Free Return of a Soldier (Soldier Series Romance Novellas) by Makenna Jameison Page B

perfect,” Trent said with a grin.  Hannah ran off toward the house, her bruised knee now long forgotten.  Trent and I followed behind, with Trent stopping to grab his rucksack and the bouquet of roses.  “These are for you,” he said, warmth radiating from his dark eyes as he smiled down at me.
    “They’re beautiful,” I said, taking the flowers from him and inhaling the intoxicating floral scent.
    “So are you,” he whispered, brushing my hair back as he bent down to softly kiss my neck.  I smiled as a warmth surged through me and met his gaze.
    “Mommy!   Hurry up!” Hannah shouted from the front porch.
    Trent laughed as I shook my head in disbelief at our interrupted moment.  “Come on,” I said, taking Trent’s hand and tugging him along beside me.  “We won’t get a moment of peace and quiet until she gets a cookie.”
    “Well , I can understand that,” he chuckled.
    Hannah saw us coming and ran into the house, the screen door slamming behind her.  I turned and gave Trent a smile before following her inside.  “Welcome home.”

Chapter 2
     
    “I’m sorry this was such a crazy evening,” I said apologetically later that night, looking around at the mess Hannah had left in the kitchen: a pitcher of lemonade spilled all over the counter, floor, and front of my dress; sopping wet paper towels scattered about from when we’d tried to clean everything up, and dishes piled in the sink from our not entirely relaxing evening.  Our practically untouched glasses of wine still sat on the kitchen table, a reminder of the leisurely dinner that I’d been hoping to have.  My sister had picked up Hannah a short while ago.  She’d been planning to pick her up earlier in the evening so Trent and I could enjoy dinner alone his first night back, but she’d gotten delayed, and the three of us had eaten together.
    Trent and Hannah had gotten along amazingly well all afternoon .  He’d gone outside to play with her while I prepared dinner, and she’d been perfectly happy to ride around the neighborhood on her bicycle with him watching and then to blow bubbles together in the backyard.  When I’d told her that she wouldn’t get to see her cousins until after dinner, she hadn’t seemed fazed at all and insisted on showing Trent how we set the table.
    I glanced over at Trent as he tossed the wet paper towels into the trash.  “It’s fine,” he replied, giving me an easy smile.  “I understand how things are with kids.”
    I sighed.  “I know, and you’re great with Hannah.  I just hoped your first night here would go a little bit more smoothl y,” I said with a small laugh.  I grabbed some cleaner from beneath the sink.
    “You’re soaking wet.  Why don’t you let me clean this up while you go change ?”
    “Are you sure?  It’s your first night here, and I’m already putting you to work.”
    “Already, huh?” he asked with a grin, his voice deep.  “What else did you have planned?”
    I laughed and met his eyes, suddenly realizing that this was what a typical Saturday night could hold for us—laughing over Hannah’s antics, easily falling into an evening routine, just enjoying our life together.  It was silly to imagine what any future for us might hold at this point, though.  Trent had only just gotten back, and although I was looking forward to spending every spare second with him, I didn’t know what a career in the military meant for him or for us as a couple.  Our initial reunion had been prolonged already, and as difficult as the past four months had been, I knew it would only be harder to be apart from him for a long deployment.  There was so much to think about.  Now was hardly the time though, when I was dripping in lemonade, and he’d barely just arrived.  We had two weeks to get reacquainted with one another and figure out what our future held.
    “Nothing you can’t handle,” I teased.   “I’m going to go clean up.  I’ll be quick!”
    He bent down