, thereby under his protection. Staring at the ceiling, he whispered to himself.

"I don't know who you are, little angel, but you're safe here."

Hae-Won, now Erica, rolled over in the bed, the sunlight blasting through. They'd helped her to change her name, and she was surprised at how easily it all happened. Even Jennifer's name was now Jennifer Smith. And she was Erica Smith. The sun was higher in the sky than usual. She looked at the clock and gasped.

"10:35!"

Leaping from the bed, she walked across the hallway to find her daughter's bed empty. Her stomach dropped, seeing the messed-up bed beside her crib. Then she heard laughter. Big, booming laughter and her daughter's soft giggles.

Slowly walking down the hallway, she stopped to see an enormous man holding her daughter at the kitchen table. He was feeding her pancakes and bacon, making motorboat sounds as she giggled with each bite.

"Don't look now," he whispered, "but I think Mama is up."

"Good morning," she said quietly. "I'm Erica."

"Yes, I know," he laughed. "I didn't know that last night, but this morning, Mama Irene came by and explained it all to me. I'm Moose. I mean, Major."

"I like Moose. I mean, the others said that's your name. It seems to fit. You're big and wide like a moose." He laughed, shaking his head. A woman who finally liked his call name better than his real name. "We'll pack our things. Mama Irene said she could give us another cottage."

"Actually, the crib is here, and my little princess seems to like it here. I have that extra room if you don't mind me staying in there."

"No," she said, shaking her head, walking toward him. "No, I'll stay in there. You should have your big bed back."

"You're my guest. The other bed is just fine. Besides, I don't think I've ever had sweeter dreams than I did last night watching this beauty sleep. She's absolute perfection."

Erica laughed a small, nervous laugh, shaking her head. There was something about this man that made her trust him immediately. He was kind but sincere in every way.

"You don't know who I am, do you?"

"I know exactly who you are." His face was serious, staring at her. Moose realized how very young she looked, although Mama Irene said she was twenty-four or twenty-five. "You are not your parents, Erica. You're your own woman."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," he smiled. "Do you know who I am?"

"Yes," she nodded. "You're a Navy SEAL, or you were. You were on the team with Patrick and Christopher. They found me and Jennifer and brought us here. Aren't you engaged? Or married? Where is she?"

"Ah, well, that didn't work out," he said, frowning. "She broke a trust that was unforgivable, and trust is everything to me. Everything. I give trust, but I expect it in return."

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I know what that feels like."

"I know. They told me about William and what he did. I'm sorry. I guess we've both had some experience with people who didn't see trust as important to a relationship as you and me. It's alright. We're roommates now, and we'll get to know one another.

"Now, my only requirement is that at least once a week, you play that big cello over there for me. Sort of like taming the savage beast."

"I can do that," she nodded, smiling at him.

"Listen," he said, standing with Jennifer in his arms. He towered above the little woman. At nearly six-feet-seven, he was a moose. Literally. And Erica was about as small as a woman could possibly be. For a brief flash, he tried to picture her pushing out another human being from her body. Shaking off those thoughts, he cleared his throat.

"You can stay here as long as you want. I won't hurt you or Jennifer. My breakup wasn't exactly mutual, so if I'm shi--, uh, crappy company, forgive me."

"This is your home. You're allowed to be crappy company. But are you sure? She can get very loud when she wants something," said Erica.

"Good for her. She's learning to use her voice early. I like that. I like a girl who stands up for herself." Erica frowned, then looked down at her feet. She hadn't stood up for herself at all. "Hey. Circumstances are different for everyone. You've done the right thing by being here. Besides, I learned a little while ago that your troubles are over."

He grabbed the television changer and turned the TV on. The news was blasting photos and video of what was happening in North Korea, announcing the death of their alleged president, General Park.

Moose watched Erica as the breath left her body in a huge gust of relief. She nodded, then looked up at him, smiling.

"Can you hold her while I shower?"

"All day, every day," he said, staring down at the huge almond eyes. "My arms are made for holding sleeping beauties." He watched as Erica went back down the hallway, closing the door to his bedroom. Her bedroom. Jennifer patted his cheek, feeling the rough whiskers of his beard.

"Well, kiddo, I guess we're about to embark on an adventure."