Page 19 of Her Honorable Hero

“I’ve got this,” Josiah assured her. “What would you like?”

“But—”

Griff watched as his captain just raised an authoritative eyebrow. That, along with a warm smile, had Susan giving him a grateful look. “Milk for Hope, and I’d like an orange juice. Thank you.”

“Got it.”

“And I know what you want.” Josiah gave his wife a devilish smile, and Griff watched as Scarlett’s cheeks warmed.

Damn, that man had it going on.

Griff turned to Miranda. “How do you like your coffee?”

“Pitch black.”

“Are you sure you weren’t in the Navy?” he asked.

Miranda laughed.

Griff liked that she didn’t try to offer any money. It was as if she were aware that their relationship had changed since she had agreed to go out with him. Jeremy tugged on his hand again, and he started down the aisle with Josiah following him. As they got to the back of the railroad car, there was a spot where they could go down the stairs. “Do we go down there?” Jeremy asked.

“Nope, that’s where you go when you want to get on and off the train,” Josiah said. He pointed to the door at the end of the car. “Press that button. You have to press really hard, little man.” The boy used both hands, and eventually it opened to the small passageway between the two railcars.

“You did it Jeremy!” Josiah crouched down and held out his palm. “High five.”

“Now what?” Jeremy asked after slapping Josiah’s huge hand with his little one.

“Now Griff and I are going to go through the next door to the other car and go down the stairs to the café and get the drinks. We’ll be right back.”

“Can I go with you? Please?” the boy wheedled.

“Nope, you have to be a good boy and go back to Miranda like you promised you would.” Josiah stood up, and pointed back to where the women were standing. Jeremy reluctantly started walking back.

“Cute kid,” Griff said.

“He’s a handful. Reminds me of Nick at that age. Always pushing his limits. Of course not nearly as bad as Gianna. Now that girl ran roughshod over everyone but her mother.”

Griff thought of Nick’s baby sister. Yep, she was the spitting image of Scarlett. Nick swore he had started to sport gray hairs at twenty-four because of his baby sister.

“How is your daughter doing?” he asked Josiah as they walked through the passageway to the next car. It was quieter than the one they were staying in.

“Gianna got an internship at a design firm in D.C. They have her making coffee, and occasionally she gets to work with something called mood boards.” Josiah rolled his eyes. “The coffee I understand, but the mood boards escape me. She’s pretty damned excited, though. At least it’s interior design and not fashion.”

“I don’t know, I could see Gianna taking the fashion world by storm.”

Josiah shuddered. “Next thing you know she’d be making friends with models and Nick would be dropping out of the Navy. No thank you.”

Griff laughed. The captain had a point. They made their way downstairs and found four commuters in line ahead of them. Griff gathered the drinks for the kids, then poured two coffees into paper cups.

“Let me pay for Susan’s stuff,” Josiah said.

“No, I’ve got it.” Griff already had his wallet out.

Josiah nodded, then he picked up some Cheerios and bananas. Griff just grinned at his captain. The man was a serious soft touch.

Griff leaned against one of the high tables as Josiah doctored his wife’s coffee.

“So you met Miranda on the train?” Josiah asked.