How long had he been waiting for her? Had he shown up early in case she cut out, just as she was doing? Or had he stayed outside because he didn't want to be alone with her?
Both thoughts tilted the porch beneath her feet.
Lori eased down the stairs and nudged him with her toe. "Time to go, flyboy."
He didn't budge. Rush hour traffic crowded the one-way side street beside her driveway. A carriage tour slowed the flood. The Belgian draft horse clomped by at its own pace while a tour guide droned on about earthquake bolts on houses.
"Gray?" she whispered in his ear.
No response.
He was out so deeply, she could step right over him and leave while he snoozed, oblivious to all around him. But that wouldn't be a nice thing to do, and they'd hurt each other enough already.
Lori sank to the step above him and sat. Unable to resist the lure of his coal-black hair, she skimmed her fingers across his brow, smoothing back a lock. There wasn't much to stroke, his military cut leaving little on his head. Of course, that also left more of his face and neck for her to view and admire.
She traced her thumb over his brows, then his eyes, leaned forward and stole one last kiss for her memory cache, a quick kiss guaranteed not to wake him, then stood again.
She tapped him with her toe, more firmly this time. "Wake up, Sleeping Beauty. Time to go."
The honeyed tones of Lori's voice pulled Gray from sleep. He started, snorted, his boot dropping to the step.
"What?" He looked around, blinking his eyes to clear his groggy brain, before his gaze landed on Lori.
God, she was beautiful. Not pretty or cute or even gorgeous. Just damned beautiful. Her hair flowed around her shoulders, and both of those shirts couldn't stop the image of that same hair rippling around her bare skin two days prior.
Gray cleared his throat, if not his thoughts. "You all set to go?"
"Anytime you're ready."
He stood, stomping his feet and shaking his flight suit back into place. Eye level with Lori, he stared at her full, damp lips. Not wise. His gaze shot up to her eyes, her wary eyes. He'd made such a mess of things earlier, he couldn't blame her. "About before—"
"Stop! Please." She held up a hand, pausing just shy of touching him. "There's no need to say anything. You and I have the uncanny knack for making fools out of ourselves around each other. What's one more time? Chalk it up to the whole crazy hormone thing we have going and leave it at that. Keep it simple."
He frowned. "Yeah, I guess."
Lori picked at her overblouse and smiled. "See, two shirts. I'm armored and ready to resist your incredible appeal."
He'd always liked her open approach to life. No games or hidden agendas or wallowing in complaints, just face life head-on. His smile kicked in. "That's my girl."
But she wasn't and they both knew it. Their smiles faded. Gray stepped to the walkway. "Let's get moving. There's a little girl waiting to come home."
An hour later Gray drove back to Lori's apartment, Magda buckled into a car seat in the back of his car. Lori sat beside her talking softly and pointing to different landmarks as they drove past. Magda babbled a phrase in her own language, her new Winnie the Pooh clutched tightly.
At Lori's apartment, Gray unloaded Magda's tote bag of pajamas and the other toys she'd collected while in the hospital. Lori walked ahead up the stairs, Magda perched on her hip. They made a postcard-perfect picture, so why wasn't he happy yet?
The little girl's hair had been trimmed and smoothed into a new elfin do, loose curls fluffing around her face. She could have been mistaken for a boy, except Lori had outfitted her in plenty of pink. The pink overalls patterned with flowers and hearts left no doubts about Magda's gender.
She was a darn cute kid, even when she plastered that tiny scowl across her face every time she looked at him. As if in synch with his thoughts, Magda blasted a glare over Lori's shoulder, a dare that seemed to say, Try and pull me loose this time, buster.
He smiled an apology he hoped she understood, but likely didn't. While he'd rather not be glowered at as if he'd killed the Easter Bunny, Gray couldn't help but applaud Magda's spunk after all she'd been through. She would need it to adjust to a new culture, new language and a load of other challenges. Lucky for her she had one hell of an advocate in Lori.
At the door Lori attempted to juggle Magda and dig out her keys, but the child wouldn't loosen her grip to be put down. "Can you take her?"
"Like she'd go for that. Give me the keys." Gray unlocked the door and shoved it open.
He followed them in while Magda frowned her next message. Hey! You better not live here, too.
Gray kept trailing them inside.