Page 78 of Adoring Delaney

“And what happens when you figure out some stupid teenage punks slashed my tires and I was never in danger?”

“Not saying I’m happy we need to buy you four new tires, but it sure did make shit easier. You being in danger has nothing to do with me being back in our bed.”

“What does that mean?” I snapped.

Easier?

“Babe, you weren’t gonna let me back in without a fight. One I was prepared to win but I was happy I didn’t have to, seeing as you didn’t argue. And the only reason you didn’t argue was because you were freaked out. Hate to admit it, I never want you scared or in any kind of danger, but me not having to battle your stubborn side made my life a hell of a lot easier.”

“I’m rethinking being sure about you moving your stuff back home.”

“No, you’re not.”

He pulled into the lot of the hotel and parked in the same spot he had the last time we’d been there. He was right, I wasn’t reconsidering being sure. I wanted him home. But now that he’d called me stubborn I was going to show him just how right he was. And if he kept being smug, I’d remind him I held the championship title for silent treatment.

23

It had been four perfect days.

I’d taken Delaney to get her car Monday after work. So she was happy to have her ride back. There’d been no activity on the cameras around the house when we’d been gone or since we’d been home. And I’d talked to my brother, and no one had reported any vandalism in the area. Ethan had even expanded his search, both for time and distance. He still had come up empty.

I’d talked to my dad and Jasper and we’d all agreed it was probably some dumbass kids being assholes thinking it was amusing to knife someone’s tires.

I did not get that shit, but I knew some idiots in high school who got off on causing trouble.

I hadn’t brought up moving back in since the day we’d returned from Virginia and I dropped my clothes at the hotel. So now I was paying for a room I didn’t stay in and each day after work, I showered at home and that day’s clothes went into the hamper. So I was moving back in, one day’s worth of clothing at a time.

I wasn’t complaining.

All that I cared about was coming home to Laney. Two of the nights she’d had dinner ready when I’d gotten home and one of the nights, she’d prepared the sides but waited for me to grill the steaks.

Each night I’d walked in the door and it hit me. How beautiful my life was. Something as simple as coming home to my woman after work meant everything. Something we’d never had but we would from now on.

Delaney had been a little restless this morning when I’d left. Tonight, my parents were coming over so we could tell my mom about the baby. I was not looking forward to the conversation, mostly because I knew it would crush my mom. But at least my dad would be there to cushion the blow.

I was thinking about this when my phone rang.

Delaney.

That was something else that was new. Me getting phone calls from her in the middle of the afternoon. One of us had called each day to touch base. Those calls had once been reserved for the evenings and sometimes there’d be days between even if I’d been stateside. If I’d been training or deployed, there’d be stretches of weeks or months when I’d be in hell not able to hear her sweet voice.

“Hey, baby.”

“Hey. Listen, there’s been a change of plans.”

“What’s that?”

“Ethan and Honor are coming over with your parents tonight.”

Oh, shit. It was going to be hard enough telling my mom. I hadn’t thought about my brother and his wife who was pregnant. Very pregnant, and I didn’t know if it was a good idea for Laney to talk about losing our child when Honor was there.

“Laney—”

“I’m okay. I actually think it’s better this way. We can tell them both at once and it will be done.”

I was happy she thought it’d be better because I wasn’t so sure.

“But Honor—”

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