case.”
“ Isn’t it?”
“ No.”
“ Then, what is it?”
Jory shrugged. “Must be that unpredictable
love you mentioned.”
Nan chuckled as she headed for her car.
Jory tucked the book under her arm and
locked the door. She rolled down the windows of the vehicle to
breathe fresh, morning air. The sun was shining, and she hummed a
favorite love song as she drove slowly, ambling along a winding
back road to the paper. Roses twining around the white picket fence
marking the Dailey’s property were in full bloom. Jory admired the
brilliant, pink blooms stretching their petals to the sun.
Laura waved from her kitchen. Jory raised a
palm to Maude Finch, the local librarian, and several other
townsfolk she knew and liked. The fresh air and warm temperature
lifted her spirits. Impossible to be sad or depressed on a day like
this. Birds sang. Joy filled her heart. She had fallen in love with
the countryside and a banged up Marine.
After work, she climbed into her 2010 Toyota
and steered for the hospital. She thought about topics to discuss
with Trent as she maneuvered over the fifteen miles of country
road.
She turned off the ignition, but kept
singing “Can’t Smile Without You” softly as she made her way down
the hall. Nods to familiar faces brought smiles in return. It had
only been ten days, but she knew everybody there.
Busy nurses and volunteers were relieved to
have her taking over entertaining SSGT Trent Stevens. One of the
nurses confided in Jory that she was his only visitor. The news
squeezed her heart. Marie, her favorite nurse, stopped her before
she turned the corner by the water cooler.
“ You might want to wait,” Marie said,
turning her head to stare into an empty room.
“ What? Why?”
“ Well, there’s somebody in there.
Military.”
“ Oh, you mean a superior? Giving him
some confidential information?”
“ Uh, no. I doubt that. But, well, just
the same. I’d wait, if I were you.” Marie shifted her gaze away
from the young woman again.
Before Jory could ask her any more
questions, a doctor signaled Marie, and she scurried off to join
him. Not afraid of much in this world, and curious as hell, Jory
proceeded slowly toward Trent’s room and stopped a few feet from
the door. She heard voices.
“ Glad to see you’re doing okay,” a
woman said.
“ I’m holding my own.”
“ About us…”
“ Hey, forget it. There is no us, remember?”
“ I know what we agreed, but I didn’t
want you to think I didn’t care.”
“ Thanks for stopping by. You don’t owe
me anything, Sheila.”
“ Yeah, an Afghanistan
thing.”
“ That’s what we said. And it still
stands.”
“ As long as you’re okay with
that?”
“ Of course. You’re a great lady. I
hope you find the right guy.”
“ Thanks.”
“ At least one who’s in one
piece.”
“ A good place to start.”
Trent and the woman laughed together for a
quick moment then silence.
“ I’ve got to be getting
back.”
“ Shipping out?”
“ Tonight.”
There was silence then a faint sound, which
Jory figured might be kissing. Heat flamed her cheeks.
Eavesdropping had never been her thing, but she needed to know.
When she looked up, a tall woman in full military dress halted
abruptly. Jory was blocking her way.
“ You must be the girl who reads to
him. Candy striper?” Sheila asked.
Anger burned in Jory’s chest. “Not a candy
striper. And not a girl. A woman and a friend.”
“ Oh. Sorry. I see. Thanks for taking
care of him.”
“ Don’t thank me. I’m not doing it for
you,” she said, her spine stiffening.
“ Hey, chill. I’m not your competition,
lady. A pair of eyes might be.” Sheila brushed by Jory and strode
down the hallway.
“ What the hell do you mean?” Jory
called after her.
The woman stopped. “I mean, when he can see
again, he can do better than you.”
“ Bitch,” Jory muttered to
herself.
Forgetting completely about his condition,
she stormed into his room. After
“ Isn’t it?”
“ No.”
“ Then, what is it?”
Jory shrugged. “Must be that unpredictable
love you mentioned.”
Nan chuckled as she headed for her car.
Jory tucked the book under her arm and
locked the door. She rolled down the windows of the vehicle to
breathe fresh, morning air. The sun was shining, and she hummed a
favorite love song as she drove slowly, ambling along a winding
back road to the paper. Roses twining around the white picket fence
marking the Dailey’s property were in full bloom. Jory admired the
brilliant, pink blooms stretching their petals to the sun.
Laura waved from her kitchen. Jory raised a
palm to Maude Finch, the local librarian, and several other
townsfolk she knew and liked. The fresh air and warm temperature
lifted her spirits. Impossible to be sad or depressed on a day like
this. Birds sang. Joy filled her heart. She had fallen in love with
the countryside and a banged up Marine.
After work, she climbed into her 2010 Toyota
and steered for the hospital. She thought about topics to discuss
with Trent as she maneuvered over the fifteen miles of country
road.
She turned off the ignition, but kept
singing “Can’t Smile Without You” softly as she made her way down
the hall. Nods to familiar faces brought smiles in return. It had
only been ten days, but she knew everybody there.
Busy nurses and volunteers were relieved to
have her taking over entertaining SSGT Trent Stevens. One of the
nurses confided in Jory that she was his only visitor. The news
squeezed her heart. Marie, her favorite nurse, stopped her before
she turned the corner by the water cooler.
“ You might want to wait,” Marie said,
turning her head to stare into an empty room.
“ What? Why?”
“ Well, there’s somebody in there.
Military.”
“ Oh, you mean a superior? Giving him
some confidential information?”
“ Uh, no. I doubt that. But, well, just
the same. I’d wait, if I were you.” Marie shifted her gaze away
from the young woman again.
Before Jory could ask her any more
questions, a doctor signaled Marie, and she scurried off to join
him. Not afraid of much in this world, and curious as hell, Jory
proceeded slowly toward Trent’s room and stopped a few feet from
the door. She heard voices.
“ Glad to see you’re doing okay,” a
woman said.
“ I’m holding my own.”
“ About us…”
“ Hey, forget it. There is no us, remember?”
“ I know what we agreed, but I didn’t
want you to think I didn’t care.”
“ Thanks for stopping by. You don’t owe
me anything, Sheila.”
“ Yeah, an Afghanistan
thing.”
“ That’s what we said. And it still
stands.”
“ As long as you’re okay with
that?”
“ Of course. You’re a great lady. I
hope you find the right guy.”
“ Thanks.”
“ At least one who’s in one
piece.”
“ A good place to start.”
Trent and the woman laughed together for a
quick moment then silence.
“ I’ve got to be getting
back.”
“ Shipping out?”
“ Tonight.”
There was silence then a faint sound, which
Jory figured might be kissing. Heat flamed her cheeks.
Eavesdropping had never been her thing, but she needed to know.
When she looked up, a tall woman in full military dress halted
abruptly. Jory was blocking her way.
“ You must be the girl who reads to
him. Candy striper?” Sheila asked.
Anger burned in Jory’s chest. “Not a candy
striper. And not a girl. A woman and a friend.”
“ Oh. Sorry. I see. Thanks for taking
care of him.”
“ Don’t thank me. I’m not doing it for
you,” she said, her spine stiffening.
“ Hey, chill. I’m not your competition,
lady. A pair of eyes might be.” Sheila brushed by Jory and strode
down the hallway.
“ What the hell do you mean?” Jory
called after her.
The woman stopped. “I mean, when he can see
again, he can do better than you.”
“ Bitch,” Jory muttered to
herself.
Forgetting completely about his condition,
she stormed into his room. After
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