picnic?”
Once outside, May mounted a bicycle with a bundle strapped to the back. “I’m serving as pack mule since our dear major can’t ride yet. I thought we’d go to that spot we like by the lake, Ruth.”
We like? May made it sound as if they were the coziest of friends who whispered and giggled together. Once. They’d had one good talk.
“Can’t do much of anything yet.” Major Novak frowned at the scattered clouds as they walked down the path. “My squadron’s on a mission. Should be over the target about now.”
Ruth studied his face. “Nothing sadder than a bird with clipped wings.”
He raised half a smile. “This old bird’s only temporarily grounded, and light duty isn’t as bad as I thought. Get to watch the new CO at work, see how he runs things.”
“How do you like him?”
He shrugged. “Castle’s not a man you like. Too formal. But I respect him greatly. Hardest worker I’ve ever seen. Turns out he flew a bunch of missions before he came to the 94th to see what it’s like. Never told the men, didn’t want to draw attention to himself. Impressive. The men grouse, but he’s whipping them into shape.”
“You too?”
“Nah. Either he likes my work or he took pity on my torn-up backside.”
“Must be pity, Major. I’ve seen that backside.”
May’s laughter rolled backward from the bicycle. “It’s healed now. We’ll send a report and clear you for whipping.”
Major Novak glared at Ruth, upper lip curled. “Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome.” She felt lighter in her step, the nursepatient relationship restored.
When they reached the lake, May leaned the bicycle against a tree. The ladies spread a brown Army blanket on the grass under the tree and sat down while the major stretched on his side.
“Ice.” He set a bucket before him. “The men had a practice mission yesterday, so I put a bucket of water in the waist compartment. Gets mighty cold at twenty thousand feet.”
May traced a squiggle in the condensation on the bucket. “What a clever idea.”
“That’s how the men get ice for parties.” He opened a brown paper bundle, pulled out a pocketknife, and sliced off a golden curl of cheese. He held it out to Ruth with a mischievous grin. “You can have some if I can call you by your first name.”
She gaped at him. “You know how I feel about military decorum.”
“I also know how you feel about cheese. And there’s ham if you call me Jack.”
She rose to her knees. “Fine. I’ll eat at the mess.”
“Why? Real English cheddar and ham. And I’ve got biscuits and red currant jam, not orange marmalade.”
“Red currant?” Ruth sat back on her heels. She was so tired of orange marmalade. And cheese? He knew a poor girl would do anything for food, didn’t he?
“All right …” Her tongue stumbled. “Jack.”
“That’s better.” A smile crept up his face. “Ruth.”
Only a name, one short syllable, yet in his voice a caress. He knew it. She saw it in his eyes when he handed her the cheese. Ruth let it dissolve over her tongue, savory and sharp.
“Oh dear,” May said. “There goes our sunshine.”
Ruth looked up as a bank of clouds snuffed out the last sliver of sun. “It’s so gray in England.”
Major Novak—Jack—sawed his knife through the chunk of ham. “Down here it is, but not up there. You get high enough, and it’s always blue.”
“I wish I could see that.” She tried to imagine soaring above the gray.
“You will.” He pointed a slice of ham at her. “You’ll make flight nurse. I know it.”
Ruth took the ham and relaxed. If he wanted romance, he wouldn’t want her to leave. Instead he encouraged her goal and made her feel as if she could be selected. She sandwiched the ham in a biscuit. “Wouldn’t it be nice if we could fly above the gray days?”
“We can in prayer.” Then May laughed. “Okay, I know it’s trite, but it’s true, isn’t it? No matter how gray life seems, prayer takes you
Once outside, May mounted a bicycle with a bundle strapped to the back. “I’m serving as pack mule since our dear major can’t ride yet. I thought we’d go to that spot we like by the lake, Ruth.”
We like? May made it sound as if they were the coziest of friends who whispered and giggled together. Once. They’d had one good talk.
“Can’t do much of anything yet.” Major Novak frowned at the scattered clouds as they walked down the path. “My squadron’s on a mission. Should be over the target about now.”
Ruth studied his face. “Nothing sadder than a bird with clipped wings.”
He raised half a smile. “This old bird’s only temporarily grounded, and light duty isn’t as bad as I thought. Get to watch the new CO at work, see how he runs things.”
“How do you like him?”
He shrugged. “Castle’s not a man you like. Too formal. But I respect him greatly. Hardest worker I’ve ever seen. Turns out he flew a bunch of missions before he came to the 94th to see what it’s like. Never told the men, didn’t want to draw attention to himself. Impressive. The men grouse, but he’s whipping them into shape.”
“You too?”
“Nah. Either he likes my work or he took pity on my torn-up backside.”
“Must be pity, Major. I’ve seen that backside.”
May’s laughter rolled backward from the bicycle. “It’s healed now. We’ll send a report and clear you for whipping.”
Major Novak glared at Ruth, upper lip curled. “Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome.” She felt lighter in her step, the nursepatient relationship restored.
When they reached the lake, May leaned the bicycle against a tree. The ladies spread a brown Army blanket on the grass under the tree and sat down while the major stretched on his side.
“Ice.” He set a bucket before him. “The men had a practice mission yesterday, so I put a bucket of water in the waist compartment. Gets mighty cold at twenty thousand feet.”
May traced a squiggle in the condensation on the bucket. “What a clever idea.”
“That’s how the men get ice for parties.” He opened a brown paper bundle, pulled out a pocketknife, and sliced off a golden curl of cheese. He held it out to Ruth with a mischievous grin. “You can have some if I can call you by your first name.”
She gaped at him. “You know how I feel about military decorum.”
“I also know how you feel about cheese. And there’s ham if you call me Jack.”
She rose to her knees. “Fine. I’ll eat at the mess.”
“Why? Real English cheddar and ham. And I’ve got biscuits and red currant jam, not orange marmalade.”
“Red currant?” Ruth sat back on her heels. She was so tired of orange marmalade. And cheese? He knew a poor girl would do anything for food, didn’t he?
“All right …” Her tongue stumbled. “Jack.”
“That’s better.” A smile crept up his face. “Ruth.”
Only a name, one short syllable, yet in his voice a caress. He knew it. She saw it in his eyes when he handed her the cheese. Ruth let it dissolve over her tongue, savory and sharp.
“Oh dear,” May said. “There goes our sunshine.”
Ruth looked up as a bank of clouds snuffed out the last sliver of sun. “It’s so gray in England.”
Major Novak—Jack—sawed his knife through the chunk of ham. “Down here it is, but not up there. You get high enough, and it’s always blue.”
“I wish I could see that.” She tried to imagine soaring above the gray.
“You will.” He pointed a slice of ham at her. “You’ll make flight nurse. I know it.”
Ruth took the ham and relaxed. If he wanted romance, he wouldn’t want her to leave. Instead he encouraged her goal and made her feel as if she could be selected. She sandwiched the ham in a biscuit. “Wouldn’t it be nice if we could fly above the gray days?”
“We can in prayer.” Then May laughed. “Okay, I know it’s trite, but it’s true, isn’t it? No matter how gray life seems, prayer takes you
Similar Books
