Page 34 of Come Fly With Me

There were habits from his years in the military that Callum McKay hadn’t been able to shake. He’d never gotten over being out of uniform, and for that reason, he wore the same thing every day—a gray Henley and a pair of jeans. Growing his hair out was something else that bothered him, so he kept it regulation short. On top of that, he struggled with the lack of structure and discipline within his new workplace of Benson Security. But he mainly dealt with that by gritting his teeth. Or shouting—when absolutely necessary. And, lastly, he found it impossible to sleep late in the mornings.

Which was why he opened his eyes at the crack of dawn on Valentine’s Day, instantly alert. There was never any dozing for Callum. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy the lazy early morning hours in bed—especially now that he shared it with his gorgeous wife.

Carefully, he turned toward Isobel’s sleeping form and propped himself up on an elbow to look at her. As usual, she’d stolen all of the bedding during the night, leaving him with only a sheet to cover his body. The duvet and soft pink blanket that should have stripped him of his masculinity lay piled high on top of her, almost burying her underneath. No matter how warm the room, she always ended up cocooned in bedding or spread over him to absorb his heat. Either way, her sleeping habits didn’t bother him. All he cared about was that she still lay in his bed.

As soft early morning light crept through the gap where the blind didn’t quite cover the window, it washed over her, making her pale skin glow and her dark hair shine. She lay on her back under the mountain of bedding, one leg sticking out of bed—for temperature control, she’d told him. And she was snoring. As loud as a train in a tunnel. There was no stopping the grin that spread over his face. She was too damn adorable—and adamant she didn’t snore.

Slowly, so as not to disturb her, he slid his hand under one of the satin camisoles she loved to sleep in and over the curve of her belly. The curve that was getting bigger every day as his baby grew inside of her.

Wonder stole over him, along with the same deep sense of awe he felt every time he thought about the miracle in front of him. Not just the baby, but Isobel too. The woman who’d captured his heart when she stormed into his cold, empty life, sweeping right past his broken body and painfully lost soul to declare him a hero.Her hero.Not for one second had she seen the physical and psychological damage war had done to him. Or the limits he’d put on himself because of it. No, she’d seen only someone who was strong and capable and perfect—in her eyes. It’d humbled him. It still did. Seeing himself through Isobel’s eyes made him feel whole. And feeling her love for him gave him back the purpose he’d lost. Aye, she was definitely his wee miracle.

As was the child growing inside of her. The child that was part of him, but no more valued than the other two children she’d brought into their relationship, the ones who didn’t carry his DNA. Jack and Sophie werehischildren, no matter who’d sired them. There was no denying that his cold, cynical heart overflowed with the gifts Isobel had given him—love, family, home, purpose. It was enough to bring a man to hisplasticknees.

“You’ve got that look on your face again,” her sleep-roughened voice said. “Like you can’t believe this is your life.”

“Oh, I believe it.” Callum caressed her baby bump. “I just want to make sure I never stop being grateful for it.”

“Sentimental man,” she said softly as her hand came up to stroke his jaw. “You’re going to ruin your tough-guy reputation if you keep getting mushy like this.”

“My rep can take it.”

“Well, don’t come running to me when those imbeciles we work with start slagging you off for going soft.”

His lips quirked as he fought a smile. “I’m going to ignore the fact you just told a man who’s lost both his legs not to run to you. That’s harsh, Isobel, very harsh.”

“Don’t try and make me feel sorry for you.” Her eyes danced with laughter. “You only lost the bit from the knees down. The rest of you could model for a Greek statue. You’re getting more ruggedly handsome every day, while I’m just getting fatter.”

“You’re no’ fat, my wee darlin’. You’re pregnant. And anyway”—Callum’s hand slid up to cup the weight of her breast—“I’m very partial to your curves.”

She blinked away tears that came faster these days with the hormones assaulting her body. “I’m getting stretch marksonmy stretch marks!”

“I know.” He leaned down to press a soft kiss to those full lips of hers. “And I plan to trace every one of them with my tongue.”

She slapped his shoulder, her cheeks flushing a pretty pink. “You’re terrible. It was that wicked tongue of yours that got us in this state to begin with.”

Heat rushed through him at the memory of the night he’d decided he needed to taste every inch of her. “You’re wrong there. It wasn’t mytonguethat got you in that state. If you need an anatomy lesson, I’d be more than happy to provide you with one.”

A cute little frown curved her brow. “You have no idea how much I want to take you up on that offer, but your baby is currently kicking my bladder like it’s her own personal beach ball. I really need to go to the toilet. And…” She bit her bottom lip and looked at him through her lashes. But before she could confess whatever else was on her mind, her stomach let out a loud rumble, and her cheeks flushed red.

Callum couldn’t help but laugh. “Aye, I can hear theand.What are you hungry for today?”

Her whole face lit up. “I want a huge cheeseburger. With extra pickles. And when you get back, can you chop up a banana and add it to the bun?”

He blinked at her. “You want a banana and pickle cheeseburger?”

She nodded. “Is that really gross?”

“Aye.” He shook his head. “But I’ll get it for you anyway.”

“You’re wonderful.” She beamed at him. “Now, lever me out of bed. I really need to get to the loo.”

After unearthing her from under the bedding, Callum helped his wife sit up before gently shoving her off the bed and onto her feet. She wobbled a little before steadying.

“Perfect,” she said as she waddle-ran toward the bathroom. “Can you get my burger from that all-night place instead of the fast-food people?” she called over her shoulder. “The all-night place does great fried onions on their burgers.”

As the door shut behind her, Callum chuckled. Now this banana and pickle cheeseburger had onions. He sat up, threw back the covers, and swung what was left of his legs over the side of the bed. An envelope propped against the lamp on his bedside table caught his attention, and his heart swelled as he reached for it.

Sophie.