Hearts orders, p.33
Heart’s Orders, page 33
“My rent? Well, I don’t know exactly.” She cleared her throat. “I mean, Emma pays the rent and I pay for food and utilities. It seems to work out okay.”
Bett was putting down her teacup, giving a little cough as if suddenly congested. “Bett?” Tee said. Bett gestured that she was all right. “Man, that tea must be strong stuff.”
Bett nodded, swallowing again. “So I take it you two would like to move off base together?” When Rains gave her a look, frowning, she persisted. “What? That’s clearly what we’re discussing, isn’t it?”
Helen jumped in. “Yeah, but we don’t really know. I mean, we haven’t made plans or anything. We’re just…”
Tee finished, “Talking.”
Suddenly remembering Rains’s history with Tucker and Owens, Bett looked abruptly at her watch. She wouldn’t get any more details from these two with Lieutenant Rains here. Plus, she knew how her lover hated lies, and the morning was already rife with them. “Oh, I really must be going.” This would be the earliest she had been at work since the first day. She dropped a five on the table. “Please let me treat.”
“Thanks, Sergeant Smythe!” Helen said, grinning.
“Nice to see you again, Lieutenant,” Bett said, trying not to acknowledge Rains’s glare.
“Sergeant.” Rains’s voice was a bit chilly. “Thank you for breakfast.”
“’Bye,” Tee said. “Maybe we’ll see you here again sometime.”
“Yes, that would be nice.” Bett smiled and left.
Helen indicated the bill lying on the table and lowered her voice knowingly. “She’s really rich, isn’t she, Lieutenant?”
Rains sat up a bit straighter. “I wouldn’t know, Private.”
“Yes, you do. You must have seen her file when we were in basic. Come on, Lieutenant. Her daddy’s somebody real important, isn’t he?”
“Private Tucker, you are out of line,” Rains said firmly.
“Okay, okay, but you gotta admit—she’s living off base, she’s got a car. You can’t afford those extras on a private’s pay.”
“Maybe not even on two privates’ pay,” Tee agreed.
Rains stood. “Ladies, I’ll leave you to finish up here.”
“Lieutenant, wait.” Helen looked across the table, and when Tee met her eyes they remained focused on each other for several seconds. From their expressions, it was obvious something very profound had happened in their relationship. Then Helen took a breath. “Tee and I, we wanted to thank you again for, you know, for not—”
“For everything you’ve done for us,” Tee finished.
Rains liked seeing that Owens wasn’t afraid to speak up for herself these days. She would have to tell Reverend Culberson about her observation. “Private Owens, Private Tucker, I told you then and I’ll tell you again. The most important thing to me is that you do your jobs to the best of your abilities and honor your country with your service—both of you. Do that, and I’ll be satisfied my decision was the right one.”
Rains walked out. As soon as she hit the sidewalk, she started to run toward the base. A few hours later, Sharon had gone to lunch, so she answered herself when the phone rang.
“Rains,” she said. She heard a little giggle on the other end.
“Emma?”
Rains knew exactly who it was. Sharpening her tone, she said, “Faith?” drawing out the name questioningly.
The line disconnected. Rains went through the rest of the workday chuckling at odd times for no apparent reason.
*****
On her way back home that night, Bett stopped at Western Union. She pulled Phillip’s wrinkled telegram out of her purse and put it on the counter.
“I need to send a reply to this right away.”
The young woman behind the counter handed her a form to print in her response. Bett wrote, Keep the money. Do not come. You are not welcome here or in NY. She thought for a moment and added, I am not your wife.
The clerk popped her gum and raised her eyebrows, looking at Bett across the counter as she read the reply. “That’s tellin’ him, honey.”
Damn right, Bett thought. To hell with my father. Next time, I’m marrying for love.
*****
“Bett’s money not only paid that bill and the tip, but look.” Helen held out her hand excitedly, showing off the remaining change. Then she grabbed Tee’s hand and pushed one of the bills into it, closing her fingers gently into a fist. Her eyes focused on Tee’s. “That’s for you to buy that nightie we were talking about.”
“No, Helen,” Tee protested, blushing as she tried to hand it back. Helen put her hands in her pockets and started walking faster, whistling. “Wait.” She scurried to catch up. “All right,” she whispered. “But don’t say something like that out on the street like this.”
“Why not? You afraid Lieutenant Rains got supersonic hearing or something?”
“No.” Tee gave a little glance around her, just in case. “But who would have thought we’d run into her at a diner in town?”
“Eating breakfast with Bett Smythe?” Helen agreed. “I guess it’s true that wonders never cease.”
Tee stopped walking for a second, her expression contemplative. “Helen, when we first saw them…”
Helen had gone on for a few steps but she came back. “Yeah?”
“I just…I had the feeling their conversation was very personal, you know? Like maybe we shouldn’t have intruded.”
Helen frowned, as if trying to remember. All she was thinking at the time was how she hoped Bett wouldn’t mention that she’d asked her out. Flirting that way was just a reflex, something being around a beautiful woman seemed to bring out in her, like throwing a line in a pond where you didn’t even know if there were any fish. That was another habit she needed to reel in right quick. Tee had made it clear last night that she wouldn’t tolerate that kind of fishing for one second. Not like I’d have a chance with Bett anyway. But in recalling that moment outside the motor pool, she considered how Bett’s tone had turned warm and playful when Lieutenant Rains appeared and how the lieutenant had smiled and the way they’d moved closer to each other once she’d left. “You think there’s something going on with those two?”
On the surface it seemed ridiculous. The two women had clashed repeatedly during basic training in what was clearly a battle of wills. Overall, she was of the opinion that Lieutenant—then, Sergeant—Rains had won, although Bett had clearly gotten in her shots. At times, everyone in the squad could see evidence of some real tension there.
“I don’t know,” Tee said, smiling at Helen, waiting so patiently for her answer the way she always had. Today, when they’d noticed the lieutenant and then realized Bett Smythe was sitting with her, for just an instant she thought she’d seen something sweet passing between them. She shook her head. Whatever the case, it wasn’t her business. Her thoughts turned serious. “But do you think Bett figured out about us?”
Helen jerked her head a little and they started walking again. “Bett knows we’re best friends. That’s all.”
Tee decided not to mention the way Bett had looked at the hotel before she’d made that comment about remembering certain evenings fondly. Fondly didn’t begin to describe the way she remembered last night. She leaned into Helen a little, letting their hands brush a few times as they walked. “Do you still love me even if we don’t have a place of our own right now or a car or five dollars to throw around first thing in the morning?”
Helen stopped and faced her. “Baby, I’d love you if we lived in a shoebox and had to eat worms. No car? Heck, I’ll drive you in the finest vehicle Uncle Sam has to offer.” She stepped closer and put her hands on Tee’s arms, making Tee’s heart beat faster. “And I’ll love you even if we don’t have two nickels to rub together.” She glanced at the sky. “Which might happen soon if I don’t get to work on time. ’Cause I can tell you, whatever it is that Rains gets up to at night, she’s still hard as nails in the morning.”
Tee hugged her, right there on the street. She couldn’t help it. “I love you, too,” she whispered in Helen’s ear.
“Thank God,” Helen said.
About the Author
Jaycie Morrison is a second-generation native Dallasite who is also in love with Colorado and now splits her time between the two. She lives with her wife of over two decades and their spoiled dog. As youngsters, she and her friends entertained themselves making up and acting out stories featuring characters from popular TV shows or favorite bands—lots of action and a little romance even then! A voracious reader, she always wondered what it would be like to write a book and found that once she started, it was almost impossible to stop. Her Love and Courage series combines her appreciation of the written word and her interest in history.
Catch up with Jaycie’s latest at www.jayciemorrison.com or reach her at jaycie.morrison@yahoo.com.
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Jaycie Morrison, Heart’s Orders
