A Soldier for Poppy (2 page)

Chapter Two

“Thanks for the offer but I wouldn’t want to impose. You have no idea how noisy and rambunctious two children can be.”

Peter had always referred to Carl as a military playboy, a woman at every base. She wouldn’t want to cramp his style.

“You wouldn’t be imposing. You’d be great company. Think about it and let me know. The rental’s not available until June first so I’ll be in town for a few days.”

“Oh? Where are you staying?”

He hunched his shoulders. “Not sure yet, probably take a room at a motel.”

She looked toward the playground, automatically scanning the area for her children. Should she offer? Her kids would love having ‘Uncle Carl’ around for a day or two. When she turned back to him, she caught such a lost look on his face, she didn’t think twice. “Why don’t you stay with us while you’re in town? The kids would love it and I could use another adult to talk to.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive!”

“Then thank you. I accept.”

His smile lit up his entire face, his eyes twinkling—with delight… or something more?

He got up to clear the plates and put food away and she noticed his limp again. “Carl, how did you get injured?”

He went still, keeping his back to her and for a moment, she thought he wouldn’t answer.

“I was positioned as gunner on the lead truck of an army convoy heading into enemy territory. We struck a land mine. The blast overturned the truck and threw me clear, but I landed wrong. Broke the leg in two places and busted my kneecap. The rest of the troops on the truck died. My lucky day,” he said, his voice devoid of all emotion. “End of story.”

“Very lucky! I’m so glad you survived.”

“Are you, Poppy? Are you really?”

“Yes, of course I am! How can you doubt that? You’ve been a great comfort to the kids and me, even though you could have easily stayed away after Peter died.”

“Maybe I should have.”

“Carl, why would you think that? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong, Poppy. I promised Peter I’d watch over you and the kids and I’ll do my best, but he’s proving a tough act to follow. Speaking of which, Nathan, Becky,” he called, “time to hit the road.”

“This isn’t over. We’ll talk later,” she said as the children came running.

He gave her a long, straight stare accompanied by a brief nod in reply before placing the basket and cooler in the trunk.

***

Exhausted from their active playtime, the children fell asleep almost as soon as Carl pulled onto the highway. She knew nothing disturbed them once asleep, but she kept her voice low out of habit.

“They really enjoyed the outing today. Thanks, Carl.”

“My pleasure,” he said as he cast a quick smile in her direction. “All three of you would benefit from an actual vacation. Let loose, have a little fun and enjoy life. There’s no better place than the beach.”

“Why the beach? We had fun today.”

“Yes, but it didn’t take long for Nathan and Becky to gravitate toward the sandbox. Imagine the fun they’d have with miles of coastline, hot sand, cool water, and a play park situated nearby.”

“Sounds like a child’s haven and a mother’s nightmare.”

“Why a nightmare?” he asked, concern in the timber of his voice. “They’re both excellent swimmers.”

“Thanks to you gifting them with lessons, yes they are. So you can imagine just how often they’d be in and out of the water.” At his nod she continued. “It’ll be a full-time job applying sunscreen.”

His rich, baritone laughter escaped, the corners of his eyes crinkling in mirth and a devilish little dimple appearing in his right cheek.

“I promise to buy the longest acting sunscreen on the market and a huge beach umbrella. How about it? I really could use the company.”

“Hmmm, you paint a convincing picture. Maybe I could afford a week or two.”

“Uh, uh! It won’t cost you a cent. I have to pay the rent anyway and a few extra groceries won’t break me. You can travel down with me on June first and I’ll return you home, safe and sound, maybe even a little saner,” he grinned, “at the end of August.”

“Three months? You actually want to be stuck with us all summer?”

“We’ll have a great time.”

“All right, but I don’t want to impose or outstay our welcome. We’ll leave the vacation open-ended and if we get in your way or things become too much for you, we’ll go home.”

“Deal!” He took his right hand off the wheel long enough to shake on it. “We’ll have a great time. Just you wait and see.”

Thankful she’d had the foresight to leave the outdoor lights on; Poppy roused a sleepy Nathan and herded him inside to bed while Carl followed with a sleeping Becky in his arms. She decided to forego their baths this once, struggled to get them into their pajamas, and then tucked them in for the night. As she closed Becky’s door and backed into the hallway, she turned and bumped into Carl, which threw her off balance.

“Whoa, there,” he said as he gathered her close to steady her.

Her off balance momentum resulted in her body coming to rest against his. She breathed in the unique masculine scent that was Carl and liked it very much. His compassion, strength and manly scent were things she could count on, depend on, and she did. Carl and her children provided the only light in her life, the comfort she’d needed to keep going since losing Peter.

“Sorry,” she mumbled as she pulled away from him, her mind awash with guilt. This was Peter’s best friend! She couldn’t betray his memory this way.

“No problem. Are you okay?” he asked, concern and something more etched into his features.

“I’m fine, just clumsy.” She tried to laugh it off but the sound came out strangled.

“My fault entirely. I should have paid more attention when leaving Nathan’s room.”

“And I should have remembered there was someone else in the house. This has become such a nightly ritual that I do it by rote. Come on. I’ll show you to your room so you can bring your things in and get settled.”

She hadn’t used the master bedroom with its ensuite bath since she’d lost Peter. The memories were unbearable. She opened the door and allowed Carl to precede her into the room.

“If I’d known you were coming, I would’ve aired it out, but you can open a window if you like. No one has used this room in a long time but I keep it clean and dusted. I’ll make up the bed and fetch some clean towels while you bring in your luggage.” She was babbling and she knew it but couldn’t seem to help herself.

“Hey, don’t go to any trouble on my account. Just point me to the linen closet and I can fend for myself. A soldier’s life and all that.”

***

He’d been a guest in this house enough times when Peter was alive to recognize the master bedroom. Now, he’d put his foot in his mouth and berated himself for the career reference as soon as he saw the stricken look on Poppy’s face. “I’m sorry, Poppy. If it’s too hard having me around, I can stay at a hotel.”

She straightened her shoulders, a determined light in her eyes as she met his.

“You’re not getting out of your vacation offer that easy, Mister! We’ll cope. I’ll cope. Maybe it’s time I quit grieving and started living again.”

He reached out to cup her cheek in his palm. “Peter wouldn’t have wanted your spirit to die with him. He loved you too much for that.”

“Thank you,” she said, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Hey! Got anything to drink in this joint?”

She laughed. “Follow me.”

Gladly, he thought as her well-rounded yet tight tush swayed enticingly as she walked ahead of him. She turned to show him the linen closet and caught him staring at her behind. Her blush added rosy color to a pale as porcelain complexion, her skin appearing to glow with the unstated compliment to her person.

The library cum den was at the back of the house, the patio doors opening onto a deck overlooking a formal garden that owed its existence to Poppy’s care and attention. She was an avid gardener who possessed a true ‘green thumb’. He’d often appeared on her doorstep with seedlings of some kind to add to her assortment. Anything to make her happy, if only for the moment.

He followed as she crossed to the huge oak bar in the corner, and perched on a stool when she slipped behind the counter.

“What’ll it be? The usual lager or something stronger?”

“Something on ice would be nice. A scotch?”

“Scotch on the rocks coming right up.”

She poured two and handed him one.

“I thought your preference was white wine. When did you develop a taste for the stronger stuff?”

“Well, I have this fully stocked bar and I’ve been sampling the goods on offer. Scotch and gin I can handle. The rest, ugh! Not for me,” she said, scrunching up her nose in distaste.

He laughed, picturing the look on her face as she sampled the lot. “Wish I had been here to sample them with you. That would’ve been quite a treat.”

“Are you poking fun at me?”

“Never, but the burn of brandy would’ve had you doubling over, I’m sure.”

“Nah, but it did have me running for the soda spritzer. Emptied it in record time.”

She laughed with him, the easy camaraderie putting him at ease after his faux pas in the bedroom. He’d have to watch his step and his words, so as not to bring back memories. He wanted her to see him as a man, not just as Peter’s friend or a soldier.

“Care to take me on a tour of the garden?” he asked.

“Now?”

“Why not? You have solar lighting scattered throughout.”

“Okay.”

He took her arm as they exited through the patio doors, immediately immersed in a wonderland of color and scent as they stepped out into the moonlight.

“You’ve created a virtual paradise out here,” he said as they strolled the paths winding through the garden.

“Thank you. I enjoy working with my hands. Gives me a welcome breather from all the number crunching.”

“Speaking of which, how will your clients feel about you taking the summer off?”

“I can’t really take the summer off. There are still reports and payroll that need doing. Most of which I can do anywhere with the laptop. If anything important comes up, they can reach me by email or on my cell. Work shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Good! Hey, that fountain is new, isn’t it?”

“Yes, one of my clients owns a hardware store. When he found out about my garden, he sent it over and had it installed. ‘A bonus for excellent work,’ he called it. ‘No formal garden is complete without a fountain.’ I couldn’t refuse.”

“Nor should you. Offerings like this one only happen when you’ve worked hard to get it.”

The fountain sported exquisite little cherubs with water gushing out of the pots they held. Fairy lights around the edge showed the expert craftsmanship.

“He has staff that does the actual bookkeeping and sends me reports via email at day’s end. Sometimes it can be a challenge to balance everything at month end, but it’s one of my main accounts so it’s steady work.”

They’d come full circle, back to the deck area where a shady spot to the left held play equipment. One swing was hanging haphazardly but the rest seemed in good repair. He’d have to fix that tomorrow and see what else needed his attention while he was there.

A four-seater garden swing drew his attention and he wandered over to it, taking Poppy with him as he sat and pushed off. The gentle rocking motion added to the ambiance of the garden, but it was the woman at his side who made him come to life. How could he share his feelings for her without scaring her off?

She held herself stiff and straight beside him. He shifted sideways and admired her long blond hair, only tonight it shone like a silver beacon under the moon’s glow.

“Relax, Poppy. I don’t bite, you know.”

Her tinkling laughter echoed into the night. “Maybe I do.”

“I’ll take my chances,” he said, chuckling and pulling her close to rest against him. She’d kept her hair in a restrictive bun all day, but in the process of getting the children to bed, it had come loose and now drifted over her shoulders. His arm resting on the back of the seat, he took advantage and allowed his fingers to glide through the silver waves.

“I often spend time out here in the evenings, enjoying the fruits of my labor, so to speak,” she commented in a soft voice. “It’s become my haven from the everyday world; a place where I can be alone to gather my thoughts and de-stress from the day’s events.”

“Would you prefer some time alone now?” he asked, holding his breath while waiting for her answer. If she wanted her privacy, he’d give it to her, but he loved being able to hold her like this.

“No, not tonight. Your presence doesn’t take anything away from the peace I find here. If anything, having you beside me makes it more comforting somehow.”

“Then I’m glad I’m here for you,” he said, letting out a relieved breath as he gave her a gentle hug. “Anytime, Poppy. You know that.”

“Yes, I do know. You and Peter were great friends but you go above and beyond in caring for us. I want to ask why but I’m not certain I’m ready to hear the answer.”