Two Days Of A Dream (13 page)
Read Two Days Of A Dream Online
Authors: Kathryn Gimore
"He told you that?" Kelly was dubious.
Larsen backpedaled. "Oh, no, Cap would never bad-mouth another officer, especially to an NCO."
"What's an NCO?"
" Non-commissioned officer. I’m an NCO." Larsen indicated himself.
"So basically you bluffed us out of there?" Kelly guessed.
"Yes."
"That was brilliant!” Kelly enthused. “How long do you think it will take him to figure it out?"
Larsen nudged Kelly. "Hopefully he'll stay clueless, but I don't want to take any chances." He nudged her again and she picked up her pace.
"You are the coolest cucumber I've ever seen. When you get out of the Marines, look me up; I'll find you a position." She would pull in every favor she had ever accumulated to have Larsen work for her. But on her next thought, she remembered this was just a dream.
Too bad.
"I don't know if I'll get out. I like the Corps. I've been taking college courses, and I'm thinking about trying for a commission."
Kelly’s ears perked up. "You get commissions in the military? What kind of rate do you get?"
Larsen stared at Kelly for a moment.
Coleman took a deep breath. "Oh!" She chuckled. "Not that kind of commission."
Larsen grinned. "I meant, I'm thinking of becoming an officer."
"Really?” That was too bad. She could have really used him. “With that kind of bull-ability you'll be very good." She consoled herself with the memory that this was just a dream.
"Thanks."
"Coleman is looking into going to college, too." Kelly grinned ruefully at Coleman.
"Oh?” Larsen turned his full attention to the quiet private. “What do you want to major in?"
Coleman shot Kelly an eye-spike before she sighed and answered, "I'm not sure, but I was always good in math and English."
"Your first year is all required. You have plenty of time to decide. So is that why you went into the Marines?"
"Yeah, the college fund, you know."
"Yeah, I'd wondered about ... I mean ...” He blushed. “What college do you want to attend?""I've been looking into Kansas University," she said tentatively.
Kelly almost choked in disbelief. "I can't have you going to the dark side, and you don't want to be a Jayhawk. You'd be happier as a Husker. Nebraska's a great state."
Larsen stepped between them. "No, you'd rather be a Buffalo in Colorado."
"To hear you two talk, you would think my options are a bird, a farmer, or a four-legged beast."
"I guess it does sound funny, doesn't it?" Larsen grinned, staring at Coleman’s face even after she had dropped her eyes from his gaze.
Kelly thought it fun to watch these two and enjoyed the friendly banter about college rivalries that sprung up. She didn't get to do this at the office. The guys usually stopped talking when she entered a room.
She noticed neither Coleman nor Larsen took any shortcuts now. Also, as they talked colleges, they slowed down and weren't in a rush anymore. When Coleman smiled at Larsen's jokes, her face was even more beautiful. How could that be? Kelly almost choked on the little green envy sprite that rose in her. Larsen's animated, usually boyish face looked older, more mature. They looked good together.
Kelly lagged back, observing. Unconsciously, Coleman and Larsen had pulled together, forgetting they were supposed to be guarding anyone. Kelly could see a spark of something new and growing even if Coleman and Larsen were oblivious to it. Ah, to be in love, and Larsen would make a perfect number three for Coleman. That is, if Coleman were to open up and allow it. Kelly hated the idea that Coleman might miss out on someone special because she was too focused to see the man walking next to her. Kelly’s steps faltered as she viewed her life. Had she not seen those walking beside her?
How many good men did I missed?
Perhaps this was her biggest mistake thus far in her extremely focused life. Her heart became heavy as she pondered,
could I unfocused enough to see the people around me now or is it too late?
She had no answer.
"Hey! What are you doing way back there?"
Kelly looked up from her thoughts to see the two of them frowning at her in the distance as they waited for her to catch up. Kelly had fallen so far behind she would have been lost if they had turned a corner.
"Sorry, I was just thinking." With effort, she lightened her tone as she caught up. "So have you decided which college you
don't
want to go to, like Kansas and Colorado?"
Coleman laughed. "No, I'll have to research them." She glanced at Larsen. "Of course, I could attend the college near camp when we get back to the States."
"Good choice. You can choose Nebraska after your hitch is up." Kelly knew she would have to work on Coleman.
Larsen and Coleman laughed as they flanked Kelly once again and picked up their speed.
The walk to the tent helped digest lunch, but Kelly was ready for a serious nap by the time they reached checkpoint Charlie.
"We made it here without Turner sending his goons." Larsen peered down the forbidden rows of tents. "Do you think I could bluff Pendle as well?"
Coleman stared at Larsen and shook her head vigorously. "I wouldn't try it. If she figured it out she wouldn't send her goons. She'd come after you personally and beat the snot out of ya."
Larsen laughed, but when Coleman and Kelly didn't, his merriment died away. "Uh, is there anything you need?"
A smile twitched on Coleman’s face. "No, but if I think of anything I'll let you know." It was an encouraging sign.
"Okay." Larsen kicked at the signpost as he looked around, Coleman peering in the opposite direction.
Kelly stood as an impotent observer, but she wanted to do was kick them both in their camo pants and get them to wake up. The sound of her internal clock made her edgy.
Pendle came out of her tent with another female soldier. They plopped in two canvas folding chairs as two more females scurried over to sit on the sand at her feet. Pendle was holding court.
The queen leaned to one side, glaring at Larsen, daring him to invade her territory.
He swallowed and took a deep breath before looking at the two women. "Well, we got her here safe and sound. I'd better go check on Cap." He quickly excused himself and hurried away.
Kelly was curious to know what Pendle had done to illicit such fear from everyone, but she was afraid to ask.
When the lieutenant turned her attention to Kelly, Coleman took Kelly's arm and led her away. Kelly knew that Coleman was still afraid Pendle would hurt her. Coleman was a good person and she appreciated her concern.
Almost to the tent, Kelly felt it was time to work on Coleman in hopes she would see reason.
"Larsen sure is cute." Kelly saw Coleman's eyes jerk in her direction. "A little young for me, but some lucky girl is going to snatch him right up."
Coleman relaxed. "Yeah, he's nice enough." She glanced over her shoulder as though she could still see him from here.
"A goal is a good thing but it shouldn't be the
only
thing."
Coleman kept her face forward. "Uh-huh."
She didn't get the response she wanted, so she kept going, hoping her words would touch a chord in the private's brain. "Keep your life rounded, or you're going to wake up one day and find you missed out on far more than you got."
Without looking over Coleman sighed. "You're nosy, aren't you?"
"Very."
At her tent, Coleman quickly ushered Kelly in and pushed her into a chair. "Okay, now that we are alone, tell me how you did it.”
"Did what?"
Coleman frowned. "Don't play with me, Kelly. How'd you get out of here without shoes?"
"Oh. Well …" Kelly stared at Coleman for a moment. "I don't know."
Coleman threw her hands up and rolled her eyes. "Don't try feeding me this innocent act. How'd you do it?"
"All I know is I closed my eyes and my dream changed."
The tall woman raised her hands as she leaned her body forward. "Your dream changed?"
"Yes, it went from listening to you tell me about wanting to go to college – which by the way is a great idea, in Nebraska – to me sitting on a mountain top with Cap. Then it changed back to Cap's tent when Larsen broke in. I sure wish he would quit doing that. My mountain top dream was great."
Coleman stared, her hands still raised, disbelief climbing her lovely face.
"I really am sorry. I didn't mean to get you in trouble."
Coleman sighed as she leaned back, resting her head and staring at the ceiling. "I can't believe what I saw, so there has to be another explanation."
Kelly couldn't help Coleman. She didn't know how to explain that Coleman was just a dream, too. And being a dream, weird thing would happen. She didn't think she could do it without hurting Coleman's feelings, so she kept silent.
Kelly rose, intent on lying down.
"Where are you going?" Coleman jerked to the edge of the chair.
Kelly pointed. "I'm just going to lay on the cot."
Coleman put her hands up. "No you don't, that's how it all started in the first place."
"I can't lay down?"
"No!" Coleman looked as though she might launch herself if Kelly moved another inch.
Kelly sat back in the chair. "Okay." Forcing her eyes wide, she wondering what to do next.
Coleman exhaled heavily and pulled out her footlocker. She shoved a paperback into Kelly's hands and picked up the book she had been reading earlier. It had been on the floor where Kelly guessed Coleman had dropped it when Kelly … er ... from when her dream changed.
"You can read while you wait for the colonel to send for you."
"Okay."
Kelly wasn't sure she could keep her eyes open, but she cracked the book and dutifully began to read. A couple of paragraphs in, and her eyelids were fighting with her. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't keep them open for more than a few seconds at a time.
Chapter Eighteen
"Cap?"
Duran twitched awake. He felt as though he had just fallen completely asleep, which he had. Immediately irritated, he clenched his fists.
"Larsen, how many times do you think you can wake me up today before I snap your neck and throw you in the corner?"
"Colonel Broan sent me to wake you."
"Sure he did. You can't keep hiding behind that excuse, either."
Larsen cleared his throat. "Intel came in, there's going to be another attack."
Duran was sitting before his eyes popped open against his will. "When do they think it will start?"
"I don't know, but Broan is waiting for you to start the briefing."
Duran finished buttoning, zipping, and strapping as he hurried behind Larsen. All the officers were gathered in the Ops tent.
He slid onto a bench beside Talbit. "Did I miss anything?"
"Yeah, all the betting's done."
These guys would use any excuse to bet. Personally, Duran wasn't willing to bet anything he wasn't willing to lose and he wasn't willing to lose anything. "I meant anything important."
"Nah, Broan hasn't gotten off with SAT Comm yet."
He gestured and Duran saw the colonel pacing back and forth with the satellite phone glued to his ear. He stopped abruptly then stormed over to the dry-erase board and slapped a string of numbers across the top.
"Coordinates?" Stover squeezed in beside Duran.
"Probably." Not fully clear of the fuzz, he struggled to wrap his brain around what the numbers meant.
Talbit leaned around in front of Duran. "Stover, I can't believe you bet against Trouter for the first score."
Duran took his eyes off Broan to stare at his second.
Stover smiled with confidence. "I have a feeling our guys will be first tonight."
Talbit snorted. Trouter's men, who patrolled the perimeter, always got the first score and Duran knew it was a sucker's bet. Unless...
"Is there something you know that I should?" Duran eyed Stover's cat-that-ate-the-canary grin.
Stover shrugged. "Nope, just got a hunch."
Talbit shook his head derisively. "I can already feel your money in my pocket."
"You bet against him?" Duran didn't know who was crazier. He would never bet against any of Stover's hunches, if he were a betting man.
"Somebody has to teach him."
Duran looked at Stover. "How many teachers?"
"Just ten, Master Sergeant Pickle wouldn't take any more bets."
Duran huffed. What was he going to do with these guys? At that moment, he was glad he didn’t have the colonel’s job of being in charge of them.
Major Trouter whistled, and the hum of voices trailed off. The quiet relaxed Duran, triggering his eyes to close. At the sound of Broan clearing his throat, his lids reluctantly opened.