Caitlyn and the Alien Protector (Intergalactic Brides 7) by Jessica Coulter Smith Page A

asked.
    “This very moment wouldn’t be too soon. I love my brother, but his couch is a torture device. And his coffeemaker? It might as well be from your world because I’ll never figure the damn thing out.”
    “Damn. Damn. Damn.” Katy giggled and clapped her hands.
    Caitlyn’s hand flew to her lips. “Oops. I’m sorry about that.”
    “Trust me. That isn’t the first bad word she’s heard, or repeated for that matter. It’s taken me some time to clean up my language a bit.”
    Caitlyn bit her lip. “If you’re serious, could we get my things tonight? I know you have to start another shift day after tomorrow and you’ll need someone to watch Katy.”
    “Food first?” Cosmir asked, knowing Katy would pitch a fit if they didn’t eat soon. She’d turned her nose up at the hamburgers that Jake had cooked, and Bane had told him that Katy could choke on a hot dog. He’d convinced her to eat a few chips, but that hadn’t been an adequate lunch.
    “It’s early enough we could beat the dinner crowd,” Caitlyn said.
    Cosmir headed toward Under the Sea, hoping Caitlyn was right. Katy didn’t do well with large crowds. Or rather, large crowds didn’t do well with Katy. It seemed people expected a three-year-old to act the same as a twelve-year-old when it came to eating out. It didn’t take long to find a place to park. Cosmir lifted Katy out of her car seat and walked inside with Caitlyn by his side.
    They were seated at a booth by a window with Katy’s highchair in the aisle along the outer edge of the table. He watched as Caitlyn kept her occupied, showing her how to color on the placemat. By the time they ordered their food, Katy was keeping herself entertained, which left Cosmir more time to focus on Caitlyn.
    “What made you want to be a fireman?” Caitlyn asked. “Is that something you did on your world?”
    “The warriors on my world handle a lot of tasks. Putting out fires is one of them. We don’t have a lot of fires though, so mostly my job was defending my world. When I came here, I wasn’t able to enlist in your military because of the regulations, and mine doesn’t have a presence on your world except to defend our people when they come to visit. I wanted to do something with my life that meant something, and to be honest, the thrill of putting out fires appealed to me.”
    “And you still want to do that, even though you have a daughter to think about?”
    “Even with Katy I will want to do a job that means something. Would she be safer at the Terran Station? Probably. But I’d like to think that one day she’ll understand why Daddy can’t be with her all the time. And hopefully she’ll be proud that what I do makes a difference in people’s lives.”
    Caitlyn nodded. “Do you think you’ll ever remarry?”
    “Remarry?”
    Her brow furrowed. “I just assumed you’d been married to Katy’s mom. I thought maybe it was a divorce gone wrong and she’d kept Katy from you.”
    Cosmir felt his cheeks flush a deeper shade of purple. “Katy is the product of a one-night stand. Not one of my finer moments, but I don’t regret that she’s here. From what I could gather, her mother never wanted her. She said she’d have given Katy up for adoption had she not been born with my skin color.”
    “That’s horrible! I don’t understand how anyone could not want their child. Katy is so sweet. That woman should have been thankful to have a daughter like her.”
    “I agree.”
    “Does she miss her mom?” Caitlyn asked.
    “She never mentions her, which is odd if you ask me. Makes me wonder just how much time she spent with Katy. I know nothing of her upbringing. Katy came into my life a few weeks ago and she bonded to me immediately. How she knew I was her dad I’ll never guess, but the moment she spotted me at the fire station, she wrapped her arms around me and called me Daddy.”
    “She’s lucky to have you.” Caitlyn took a sip of her drink. “Do you think you’ll ever