"How are you feeling, Goddess?"

I wedged my phone between my shoulder and my ear as I grabbed my order from the window at Gray's Papaya. "I'm okay. I've been more tired than usual. A little trouble sleeping." I smiled before I teased, "But I'm sure my sleeping will improve when you're home and in our bed." 

He chuckled into the receiver. "Is that so, my wife-to-be?" 

"Mhm. I miss you."

More than he knew. He was only supposed to have been gone for a few days. Then it turned into a few more. Then a few more. He wouldn't even tell me what was going on over there. He did reassure me that he wasn't fighting. He was still inactive. That I did believe. He wouldn't lie about that. 

"I miss you, too, baby. More than anything. How's Nate hanging in there?"

I smiled at the mention of my big brother. "He's a little better. He finally made an appointment with a physical therapist. He starts in two weeks."

"That's good. Has he been taking good care of you and the baby?"

I laughed. "That's an understatement. He barely let's me do anything. He takes care of the laundry. The dishes. If I start to cook something for dinner, he takes over. I'm glad that he's on his feet more and trying, but he definitely gives new meaning to the term 'overprotective'."

"Good," Ayden said with a snort. "He better be taking care of my woman and unborn son." His tone was teasing and it made me smile as I walked to hail a cab. Ayden let out a long sigh. "Honestly, I'm glad he's doing a little better. He told me when we were at the bar that you ripped him a new one that day."

I took a sip from my bottle water. "What can I say? He's more stubborn than I am sometimes. I don't like talking to him that way, Ayden. I hate when there's issues between us."

"Has he been angry with you?"

I tucked my hair behind my ear. "No. But I can tell he's trying to deal with something by himself. He's been acting weird. Ever since that night you guys went to the bar. I don't think it has anything to do with PTSD, though." 

"Well, there was a woman who threw a drink in his face that night."

I felt my eyebrows raise. "A drink? Really? Was he inappropriately hitting on her?"

"No. We were just sitting and talking. From the look on his face, it was like he knew her. She knew his first and last name."

I frowned. That was weird. I brushed it off and shrugged a shoulder. "It's probably one of the many women he's been with."

Another snort from Ayden. "Yeah, that's what I said. Revenge is a bitch." 

My poor brother. He had lived most of his adult life, actually-- even his youth, trailing after multiple women.  Before he dropped that little confession on me about wanting to find a real relationship, I was convinced he was going to be a bachelor forever. He never really had a serious relationship. I remember one thing he said vividly...

"Women are like ice cream, L. Too many flavors to have one favorite." 

Yep. That was my beloved brother. I guess one of those flavors was coming back to bite him. 

"By the way," I said with a cheesy smile. "Harper, Danielle, and Jaime want to throw us a baby shower/engagement party when you get back."

"That's sweet of them. And odd. Very odd." 

He wasn't kidding. "Yeah." I laughed. God, it was good to hear his voice. I've missed him more than I was willing to admit. "How do you have an engagement shower AND a baby shower? Isn't there booze at an engagement party?" 

"I wouldn't know. I've only been engaged to you," he said playfully. 

My smile faltered when his words registered. This was his first engagement. But not mine. I remembered all to well how it was being engaged to Adam. I remembered the not so romantic proposal that was done when Nate had brought up the question if we were going to get married. I remembered the frequent long nights he had at the office. I also remembered the dry sex life we started to have. 

The funny thing about this was-- why didn't I realize this sooner? I never realized how unhappy I was when I was with Adam. Perhaps it was my parents death that had me convinced to settle. I don't know. I wasn't going to dwell on it. Not when I was now engaged to the most amazing man in the world. One who looked at me like I'm the only woman in the world he wanted to make love to. One who woke me up every morning by kissing me and touching me. That's what love was supposed to feel like. Wanted. Coveted. 

"How was it when you were engaged?" Ayden asked. 

I stopped walking and grabbed my wallet from my purse. There was a homeless man sitting to my left. I glanced around and saw the many people who walked the crowded sidewalks in New York pass by him without so much as a glance. It was like he were invisible. I pulled out some cash, leaving enough for my cab ride, and handed it to him. 

After he thanked me, I finally answered Ayden's question. "What can I say? It was horrible. Everything about that relationship was...toxic. We didn't even have an engagement party." I cocked my head to the side. "It's strange. It's like it wasn't even a real engagement. Sure, he asked the question and I had the ring. But it was nothing like what you and I have. Not even close." 

I could hear the relief in his voice when he said, "That's makes me happy. I mean-- not that you were unhappy, but-- God. This is coming out wrong." I smiled as he stammered. "What I'm trying to say, Goddess, is that I'm happy you feel the same way I do. That it's different with me than him."

"I know. Me too." I groaned as sadness filled me. "It's been two weeks, Ayden. When are you coming home? Our bed is lonely without you." 

Before he had the chance to answer me, I heard a very familiar automated voice in the background. It was the airport he and Nate always used to come home. 

"Wait, is that...Are you--"

"That's right, baby. I'm coming home. I should be there in about fourteen hours. Give or take an hour or two." 

I nearly dropped my food as I squealed into the phone. "Why didn't you tell me!" 

"I found out last minute. Literally an hour before they booked my flight. That's why I called you. I was going to tell you before I got on the plane." 

I smiled so big my cheeks hurt. "I can't believe it, Ayden." I sucked my bottom lip between my teeth. Just the thought of him coming home had my body hot, wet, and aching for him. Even while I was surrounded by all these strangers on the street.

"Seargent, when you get home, you need to come straight to our bedroom." My voice dropped to a seductive whisper. "Then we are going to lock ourselves in there for a day. Or two." 

An erotic growl came through the phone. "Truth or lie, Goddess?" 

"Definitely truth," I vowed. 

"I'm looking forward to it." A frustrated sigh from him. "I need to board. I love you, Lanie."

"I love you, too."

With my current mood definitely lifted, I hung up the phone and slipped it into my purse. I couldn't believe that Ayden was at the airport right now. He was literally boarding the plane that was going to bring him home to me. Finally.

I wasn't kidding about what I told him, either. When he got home, we were going to lock ourselves in our bedroom and get lost in each other. Once we emerge, if we ever do, I'm hoping he confides in me about what he had to take care of over there.

I knew it was tricky with soldiers. Sometimes it's things they can't tell you. Other times, it stings day won't tell you. It was a fine line, that's for sure.

Excited to go home and eat my lunch, I walked to the edge of the sidewalk and raised my hand to hail a cab. In this part of the city, it didn't take long to get one. Just as I lowered my hand, one pulled up.

After I got into the back seat of the yellow car and fastened my seatbelt, I told the cab driver my address. As he pulled up into traffic, I wanted to tell Nate the good news about Ayden. I wasn't sure if he had told my brother or not about his surprise trip home.

Just as I pulled out my cell phone and started to dial, Harper called me. I smiled before I pushed the green ACCEPT button and put the phone to my ear.

"Hey, Harp."

"Hey, Lanie. Where are you?"

I looked longingly at my take out bag from Gray's Papayas. "Just got some lunch. I'm in a cab now. Headed home. What are you up to?"

I glanced out of the car window and noticed it was starting to rain. Good. It's been so hot lately we needed it

"Not much. Do you want to hang out, Jackson is bro-mancing with Ryan and Danielle is at her yoga class. I can come over?"

"Yes, please! I need the company. Besides, Ayden is--"

HONK-HONK

I look to the left when I heard the loud blare of a car horn. I barely had time to even process what I was seeing before other car slammed into my cab.

"Lanie? Lanie!"

I faintly heard Harper's voice coming from my cell phone before I slipped into unconsciousness.