Chapter Three
Ranger POV (during Chapter 21)
Very few people know that I have a daughter: I keep her existence secret from everyone, save for a handful of trusted friends on my core team at Rangeman and my family. She doesn't live with me, and I don't get to see her often, but she's still of my blood, and I love her.
When I was twenty, I had a one-night stand with a woman named Rachel I met at a club between missions with the Army Rangers. I only knew her for two hours before we conceived our daughter, Julie. When she tracked me down to tell me she was pregnant, I did the right thing by her and married her to give our daughter my name and the money and benefits from the Army if anything happened to me.
I saw Rachel three more times before Julie was born, but I missed the birth when I was out of the country. When I returned, Julie was six months old, and Rachel asked me for a divorce. She had met someone and wanted to be free to see where that relationship could go. Since I didn't see a future for myself, figuring I might die on a mission, I let her go and wished her well. When she married Ron, she asked if Ron could adopt Julie and though it broke my heart, I allowed it.
Despite no longer being beholden to Julie, I continued sending child support money to Rachel, and seven years later, I still send that check monthly. I see Julie a couple of times a year, but it's a painful experience every time since she doesn't know me, despite looking just like me. She calls me Ranger, not Dad.
Zoe is a cute little girl, and she's obviously intelligent. She's watchful, and I can tell she listens to everything said around her. Tank told me she prefers healthy food, much to the consternation of her mother. She reminds me a little of Julie, which may be why I offered to watch her while they met with my dad regarding Stephanie's divorce.
Ah, Stephanie. Whenever I see her, I want to kiss and hold her. I feel bad that she's been so betrayed by her husband, and if I were able, I'd take away all that pain and protect her from anything like that happening again.
I'm pulled from my thoughts by Zoe asking me a question. "Mr. Ranger, what's divorce?"
Fuck.
"Divorce is when a married couple decides they don't want to be married anymore."
"Mama and Daddy are having divorce."
"How do you know that?" I asked.
"I heard Mama talking to Auntie Gigi. And she said we're moving here, and Daddy's not coming. Does Daddy still love me?"
"I'm sure your Daddy still loves you. Your mama does, too, more than anything in the world."
She sighed and said in a small voice, "I'm sad."
I felt terrible for her but had to fight a smile because her simple declaration was so cute. I wish I had been around when Julie was this young.
We spent the next hour together drawing and colouring pictures, and thankfully our discussion became less dramatic. She talked a lot about fish, and the aquarium Steph takes her to in New York. I didn't know she was planning to move to Trenton, and a small part of me was happy to hear it. I've carefully arranged my life around my company and serving my country. I've never made time for women other than a couple of hours for mutual satisfaction, and I've never been tempted to let a woman in any more than that.
Until now.
