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“I am.”
“Oh.” She went quiet, and I could tell by her sniff that she was relieved. “When did you get back?”
“About six minutes ago.” I caught my smile as it reflected back at me from the window. I looked like a kid about to open a gift at Christmas. “And it takes six minutes to cross the property and head straight inside the house to call you.”
“You sure know how to make a girl feel special.”
“That’s the plan, Sue. I want to make you feel special every day from now on.” I tapped my finger against the receiver as I soaked up her happy chuckle. “I want to see you.”
“I want to see you, too.”
“I need to do a few things here, but I’d like to spend the night with you. Are you all right with that?”
“More than all right. I’ll leave the key under the red flowerpot, so if you run late, you can just come in.” She paused. “You’ll know where to find me.” My chest burst with happiness and anticipation. I had never been this happy with anyone before. She was everything to me.
“I won’t be late, so be ready because I’m about to show you how much I missed you.”
I hung up and raced up stairs to shower and was on my way once I hugged Mom and declined dinner with the family. She just smiled and waved me off with a laugh.
An hour later, I gently pulled back the blankets and slipped underneath to wrap my arms around the most precious thing I’ve ever cared about. I felt my love for her fill me and did my best to show her without words.
The next day, after I dropped Sue off at work, I drove to the new packing and shipping store that had just opened in Redstone. We’d been expecting a shipment of fatigues, and Dad had just gotten word they’d arrived. He called Sue’s house and asked me to pick them up before I came home. I removed my hat as I stepped inside.
“Hi, Ezra,” I greeted the owner as I inspected the place. “I hear there’s a package for me.”
“Yes, it arrived last night.” He disappeared out back and returned a moment later with the box. “I just need your signature there and there.” He pointed to the blank lines.
“All right.” I scribbled my name. “What’s been new with you?”
“I asked Pamela to marry me.” He grinned, and I shuddered. Pamela was definitely not my kind of woman. She flirted with any male who so much as looked in her direction and always had her breasts on display. It was darn hard not to look down at them.
“That’s nice, Ezra. Congratulations.”
“Thanks. We’re excited to start a family as soon as possible.” He wiggled his brows, and I again shuddered at the thought of their offspring.
“I hope the best for you.” I forced a smile.
“Did you hear the latest news?” He changed the subject when I turned to leave.
“What news is that?”
“Did you hear Wayde got himself in some hot water? Figured as he was in Nam with you, you might have already heard about it.”
“Nope.” I answered, but I turned back to hear what he had to say. I always wondered if he would find trouble once he was home.
“He was on the news.” Ezra practically rubbed his hands together.
“It’s Redstone, Ezra. Even a cat makes it on the news.” I let my tongue drip with sarcasm. “What happened?”
“Wayde was arrested. They showed the police putting him in a patrol car. Guess he assaulted someone at a bar.”
It was only a matter of time before Wayde spun out too far, but I was glad he was in jail and not six feet below. He needed help, and it really brought it home to me again how many guys went off to fight then came home in a mental mess and were left to fend for themselves. It made the job we were doing at Shadows that much more important and urgent.
“I’m sorry to hear that, but I think it needed to happen.”
“He’s crazy, is what he is.” Ezra shook his head. “I know you guys saw stuff over there, but bringing it back here and messing with the folks in town isn’t okay.”
I swallowed back the lash that was about to leap off my tongue. No one could know unless they’d been there.