Page 59 of The Soldier's Homecoming

“Thanks for letting me sleep in.”

Gabby patted more shaving cream onto her cheeks. “Do you want to see me shave, Mommy?”

Penny did her best to keep her mouth in a straight line. “Sure.” She averted her gaze from Daniel, knowing they’d both crack up if they made eye contact.

“I’m going to shave just like Daddy when I grow up.”

This time she did look at Daniel and they laughed.

“What?” Gabby asked, all open-mouthed and innocent-eyed.

Penny tried to avert her gaze from Daniel’s and ended up with her eyes trailing dangerously over his torso. Down the tiny smattering of hair that spiked down low, golden skin so taut and soft...

Oh.

She looked up to see he was watching her back, that he’d seen exactly what she was looking at. Would be able to tell what she was thinking.

Gabby was still busily swiping at her face with her tooth-brush and rinsing it off just like Daniel had been with his razor.

But there was a heat in the room now that had nothing to do with the hot tap being run.

And it terrified her.

Because she was so worried about being intimate with Daniel again, after so long and after what had happened, and yet her body was rebelling with a mind all its own.

Knowing he was in bed beside her was one thing, but touching him again? Actually being husband and wife again in the truest sense? That was what scared her.

“Mommy? Are you okay?”

She backed up a couple steps. “Oh, it’s nothing, honey. I’m just so pleased I’m here to see you do things like shave with your dad in the morning.”

Gabby grinned and went back to playing at the basin.

Daniel tightened the towel around his waist like he didn’t know what else to do.

“How about we head out for breakfast somewhere?”

Penny was pleased to have an excuse to escape. “Sounds good.”

“For pancakes?” Gabby piped up.

“Sure, kiddo,” Daniel said. But his eyes never left Penny’s, made her feel like there was no one else in the world except for her. That she was so special to him that he didn’t care what else went on around them.

It was a feeling she hadn’t experienced in a long while. A warm, settling sensation that she’d missed so bad it had been like a mother being torn from her child forever.

“I’Il go get ready,” Penny told them.

Daniel was still watching her, but Gabby was otherwise occupied.

Penny fled down the hall like someone had lit the back of her pajamas alight.

Running scared, but at the same time ready to run back into the fire to risk being burned.

A hand caught her arm, stopped her from taking another step. Forced her to stop moving.

“Penny.”

She stopped. Caught. Knowing he was too close. Not wanting him half-naked behind her.

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