Part 33 (1/2)
d.a.m.ned if she didn't feel eighteen again.
Phone pressed to her ear, she smiled back at him, flicked her hair over her shoulder, played along. ”I might be free, if the right flyboy asked.”
”Well, babe, I'm asking.” He angled away from the door frame, ambled closer, his big, muscled body drawing nearer, filling her eyes and her heart. ”And I intend to keep right on asking until I can convince you to go out with me.”
He stopped inches away.
She clicked off her phone but kept it cradled against her neck, soaking up the silly romantic gesture a little while longer. ”You are so crazy sometimes.”
”Not often.” He set his phone on the end table. ”And only for you, babe. Only for you.”
He reached for her phone, as well, and placed it beside his before lifting her hand, kissing her palm.
Definitely eighteen again, but with a forty-year-old's wisdom on how to do things better this go-round. ”I
want you to come home. For good.”
”That's where I want to be.” He folded her hand against his chest, against his heart thumping along at a
pace as fast as hers. ”Not just because you're pregnant, but because I can't stand the thought of living the rest of my life without you beside me.”
She gathered the beautiful words up into her heart with surety and happiness, because, by G.o.d, J.T.
never lied.
He stared down at their linked fingers and rather than pus.h.i.+ng him to talk, she knew now to wait. He would come around to filling the silence if she simply gave him the chance.
”I spoke with the flight surgeon when she checked out the lump on my head.”
Her racing heart stopped. ”You're okay?”
”Totally fine.” The twinkle in his eyes jump-started her heart again. ”Although you'll have to keep me
awake all night.”
She sagged closer, her hips rocking against his. ”I think that can be arranged.”
”Thank G.o.d.” His forehead fell to rest against hers. His chest expanded with two hefty sighs before he
continued, ”About my discussion with the flight surgeon. I asked her to recommend a marriage
counselor.”
Rena's throat went as tight as her chest. She'd been prepared to wait, work, hope, pray that things would work the way that she wanted. But to have him make the huge step on his own... Oh G.o.d, she loved this man.
Steady gray eyes stared down at her with no doubts to cloud their beautiful-sky appeal. ”Up the stakes
as high as you want. I'm not walking again.”
Sometimes hormones were a wonderful thing. Letting all those happy tears well up and flow free, Rena flung her arms around his neck. ”Oh G.o.d, J.T., I love you.”
J.T. felt her words rocket right into him, straight for his heart-where she belonged. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest-also where she belonged. ”I know, babe. And I don't ever intend to take that for granted again.”
He dropped a kiss on her head while her sighs caressed through his flight suit, still so d.a.m.n stunned and glad to see over her shoulder where she'd made room for his clothes in their closet again.
”h.e.l.l, I can't believe I'm the lucky b.a.s.t.a.r.d who stole your heart when you could have had anybody.” His fingers tangled in her hair. ”There are so many things I wanted to give you over the years. Still things I wish I could give you. But you can be certain I love you. Always have, and it only gets stronger with time.”
”Things?” Her stunned response drifted up.
”Yeah, a bigger house, trips, a grocery budget that didn't include coupon clipping.”
”I never asked for any of that.”
”But you deserve it all.”
She angled back, hints of her fiery temper sparking in her chocolate eyes. ”Do you really think that little of me?”
”What?”
She thunked his chest. ”Do you believe I'm so shallow that I would only be happy if we had more money? I think I'm insulted here, J.T.”
Rena clasped his flight-suit collar in two determined hands, strong hands that nurtured, loved and, yes, even demanded. ”Do you have any idea how proud I am of you, h.e.l.l, of myself, too, for that matter, and everything we've built over the years?”
The words rolled out of her, ringing with a conviction he couldn't fight even if he tried. And he definitely didn't want to fight with her anymore.
Her soft hands caressed up to his face. ”We started with nothing, and in twenty-two years you've risen to a rank most in your profession never see. You've given me three precious babies, and we've brought up two of those children. They may not be perfect, but then neither are their parents and I'm still proud of who Nikki and Chris are becoming. Even our house, we did this from the front porch you replaced to that ivy I stenciled.”
Those words rolling from her settled into him with a rightness that brought peace. Yeah, he still wanted to give her more, but now knew he could keep her happy while they waited.
He turned his face to kiss her hand again. ”I'm partial to that ivy.”
”Me, too.” Her arms looped around his neck. ”You've given me something I never had as a child. The chance to hold up my head. To be proud of who I am.”