Page 14 of Semper Fi

With Adam’s howls receding as he walked to the barn, Cal steeled himself to face Sophie.

Jim had marched her into Cal’s room to apologize for not teaching him the proper way to milk, and Cal had told her all was forgiven.

Since then she hadn’t been rude as she’d been before, but wouldn’t meet Cal’s eyes and clearly tried to avoid him.

Inside the barn, Sophie milked Mabel with practiced ease, her head resting against the cow’s flank. Finnigan lounged nearby, and his tail wagged when he spotted Cal. Sophie was lost in thought, and Cal cleared his throat. “Good morning.”

She leaped up, knocking over her stool. Mabel mooed and Finnigan barked sharply. Cal smiled. “Careful. Don’t want to get on Mabel’s bad side.”

Eyes on the hay-strewn floor, Sophie asked, “What are you doing here?”

“Just thought I’d come down and see how you’re getting on. Your brother’s having a bad morning.”

After a few moments of silence, she spoke. “Oh.”

“Look, I know we got off on the wrong foot, but I’d really like it if we could be friends.”

She glanced at him, her brow furrowed. “Why?”

“Why do I want to be friends?”

Sophie nodded.

“Because you’re my best pal’s daughter, and I’m going to be living here for months. I like you, and I think you’d like me if you gave me a chance.”

“But…”

“Aw, I’m not so bad. I promise.”

“But I am.”

Cal blinked. “What?” He took a few steps closer, and she lowered her head. “You’re not bad.”

“I am!” With her shoulders hunched, she took in a shuddering breath.

“Hey, hey. It’s okay.” Standing before her, he wasn’t sure what to do. “Uh…” Finally he crouched down and tipped her chin up so she’d look at him. Her eyes swam with tears. “Please don’t cry.”

“I was mean to you. But I never meant for anything bad to happen. I swear, I didn’t.”

“I know. Heck, when I was a kid, you should have seen the stuff I pulled with my new nanny. I liked the old one a lot more, and I tried every trick I could think of to make the new one leave.”

She sniffled. “You did?”

“You bet I did. But you know what? Pretty soon I realized she wasn’t so bad. In fact, she was pretty great.” Actually, the woman had been insufferable and cruel, but Cal kept that part to himself.

“You really want to be friends with me still?”

“I really do. So how about we just forget all that other stuff and start over.” He extended his hand. “Hi, I’m Cal.”

After a moment, she put her little hand in his. “I’m Sophie.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.”

Sophie smiled tremulously. “You too.” She swiped at her eyes. “Do you want to help me milk? The right way this time? ”

“I don’t know. You think Mabel will be my friend, too, or do cows hold grudges? Can you put in a good word for me?”

Giggling, Sophie nodded, and they went to work.

***

“Grandma, Grandpa!” Sophie raced across the paddock and clambered over the fence.

Shading his eyes from the sun, Cal watched the rusted old pickup truck rumble up the drive.

Ann’s parents climbed out, wearing what had likely been their Sunday best for a decade, a dress and suit now rather threadbare.

They must have been fairly young when Ann was born, as they couldn’t be much older than fifty.

Both had stocky builds and worn faces, and their dark hair was neatly combed.

From astride his horse, Jim waved. Adam sat before him, one of Jim’s arms wrapped securely around him. Cal had just shuffled down for his morning coffee when they’d arrived back from church, and they’d quickly changed and headed out for some time with the horses.

Cal walked over and reached up for Adam, swooping him through the air and making the boy squeal before carrying him outside the paddock and setting him down on the ground.

Jim dismounted and gave the horse a pat before going to greet his in-laws.

Sophie chattered excitedly to them as they approached the paddock.

“Lorraine, Ron. Nice to see you.” Jim pressed a kiss to Lorraine’s cheek and shook his father-in-law’s hand.

Ronald grunted, and Lorraine’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Thank you for the invitation. Always wonderful to visit our grandchildren.” She bent and hugged Adam tightly.

“You know you’re welcome anytime.” Jim smiled and nodded to Cal. “This is my old friend Cal Cunningham. Cal, this is Lorraine and Ronald Shelton.”

“Pleased to meet you.” Cal shook with Ronald and nodded to Lorraine. He had a feeling kissing the back of her hand as he’d do with his parents’ female friends would seem quite forward to the Sheltons.

Lorraine smiled politely. “And you. We’re glad Jim has some help around the place again.”

“Don’t you have something better to do than farm apples?” Ronald’s voice was gruff.

Cal laughed awkwardly. “No, sir. We’ve been working hard, getting ready for the growing season.”

“Grandma, Grandpa, I made lunch. Are you hungry?” Sophie asked.

At this, Ronald smiled. “That sounds real good, honey. What did you make us?”

Sophie led the way into the house, and Cal glanced at Jim, who wore an apologetic expression. Cal hadn’t expected Ann’s parents to be particularly happy folk, not with their daughter’s death so recent, but there was an unmistakable tension in the air he couldn’t quite get a read on.

They sat at the formal dining table with Sophie playing hostess, albeit with Jim’s help. Lunch was slightly crooked roast beef sandwiches and a potato salad Cal suspected Mrs. O’Brien had made the day before. He took a bite of his sandwich. “Mmm-mmm. That’s delicious, Sophie.”

She beamed as everyone chimed in with their agreement. Truthfully there was too much mustard and not enough tomato, but Cal ate his sandwich and reached for a second one. He addressed Lorraine. “Do you have far to come?”

She patted the corner of her mouth with her napkin. “A couple of hours. Not too far.” She clucked her tongue at Adam beside her as he dropped a dollop of potato salad onto the polished wood table. Ronald grumbled something under his breath.

Sophie glared at her brother. “You’re such a goober.”

Jim’s tone sharpened. “Sophie.”

“Sorry,” she muttered.

Jim went on. “Did you tell your grandparents about your math test? She got a perfect score. ”

“What does she need to learn math for?” Ronald asked with a frown.

Sophie glanced between her father and grandfather, hesitating. “I’m good at it, Grandpa.”

He smiled kindly at her. “That kind of learnin’ isn’t for girls. You just need to cook and clean like your momma.”

Jim spoke evenly. “Ann was good at school too.”

“Don’t remind me.” Ronald glared. “Wanted to go to college .” He spat the word out like it was a curse. “Should have stayed home with us.”

Lorraine cleared her throat. “Now, now, let’s not get into that. Sophie, that’s real good that you’re doing well in your classes.”

Sophie nodded with her eyes on her plate.

After twenty more tortuous minutes of stilted talk, lunch was over and Lorraine and Sophie cleaned up while Jim helped Adam rebuild the train set in the sitting room, since Adam wanted to show his grandparents.

Cal escaped outside and walked over to the barn to say hello to Mabel and get clear of any more loaded conversations.

He was sweeping up a stall when the floor creaked and Ronald appeared. The man put a cigarette between his lips and offered the pack to Cal. They both puffed away, and Cal desperately tried to think of something to say. “You’re from up in the mountains? Beautiful country.”

Ronald grunted, which seemed to be his favorite way of communicating.

“A dairy farmer, is that right?”

“Uh-huh. Best kind of farming there is.” Ronald coughed and took another drag. “Apples.” He snorted dismissively. “One bad storm and the whole crop’s ruined for the year.”

“I suppose every kind of farming has its risks.”

Ronald watched Cal with a speculative gleam as he exhaled a cloud of smoke. Finally he said, “So, you’re a Marine.”

“I was. I stopped wearing my dog tags last year, but I guess I’ll always be a Marine. That’s what they say.” The Marine motto echoed in his mind: semper fidelis —always faithful. He wondered if Ronald had fought in the first war but didn’t ask. “How was your winter in the Catskills?”

“My only child died at the start of it.”

Shifting his weight, Cal took a nervous puff. “I’m very sorry. I always heard wonderful things about Ann.”

“She should have stayed with her family. Now she’s dead and gone because of him.”

Cal’s hackles rose. “It wasn’t Jim’s fault. I can only imagine how difficult it must be for you—”

“Her mother talked me into letting her go work near that school. She got all those ideas in her head. Then she met him and stayed here in the valley .”

He said the word with the same scorn he might direct toward the city, Cal suspected.

“She should have come home. The Johnson boy was all ready to marry her. Could have combined our land. But no, she insisted on Jim Bennett. Look where it got her.”

“It was a terrible accident, sir.”

Ronald tossed his cigarette to the floor and ground it out with the toe of his scuffed, lace-up shoe just as the hay ignited. “Wasn’t no accident.”

The tension in Cal’s body increased tenfold. “Of course it was.”

“Things were never the same once he came back. Annie tried to hide it, but we could see. He’d barely look her way, while she tried and tried to please him.”

Cal frowned. That didn’t sound at all like Jim. “I’m sure it was an adjustment for everyone when he returned home.”

A grunt. “Last summer Lorraine came down for a surprise visit and there was our girl with a black eye. Gave some sorry excuse about opening a cupboard door too fast. I know it was him.”

Cal’s mouth dropped open before he inhaled sharply. “Jim would never hit a woman. Never.”

“’Course you’d say that. ”

“Because it’s true! I know him better than anyone, and I know he would never have hurt your daughter.”

“Then what the hell was she running away from? Died all alone out in a ditch in the night. She must have been coming home to her mother and me! Just like we always wanted. I wish that son of a bitch had been killed over there. Annie would still be alive. We could sell this useless place and bring her and the children back home where they belong.”

Cal’s hands clenched into fists. “You’ve suffered a terrible loss, Mr. Shelton. I think you should go spend some time with your grandchildren and stop talking nonsense.”

“I know the truth, and so does our Lord almighty. Jim Bennett will burn in the hellfire for what he’s done to my daughter.” With that, he stalked from the barn.

Cal trembled with rage. The man had some nerve spewing his poisonous accusations at Jim’s own home.

Outside of war, Jim wouldn’t hurt a fly, let alone his wife.

Of that, Cal was utterly certain. It wasn’t even a question.

He had half a mind to call out Ronald Shelton and tell Jim what had been said, but he couldn’t see what good it would do.

Wincing as the smoldering end of his forgotten cigarette scorched his fingers, Cal quickly stubbed it out and went to make sure Ronald Shelton didn’t cause trouble.