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“Fascinating. And you know what else is fascinating? There’s nobody coming either way on the road.”

“So?”

“So if I kissed you nobody would see.”

She caught his hands and held them against the seat between them.

“Tony heard rumors that die-hard Nazis or Communists were going to try to assassinate Ike and General Patton. He didn’t think they were all that credible, but you don’t take chances. He went to General Greene, and General Greene went to Ike and Patton and told them he thought the threat was credible. Ike finally gave in and accepted. General Patton said he could protect himself, thank you just the same. So, now you know.”

“Did you hear what I just said?”

“I’m surprised you’re not riding around in one of those M-8s. You’re CIC and an Armor second lieutenant.”

“Actually, I’m Cavalry and a captain . . .”

“Only since last week,” she interrupted.

“. . . and they pulled me out of the Basic Officer Course at Fort Knox when I wasn’t quite halfway through it.”

“Why’d they do that?”

“They needed someone to run the CIC. What do I have to do to get you to kiss me?”

“Put your hands behind your back and promise to keep them there.”

“Deal.”

She looked in his eyes. “Oh, Jimmy, what are we going to do?”

“Stop talking.”

Approximately forty-five seconds later, Rachel pushed him away, said, “You better get that lipstick off,” and then set about repairing her own.

When they were moving up the road again, Rachel said, “I’m really sorry we did that.”

“Thanks a lot.”

“I won’t be able to think of anything else for the next twenty-four hours.”

And then she groped him.

VI

[ ONE ]

Schlosshotel Kronberg

Kronberg im Taunus, Hesse

American Zone of Occupation, Germany

1020 1 November 1945

A captain wearing the aiguillette and lapel insignia of an aide-de-camp to a brigadier general got out of an armchair in the lobby as Rachel and Jimmy entered. He walked up to them.

“Paul,” Rachel said.

“Rachel, the general said if you don’t have time to wait for the colonel in the tearoom, we can take him into Frankfurt when this is over.”