Love Finds You at Home for Christmas

by Annalisa Daughety

  She widened her eyes. “Really?”

  “Ruby, I have a confession to make.” He stared into her green eyes. “You know that day I brought you out here to go rabbit hunting?”

  “Yes.” She watched him expectantly.

  He cleared his throat. “It wasn’t even rabbit season. I was just looking for an excuse to get you away from work and have some time alone with you.”

  A smiled played on her lips. “Are you serious?”

  “That’s one of the reasons I wasn’t really concerned with you having a weapon or a bullet. I knew we probably wouldn’t see any rabbits. A squirrel maybe, but no rabbits.” He grinned. “I thought Uncle Fred was going to give me away when I heard him ask you if you were sure you wanted to go, but he didn’t. He probably saw right through my little plan.”

  “And then I had to go and make it into a competition.”

  He nodded. “Yes. But honestly, that competitive spirit is kind of attractive on you.”

  “Kind of?” She raised an eyebrow.

  He chuckled. “You aren’t fishing for a compliment, are you? Because I could definitely give you one.”

  “I’m listening.” She grinned.

  He cocked his head. “You already know I think you’re beautiful. I mean, Betty Grable and Rita Hayworth don’t hold a candle to you.”

  “Oh, Cliff. Don’t be silly.” Despite her words, the faintest hint of a blush on her cheeks told him she was pleased.

  “I’m not. I’m being serious. But the more I’ve gotten to know you, the more I see that you’re far more than just a pretty face. You’re kindhearted and loyal. I see the way the other girls look up to you, and the way you’re always friendly to everyone no matter who they are.” He squeezed her hand. “I just want you to know that you’re really special.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “When I met you, I was struggling a lot with my faith. I wasn’t sure I’d ever step foot in a church building again or talk regularly to a God who had allowed Charlie to die and me to live.” He sighed. “But you’ve helped me find my way back. You make me want to be a better man.”

  Ruby’s eyes shone like emeralds. “That is the kindest, sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

  Cliff stood and pulled her up from the log, and then he enveloped her in a tight embrace. “I just want you to know what I think of you,” he murmured.

  She pulled pack to look him in the eye. “You are already a good man. I had nothing to do with it. It’s obvious to everyone who meets you.”

  He held a finger up to her lips. “Shh. No more talking.” He bent down and gently pressed his lips to hers, tentatively at first. As Ruby slid her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, the kiss deepened, and Cliff wished the moment could last forever.

  Chapter Eleven

  .................................

  October 17, 1943

  Dear Lucille,

  It was wonderful to get your letter last week, and I was so excited to find a picture of Annie Sue enclosed. I stuck it in the corner of my dresser mirror so I can see her sweet face every day. She sure is growing fast.

  And I’m thrilled that you finally got another letter from Donald. I can only imagine the peace of mind it gives you to know for sure that he’s okay.

  You asked how things were going here. Well, work is going well. My shift is still accident-free, and I’m so thankful for that. And I’ve made some great friends here.

  I still see Cliff regularly. We went to a Razorback football game a couple of weeks ago, and it was such fun to see the crowd and the team.

  I’m going to tell you something in confidence now, so please tear this letter up once you’ve read it. After the game, we went for a walk in the woods. While we were there, he kissed me. Really kissed me.

  Now you know I don’t go around kissing boys for sport, so I don’t have a lot to compare it to, but I think it was pretty good. In fact, it might be the most wonderful moment of my life. He tasted like peppermint, and for a few minutes, I was afraid I was going to faint I was so lightheaded.

  When it was over, he just grinned, and we went back to his aunt’s house and drank Coca-Colas like nothing had happened.

  Oh, Lucille, I don’t know what to do now. He hasn’t come out and said he wants me to be his girl. He’s never said he loves me, and we don’t have any plans to see each other after I go back to school. And he hasn’t made a move to kiss me again, not even the other night at the drive-in.

  A few weeks ago I told him about Joseph, and I said I didn’t want to risk my heart again. He seemed okay with it. So why would he kiss me? Sometimes I wish I knew what he was thinking. My job came with a handbook, and I’m beginning to think Cliff should’ve come with a handbook too!

  Oh well. I supposed we’ll work it out. My time here is getting shorter, and I guess it would be silly to get any more involved with someone when I know there’s no future. Maybe he isn’t kissing me because saying good-bye is already going to be hard enough.

  I’ll be glad to see you at Christmas—only a couple of months to go! It will be nice to see everyone, but I’ll be sad when my time here comes to an end.

  Much love,

  Ruby Jean

  * * * * *

  Ruby sat in the dorm lobby, wondering why Cliff was running late. It wasn’t like him. She pulled Mama’s latest letter out of her purse and scanned over it to make sure she hadn’t missed any news from home. It had been a while since they’d heard from Raymond, but sometimes no news was good news. Papa had written a note on the letter that said he was glad Ruby had made it to a football game. Lucille must have shared the news of the game with them, because Ruby didn’t recall putting that in the last letter she’d sent her folks. She wondered what else Lucille had shared. Surely she hadn’t told Mama about Ruby and Cliff’s kiss.

  “Everything okay?” Lola asked, coming through the door. “Why are you sitting here all alone?”

  Ruby grinned. “I’m waiting for Cliff.” She held up the crumpled letter. “And re-reading the letter I got from home today.”

  Lola plopped down beside her. “Anything interesting?” She grinned. “I hope they’re telling you not to bother going back to school and they think you should just stay here.”

  “Not quite.” Ruby was really going to miss Lola once she was back at school. “You’ll have to come visit me some weekend. It’s an easy bus ride. You can stay with me in the dorm.”

  Lola raised her eyebrows. “Or I can get a ride with Cliff. I’m sure he’ll be making the drive as often as possible.”

  Ruby didn’t answer. She still felt confused by Cliff’s nonchalance about their kiss. On the one hand, it made things much easier for her. But on the other, she had to wonder if he hadn’t liked kissing her. Or maybe he kissed lots of girls, and their kiss didn’t mean anything special to him. “I’m not sure that we’ll keep seeing each other after Christmas.”

  Lola rolled her eyes. “If you say so.” She grinned broadly. “Guess what? Harold says he has a big surprise for me. We’re having a special date on Friday night. Do you mind if I borrow your green dress again? Harold just loved it.”

  “Of course.”

  “Well, well. Don’t you two make a pretty picture?” Cliff walked over to where they sat.

  Ruby grinned. “You snuck up on me.”

  “It’s from all that time I spend in the woods. I’ve learned to stay quiet. Stealth is my middle name.” He chuckled.

  Lola said her good-byes and hurried back to the dorm room.

  “Sorry I was late,” Cliff said once they were alone. “I hurried as fast as I could. We were tied up most of the day with an electrical problem over on one of the other detonator lines.” He motioned toward the door. “You ready to go?”

  She followed him out the dorm and to the car. “Lola told me Harold has something special planned for Friday,” she said once they’d pulled away from the dorm. “Do you know anything about it?”

  He looked over at h
er and grinned. “Can you keep a secret?”

  She widened her eyes. “Of course. Do tell.”

  “Harold has tickets for them to go see a game in Fayetteville next weekend. He’s never said for sure, but I suspect he’ll be talking to her daddy while they’re there and asking for her hand in marriage.”

  Ruby let out a breath. “Oh my. Really? Doesn’t that seem awfully fast?”

  Cliff laughed. “I thought girls were supposed to be all caught up in romance and weddings. Is that a hint of cynicism I hear?” He pulled the car into the parking lot at the diner.

  “I don’t think I’m your typical girl when it comes to stuff like that.”

  Cliff grinned at her, his blue eyes dancing. “Typical is definitely not a word I’d use to describe you.” He got out of the car and came around to open her door.

  She giggled. “Well, thanks. But I’m being serious.” She took the hand he offered and let him help her out of the car.

  Once they’d ordered and were seated, Cliff looked at her from across the table. “What do you mean when you say you aren’t typical when it comes to stuff like that?”

  Ruby took a sip of Coca-Cola. “You know how some girls are. They think their life doesn’t start until they get married.” She shrugged. “I’m not that way.”

  “No, you aren’t. It’s easy to see that you’ve gone out and grabbed the kind of life you want. I think it’s really neat. You’ll have a college degree soon, and you’re getting great work experience here.” Cliff grinned. “Those are things to be proud of.”

  She returned his smile. “Most people think I’m crazy, you know. Even Hazel.”

  “For wanting to have a little independence and your own job?” Cliff shook his head. “I can’t believe Hazel would think that was crazy. Didn’t she encourage you to apply at the AOP in the first place?”

  Ruby frowned. “I mean, they think it’s crazy that I never want to get married or have a family.” She took a sip of her drink and watched the color drain from his face. Was he ill?

  “Cliff, are you okay?” She peered at his ashen face, wondering what in the world was wrong.

  * * * * *

  Cliff didn’t quite know what to say. And words usually came pretty easily to him. “Never?” He forced the word out of his mouth.

  Ruby nodded. “I told you that before, remember?”

  He stared at the beautiful girl across the table and wondered if this was some kind of practical joke. Maybe Harold was behind it. He glanced around, but Harold didn’t pop out from behind the next table. “But I thought you just weren’t ready for it now. I didn’t know you never wanted to get married. Why ever not? Is it—is it because of Joseph?”

  Ruby sighed. “It’s true that I don’t ever want to feel hurt like that again. But it’s more than that. Have I told you before about what it was like for me growing up?”

  “Just that you grew up on a farm and have three brothers. And you played basketball when you were in high school.”

  “We went through some pretty tough times, depending on the crops and all. Some years were better than others. Life on a farm can be hard. I watched my mama work as hard as any man.” She sighed. “And I’m not afraid of hard work. That’s not what I’m saying at all. I don’t mind work. I just…I saw how hard it can be to be the wife of a farmer and work hard on the farm while raising kids.”

  “So because of that, you don’t ever want to get married?” How could she write off something like that just because of a limited experience? Ruby was usually open-minded, but he could see she had her mind made up about this.

  “Cliff, do you know how close I came to being a widow? That terrifies me now. And that’s the reality for so many women these days. I think I’ve told you about my cousin Lucille. She’s three months older than I am. She got married right out of high school and has a baby now. I know I should look at her life and be envious, but I’m not. Not even a little bit.” Ruby ducked her head. “It sounds so shameful and selfish when I say it out loud, doesn’t it? I mean, she’s married to a wonderful man who adores her and whom she adores. But all I can think is that she’s never going to get off of that farm. She’ll never live anywhere else. She’ll just stay right there like her mama did and like my mama did.” She sighed. “And her husband, Donald, was drafted last year. What if he doesn’t make it back? What if she ends up having to run a farm and raise a baby all by herself? Never able to leave the farm, even if she wanted to.”

  “And you want something more,” he said softly. “You don’t want to end up stuck somewhere following someone else’s dream.”

  Ruby managed a small smile. “Since the country went to war, there’ve been new opportunities for women. Just like me becoming the line inspector at the AOP. That never would’ve happened a few years ago. Even back when I met Joseph, that wasn’t really an option. But now…there are doors open that didn’t used to be. And I want to make sure I take advantage of the opportunities that come my way. I don’t want to settle down right away and miss the chance to have an adventure and see things I’ve never seen before.”

  Cliff had never given much thought to stuff like that. He had to admit that some of what she said made sense—some, but not all. “No one says you have to marry a farmer.” He took a sip of his Coca-Cola. “You might end up marrying someone who thinks like you do and who wants to have adventures too.” He had himself in mind but didn’t want to point it out. He was pretty sure he’d made his feelings for her clear. He might not have spelled them out, but surely she knew.

  Ruby sighed. “I still say life would be much less complicated if I stayed on my own.”

  He flinched. Life might be less complicated alone, but it sure wouldn’t be as much fun. He’d just have to show Ruby how nice it could be to have someone around. He’d change her mind. Cliff forced a cheerful expression. “Looks like our order is ready.” He hurried toward the counter, already formulating his plan.

  Chapter Twelve

  .................................

  November 20, 1943

  Dear R.J. Ruby Jean,

  I guess you can see that I messed up and accidentally called you R.J. Sorry about that, but I don’t want to waste paper and start over. I realize that since you’re a grown-up now, we don’t use your nickname anymore. It’s been on my mind lately because Cousin Owen is staying with your parents for a few months to help out on the farm, and that’s what he always calls you. I’ve heard your mama correct him a couple of times, and she made him promise that when you’re home for Christmas, he’ll call you Ruby. Old habits are hard to break, though. Wade still calls me Lucy sometimes—though of course, I think he only does it to get a rise out of me! You know how your brother is.

  Speaking of your mama…she’s been asking me an awful lot of questions about Cliff. She’s sure that you love him and is afraid you’re too stubborn to admit it! I told her that I wasn’t sure about that and reminded her that you are adamant that your plans do not include marriage and babies.

  That did not make her happy, and she said she thinks that is just a phase. Now, normally I would not get involved here, but I love you and don’t want you to come home to any surprises. Besides, I agree with your mama on this one. She said that in one of your letters you mentioned something about moving off to Washington, DC, and working there after college, and I’ll tell you, this has really got both of your parents worried. Your papa was about ready to drive to Jacksonville himself to pick you up, but thank goodness your mama always knows just how to calm him down.

  Ruby, I hope you know what you’re doing. I don’t worry about you as much as they do, because I know you’re just enjoying your life, and you always have been just a little bit stubborn. (It runs in our family—thank goodness I didn’t get any of it. Ha!)

  But this Cliff Hamilton that I’ve been hearing about all of these months sounds like a very good man. So if you’re going to break his heart anyway, you should go ahead and do it. If you drag things out and keep him hanging on right
up until Christmas, you’re going to regret it, and it will ruin your holidays. And his. Mark these words from your older (though only by three months) and wiser (I like to think so anyway) cousin.

  Love,

  Lucille

  * * * * *

  “It’s so wonderful to see you!” Ruby exclaimed. She pulled Hazel into a tight hug. “You look beautiful. Pine Bluff must really suit you.” She grinned. “Or maybe it’s just marriage.”

  Hazel grinned. “Thank you. Seems that something here agrees with you too.” She raised her eyebrows. “I think I might know what that is.” She leaned close to Ruby. “And I can’t wait to hear all about it.”

  Ruby blushed. Of course Hazel would want details about her and Cliff. And her friend knew her well enough to know if she was leaving something out…so the story of their kiss would probably come out. “There isn’t really much to talk about.”

  “Come on, Ruby.” Hazel steered her into her old bedroom. A blueand-white quilt was spread over the bed. Hazel sat down on the edge. “Are you and Cliff more than friends yet? Have you made it official?”

  Ruby frowned. “It isn’t like that. I told you he was my best friend. That’s really all I know.”

  “Troy is my best friend.” Hazel cocked her head. “In fact, I’d think that would be a quality you were looking for.”

  Ruby paced the small room. “That’s just it. I’m not looking for anything. You know that.”

  “Do you mean to tell me that you don’t have feelings for him? Because if you tell me that, I’ll leave you alone about it.”

  Ruby wrinkled her nose. “I wouldn’t exactly say that I don’t have any feelings for him. But I’m choosing to ignore those, and I’m getting ready to go back and finish school. Then, who knows where I’ll end up.” She shrugged. “I may decide to move off to a big city. So there’s no point in my getting involved with someone when I don’t know what the future holds.”