“I’ve only just arrived on base,” she answered, grabbing a coffee cup before following Gale’s glance to the package she was carrying. “Well,” she admitted, “not just. I stopped by the PX for a little shopping, but that’s all.”
Rains nodded her understanding as she gestured toward the bag. “Is that a gift?”
“What? Oh…yes, it is, as a matter of fact.” Kat tried desperately not to blush as she thought of the item she’d purchased. “How did you know?”
“It is tightly wrapped and you carry it very carefully,” Rains noted, getting a cup also. “Most people are more casual with items they have bought for themselves.”
Kathleen couldn’t help looking into Gale’s eyes. “Have you always been this observant?” If asked, she couldn’t have explained why she found this woman so interesting, why she wanted to ask dozens of questions, to listen to her stories and learn all her secrets. Nor could she say why she was absolutely positive she could never tell Gale about herself, about her own sexual aberration. The idea that Rains would think less of her or even condemn her for her desires made her cringe inside. That part of her needed Whit, but some other part wanted Rains. For what, she wasn’t exactly sure. I must be losing my mind.
Rains met her gaze for a few seconds before she looked away. “Yes. I’ve depended on observation to tell me what situations did not or people would not. Haven’t you?”
“Indeed I have,” Kathleen agreed, wondering if was possible that Rains had sensed her thoughts. She tried to keep the conversation going, lowering her voice slightly. “That very instinct led me to have a particular conversation with Bett, and our subsequent dinner together resulted from that.”
Gale nodded thoughtfully for a few seconds before turning toward the drink station, pouring hot water over one of the tea bags. As Kathleen fumbled with her package, the mug, and the coffeepot, Rains smiled at her for the first time that day. “May I help you?”
Kat gestured with her chin toward the item under her arm. “Could you get that?” She began to turn as Rains began to reach, and their uncoordinated simultaneous movements caused Rains’s fingers to brush against the side of her breast as they closed on the bag. She fought not to close her eyes as a jolt of pleasure surged through her, while Gale drew back her hand as if she’d been burned. In the process, the parcel fell to the ground. When Kat gathered the courage to look, she bit back a smile at the blush on Rains’s face. It made her look much younger and charmingly vulnerable.
“My apologies,” the lieutenant murmured, stooping to retrieve the bag. “I hope this wasn’t breakable.”
Kathleen was certain Rains wasn’t expressing remorse about the fallen gift, and even though there wasn’t anyone else near them, she knew that direction was the only way to continue their conversation. “No, it’s fine. And if you’ll sit with me for a moment at that empty table, I’ll tell you all about it.” In the stillness that followed, she could feel Gale’s reluctance to accept, and it hurt—even though she understood it.
“I’ll need to get back to the motor pool soon,” Rains said, following what felt like a long moment.
“Of course.” Kathleen used her most charming tone. “And I have another matter to attend to myself.” After a few seconds, Gale nodded again and gestured toward a nearby table. As they sat across from each other, Kat glanced around, noting they were the only two people sharing a table. The only other occupied tables were singles and one table of three very nervous-looking PFCs. Deciding to lead by example, Kathleen took it upon herself to lighten the mood, and in a few minutes they were both laughing as she described her fumbling arrival at the men’s underwear aisle. Gale assured her that Whit would enjoy them, and the way she spoke made Kat think she had firsthand experience, which made her even happier about her purchase. When they’d each taken another sip of their drinks, Kat lowered her voice. “We were talking earlier about observation and intuition. I’m wondering what your senses tell you about the feeling here. I’m speaking of the mood on the base,” she added quickly, lest Rains judge she meant something more personal.
Rains breathed in slowly, almost as if she was sniffing the air. “There is much fear,” she said softly. “People are not themselves because they are worried about their place here. By now everyone probably realizes why this is happening.”
Hartley nodded and went on to express her worry about the PX clerk being so open and willing to help her with her purchase. “She seemed like a sweet girl, and I’d hate for her to get into trouble for her attitude.” The room was almost deserted, but she lowered her voice anyway. “I just wish we knew what they were looking for.”
Rains’s mouth drew into a frown as her eyes dropped. “I blame myself for not acting differently when I had the chance. All of this pain might have been avoided.”
Kathleen started to reach for Rains’s hand where it rested on the table, but she stopped herself. “There were many others who were complicit in this matter. You don’t carry all the blame or all the responsibility to fix it. You’re not alone, Gale. Whit and I will do all we can to help. And I’ll start now.” She took another drink of her coffee and stood. Her voice still quiet, she said, “I’ll speak with you later.”
Rains stood also and saluted her. “Thank you, Captain.”
Chapter Fourteen
Rains left the mess hall and waited in her office for Helen Tucker to return from her pickup at the train station. As soon as Tucker had dropped off the shipment, Rain called her into her office.
“Close the door, please,” she said when Tucker entered, and Helen did before returning to stand before her, looking more than a little apprehensive. Rain gestured at the chair. “Sit, Private Tucker.”
Tucker straightened to attention even as her face took on that defiant expression Rain knew well. She’d seen much less of it recently, but she also knew from personal experience that such defensive feelings didn’t disappear overnight. “Thank you, Lieutenant, but I prefer to stand.”
“At ease, Private Tucker. I’d like to have a more…personal conversation with you. And I’d prefer you be seated, if you don’t mind.”
Helen swallowed, the boldness leaving her face and her voice. “I—of course, ma’am.” She sat.
Rain had been considering her words all afternoon, but they still didn’t come easily. “I had occasion to speak with another officer today who had made a purchase in the PX. From her description, I have reason to believe Private Owens assisted her.” Helen’s jaw clenched but she didn’t speak. Encouraged by her restraint, Rain hurried to assure her. “The issue has nothing to do with Private Owens’s work, but rather with her…ah…” She trailed off, struggling with how to express a warning so distasteful, she found it almost unspeakable. She saw Tucker’s brow furrow and knew she was trying to work it out on her own.
Rain tried again. “This officer happened to stop along the aisle where the men’s undergarments are located. Private Owens offered the information that these items are also worn by some of our women here.” Helen shifted jerkily and Rain wondered if she was beginning to understand or if she was guilty of the same choice. Probably both, she guessed. “The point, Private Tucker, is not what people choose to wear.” A sour taste filled her mouth because in a real sense, that was at least part of the point. But this was the Army, and those kinds of options had never been available to those who chose to enlist. Now the problem was much bigger for those women who might presume to wear something other than the standard issue panties, because of what some might believe it suggested about their character. “The point,” Rain forced herself to continue, “is that there is a growing concern regarding a…a moral issue here on base.”
Helen leaned forward slightly, her eyes wide. “Is Tee in trouble, Lieutenant?”
“Not from that officer, no. But she needs to be cautioned to—to tread carefully for a time.”
Helen signed. “Tee sees anyone who smiles at her as her friend. I’ve tried to tell her not to be trusting like that, but it’s l
ike she’s in this whole other world ever since—” She stopped, and her face flushed. “Uh, ever since we…uh, since we graduated…and then, well, she’s just been really happy for the last several weeks, okay?” Helen didn’t wait for her lieutenant to question her muddled timeline, she simply went on. “So she thinks the rest of the world is happy too. Or that she can make them happy. She talks about showing her light and stuff, and I’ve been to church with her enough times to understand that—sorta. But she don’t see that sometimes her light, well…” Helen bit her lip. “There’s folks that don’t believe we all got the same light in us. They’d see her light as threatening the shadows where they want to live. And some would defend their darkness by using a firehose to douse her when all it would take is a little puff of air.”
Helen’s manner had gotten increasingly agitated as she spoke, and Rain could feel her emotions—the worry, the fear, and the love. She’d kept an eye on Helen and Tee since the end of basic training, telling herself at first that she would do no less for any of her former squad members. As she’d watched each of them struggle in their own ways, she’d sometimes felt a bit like a mother bird with wayward chicks. And following these latest developments on base, she’d felt obliged to sound this warning call. Since honesty was a trait she greatly valued, she also conceded that her concerns about Tee and Helen felt much more personal than what she might have felt for any other of her recruits, and it felt strange to care like this about people who didn’t share her blood or her tribe. She reflected that perhaps being with Bett had expanded her understanding and acceptance of the larger meaning of “family.”
She cleared her throat. “There are those who are working to bring an end to these…shadows…that now darken our base. But for now, I believe you should caution Tee again.” Wincing slightly at hearing herself use Private Owen’s nickname, she worried that she’d sounded too familiar. Or perhaps she had said too much. She stood, reverting to her command voice. “That’s all, Private Tucker.”
Tucker stood also and came to attention, recognizing that she’d been dismissed. “Thank you, Lieutenant. I understand what you’re telling me and I thank you again for looking out for us, like you always have. And I’ll try. But”—she shrugged—“sometimes there’s just no talking to her, ma’am. And you can bet I learned that one the hard way.”
Rain managed to hide her smile until Tucker had saluted and left. She’d learned a few things about Bett the hard way as well. Her smile faded as her current concerns resurfaced. She felt the need for action, and soon, before Miriam Boudreaux did irreparable damage to Fort Des Moines and all those she cared about.
* * *
Bett was enjoying a remarkably fun day with her mother, even if some of it was spent commiserating over the lack of shopping opportunities. But while her mother had been looking for a present for Davis, Bett’s eye had fallen on a striking black leather jacket. The collar was cut like a suitcoat, but the diagonal zipper on one side and breast pocket on the other gave it a rakish look. She bought it, along with a blouse and some gray trousers, confident she could convince Rain to accept a belated Christmas gift.
After a late lunch out, Bett began to yawn again.
“Do you feel like a nap, sweetheart?” her mother offered.
“Thank you, Mother. If you wouldn’t mind, I believe I’d be much better company tonight,” Bett acknowledged, still feeling the effects of the last two weeks.
She wasn’t sure how long she’d been asleep when she felt Rain’s lips brush very gently on hers. She tried to control her breathing and not move. A second later, Rain kissed her again, this time lingering with the least bit more pressure. Bett couldn’t keep her lips from parting in welcome. Then Rain’s voice was in her ear. “I knew you were playing possum.”
“You always know,” Bett whispered back.
“I think your mother is sleeping too,” Rain said softly.
Bett had worked her arms out from under the covers and circled Rain’s neck. “Well, let’s don’t wake her.” Just as she was wondering how quiet she could be, they heard sounds in the hall bathroom.
“Bloody hell,” Bett fussed.
“Maybe inviting your mother wasn’t the best Christmas present after all,” Rain suggested teasingly.
Bett took Rain’s face in her hands. “Actually, it might have been the best gift you could have given me. I have lots to tell you and almost as much to ask.” She ran her fingers over Rain’s lips before moving both hands to her backside. “And there are some other matters that need my attention as well. Can you wait until she leaves?”
“No.” Rain shook her head, her face so serious that it made Bett smile. “But I can wait until later tonight.”
* * *
Kathleen hurried into the house, locking the door behind her before she began unbuttoning her WAC jacket. She finished stripping in the bedroom and pulled on her favorite nightgown. Curling tightly under the covers, she tried not to think about what had just happened, but memories of the incident wouldn’t leave her consciousness.
She’d felt brave after her visit with Gale in the mess hall, and determined, right up until the moment Miriam Boudreaux had opened the door to her quarters. She’d seen that look sometimes in the eyes of men on the streets and occasionally even from other women on the base, and it had always given her an uneasy feeling in her stomach. When Boudreaux smiled, it wasn’t unease she felt, it was revulsion. But she’d forced herself to accept a welcoming hug. In seconds, she could feel this was different from their usual greeting when Miriam visited her off-base home, when Whit and whoever Miriam was seeing were also present. Today Miriam pulled Kat very close, murmuring in her ear about how good she looked, while her hands had grabbed Kat’s bottom. When Kat had jerked in surprise, Miriam had held her even more tightly, grinding against her while groaning about how she felt good too. Kat managed to get her hands between them and push away enough to gasp out greetings from Whit. Instead of acting uncomfortable or embarrassed, Boudreaux had simply laughed and let her go. But she didn’t let her go very far.
Then it was all a blur. She’d tried, she really had. She’d tried to be cool, to be clever, to discern Miriam’s true intentions regarding what she planned to say at the hearing. But Boudreaux wouldn’t talk about the hearing or about the WAC or even about the war. She only talked about sex. How long it had been and how much she needed it. Thinking about it now, in the bed where she and Whit had fantasized countless times, she could readily admit that being repulsed by Miriam was more than a little bit hypocritical. Except that Miriam wasn’t creating a story about someone else—someone she would never actually touch and who would never even know she’d had those thoughts—she was talking about the two of them having sex. Right then. About the things she wanted to do, and what she wanted Kat to do to her.
And while she’d talked, Miriam had cornered her…twice. Once against the wall by her bed and the second time by the door as she’d been trying to leave. And each time she’d put her hands in places that only Whit should. The second time, when Kat had started to cry, Boudreaux had made some terrible remark about Whit, about her rotten taste in women or how she’d spoiled her woman rotten…something that Kat couldn’t quite make out through the screaming in her head. And yes, she could admit her hypocrisy about that too. It was true that the accidental brush of another woman’s hand had thrilled her only a short time before, but right now all she wanted was Whit. Maybe her fascination with Rains was at least partly that she was unavailable, unobtainable, and therefore—for fantasy’s sake—safe. But Kat didn’t feel safe now, and she wanted the certainty that Whit had always given her. She wanted the solid, real, knowing of her. She needed Whit’s voice and her hands to cleanse away the contamination of Miriam Boudreaux’s presence.
The small number on the nightstand clock confirmed she hadn’t been to sleep, and there were two more hours before her lover would be off shift. She curled into herself, pulling Whit’s pillow against her face, and sent a silent prayer there
would be no emergencies and that Whit’s replacement would be on time tonight. “Please, Vic. Hurry home. I need you.”
* * *
Thank God that wasn’t quite the disaster it could have been, Bett thought as they drove home. She’d been more than a little concerned when Rain pulled up in front of the Hotel Des Moines. She understood that Rain saw this as a fancy place in a style befitting her mother, while in fact it had a reputation of hosting WACs for trysts of various kinds. Luckily, the restaurant had proven to be decent enough and the clientele included a few older couples scattered in among nervous-looking young ladies and their various dining companions. Rain managed to choose the correct utensils at least ninety percent of the time, her most obvious gaffe coming just after they were seated, when she’d caught the waiter’s wrist as he attempted to put the napkin in her lap. The waiter winced, either at her grip or at her stare, until Bett had murmured, “This is part of his job, Rain.” When she looked over, her mother appeared to be engrossed in the menu. Bett couldn’t tell if she’d truly missed the incident or if she liked Rain well enough to ignore it. Either way, she been relieved when the meal was over.
“I got some mail today,” Rain said, breaking the silence in the car.
Bett smiled. Rain was so private, she always brought any personal correspondence home, rather than reading it at work. “Anything interesting?”
Rain nodded. “A letter from Evie. It will be nice to know how she’s doing.”
“Who is Evie?” Ann Carlton asked.
“Evie became my friend in basic training. Now she’s a nurse, serving overseas,”
“How nice,” Bett heard her mother say in that vague tone that anyone could identify as disinterested. She couldn’t imagine what her mother’s reaction would have been if she’d known Evie was a Negro.
Once home, she and her mother went into their rooms to change while Rain sat at the kitchen table to read her letter. Bett hoped that Rain would come in soon so they’d have a few stolen moments, at least, but she didn’t. When she heard the front door, she hurried out into the den. Rain was halfway onto the porch, dressed in her coat, hat, and scarf again. “Rain, wait,” Bett called. “Where are you going?”
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