Danny raced to her and bent low over the safety rails to wrap her in his arms. “It’s all right, Ally. It’s all right. It’s all right,” he kept repeating as he attempted to gather her into his arms and hold her.
Who was he trying to convince, anyway? Ally or himself?
Ally lifted a hand and struggled to speak. “The baby—”
Danny pressed his fingers to Ally’s lips. “It’s all right, Ally. You don’t have to talk about it. I know it’s painful to lose our baby,” he crooned, rocking her as best he could while he held her in his arms. “We can have other babies. I love you, and I want to be with you for always. That’s all that matters. I want to be your husband.”
Ally hugged him, too. Tears filled her eyes. She tried to blink them back, but they flowed unhindered, to be absorbed by the front of his uniform.
“Ally, you know I wanted the baby,” Danny told her softly, struggling not to sound as choked up as he was. “But I want you so much more. I don’t care if you make three times as much money than me. Hell, I’ll stay home and be a house husband if that’s what it takes for you to let me stay in your life this time. I don’t care if you don’t take my name. I’ll even change my name to Carter if that’s what you want. There are plenty of other Murpheys in this world. There’s only one you.
“I love you, Ally. I can’t imagine my life without you in it.” He paused, and Ally put a finger to his lips to stop him, but he shook her hand away.
“I want us to be married, Ally. Before I leave for Tamahlyastan. If you’ll have me,” he added. He detached himself from her grasp and knelt on the ugly, linoleum floor. He cleared his throat. “Marry me, Ally. Please.
“I was going to give this to you tonight,” he explained, extracting a small, velvet-covered jeweler’s box from his pocket.
He opened the box and slipped the ring onto the trembling third finger of her left hand.
“Will you have me? Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Chapter Fifteen
Ally’s heart swelled with gladness. She opened her lips to answer Danny’s most eloquent proposal, but her heart seemed to have lodged in her throat. Tears still streaming down her cheeks, she nodded, then she shook her head, then nodded again.
“No?” Danny said, defeated. “I’ll just go, then.”
Ally had never heard him sound so beaten. Her heart broke.
“If you don’t want me,” Danny said, “I won’t waste any more of your time.”
He turned to go, but Ally grasped his sleeve. She was so tightly tethered that if he pulled away, she’d lose him, but it was enough. Danny faced her, the tension evident on his handsome face.
“What?”
“The baby,” she finally managed to say around the enormous lump in her throat. “Still here.”
His face lit up like a kid’s on Christmas morning. “But you looked so sad. I thought—” He began to gather her into his arms, but the lines got in the way.
Ally stopped him by gently touching his hand. “Don’t even think it,” she whispered. “The baby is okay. Dr. Schmale had just come in and told me that she wasn’t seriously harmed.” She chuckled softly. “You’ve still got a lot to learn about women, I guess. These were tears of joy.” Her eyes misted again just thinking about the doctor’s good news. “I’ll have to take it easy for a while, though.
“In fact,” she added, “you’ll like this part. I’ll have to take a leave of absence from work until Danielle gets here.”
At first the significance of the name seemed to go over his head, then Danny did a classic double take. “Danielle? As in Murphey?”
Ally grinned. “Absolutely. However, I will not saddle my daughter with Xaviera for a middle name. We’ll have to do some negotiating on that.”
“Hoo-ah,” Danny cheered. “Anything you want,” he agreed much too readily. “How about Carter?”
“Perfect. Danielle Carter Murphey,” Ally said, testing the sound of the name. “I like it. It has a nice ring.” She grinned again. “Of course, we still have to talk about what to tell Sweetie-Pie,” she teased. “He’s used to being the man of the house.”
“Bruiser will get over it,” Danny said, emphasizing the masculine name. “But I’m glad he’s going to be there. He’ll need to protect my girls while I’m gone.”
“Yeah, right,” Ally said. “If a burglar tries to break in, he’ll lick him to death.”
“Let’s hope that there won’t be any burglars,” Danny said.
Ally nodded. “Hey,” she told him. “You didn’t even comment on the second part of my announcement.”
“Second part of what announcement?” He stroked her hand, heavy with the weight of the gorgeous diamond ring.
“That I’m going to have to take a leave…”
“Ally,” Danny said, holding her hand in his. “I’ve had a lot to think about the past couple of weeks. Not only about the baby, but about us and life in general.
“I don’t give a damn how all the other Murphey men support their wives, I’m not them. If you want to work, go for it. Thinking about Lisa Hughes having to raise her son alone and not having the skills or the money to properly do it brought me to my senses, I guess. Besides, the rest of the Murphey men have nice, safe civilian jobs. They can pretty much count on dying in bed. I’m in a slightly more dangerous line of work.”
Ally jerked her hand away from him. “Daniel Xavier Murphey. Don’t you ever talk that way!” she said sharply.
“About what? Dying?” He shrugged. “It happens.”
How could he be so cavalier about that? “Yes, but it had better not happen for a long, long time,” Ally reminded him emphatically. “I have every intention of growing very old and wrinkled with you by my side.”
Danny’s face lit up, as if what she had been trying to tell him had just sunk in. “You know something? I asked you a question a little while ago. I’m not sure I actually got a straight answer.”
Ally smiled. “What question was that?” she asked coyly. Of course she remembered full well what the question was, but how often did one woman get to hear it in her lifetime? It would be pure heaven to hear it again.
He took her hand and removed the ring.
“Hey, put that back,” Ally demanded, grabbing at Danny’s hand but in vain.
Danny held it up and away from her. “Not until I get my answer,” he said. “Until then, you’re wearing it under false pretenses.”
“Heaven forbid,” Ally said dryly. “By all means, ask away. However, I’m not sure I can guarantee you’ll get the answer you’re looking for.”
“I’ll get it,” Danny said confidently.
He knelt again, and Ally loved him all the more for doing it. He cleared his throat and took her hand.
“Allison Raneea Carter, I love you with all my heart. Will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?”
Ally smiled up at him, eyes once again streaming with tears. She nodded vigorously. Though her throat was still clogged with emotion, she managed to utter the most important sentence she’d probably ever say. “Yes, Daniel Xavier Murphey,” she answered. “I would love to be your wife.”
Danny’s eyes looked a little moist, too, as he slipped the ring back on her finger, but that was just icing to make the moment all the sweeter. He held Ally’s hand and gazed down on her with such adoration that Ally’s heart swelled again. How could life possibly get any better than this?
“Well, I guess congratulations are in order.”
Unable to contain her joy, Ally peered beyond Danny to see Dr. Schmale standing in the doorway.
“Yes, they are, Dr. Schmale. This woman has made me the happiest man in the world,” Danny said.
“No,” Ally said. “He’s made me the happiest woman.”
Dr. Schmale smiled. “Now, now, this doesn’t have to be a competition. It’s wonderful news for both of you. However, I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings.”
Danny’s breath caught and Ally gasped. But Dann
y squeezed Ally’s hand reassuringly as he voiced the question she was too afraid to ask.
“Is there something wrong with the baby?”
Ally had understood that the baby was going to be all right. What kind of bad news could the doctor possibly have?
The doctor shook her head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you unnecessarily. Especially considering the day you’ve had.” She turned to Ally. “You’re fine. The baby’s fine. I just don’t want you getting overstimulated.”
She turned to Danny. “You, Sergeant Husband-to-be, have to go. The woman needs to rest. You can spring her in the morning.”
Danny faced the doctor and saluted. “Yes, sir, ma’am,” he said cheerfully. Then he leaned over and gave Ally a peck on the lips. “You, I will see in the morning.
“We have some very important details to work out.” He stepped toward the door.
“Yes, we do,” Ally said. Then she remembered something. “Oh, no!” she exclaimed. “Sweetie-Pie. He’s at home all alone.”
“I told you not to keep calling him that,” Danny said, feigning irritation. “It’ll give him a complex.”
Ally tried to sit. “Where’s my purse? I need to give you my keys.” How could she have forgotten all about her little Sweetie-Pie?
“Don’t worry about a key, Ally. I’ll take care of Bruiser,” Danny said pointedly. “I can get into the house. It’s one of those many skills I have that will never transfer to civilian life. At least not legal civilian life.”
“Well, don’t break anything,” Ally said, feeling suddenly exhausted. “Oh, and when you get in, there’s a letter on the kitchen counter from my aunt Myrtle. Looks like there’ll be someone on the bride’s side of the church after all.”
Danny gave a thumbs-up, then strode out the door.
“He seems like a nice young man,” Dr. Schmale noted as she felt Ally’s pulse. “I suppose there’s a story there.”
“Yes,”Ally said. “A long one. But it will definitely have a happy ending, and that’s all that really matters.”
“Well, you get some sleep now. You’ve still a little healing to do. And I’m assuming you have plans to make.”
“That I do,” Ally agreed through a yawn. “They can wait till tomorrow, though. It sure was nice that I finally ended up with my Sergeant for sale.”
Clearly, the doctor didn’t get her remark about the sale, but Ally didn’t care. She was too tired to explain.
And blissfully happy.
HE DIDN’T LIKE TO MISUSE the covert skills he’d learned in special operations, but knowing how to pick a lock would come in handy now, Danny thought as he parked in Ally’s drive and prepared to let himself in.
Ally’s front door had a cheap, standard residential lock. He had no trouble getting in. However, neither would any half-witted burglar with a credit card. He would definitely have to change all the locks, and maybe look into getting a good alarm system put in before he left for overseas.
“Hey, Bruiser,” he called, letting the puppy know that someone was in the house and coming to his rescue. Danny heard a series of resounding yips in reply. He chuckled to himself. “I have to give it to you, Bruiser. You got some lungs on you.”
He crouched in front of the crate and released the latch. The puppy, tail wagging frantically, rushed out. “Hey, buddy, let’s get you outside.” He scooped the squirming puppy into his arms and carried him to the back door.
Danny stood in the kitchen doorway while the dog took care of his business. Finally, the puppy scampered up to him and tried to scramble up the back steps, distracting Danny from the envelope.
“Good job, buddy,” Danny said, squatting to pet the dog, who rewarded him with a face full of wet, puppy kisses. He scooped the dog up, carried him inside and set him down next to the water bowl. “You have a drink, and I’ll get your food.”
Wondering what the guys in the squadron would think if they saw him talking to a dog, Danny reached for the bag of puppy food Ally had left out on the counter. An envelope on the counter caught his eye. “‘Myrtle Carter,’” he said aloud.
Something about that name rang a bell. Not just the last name, Carter, but something else. He was pretty sure he’d heard it before.
If he could just remember where…
ALLY HAD BEEN GIVEN her release papers and she was impatiently waiting for Danny to arrive with a change of clothes and spring her. Finally free of the monitor and tubing, she sat in the chair by the window and tried to see outside. Wouldn’t you know it. She actually had a view. Any other time, she’d be stuck with a front-row seat overlooking the parking lot.
She drummed her fingers restlessly against the plastic-covered arm of the chair. Why did good things always take forever?
The bad things always seemed to happen in an instant. Like her accident yesterday, she couldn’t help thinking ruefully.
A nurse bustled in and sat on a chair near the bed. “Ready to go home?” she asked.
Ally nodded vigorously. “As soon as Danny gets here.” She guessed she would have to depend on people to drive her around for a while, especially now that her own car was in Intensive Care.
“Do you have any questions?” the nurse asked.
Ally felt her face grow hot. She swallowed. “I…um. I…”
The nurse glanced toward the ring on Ally’s hand. “You want to know whether you can have sex?”
“Yes, I’m getting married.” Though it was policy not to keep valuables in hospital rooms, Ally had argued so bitterly with the night nurse who had tried to lock it up that she’d been allowed to keep it. Even if she had been required to sign a waiver. Ally didn’t care. Nothing was going to keep her from wearing that ring. Nothing.
“Did Dr. Schmale tell you not to?”
Ally shook her head. “But then, I didn’t ask,” she added carefully.
“If she didn’t say no, then I’d say yes,” the nurse stated. She glanced down at the chart. “As far as I can tell from your chart, there’s no medical reason not to. And since most pregnant people are married, doctors usually assume that relations will take place. So if she didn’t specifically say no, I’d say go. Pregnant women are pretty resilient, though it doesn’t hurt to be careful.”
“Why am I not reassured?” Ally said.
“Every mother-to-be worries,” the nurse said. “And it doesn’t help that you’re going to be a bride, as well.”
“I suppose,” Ally said, feeling overwhelmed by everything she had to think about. This should be a happy time, full of plans and anticipation.
“Knock-knock,” Kathie Palmore called from the doorway. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you yesterday, but I didn’t find out until the conference ended.”
Ally was pleased to see her friend. Kathie was just the distraction Ally needed.
“I know you’re going home this morning, but I thought I could help,” Kathie said, stepping inside the room. “Do you want me to get anything for you? A change of clothes? Drive you home?”
“Got that all taken care of,” Danny said from behind her.
Okay, so Ally might have been just a little partial to the man, but he had to be the most beautiful sight she’d ever seen. Though Danny was carrying her going-home clothes in her floral-patterned weekend case, he looked all man. He must have gone back to the Q and changed, because this morning he was wearing civvies. Still, he touched his forehead in deference to the colonel’s rank.
“Thank you for offering,” he said.
Colonel Palmore glanced back and forth from Ally, who couldn’t stop smiling, to Danny, who appeared pretty pleased with himself, as well. “Do you know something I don’t know?”
Ally held up her left hand, wiggling her fingers so that the diamond caught the light. No words were really necessary, which was a good thing. She got choked up every time she as much as thought of her little family-to-be.
Kathie understood immediately. “You are?” She turned to Danny. “Congratulations, Sergeant Murphey.”
“When?”
“Soon,” Ally and Danny both answered in unison.
Ally laughed. “We haven’t really set a date, but yesterday wouldn’t be soon enough for me.”
“Got that in one,” Danny agreed. “Good news. I spoke to my C.O. this morning, and he’s got me set up for emergency leave. I have another week here. Think that will be enough time?”
Kathie smiled and rubbed her hands with obvious glee. “Well, we might be able to throw a decent wedding together.” She faced Ally. “What do you think?”
“All I want is a simple ceremony in a judge’s chambers. How long does that take?” Ally said.
“Too long,” Danny said.
“Hey, I’ve got good news. Remember that aunt you said you’d finally found?”
Ally nodded.
“I wasn’t going to call her, but decided to after all. And guess what?”
“Danny, I’m an impatient woman,” Ally said, smiling to show she wasn’t upset with him. “I have a wedding to plan. And I do not have time to play guessing games.”
“I know the woman. She’s Patsy Prit—Patsy Darling’s aunt, too.”
Ally narrowed her eyes. “Why are you calling another woman ‘darling,’? I don’t like the sound of that.”
Danny held up his hands for a time-out. “Hold on there. Darling is her last name. She married Ray Darling just a week or so before I got sent here. You know Ray, don’t you? The one with the B.C. glasses who the guys call Radar?”
“No, that name doesn’t ring a bell,” she said, shaking her head. Surely she’d remember a man named Darling who wore those ugly government-issued glasses that the servicemen jokingly said were issued as a surefire form of birth control. She’d certainly have remembered a man called Radar.
“He got assigned to the squadron just about the time we…”
Ally understood why Danny didn’t complete the sentence. She didn’t like talking about it, either.
“Hey, hey,” Kathie interrupted. “We have a wedding to plan. Look smart now,” she said. “Danny, you go bring the car around.”
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