“Merry Christmas.”
I smiled, reaching out to brush the hair from off her forehead. “Merry Christmas to you.”
Then, as if I’d flipped a switch I wasn’t aware of, she was sad, and she turned her eyes away. My smile vanished, and in its place, a frown appeared.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“It’s the first Christmas morning without my kids since they were born.”
“Oh,” I replied quietly. “How old are they?”
“Three,” she answered, her voice trembling with sadness. “They’re twins.”
It was odd to me for no particular reason that I would have twin sisters and Laura would have twin daughters. It felt like a funny little thing that was probably just a coincidence but still made me smile anyway.
“What are their names?”
“Jane and Elizabeth.”
“Ah, good ol’Pride and Prejudice,” I muttered, feigning sarcasm as I rolled my eyes playfully. “Your favorite.”
She smiled at that, her cheeks tinting red. “You remember that?”
My gaze fell back to hers. “Of course I do.”
Laura scooted closer in the bed to press her bare chest against mine. She tipped her head up, her lips seeking mine, and I kissed her gently, brushing my mouth against hers and keeping my eyes open just a bit to watch how she sighed and melted into the bed. She relaxed, surrendering easily to the bonds that tied us together, and for once, so did I.
I wanted her again and again and again, as made evident by the heavy, aching weight between my legs, pressing into her and demanding attention. But that could wait until later. We had time.
Hell, if I had my way, we’d have forever.
“Tell me about Jane and Elizabeth,” I whispered against her lips.
She smiled, then nodded, pulling away to rest her head while keeping her hand on my chest, above my heart.
“Jane is quiet. She loves her books, drawing, crafts. She’s a little daydreamer, always has her head in the clouds,” she said, a look of adoration blanketing her face, and I fell in love with her again, seeing how much she loved her daughters. “Then Elizabeth is her exact opposite. She’s wild. She loves to run and go exploring, and if I tell her not to do something, you can bet your ass she’s going to do it. But it’s not out of defiance. Lizzie just needs to learn from the experience …”
My mind grew hazy as an ache pierced through my heart at the name. Laura was still talking as a brief moment played in my mind of Lizzie being shot. Lizzie falling tothe sandy ground in a heap. Lizzie’s blank, lifeless stare looking out into the cold world that no longer wanted her in it.
I cleared my throat, wishing the image away, but it remained on a loop.
What are her girls doing now? Are they adventurous and brave, like their mother? Do they remember their mother at all?
“Hey.” Laura reached out, laying her hand on my cheek. “Come back to me.”
I blinked and shook my head, forcing my eyes to focus on the woman lying beside me. The woman I had loved and lost so many years ago. The woman I had never stopped wanting.
And there she was.
“Where did you go?”
“Afghanistan,” I admitted easily, and, oh, how good it felt to be honest.
She nodded, her lips forming a sad little frown. “You have PTSD?”
I hesitated before barely nodding and saying nothing else.
Then she asked, “Can I ask you a question?”
