Page 24 of My Forever Soldier

“Don’t you already have Thomas?” Olivia asked, taking the engine from his hands and putting it back. “It would be silly to have two of the same. How about some of his friends here?”

Luke grinned as he watched his son’s attention divert to the other train.

“Percy!”

“Well done,” Luke told her, edging closer so he could speak to her without Charlie hearing.

Olivia grinned, her entire face alight. He loved when she did that. It made him feel as if there was still something special between them, something drawing them together rather than pushing them apart.

“I’ve already bought Percy and another train called Diesel,” she whispered, bringing her head close to his. “Now we’Il take him past the DVDs, and if you stay put I’ll get the newCarsone and a couple of books.”

“Roger that,” Luke whispered back, enjoying the feel of having Ollie near. What he would do to be able to pull her against him and just hold her. Smell her perfume, feel the warmth of her, and go back a few years, to start over. To leave on different terms, to tell her he loved her.

“Ollie...”

She fixed her eyes on his, the happy conspiracy of birthday shopping still lighting her face as he bent closer.

“Mommy! Mommy, look!”

Olivia gave Luke an apologetic smile, her pink lips far too close to his for comfort, before turning her full attention back to Charlie.

I’m sorry. I love you. The words Luke wanted to say hung over him, the need to tell her even greater than his need to kiss her and pull her body against his.I should never have let you go.

Their bags werefull to the brim with balloon packets, streamers, wrapping paper and presents for Charlie. Lots of little extra ones to make the big day fun. With Luke home, she wanted to make this birthday one he’d never forget.

Luke walked ahead with Charlie, and she trailed behind with the bag of gifts for him, cleverly concealed. She’d given Luke the party bags and Charlie hadn’t suspected a thing.

She tried not to laugh as she watched them—Luke doing all the listening and Charlie asking all the questions and talking nonstop. It was one of the things she’d loved about Luke when they’d met, his ability to listen so well. Only trouble was at the time she hadn’t realized how badlyshe’dneeded to listen. That instead of lying awake worrying, taking on all their problems as her own and thinking Luke didn’t want the life he was living with her, she should have been asking him. Making him talk. Being the listener he needed.

Luke had once listened to her for hours, always smiling, touching her as if he was happy just to watch and lend an ear. Back then, in the early whirlwind of falling in love, she’d hardly noticed that she knew so little about him, when he knew so much about her. Then she’d started to realize that Luke had deeper issues than even she did. And she’d wished she’d asked him more, pushed him harder to open up. Because if she had, maybe he wouldn’t have thought that walking away was the right thing to do.

Olivia snapped out of her daydream and noticed them both leaning on the car. Luke’s tall frame was propped against the vehicle, long legs stretched out in front of him. Charlie was doing his best to mimic his dad, and struggling. She tried not to laugh.

“How are my boys?” she called, walking faster to catch up to them.

“We’re great.” Luke’s lazy smile made her heart skip. She hadn’t seenthatsmile since he’d returned.

“Good.”

She dug around in her bag for the keys and unlocked the car, but Luke grabbed her hand and swung her toward him before she could open it.

“Hey, he said, grinning as he held her tight.

She went to open her mouth, to say something back, when he planted a quick, cheeky kiss on her lips instead. His mouth hovered over hers, laughter in his eyes, before he pulled back.

Olivia touched her fingers to her lips—lips that were buzzing from the unexpected burst of affection from her husband.

“I love you,” he whispered in her ear, before opening the door and holding it for her.

Olivia stood still, unable to move for a moment, before forcing her feet to comply.

I love you, too,she thought. But right now, she couldn’t bring herself to acknowledge what he’d said, and tell him the same.

Olivia restedher elbows on the kitchen counter as she bent to inhale the sweet scent of the cake she’d just baked. It sat on a wire stand, cooling so she could ice it. The smell of it brought back memories of her childhood, when her mother would be in the kitchen and she’d be at the table watching her. They might not have had a lot of money, but her mom had sure known how to bake up a storm.

The only thing that hadn’t been idyllic about that scene had been wondering when her dad was going to arrive home, orif. And if he did, whether or not she’d be told to scurry to her bedroom and close the door, so she didn’t have to hear them arguing.

A shudder crawled up her spine and she closed her eyes. Once he’d gone, once her mother had finally kicked him out, life had become happier, more pleasant. There were no nights wondering why her father hadn’t come home, no worries about him raising his voice in drunken anger while she shivered with fear beneath the sheets. But she had seen how it slowly ate away at her mom, and beneath their happiness together, the lovely life they had was tainted by her dad. Even once he was gone.

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