“How about tonight over dinner?” Kat asked quickly as Whit made a move to open her door. “At our house? I promise I’ll actually cook this time.”
Whit grinned. “Deal.”
“I’m sorry,” Bett said, looking at Kathleen as she stepped out of the jeep. “I didn’t mean to interrupt, but I only have half an hour and I’m about to crawl out of my skin. I don’t care if we just stand here and you tell me everything, but I have I know what happened today at the hearing.”
Gracie made sure they were seated in the quiet corner again. Bett told her she wasn’t sure if Rains would be joining them, but Gracie just patted her shoulder and said she was welcome anyway, any time. Once they were seated, neither Bett nor Kathleen bothered to look at the menu; they just turned expectantly to Whit.
“At first, she really had me going,” Whit said, keeping her voice low as she described Miriam’s appearance as she entered in the wheelchair. “But then I saw her give Gale a look as she passed her, and at that point I knew the sick thing was all an act.” Her mouth set in a firm line for a moment before she went on. “It was hard, hearing from that poor girl about what Miriam did to her.” She fixed her eyes on Kat and there was some movement under the table. Bett thought they were probably holding hands. Then Whit mouthed something that she couldn’t see, but based on Kathleen’s blushing reaction, it was something sweet. Bett was happy to see that her friends seemed to be working through their problems, but time was passing and she had to get back to work. She was about to clear her throat when Whit shifted back in her chair and went on. She described the questioning and how Colonel Issacson had pretty much taken over at that point. When she got to the moment where Boudreaux was given a chance to speak on her own, Bett tensed inside.
“Miriam struggled to her feet, and practically everyone there gasped almost in unison as she swayed dangerously, but I knew it was just part of her dramatic production,” Whit said. “Dr. Rosenberg acted like he was going to help her, but she shook her head and motioned him away. ‘Dr. Rosenberg is a fine doctor,’ Boudreaux said, nodding in his direction, ‘but since no one seems to know exactly what’s wrong with me, I’m taking the liberty of asking for a privilege not given to so many of our fine fighting men.’ Then Miriam sniffed dramatically.” Whit rolled her eyes. “I still can’t believe she had to nerve to put it like that, after what she did.”
Kathleen and Bett were both leaning forward expectantly.
“Anyway, then she said, ‘I’d like to die in my own bed, surrounded by my loved ones.’ What a con! I don’t know if she even has any loved ones left. But she wiped at her eyes and made some comment about how meaningful her time here had been, and then ended saying, ‘Please. I just wanna go home.’ And that was it.”
Bett let out a breath and sat back. Kathleen kept her eyes on Whit. “And what did Colonel Issacson decide?”
“The former Lieutenant Boudreaux has been given a medical discharge but will get to stay in the hospital until she’s well enough to travel. I predict that won’t take more than a couple of days. I don’t think the girl’s sergeant—” Whit looked to Bett. “She’s your friend Archer, right?” Bett nodded. “Yeah, she wasn’t very happy about the decision, probably feeling that Boudreaux was getting off too easy, probably. But Gale went over to talk to her, and I hope she helped her understand it was for the best.”
Everyone was quiet for a moment. “It is rather difficult to accept that letting an abuser get off scot-free is for the best.” Kat’s voice was hard, but her hand shook as she took a sip of water.
Whit cocked her head. “Well, she did suffer through several episodes of severe vomiting.” Kat bit her lip and looked away, but Bett thought she might be trying to hide a smile. She put her hand on Kat’s.
“And no other girls here will have to put up with her…unwanted advances. We’ve done what we needed to do for ourselves and for the WAC.”
Kat nodded. “Do you really think things will go back to how they used to be at the base?”
Bett smiled. “Yes, I do. It may take a little while, but I’m sure the worst is over.”
A waiter Bett didn’t recognize approached and set down three plates of food. Bett looked up at him. “We haven’t ordered yet.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the waiter responded. “But Miss Gracie said y’all need to eat. Said she expected y’all would like today’s special.”
Kat was sniffing the aroma approvingly and Whit had already picked up her fork.
“Miss Gracie is a very smart lady,” Bett said.
“Yes, ma’am.” The waiter grinned.
“Please tell her we said thank you.”
He nodded and left. Bett was surprised to find she was very hungry, and Kathleen and Whit seemed to be realizing the same thing. They had almost finished when Kat said, “Oh! You’re supposed to tell me about your secret now. You said today, right?”
“I did, yes.” Bett glanced at her watch. “But I really need to go.”
“Secret?” Whit looked between them, confused.
“I did something when I visited Miriam, and it seems that it’s all worked out the way I’d hoped, so that’s good. But I couldn’t tell Ra—Gale because I’m fairly sure she wouldn’t have approved. I’m asking both of you not to mention it just yet. I just need to figure out the right way and the right time.”
Kat and Whit both had strained expressions on their faces. For a moment, Bett thought it was because they disagreed with her approach to the situation. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder and she knew.
Chapter Twenty-One
“I think now is a very good time to tell me whatever it is.” Rains’s voice was calm, but Bett heard a note of steel in it. Her throat tightened.
“Uh, we should get going,” Whit said, and she and Kat both stood. Whit stopped by Rains and stage-whispered, “Remember, we won.”
Rains only grunted as she sat. Bett tried to tell herself that it was probably better to have this conversation in a public place. But then she saw the hurt in Rains’s eyes, pain she knew Rain was letting her see, and she realized that not being able to touch her wasn’t a very good idea after all. “Beloved, I’m sorry,” she began, but Rain held up her hand.
“I will say this first. I’m glad you have friends, people that you can talk to and share important things about your life. And I apologize if I’ve said or done something to make you feel there were things you couldn’t talk to me about.”
“Oh, Rain.” Bett hated crying in public, but she thought she might. “It’s not like that.”
Sure enough, she felt tears well up when Rain’s fingers gently stroked her hand. “Then tell me what it is like.”
Bett studied their hands and saw them as perfect likenesses of the people they were. Very different, yet so surely connected. Considering this, and trying to hold back her emotion, she caught a glimpse of her watch. “God, Rain. I’m late for a meeting. I totally lost track of time.” She started to stand but the look on Rain’s face made her sit back down. “I swear, Beloved. I’m not trying to get away from this conversation. I only came to meet Whit and Kathleen because I couldn’t wait until I saw you to find out what happened at the hearing.” A tear dropped onto her cheek. “Please believe me.”
Rain brushed the wetness away and helped Bett to her feet. “Of course I believe you. I know you. I love you.”
Bett embraced her right there in the restaurant. She didn’t care how it looked. “I won’t be late tonight, I promise. And we can talk about it then. All right?”
Rain nodded and they left together. At the car, Rain said, “I might be a little late. I’m going to see Boudreaux in the hospital after I get off this afternoon. I don’t want to leave things between us the way they are.”
Bett sighed. She reached into her purse and handed Rain an envelope. “If you’ll give her this, you’ll save me another trip over there.” She slid into the driver’s seat, but before closing the door, she added, “I’ll explain tonight, but please don’t look at it.�
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Rain drew back slightly, and her face hardened. “If you think you have to tell me that, then perhaps you don’t know me.” She turned and walked away before Bett could say anything. She had just reached the cryptography building when an appalling thought occurred to her: Rain might be there when Boudreaux opens the envelope. And worse, she would then find out how much money was inside it.
* * *
When Lieutenant Rains walked into the hospital room, Miriam Boudreaux was sitting in a chair, trying to eat Jell-O, most of which was shaking off the spoon and into her lap.
“Maybe you should try using a fork,” Rains suggested from the doorway.
“Maybe you should kiss my big bayou butt,” Boudreaux replied, not looking away from her food.
“You seem to be feeling better, Boudreaux,” Rains answered.
“Why is it you here instead of one of the good-looking ones?”
Rains shook her head. “You’ll never change, will you?”
Miriam Boudreaux put down the spoon. “Something has changed, though. I can usually sleep at the drop of a hat, but not right now. And I feel kinda…uneasy all the time…though I don’t know why. The hearing is over so no sweat, right? And you saw how I’m shaking. Do you think I’m really sick?”
Rains had a vision of her father on one of the few times he had to do without the bottle—prowling the house at all hours, shaking and talking to people no one else could see. “How long has it been since you’ve had a drink?”
Miriam shrugged. “A couple of days, I guess.” She stared off into the distance. “I thought Whit was my friend when she was bringing me that hooch, but instead she was trying to kill me.”
“She wasn’t. She was only trying to keep you from testifying because she was worried about who you might name.”
Boudreaux turned back, glaring at her. “You would have been at the top of my list, but your rich little honey took care of that.”
Rains cleared her throat but was careful not to show any reaction. “That reminds me. She sent this for you.” She handed Boudreaux the envelope.
To her surprise, Boudreaux ripped open the seal and dumped its contents onto her bed covers. Money. Lots of money. More than Rains had ever seen in one place. Some big bills, some small. She blinked.
Boudreaux looked up from her counting and laughed at Rains’s expression. “You didn’t know about this, huh? I figured not. Bet you thought you’d be the one getting your hands on her dough.”
Rains stiffened. “I’m not interested in her money. I love her for who she is, not what she has.”
Miriam nodded admiringly. “That’s a great line. I’m gonna have to remember that.”
Rains started to object but stopped herself, realizing her protest would fall on deaf ears. She couldn’t believe that Bett had given Miriam Boudreaux so much money. It was clearly a bribe—the payoff that had kept her from naming anyone at the hearing—but from what she could tell, it was an extravagant amount to spend for Boudreaux’s silence. More importantly, they shouldn’t have to pay to keep their honor. Working not to show her outrage, she kept her tone casual. “So, now that you’re rich, I guess you can pay me back that five dollars you took.”
“What five dollars?” Miriam was just as indignant as she expected she’d be.
“The night of Kathleen and Whit’s party. I beat you at cutting cards, but you took my money. Come to think of it,” Rains acted thoughtful, “you owe me ten dollars.”
“Horseshit.” Boudreaux raised her voice. “You cheated.”
“I beat you fair and square and you know it. It was a new deck and Whit shuffled.” Rains held out her hand. “Pay up, loser.” Miriam’s face was turning red, and she clutched the bills tightly. “Unless…” Rains patted her pockets, finding the ten-dollar bill Bett routinely put there. Waving it in Miriam’s face, she taunted, “Unless you wanna play me for it.”
“I was drunk that night. You took advantage.”
“So? You’re not drunk now, are you?” Rains was busy calculating the money she had in the pouch she kept around her neck. She’d have to play it just right, but it could work, as long as the cards continued to favor her. She laid the bill across the bottom of Boudreaux’s bed.
Boudreaux stared at the money for a moment before going to her nightstand and ringing the little bell there. A few minutes later, a nurse appeared in the doorway.
“Yes, ma’am?” she asked, looking toward the bed. Then she caught sight of Rains and startled slightly. “Oh, I didn’t know you had company.” She took a second look and a smile lit up her face. “Why, Sergeant Rains. How nice to see you.”
Rains recognized the voice first—those softly drawled vowels that seemed to add an extra syllable or two into every word—and then the face. At least half the freckles had come from her time outdoors during basic training. “Hello, Matilda. I didn’t realize you’d gone into nursing.”
Matilda blushed, the way she often did when someone spoke to her directly. “I didn’t, at first. I’d planned to go into communications, you know, but it just wasn’t for me. I guess I like to see people directly, not just hear them on the radio or some such.”
Matilda had always been extremely personable—sweet tempered, friendly, and chatty. Rains smiled. “Yes, I can see how this would fit you much better.”
Matilda’s color deepened. “I’m sorry. I forgot you’d been promoted, Lieutenant. Congratulations.”
Rains nodded her head in acknowledgment as Boudreaux called out, “Hey, nursie, if you’re through having old home week, I need some playing cards.”
“Uh, I don’t think we—” Matilda began, but Rains said, “Just ask around, will you? Maybe even some of the other patients?”
After a moment’s hesitation, Matilda said, “All right, Lieutenant Rains. I’ll see what I can do.”
The door had barely closed when Boudreaux said, “You telling me you haven’t diddled her?”
Rains’s eyes narrowed. “Shut up, Boudreaux.”
“Come on. That little Georgia peach couldn’t even look at you without blushing. I know you had a little bite at least.”
Taking a step toward her, Rains dropped her voice, “Those who are guilty often accuse others of the same crimes, as if to justify their own wrongdoing. I assure you that is the case here.” She took another step, and Boudreaux backed into the nightstand. “If you want a chance to win my ten dollars rather than giving up yours, I suggest you not say another word until my former squad member returns.”
Miriam sat on the bed and Rains turned her back to watch the door. She worked to rid herself of emotions—the disgust she felt toward Boudreaux and the hurt from Bett’s unwillingness to discuss her plan beforehand. When Matilda returned with a worn deck she’d gotten from a wounded serviceman, Rains was as empty as she’d been in the days of playing cards with the Lost Boys. As she’d planned, Boudreaux won the first hand, raising her fist triumphantly at the seven she’d drawn to beat Rains’s five. Looking desperate, Rains brought the pouch out from under her shirt. “Double or nothing?” she asked.
By the time she left the hospital, her mind was already on the last task she needed to accomplish before this ordeal would truly be over.
* * *
That night, Kat was going all out for dinner, making all of Whit’s favorites and a special dessert that she found in an issue of the Ladies’ Home Journal. All through her preparations, things that she and Bett had talked about played in her mind. They’d both been exceptionally open with each other, other than Kathleen not admitting her crush on Gale Rains and Bett refusing to reveal what she’d done that she didn’t want to tell her lover. They were halfway through a bottle of wine when Kat remarked, “I gather there have been times that you and Gale disagreed.”
Bett laughed so hard she had to set her glass down for fear that the wine would spill. “That, my dear, is the understatement of the century. Gale is stubborn, excessively proud, and damn certain that she’s always right.”
“W
hile you, of course, are none of those things,” Kathleen observed, unable to keep the smile off her face.
Bett seemed startled for a moment, and then laughed again. “Well, only sometimes.” She picked up her glass again and took a sip. “I think it’s unrealistic to hope that two people, especially two strong-minded people, could live together without some friction. But the most important thing is that I know she loves me and she knows I love her. Everything else just works itself out.”
Kathleen considered this for a few moments. “What would you do if she didn’t believe that you loved her?”
Bett’s focus became distant, and she smiled softly. “Touch her.” At Kathleen’s raised eyebrow, she explained, “Not sexually. Well, not at first. But warmly and with great tenderness. Gale lived much of her life without much physical affection from anyone who cared about her, so that kind of contact from someone she trusts has a profound effect on her.” After a few seconds, she looked at her hands. “It has a profound effect on me too. Being with Gale has taught me that true intimacy has a lot more to it than just sex.” Meeting Kat’s eyes again, she added, “Not that the sex isn’t wonderful too.”
Kat thought about how things were with Whit. Great sex, yes, though not lately, and she was to blame for that. But did they touch affectionately beyond the walls of the bedroom? Had they ever been truly intimate? Whit had helped make her comfortable with the practice of casual physical contact with friends, and she was now fine with hugging their guests and occasionally touching someone’s arm or squeezing a shoulder. Why couldn’t she be equally at ease doing the same things with Whit? “It’s a risk, though, isn’t it? Putting that much of yourself out there for someone else to see, letting them know you that fully.”
Bett nodded solemnly. “It is. And if you chose to fight against that possibility, you’ll think you’ve won. You can keep more of yourself to yourself, and think that you’re safe. But what you really are is detached and isolated, even while you’re pretending to have a relationship.” She must have seen the pain in Kat’s eyes, because she held out a hand. “Not you, personally, of course. I meant one, someone.”
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