The Soldier's Return

Chapter 19

She woke the next morning, stiff and sore. Stretching gingerly, she opened her eyes to see Matt lying on his side, facing her. He was wrapped in quilts, his eyes still heavy with sleep and a lazy smile on his lips. For a moment she thought he was the young Matt again, his face relaxed and soft as it had been when he was a teenager.

"Hey", he said. His voice, too, was thick with sleep.

"Hey back." She lay, facing him, happy to gaze at the deep blue eyes, the high cheekbones and lean face. There is nothing as sexy, she thought to herself, as a man who has just woken up next to you. She pushed her naked body next to his, feeling the softness of his skin against the softness of her own. They seemed to lie that way for a long time, smiling at each other and sharing the warmth of the bed.

"What time is it?" Matt finally asked."

"I don't know." Reluctantly Maggie raised her head to glance at the clock on the nightstand behind Matt. "Almost eight."

A broad smile lit Matt's face. "Six hours."

"What?"

"It was two when we got back here. I slept for six hours. All at once. No nightmares. Just sleeping."

"That doesn't usually happen?"

Matt shook his head in disbelief. "Not since that day. The day my buddies died."

"The day you got hurt."

"Yeah, that too." There was long, contented pause. As he lay there, memories of the night before drifted back to him. He seemed to see himself from a distance, and it was as if veteran Matt Walker had somehow reached back in time and connected with Sgt. Walker, the soldier who had almost died thousands of miles away. Something had switched in his brain; he didn't believe that he would ever be completely free of what had happened but for the first time he felt glad to have survived..

He felt Maggie stir against him, and he knew that she had brought him back, and that his home was with her. He had thought that he had to heal in order to be her husband, but it was crystal clear to him now that the healing could only continue with her at his side.

"Maggie?"

"What Matt?."

"I don't think we should wait."

"Wait for what?" The deep timbre of her voice told him that she was aroused.

"To get married." He smiled at her look of surprise. "When I was bringing those people up the hill last night, I just realized... Something changed. I am a civilian now. I'm home, and THIS is my life. I live here, with you, and with Jimmy. I can't go back but - I can go forward." He paused reflectively. "Why did I think I could do this alone? Why would I want to? Maggie, I need you. I need you more than I've ever needed anyone or anything in my life. "

She was smiling radiantly now. "I love you, Maggie O'Leary. I can't promise I'll make you happy, but I will always, always, try."

"I know you will. And I love you too, Matt. "

"Will you marry me, Maggie?"

She giggled. "You really mean it this time?" Before he could reply, she laughed out loud. "I guess it doesn't matter, because I'm going to marry you, Matt. I've been waiting too long, and this time I'm going to hold on to you."

He looked at her hopefully. "Does that mean we can make more babies?"

"I think that could be arranged. Besides, I think Ashley's been the only girl in the family far too long."

Matt reached out and pulled Maggie's head to his chest. He stroked her hair slowly and rhythmically as she snuggled against him. They had the rest of their lives ahead of them, and there was no hurry now. There was time enough to plan, to laugh, to cry, to make love, but at this moment they had the freedom to just be together. This was, he realized, the first time they had spent an entire night together, and it was how he wanted to wake up every morning for the rest of his life.

The phone rang, and Matt reached out to answer it, glancing at the caller ID as he did so.

"Sean, I'm sorry I'm late, there's a lot happening right now and we overslept."

"Don't mind about that Matt, and by we I suppose you mean you and Maggie? I didn't figure you'd be up yet after the night you had."

"How did you you know about last night?"

"How did I know? Just turn on the television!" Sean was speaking so loudly that Maggie could make out the words.

"The television? What? Why, what's going on?"

"You're on the news, that's what. You and Maggie both. Good grief, it's the top story, how you saved a family, and did all this hero Ranger stuff. Pulled the baby out of the car and got them up the hill and did CPR, and I don't know what all. They're calling it a Christmas miracle."

"Is that so? I guess it is a pretty miraculous Christmas, now that you mention it." Matt grinned at Maggie.

"Well turn it on, sleepy head."

"Do I have to?"

"Why, do you have something better to do?"

Matt looked over at Maggie. "Oh, yeah. Much better." He hung up the phone without bothering to say goodbye, and turned to face her as she drew his head to hers for a long, deep kiss. The phone rang, again, and again, but they didn't hear it.