Holding Her Hero

by Amy Lamont

  She finally tired herself out and plopped on the worn but comfortable couch in Mitch’s living room. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath then smiled in pleasure. Any lingering stale odors left after her cleaning jag were chased away by the scent of freshly baked cookies.

  The music in the background was one of her favorite playlists for unwinding at the end of a long day—soft, smoky songs by Alicia Keys and Norah Jones and a few other favorites. She wondered where Mitch was and said a quick prayer that the men involved in the crash were safe and sound and able to return to their loved ones.

  As she drowsed on the sofa, she hugged herself thinking of Mitch’s homecoming. Just being here in his space chased away some of the loneliness she’d been struggling with for weeks. Her eyes popped open wide when a thought occurred to her—in all her musing about what Mitch and Cal were up to at any given moment, and even when she’d run into some of the young Marines in the laundry room, not once had panic tried to sneak up on her.

  Her hand went to her throat. She concentrated on thoughts of what dangers Mitch could encounter while dealing with a downed helicopter. Her mind went over every worst-case scenario.

  She waited, but the panic didn’t come. There were a few harsh breaths and moments of fear, but no out-and-out panic attacks. She smiled. She really could do this. She could be the woman Mitch needed, his anchor.

  His family.

  She shivered at the thought and tried not to get too far ahead of herself. But part of her was more than ready to reclaim all the dreams she’d let die with Will—the dream of marrying a man she loved more than her own life, the dream of holding her babies in her arms, the dream of growing together with someone who couldn’t imagine living without her. And when she thought of each of those dreams, the only man she could imagine standing beside her was Mitch.

  “Easy, girl,” she whispered to herself. She needed to put the brakes on those thoughts. Mitch was freaked out enough at the idea of pursuing any kind of relationship with her. No need to push him into a panic by bringing up marriage and babies and happily ever after too soon.

  That didn’t mean she couldn’t hold on tight to her reawakened dreams. She snuggled down into the squishy cushions and allowed her eyes to drift closed, visions of white dresses, babies bundled in blankets, and nights of shared passion dancing in her head.

  * * *

  Shit. Mitch’s shoulders dropped and he reached up to massage the bridge of his nose when he reached his apartment door. He twisted the knob, but as expected, it was locked. He hadn’t bothered to check his parking lot for her car. He’d seen the panic attack. No way she’d stay calm, cool and collected once she had a minute to herself and let her imagination run wild about the crash.

  He’d let Cal drop him off, knowing the other man wanted food, a shower and a bed just as much as he did. Mitch hadn’t even had the energy to worry about getting into his apartment until this moment when he stood in front of his door.

  He could crash with some of the guys in the building next door. At the thought of sleeping on some lumpy, beer and sweat stained couch without being able to get some clean clothes or a decent meal, he banged his head against the door.

  Mitch stumbled as the door popped open. “What the…?”

  “You’re back!” A warm and sleepy-looking Mandy threw herself against him, her arms going around his neck.

  Without thought his arms enveloped her and squeezed her back. Once the sensation of her curves pressed against him registered, he dropped his arms. “Didn’t expect you to be here.”

  “I told you I’d be here when you got back.”

  Mitch held back a groan. Her throaty voice coupled with her just-out-of-bed, tousled hair were enough to make a grown man cry. He shrugged and dug deep for his training, not allowing his face to show any sign of emotion.

  She rolled her eyes and made a little sound—half huff, half snort. He wasn’t ready to admit it out loud, but a tiny ray of hope broke through the emotional lockdown he’d put himself in after she broke things off over the phone. He’d even half convinced himself it was for the best.

  But standing here in the entryway of his apartment, seeing this warm, willing woman with no sign of the hysterical creature he’d left behind, caused a subtle shift inside him.

  He sighed, fatigue hitting him hard now that he was home. “Mandy, is your car here?”

  “What?”

  “Your car? Do you have your own way home?”

  Her narrowed eyes were the only warning he got.

  “I’m not going anywhere.” She didn’t shriek, but her volume definitely rose considerably. She plunked her hands on her hips and stepped forward until they were toe to toe. “You look like you’re ready to drop and you expect me to just walk out on you! Not to mention it’s like, what, after 4 o’clock in the morning? You’re crazy!”

  Without another word she turned and walked off into the living room, mumbling under her breath about impossible men and stupid Marines. His lips twitched. And he finally admitted something to himself he hadn’t let himself think in the last few weeks.

  God, I missed her.

  * * *

  Really! He wanted to send her out in the middle of the night. The man was insufferable. Who did he think he was?

  With that thought, all the wind went out of her. She stopped abruptly in the middle of his living room and closed her eyes tightly as pain squeezed her heart. Who did he think he was? He was the man she’d dumped a few weeks ago when he was out doing God knows what, putting himself in harm’s way for the sake of his country. He’d been so brave and she’d been nothing but a coward. Why wouldn’t he push her out the door before the sun even peeked over the horizon?

  She pulled in a deep breath. She’d been down this road already. Time to move on from here. And she’d start by showing him just how well she could handle his lifestyle.

  She turned to face him and almost bumped into him. Her thoughts were so loud she didn’t hear his footsteps. She placed both hands flat to his chest and for the first time since she opened the door, she really looked at him.

  He carried a coating of grime and dust, broken only in spots where he’d obviously sweat or passed a hand over his face. There were dark circles under his eyes and his BDUs looked like they’d been slept in more than one night. She pushed aside any thought of how he came to be in this condition and focused instead on taking care of him.

  “Are you more hungry or tired?”

  He looked down at her and she saw the first hint of a smile tip his lips. “I’m starving. Don’t remember the last real meal I had. Maybe the night we had dinner together here.”

  She bit her lip at the reminder of the last time they were together. But then she squared her shoulders and gave him a gentle push. “Go shower. I’ll have something ready for you as soon as you come out.”

  Thankful she’d cooked the lasagna through earlier so all it needed now was a quick heating in the microwave, she dished up a heaping helping. She placed the plate on the breakfast bar just as he slid onto a stool, smelling of shampoo and clean male with his hair still damp.

  “What’s all this?” He asked.

  “I remember my dad coming in from long stints away when I was a kid and he was always ready to eat a bear.”

  He shook his head and his gaze roamed around his apartment. “I meant how did it get here? And what happened to my apartment?”

  “I made it earlier. Figured you might need a substantial meal when you got home.” Her gaze took the same tour of his apartment his just took. She wrinkled her nose. “What’s wrong with your apartment?”

  “There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s just cleaner than when I left and it smells,” he paused to take a long, deep breath, “amazing. Like home cooking and…” He closed his eyes an inhaled deeply. When he spoke again his voice was a reverent whisper. “Chocolate?”

  She looked around and shrugged. “It was a little dusty when I got here so I cleaned up. And emptied the fridge of a few thing
s.” She swung her gaze back to him. “No big deal.”

  His look told her it was a big deal. She hadn’t seen this much warmth from him since before he left on his mission. “Did you bake for me?”

  She cocked her head to the side. Had he hit his head in the shower? “I baked chocolate chip cookies.”

  He stood from his stool and took a step toward her. “For me?”

  “Yes, for you. Who else would I be baking for in your apartment?” She threw her hands in the air, getting cranky now from the odd conversation and lack of sleep.

  His lips twitched and he moved until he was standing in front of her. “So let me get this straight. While I was running off to go through helicopter wreckage, you were here?”

  She nodded.

  “Baking cookies for me?”

  She nodded again, and started to speak.

  Mitch laid his hand gently against her lips and bent his head until their foreheads were almost touching. “You weren’t here having a panic attack or running away or worrying yourself sick?”

  Ah! A small smile teased over Mandy’s lips as she finally caught on. She shook her head and took a soft nip of one of the fingers against her lips.

  A low chuckle broke from Mitch. He moved his hand from her mouth and he bent his knees slightly until they were eye level. “You’re sure? I can’t go through that again, Mandy. If you tell me yes right now, I’m not letting you go again.”

  Her eyes filled with tears, but she did her best to fight them off so she could answer him. But when she opened her mouth to speak, nothing could get past the lump in her throat. All she could do was nod.

  “I need to hear you say it, sweetheart,” Mitch rasped out.

  Hearing him call her sweetheart again was all it took to get Mandy moving. She threw herself into his arms, almost knocking both of them to the ground.

  “Yes, yes, yes, yes,” she whispered in his ear as she clung to him.

  Mitch’s arms were steel bands around her. His fierce hold contrasted with his lips, soft as they sought her mouth for a gentle, lingering kiss.

  “I missed you,” he said against her lips.

  She pulled back just far enough to meet his eyes. “I missed you, too. So much.”

  He pulled her back to him and the kiss turned as fierce as his hold. His mouth moved from her lips to the side of her jaw and up toward her ear. “Never again, Mandy. You’re not leaving me ever again.”

  She shivered as his whispered words and hot kisses hit her ear. She gripped him hard and turned her head into his neck, nuzzling and inhaling his warm male scent.

  “Never again,” she agreed.

  Mitch wasn’t done. He leaned back slightly, keeping their bodies pressed close together. “You’re going to marry me, sweetheart.”

  Her heart stopped beating and the air left her lungs in a whoosh. “But—but you….” She shook her head and tried to breathe. “You don’t do committed relationships.”

  He gave her a cocky grin. The same grin he gave her the very first day they met when he announced he wasn’t a soldier, he was a Marine. “Things change.”

  Her arms slid over his shoulders and all she could do was hold on tight as she imagined a long and happy future with the man in front of her.

  “Sweetheart.” He gave her small shake as his cocky grin slipped and he uttered a less certain chuckle. “You going to keep me hanging? What do you say?”

  His obvious nerves were all it took to get a little of her footing back, though her hands still trembled. She gave him the sauciest grin she could muster and arched a brow at him. “What do I say to what?”

  He shook her gently again, not appreciative of her teasing. “To my marriage proposal.”

  “There was a marriage proposal? I must have missed it in there. The only words that came out of your mouth sounded more like an order from a commanding officer.”

  He threw his head back and laughed while she admired the return of her easy, happy, sexy Mitch.

  When his laughter stopped, he turned serious eyes on her.

  “Sweetheart.” He dropped to one knee and took her left hand in both of his. Her breath lodged in her chest and tears blurred her vision. “Will you do me the very, very great honor of becoming my wife?”

  All she could do was nod and burst into tears.

  Mitch rose swiftly to his feet and snatched her in his arms. “Why the tears, sweetheart? This is supposed to be a happy occasion.”

  “Be—because,” she sniffled against his chest as she held him tightly. “Because until right now, I thought the best I could do was hearing you call me sweetheart again. Hearing you ask me to be your wife…” She broke off and buried her face in his T-shirt.

  He held tight and kissed the top of her head, and when he spoke his voice was clogged with emotion. “I know, sweetheart, I know. After you broke things off on the phone, I didn’t let myself hope for anything like this.” He pulled back and looked down into her tearstained face and said fiercely, “I meant what I said. You’re not getting away from me again.”

  “I don’t want to. I want nothing more than to be here when you get home from work, for us to take care of each other, and raise a family together.” She stopped abruptly and bit her lip. He’d never mentioned a desire for kids before. She’d stay with him whether he wanted them or not, but giving up that dream wouldn’t come easy.

  He grinned down at her. “Babies, huh?”

  She nodded.

  “If that’s what you want, sweetheart.”

  She gasped as he swung her up in his arms. “What are you doing?”

  He grinned. “You do know how babies are made, don’t you sweetheart?”

  She gave his chest a playful smack. “I didn’t mean we needed to start on that right this minute.”

  “You know what they say. Practice makes perfect.” He stepped forward with her cradled to his chest.

  She giggled and hid her face in his neck, not believing she could be this happy again. Maybe even happier because she knew what a gift this was. How many women were lucky enough to get a second chance at this kind of love?

  “What about food? And some sleep? You must be exhausted!” She ended on a squeal as he made it to the bedroom and tossed her on the bed.

  He stood above her, grinning as he pulled his T-shirt over his head.

  “I find there’s something else I need right now more than sleep.” He dropped down to cover her body with his own.

  “Oh, really?” she asked flirtatiously.

  “Really.” His face turned serious as he stared down at her. “My needs changed the moment you agreed to be my wife.”

  She ran a hand down the side of his face and he moved to take her lips with his own.

  Mandy spent the rest of the night, until the sun just tipped over the horizon, proving to him that he’d always have something to come home to.

  Epilogue

  Mitch’s ride stopped the car in front of the small, yellow cottage. He got out, hefting his duffle from the backseat.

  “Thanks, man.” Mitch gave the roof of the car a tap as he swung the door closed. He stood there staring at the home he hadn’t seen in six long months as the car pulled down the street.

  Home. He shook his head as he thought back to the day over five years ago in Afghanistan when he received Miss Abigail’s care package. For all intents and purposes he’d been homeless back then. He’d had places to lay his head, but no place to call home. Until Mandy.

  As if he’d conjured her with his thoughts, the front door swung open and Mandy came rushing out of the house, a squirming baby on her hip.

  “You’re home!” She flew down the steps and he took three long strides forward to scoop woman and baby into his arms. Her free hand gripped the collar of the desert camo shirt he wore, pulling his head down to hers for a long, sweet kiss. He never wanted it to stop.

  An earsplitting squeal followed by a long string of babble came from the bundle held between them. Mitch pulled away from the kiss with a laugh as
he looked down into his son’s happily grinning face.

  He cupped a hand behind the baby’s head with its soft, downy hair. The dark hair curled over his fingers and Mitch marveled over the face that looked so much like his own, even at this young age. “Hey, little man, how’s daddy’s boy?”

  Mandy shifted the baby into his father’s arms. Mitch looked up to find her tear-drenched eyes on him, a soft smile on her face.

  “You’re home,” she whispered softly.

  “Safe and sound,” he agreed as he pulled her into his side, repeating the words that had become their ritual over the last two years.

  He shook his head, amazed to be holding his small family in his arms on the front lawn of their home. His family. He pulled them both closer, their three heads together. The baby’s small fingers played with the buttons on his shirt.

  Mandy’s hand came up, covering her son’s hand, both resting over Mitch’s heart as she stretched up on tiptoes and kissed him.

  “Welcome home, Marine.”

  The End

  Need more steamy military romance? Read on for an excerpt of Summer with the Soldier

  Excerpt: Summer with the Soldier

  Chapter One

  Jade

  I stepped out from the dark, cool house onto the sunlit deck, pulling the slider shut behind me. My eyes drifted closed and I inhaled salty ocean air. A breeze played through my hair, sending strands dancing against my cheeks and shoulders.

  Summer. Everything about it made me happy—sunshine and the scent of suntan lotion, lazy days and sand between my toes.

  “Jade, get your cute butt down here. We have to do our toast before everyone gets here!”

  My eyes flew open and a laugh bubbled up inside me. Paige, Emma, and Katelyn stood on the beach below, all three of them in bikinis and sarongs, holding shot glasses filled with amber liquid, a bottle of tequila stuck in the sand at their feet.