Page 107 of Forever Fallen

Ryan scooted back his chair, standing up, before picking her up out of her chair. Her fork clattered noisily to the floor as she laughed at his enthusiasm.

“Back to bed?” she teased huskily.

“When you say sweet things like that? Oh yeah…”

CHAPTER33

SOPHIE

As they pulledinto Flyboys the next evening, she spotted the fire burning in the metal barrel first, casting a warm glow in front of the building and on the runway… and then saw everyone sitting in the distance, waiting.

Putting the car into park, they got out and Sophie immediately took Ryan’s arm, hugging it, as they walked forward. She looked up at his face to see him glance down at her proudly, before smiling openly at his friends.

“Reaper! Buddy! Dang it’s good ta’ see ya…”

“Reaper…”

“Hey! How are ya? How’s everyone doing?”

“So, good to have you back…”

“Welcome home, my friend…”

The men quickly surrounded Ryan, hugging him, shaking his hand, and patting him on the back.This is what life should be like,she thought happily, watching him say hello to everyone. It should be full of smiles, love, friendship, and family.

“Who’s this little one?” Ryan crooned tenderly, making her stomach clench with joy as he said hello to the baby Harley was holding.

“This is my daughter, Samantha,” Thumper said proudly, smiling at his family, before picking up the baby that was now a year old from Harley and putting her into Ryan’s arms.

She saw her husband’s face, that surge of gentleness as he gazed at the little girl he was cradling against his chest before looking at Sophie. He nodded slightly, meeting her eyes, and she knew he was smitten immediately.

Minutes later, he was holding Tobias, Valkyrie’s son, and her sweet sensitive husband was just melting openly as the tiny boy reached for him, touching his chin, wanting to explore this new person before him.

Ryan playfully nipped at the baby’s fingers with his lips, causing Tobias to utter a babyish chortle that was enchanting.

“I can’t believe this one is yours,” Ryan teased his friend, Valkyrie, who was standing there proudly with his arms crossed over his puffed-up chest. “They are both so beautiful, so precious and sweet, that it’s hard to believe that everything we’ve all been through gets us to a point where we can build a future for them… you know?”

“Humbling, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it really is,” Ryan admitted. “We’re trying for one of our own.”

“Not a huge surprise,” Valkyrie smirked. “Much more fun and exciting than flying a Falcon… and so much more rewarding.”

“Did you just say what I think you said?” Marisol laughed in disbelief.

“What?”

“I thought you would regret giving up the Air Force one day,” Marisol asked openly.

Sophie heard everyone get quiet around them, as if they were listening to hear Valkyrie’s response, because they all suspected the same thing. She’d never really seen Marisol look insecure – but in this moment she did, almost like she was afraid to hear his response.

“I thought you’d be a ‘lifer’ too, honestly,” Ryan admitted. “Was pretty sure both of us would be ‘lifers’…”

Sophie’s heart clenched at hearing Ryan say that he was planning on retiring from there, but his next words made her sag in relief.

“I’m getting out as soon as I can,” Ryan finished. “My life is here with Sophie, and I feel like everything is on hold in the meantime.”

“That’s why I left,” Valkyrie said quietly, glancing at Marisol. “Home is wherever Marisol is - and the moment I realized it? I never looked back. When we were apart for that short amount of time? I felt like a piece of my soul was missing… and I can’t live without her.”

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