A Soldier Finds His Way (23 page)

“Then what happened?”

“We filled the bag to the brim, then sneaked into the basement with it. Not that anyone was watching. But with a bag full of gold, you can’t be too careful.” She laughed. “There was an old dusty safe on the shelf under the stairs. My father made a pretense of cracking the safe by rubbing his thumb against his fingers, then listening with his ear to the door as he turned the dial. We locked up the velvet bag. He told me I wouldn’t realize the true value of the gold until I was older.”

“And have you realized the true value of the gold?”

“Yes.” She blinked a few times. “It’s priceless.”

Edward’s continued smile allayed any fear that he would think her story trite, or diminish its meaning with ridicule.

“And now,” she said. “How did you knock yourself out with rock?”

He dove right in. “It was simple, actually. Hank and I were breaking in our new baseball mitts. We rubbed them with oil, massaged the leather, and slammed hard balls into the pockets over and over while we watched TV.

“We were outside one day. I was down by the lake, and Hank was closer to the house. Each of us was popping our ball up in the air as far as we could throw, then we’d get under it and catch it as it fell.” Edward stood and pantomimed his movements, throwing and extending an imaginary glove over his head to catch the ball.

“I did it a bunch of times with success, but then the ball tipped off my glove, and fell into the lake. I was bummed out and started to walk away. I didn’t go ten steps when I spotted a roundish rock, a little smaller than a hardball. I picked it up, shrugged, then tossed it up and down in my hand to get a feel for it.”

“Uh-oh. I don’t think this story’s going to end well.”

“Don’t laugh yet.” He stood with his pretend glove extended toward the sky. “I planted my feet firmly and threw the rock up as hard as I could. It went way up in the air, paused, then started down. It seemed to get bigger and bigger as it closed in on my glove. Head tipped back, I kept an eye on it as it sped toward me. Then, right before contact I shifted the glove in front of my face. The rock shot through the webbing like a meteor.”

“Oh, no!”

“Oh, yeah. I woke up on the ground with Hank shaking me. He looked over his shoulder toward the house. ‘Get up,’ he said. ‘If Mom finds you lying on the ground out here bleeding from the head with a bloody rock next to you I’m going to need a really good alibi!’”

Audra laughed uproariously.

Edward’s shoulders shook with laughter, too.

Wasn’t this what she wanted all along, to see him shed his restraints and share a bit of his life with her?

* * * *

Streetlights flickered on as the crowd migrated toward the sounds of a band tuning up in the park. Stage lights served as beacons, drawing people with the promise of a good time.

Audra held Edward’s hand and let him lead her through the throng.

They chose a spot with a good view of the stage and spread the sleeping bag from Edward’s truck over the grass. Audra mirrored Edward’s position and lay on her side propped up on her elbow. “It’s been a wonderful day, Edward.”

He touched the back of her hand. “It’s not over yet.”

A bass guitar hammered the familiar riff of “Ice, Ice, Baby
.
” The lead vocalist shuffled his feet, snapped his fingers and gyrated to center stage. He whipped the mic off its stand and started to sing. Dancers came from backstage and made their way down the wooden steps near the side of the stage. With impeccable unison, they performed quick, intricate steps as the band played. Halfway though the song they dispersed and danced into the audience.

As the bass hit the final note, a burst of fireworks lit up the sky. Applause erupted and the crowd cheered.

Audra’s hands stung from clapping. “That was great, wasn’t it?”

Edward laughed. “Totally unexpected.”

Different bands took the stage as the evening wore on. Finally, the emcee announced the last set of the evening. Guitars filled the night with a slow, sultry melody. In the background, congas added depth and feeling.

Edward rose to a knee and extended his hand. “Will you dance with me, milady?”

Her breath caught. Milady. He remembered. She slipped her hand into his, and with delicacy befitting a princess he assisted her to her feet. Was this truly happening? Oh, please, let this not be a dream. Steely blue eyes locked onto hers. As he kissed her fingers, his breath bathed her hand with warmth.

They stepped out onto the grassy area in front of the stage. At the mic, a singer shook a set of maracas, awaiting his cue to begin. He cast a knowing smile down at them.

Edward’s arm wrapped around Audra’s waist.

She trembled at his touch. Should she tell him she’d never danced with a man before? Her heart pounded as if it were attempting to escape her chest.

“Relax,” he said, more breathed than spoken. He held her tighter.

Audra rested her head on his shoulder.

Oh, that this night could last forever.

Edward woke well rested. Visions of sugarplums were nothing compared with the sweet dreams a day with Audra infused into his pillow. A morning run would do him good. He dressed for the task.

Without a sound, he made his way downstairs to the foyer. On the side table, a yellow envelope addressed to Audra drew his attention. A late Easter card perhaps? He picked it up. Return address, Bradley Warren, Chicago, Illinois. His cheek twitched. With a flick of his wrist he tossed the letter onto the glass tabletop and let himself out of the house.
None of his business.

The air hung thick with the promise of rain, and the crimson sky left no doubt of its intentions.

A slow jog brought him to the main road where he picked up his pace until he fell into a comfortable groove. There was nothing like pounding the pavement to give a man time to think, and introducing a female into his life had given him a lot to think about.

How could he describe her, besides the obvious outward beauty? Pollyanna on steroids, perpetuator of live-over days? There were so many interesting facets to this jewel of a girl.

Forty minutes later, he jogged back to the driveway and slowed to a walk. Beads of sweat rolled down his face and his wet shirt stuck to his body like a second skin. He eyed Audra’s window. Juliet wasn’t on the balcony. Too bad. She would add a little sunshine to this overcast day.

Joe was standing at the front of the house looking his way as if he was waiting for him.

“’Morning, Joe.”

Joe mumbled a good morning, or something like that, his face less than cordial.

“I’m glad I ran into you this morning,” Edward said, still breathing a little hard. “I wanted to thank you for fixing my truck. You—”

“Y’welcome.”

Joe’s curt reply matched the dismissive backhand sweep that shut down any more talk of the truck. He couldn’t possibly have a reason for being ticked off at Edward. They hadn’t even seen one another since the day before yesterday.

“Walk with me, Lieutenant.”

Familiar words. Every time Greco used them they were precursors to a good chewing out. This couldn’t be good. Two days ago he was ‘Edward,’ the guy who couldn’t be thanked enough, this morning he was reduced to ‘Lieutenant.’

He followed Joe toward the brook. Whatever the man had to say, it was obvious he wanted to say in private. He’d glanced back at the house twice as if to make sure they weren’t being watched.

The peaceful cooing of a mourning dove did nothing to alleviate the tense lines on Joe’s face. As they reached the water’s edge, he wasted no time lighting into Edward. “I don’t know what’s going on between you and my daughter, but it’s got to stop.”

Going on? What did he think was going on? The line in the sand had been clear. No way Edward would have crossed it. “Sir, Audra and I did nothing behind your back that we wouldn’t have done in front of you. I respect her and I—”

“You,” Joe’s index finger came close to poking him in the face, “are a distraction. Audra is smitten with a bit of hero worship, nothing more. It pains me to see how easily she throws propriety out the window when she’s with you. She’s going to be married in a few months and she—”

“Whoa. She’s getting married?”

“Yes, Audra will marry her high school sweetheart in the fall. I’ve reserved the chapel for the last weekend in September.” His air of condescension was unmistakable, chest puffed out, shoulders back.

Had Joe enjoyed throwing that verbal sucker punch to the gut? Edward’s nostrils flared. He planted his hands on his hips. “She never said anything about getting married and I didn’t see an engagement ring on her finger.”

Another disdainful sweep of the hand. “Audra has no need of something as frivolous as a ring to cement her promise of marriage. When Brad comes home—”

“Brad? Bradley Warren in Chicago?”

Joe’s brows came together. “Yes, he’s away on business, but how do you know this?”

“I saw a letter from him in the foyer.” Not only had he seen it, he’d touched it. Wiping the offending hand on his shorts didn’t remove the fact that Brad existed or that he’d written a letter to Audra. Neither did it wipe away the sudden, intense dislike for a man he’d never met.

How could this be happening? She gave no hint, no shred of evidence that she was committed to someone else. The way she kissed him, touched him, and spoke to him. She’d led him to believe he had a chance with her. His head dropped to his chest. Each breath became a chore, a fight to quell the dizzy, queasy effects of being blindsided.

A dove called out again.
Where are you?

In the distance, an answer came.
I’m here, come to me.

He shook his head. Even the birds had someone.

“Edward.” Joe’s tone was soft, almost fatherly.

Unbelievable. A moment ago he was Lieutenant Interloper, the corrupter of good morals, a rogue wedding crasher. The man crushed his heart and left the bloody remains in his chest. Now he had the audacity to put on a sympathetic voice and revert to calling him by his given name? With a huff, he shrugged off the hand Joe laid on his arm.

Looking Joe in the eye wasn’t easy. The wound he inflicted went deep. “What do you want me to do, Mr. Lorenzo? Are you asking me to leave?”

“Yes. I’m asking you to do what’s best for my daughter.” The man’s voice was weak, his tough façade, gone. His gaze fell to the ground. More than likely, he’d never thrown anyone out of his house before, and it appeared it was more than he could stomach.

* * * *

Showered and dressed, Edward crept around the bedroom gathering his things.

On the bed by the wall, Hank lay on his back in deep sleep. Cricket slept next to him with her head resting on his chest.

Should he wake Hank up to say good-bye? No. Hank would ask questions he didn’t feel like answering right now.

Bag in hand, he made his way downstairs and out the front door.

Joe was standing on the porch as he passed by. Neither said a word.

Edward sat in his truck and hammered the steering wheel with both fists. Why hadn’t she told him up front that she was engaged? That would have been a valuable piece of intel. A game changer, for sure.

Was she having second thoughts about getting married? Was that it? If so, why didn’t she just break it off? Why lure Edward to her house and then, in full view of her family, give every indication that she was interested in him? None of this fit Audra’s character.

Yesterday, her kisses weren’t those of a girl well practiced in the art. Not that that was a bad thing. No, she was smoking hot and kissing her was pure ecstasy.

There’s nothing like dancing with a pretty girl in the moonlight, my friend.
The guy was right. It was awesome. But, Audra had danced as if she’d never been in the arms of a man in her life. What kind of man was Brad, some sort of puritan?

What were his options?

Confront her. Ask her face-to-face if she’s getting married.

“Why bother,” he murmured.

Joe already told him the chapel was booked for her wedding. Of all people, the father of the bride and owner of the chapel should know if his daughter’s getting married. Besides, did he really want to hear those words come out of her mouth?

He could stay at Hank’s place, continue to see Audra and run off this Brad guy for good. But was it worth pursuing a girl who would cheat on her fiancé?

Joe was still on the porch. The man’s delivery might have been crude, but he was Audra’s father, and it was his job to watch out for her. He’d asked Edward to do what was best for his daughter Words spoken out of love.

Edward left the truck and went to the porch. “Sir, with your permission, I’d like to say good-bye to Audra.”

Joe nodded.

Climbing the stairs with leaden legs proved difficult. He gave her door three light raps with his knuckle and waited.

The door opened and Audra’s sleepy face lit up at the sight of him. She tied her robe and smiled. “Good morning.”

He stepped back from the hand that reached to touch his chest. “Would you get dressed and meet me outside in a few minutes, please?”

“Is something wrong?” Worry lines creased her forehead.

Hank’s bedroom door opened.

Cricket pranced out and circled Edward, then Audra before bounding down the stairs.

Hank stood in the doorway, his eye patch centered on his forehead. “What’s going on?”

Edward brushed off the question, took to the stairs and went outside to the porch to wait with Joe. It didn’t take long before Audra and Hank came through the door.

Each face told a different story. Hank, curiosity and concern. Audra, bracing for bad news. Joe? Now, there was a mystery. Joe’s focus remained on Audra. The man swallowed several times and took deep, painful looking breaths. What was that all about?

Audra stepped closer. “Edward, what is it?”

Why did she have to be so beautiful, so sweet, and so perfect? It would have been better if he’d never met her.

“I have to go.”

Her tears were instant. “But, why?”

Now would be a good time to vent his anger. After all, she deserved it. He could simply tell her that her father had asked him to hit the road and leave the two of them to hash it out after he left. Neither of those options would make him feel any better, though. And driving a wedge between her and her father would serve no other purpose than cruel retribution for the pain they’d dealt him.