Aldo clapped him on the back, a blow that would have brought Harper to her knees.
Her throat tight, Harper stepped back and gave them a moment. The one-armed hug moved into a crushing embrace of brothers. “You look good, Moretta.” Luke pulled back to ruffle Aldo’s dark curls.
“I feel good. Check out the hardware,” Aldo pulled up his pant leg to show off his prosthesis.
Harper saw Luke’s Adam’s apple work and knew that he struggled with the raw memory of his childhood friend in a pool of his own blood. He nodded, but no sound came out.
“Hey,” Aldo said, clapping Luke on the shoulder. “I’m good. I’m better than good.”
Luke’s jaw clenched and he brought his friend in for another hard hug. “I’m sorry, man.”
Aldo smacked him on the back of the head. “Shut up. There’s nothing to be sorry for. Asshole.”
Luke gave him a playful shove. “Dick.”
Aldo wobbled, flailing his arms. Luke reached to steady him, concern in his eyes.
“Psych!” Aldo grinned, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Solid as a rock. Thanks to your girl there.”
Luke reached his arm out to Harper, pulling her back in. His hand skimmed under her jacket and tank to stroke the skin of her lower back. “She took good care of you?”
“She even got me a woman.”
Harper rolled her eyes. “Don’t make Gloria sound like a prostitute!”
Aldo checked his watch. “Love to stay and chat, but speaking of my woman, she’s waiting for me. That gives you two about forty-five minutes before you have to be at the diner.”
“The diner?” Luke looked at Harper.
Aldo’s plan hit Harper. “Oh, you’re good! Does anyone else know?”
He winked. “Nope.” He tossed Luke a set of keys. “Your truck is in the lot on the other side of the trees.”
“How did you get his truck here?”
“Gloria and I stole it from the garage last night. You’re one sound sleeper.”
“You riding back with us?” Luke asked Aldo, but his eyes were on Harper.
“Nope, Gloria’s waiting with my truck. I’ll see you soon. Glad to have you home, Luke. Later, Harpsichord!” And with that, he loped off toward the parking lot.
***
Luke didn’t waste time watching his friend leave. He only had eyes for Harper. He pulled her into his arms. Her blond locks were pulled back in a high ponytail. She was covered from the neck down in spandex and Under Armor to block the early morning chill and it was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen.
He hadn’t thought of anything but seeing those hungry gray eyes since he got his orders. Somehow she was more beautiful than when he had left. It had been a long time since he was this eager to come home.
Harper wrapped her arms around his neck and stared into his eyes.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” she said, finally.
“Miss me, baby?” He tugged her off the path through trees and brush.
“Only every second of the last 189 days.” She brought her hands to his face and ran her thumbs over the stubble. “How is it possible to love you even more right this second than before you left?”
Luke let out the breath he didn’t know he had been holding. Was that relief? Deployment could and did change people on both sides. The thought that she wouldn’t wait or wouldn’t want him the way he wanted her when he came home had crossed his mind a few times in the long, dark hours of the night.
There had been too many nights that stood between him and those words.
