trail off.
Ed gripped her hand so tightly it hurt. “Are you saying what I think you are?”
She smiled again. “Try asking me.”
Though she would have thought it impossible, Ed’s face paled even more, making his freckles more pronounced. He swallowed, cleared his throat, then swallowed again. For a second, she thought he was going to remain silent. Then he stammered, “Will you … er … will you marry me?”
She nodded. “Yes, Ed. I will.” If Carolyn had had any doubts about the wisdom of her decision, the joy she saw on Ed’s face erased them. She faced her family’s protests and the town’s incredulity calmly, refusing to explain what they all considered to be an inexplicable action, saying only that the war helped people see clearly what was important. For Carolyn, keeping Ed alive was the most important thing she could do.
“You mean you agreed to get married on a whim?” For an instant Carolyn stared at Dwight, startled by his words. She’d been so lost in her memories that for a few seconds she had been transported back to Texas in August.
She shook her head at the man who stood opposite her, his feet planted firmly on French ground, his brown hair gleaming in the October sun. “I didn’t say that it was a whim.” She would tell no one the reason for her engagement. “I love Ed. It’s just that the war hastened our plans.” Not wanting to discuss her own engagement any longer, she turned the tables. “Haven’t you ever done anything spontaneously?”
Dwight shook his head. “I believe in thinking before I act.”
“General Pershing could take lessons from you. Maybe you should command the American forces.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” This time there was nothing joking in Dwight’s voice. “I want to save lives, not take them. That’s what’s important.”
Carolyn couldn’t dispute the importance of saving lives, but it wasn’t everything. “What about fun? Where does that fit into your life plan?”
“It doesn’t.”
“But …” Carolyn started to protest. Dwight was wrong, so very wrong. For a second, she was tempted to tell him that and show him how to have fun. One look at his face quenched that thought. He wouldn’t appreciate anyone telling him to laugh. This was Dwight Hollins, the man whose solemnity was legendary, the one who apparently planned every aspect of his life. Carolyn would take a lesson from him. She might not be able to plan her life, but in the future she would think before she spoke, especially when she was speaking to Dwight Hollins.
Dwight stared at the empty sheet of paper and frowned. It was getting late, and he still hadn’t started his letter to Louise. He could blame it on the heavy workload, but the fact was, today had been no worse than any others. There was no reason why he had spent the last half hour sitting in the small room he shared with three other doctors, staring out the window rather than write a letter to Louise.
When he had left the States, he and Louise had agreed that they would write weekly, always on the same day. That way there would never be any question about when they should write. It had been such a good plan.
Dwight’s lips curved in a smile at the memory of Carolyn’s expression when she had spoken of spontaneity. It was obvious that he and she had very little in common. What would she think if she heard how he and Louise scheduled their correspondence? Carolyn would undoubtedly have some kind of sarcastic retort, probably telling him that women preferred spontaneity. She was wrong, of course. All women weren’t like her. Louise most certainly was not.
Leaning back in his chair, Dwight closed his eyes, trying to picture the woman who would become his wife when the war ended. She was tall, slender, dark-haired—almost the complete opposite of Carolyn, who was medium height, nicely curved and blond. Dwight’s eyes flew open and he frowned in disgust. Drat it all! Why did he keep thinking of Carolyn? It was
Ed gripped her hand so tightly it hurt. “Are you saying what I think you are?”
She smiled again. “Try asking me.”
Though she would have thought it impossible, Ed’s face paled even more, making his freckles more pronounced. He swallowed, cleared his throat, then swallowed again. For a second, she thought he was going to remain silent. Then he stammered, “Will you … er … will you marry me?”
She nodded. “Yes, Ed. I will.” If Carolyn had had any doubts about the wisdom of her decision, the joy she saw on Ed’s face erased them. She faced her family’s protests and the town’s incredulity calmly, refusing to explain what they all considered to be an inexplicable action, saying only that the war helped people see clearly what was important. For Carolyn, keeping Ed alive was the most important thing she could do.
“You mean you agreed to get married on a whim?” For an instant Carolyn stared at Dwight, startled by his words. She’d been so lost in her memories that for a few seconds she had been transported back to Texas in August.
She shook her head at the man who stood opposite her, his feet planted firmly on French ground, his brown hair gleaming in the October sun. “I didn’t say that it was a whim.” She would tell no one the reason for her engagement. “I love Ed. It’s just that the war hastened our plans.” Not wanting to discuss her own engagement any longer, she turned the tables. “Haven’t you ever done anything spontaneously?”
Dwight shook his head. “I believe in thinking before I act.”
“General Pershing could take lessons from you. Maybe you should command the American forces.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” This time there was nothing joking in Dwight’s voice. “I want to save lives, not take them. That’s what’s important.”
Carolyn couldn’t dispute the importance of saving lives, but it wasn’t everything. “What about fun? Where does that fit into your life plan?”
“It doesn’t.”
“But …” Carolyn started to protest. Dwight was wrong, so very wrong. For a second, she was tempted to tell him that and show him how to have fun. One look at his face quenched that thought. He wouldn’t appreciate anyone telling him to laugh. This was Dwight Hollins, the man whose solemnity was legendary, the one who apparently planned every aspect of his life. Carolyn would take a lesson from him. She might not be able to plan her life, but in the future she would think before she spoke, especially when she was speaking to Dwight Hollins.
Dwight stared at the empty sheet of paper and frowned. It was getting late, and he still hadn’t started his letter to Louise. He could blame it on the heavy workload, but the fact was, today had been no worse than any others. There was no reason why he had spent the last half hour sitting in the small room he shared with three other doctors, staring out the window rather than write a letter to Louise.
When he had left the States, he and Louise had agreed that they would write weekly, always on the same day. That way there would never be any question about when they should write. It had been such a good plan.
Dwight’s lips curved in a smile at the memory of Carolyn’s expression when she had spoken of spontaneity. It was obvious that he and she had very little in common. What would she think if she heard how he and Louise scheduled their correspondence? Carolyn would undoubtedly have some kind of sarcastic retort, probably telling him that women preferred spontaneity. She was wrong, of course. All women weren’t like her. Louise most certainly was not.
Leaning back in his chair, Dwight closed his eyes, trying to picture the woman who would become his wife when the war ended. She was tall, slender, dark-haired—almost the complete opposite of Carolyn, who was medium height, nicely curved and blond. Dwight’s eyes flew open and he frowned in disgust. Drat it all! Why did he keep thinking of Carolyn? It was
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