Emma whipped around, sputtering. Maggie Shay was her Donut Dolly “buddy.” They went through training in Washington DC together, flew to Nam on the same planes, and now bunked together. The Dollies always did everything in pairs. That way no woman was ever compromised by being alone with a man. A Donut Dolly’s reputation was paramount. “What do you mean yearning? I don’t even know him. We just met.”
“I know. I saw you speak to him by the window. Things looked really intense between you, though. The Dragon Lady noticed, too.” They’d nicknamed Miss Slaughter, the thirty-something woman who’d replaced their regular supervisor, Dragon Lady, because slaughter was just too brutal a word in Nam. Besides, the woman seemed to breathe fire at everyone. “What were you two talking about?” Maggie arched a brow.
“Hell.”
Maggie rolled her eyes. “It’s a Christmas Party.”
“Ho, ho, ho,” Emma muttered. “I think I may have caused him more pain. He was already hurting before I spoke to him.”
“Most of the men who stay on the fringes are haunted by something. I find it hard to believe you hurt anyone, though. You cry over spilt milk and save creepy-crawlers instead of squashing them. What did you say to him?”
“Not to let today’s hell steal tomorrow’s heaven.”
“Good Heavens,” Maggie said. “You do go deep. Don’t worry, Em. Casting lines like that usually end up being the very lifeline that saves a man drowning in this godforsaken place.”
Emma grabbed Maggie’s hand. “Don’t say godforsaken. Not even in jest. John was sure God had abandoned all here in Nam. The soldiers need to know that isn’t true.”
“Who’s John?”
Emma nodded in the direction John had left. “Mr. Intensity.”
“Are you sure you don’t know him?” Maggie frowned.
Emma laughed. “Quite sure, but we’re both from Georgia. So maybe you sense our home state kinship.”
“I’m thinking I need to move out of Providence when I get back home. Every gorgeous man I see is from somewhere else.”
“We’d better get back into the crowd. We’re here for another six months, so no need to make any hasty decisions.”
The rest of the evening passed in a blur of activity. Being in Saigon was a welcomed respite to the rough schedule they kept out in the field. Sometimes they would travel to three different bases and put in ten to twelve hour days of smiling, talking, and playing Dolly games with the soldiers. They were reminders of all things good, the girl next door, the sister, the friend, the girlfriend, the wife, the mother. The only taste of home that these men would have in many long months and sometimes, it was a man’s last.
Emma didn’t have a chance to think about John Weldon again until late that night. Even now, as she lay alone in her bed, she could still feel the electric shock of his gaze and the heated burn of his hand sliding against hers. Touching his shoulder had made her stomach knot with angst and anticipation. She knew it was daring and bordered on blurring the strict line of her personal moral code. Not because she’d touched him, but because she hadn’t reached out to him solely because he was alone and in pain. The man attracted her, and she’d wanted to know what he’d felt like. She fell asleep and dreamed about crystal blue eyes that had persuaded her into a steamy affair, which ended with her being dismissed from the Red Cross.
The next day their duties had them visiting the hospital and playing games with the semi-mobile wounded in the lunch-room. She was in the middle of a checker game with a soldier from Kansas who’d lost his left leg. He would be leaving tomorrow. The Dear John letter he’d gotten the day before his platoon had been ambushed hadn’t helped the boy to recover. At eighteen years to her twenty-two, he felt like a boy and she an older sister.
“Okay, Patrick,” she said as she crowned one of his men and moved one of hers a square. “Let’s go over your game plan again. When you get home what are you going to focus on?”
He moved his king. “Rehab and music.”
She angled another checker to protect her man. “Is it going to be easy?”
He shifted his king to the next square. “No.”
She frowned at the board then made her move. “Then what will it be?”
He retreated his king. “Hard.”
She jumped one of his men. “Are you going to give up?”
He doubled jumped her with his king. “No.”
She groaned, having not seen that move. “Why?”
He slid another man to be crowned and grinned. “Because perseverance is its own success.”
She crowned his man then reached over and took the soldier’s hand. “I’ll be waiting for your letter and be the first in line to buy your album when it comes out. You can do this. Life threw you a curve ball, but you’re going to hit a home run, okay?” Emma felt someone behind her and she knew it was John.
“Miss Emma, I love you forever,” Patrick said, and kissed her hand in his enthusiasm.
Emma patted the boy’s hand and freed hers.
Patrick’s nurse came up. “Time for rehab, kiddo.”
“He’s pretty much won this game already,” Emma said with a laugh.
“Yeah. I’m ready to go knock it out of the park.” The nurse wheeled Patrick away.
John pulled up a chair and sat opposite her. He had a heavy frown darkening his brow. “You need to go home.”
Emma felt as if he’d slapped her. Her mouth dropped open. She couldn't seem to stop her response, even though sarcasm wasn’t in her nature. “Good afternoon, Miss Rollins. It’s so nice to see you again. How are you doing today? You really make a difference in some of these soldiers’ lives. You don’t know how much we appreciate that. Why thank you, Lieutenant Weldon. So nice to see you again as well. Sorry, to have to rush off, but I’m due back and I’m already running late.” Her dream of him last night had been too real and his abrupt manner, had her even more flustered. She had to get away.
Seeing Maggie frowning at her from the door, Emma stood and made a beeline for her buddy. She grabbed Maggie’s arm. “Let’s go.”
“We’ve another five minutes.”
“I don’t.” Emma left and Maggie followed. Once they reached the street she started venting. “That man has the manners of a bull in a china shop with the ass end of a mule to back him up.”
Maggie burst into laughter. “He is rather broad across the shoulders and trim in the hip. What has you so ticked off?”
“Him.”
“But he’d just sat down, though he had been hovering over you for a bit first.”
“He said five words to me and now I can’t see straight.”
“What did he say? I’ve never seen you like this.”
“I told her she needed to go home,” John said from behind them both, causing her to jump and Maggie to squeal. They’d been so involved they hadn’t heard him at all. Then again, he likely moved like a shadow in the night when he wanted to.
“You do, too.” John told Maggie. “It’s not safe here.”
Maggie shook her head, seemingly calm in the face of John Weldon’s dictatorial manner. “I understand your concern, Lieutenant Weldon, but nothing has happened in Saigon in years. There’s a reason the base and the hospital are here.”
“You’re not seeing all the facts here, Miss…?”
“Shay,” Maggie said holding out her hand.
“Maggie Shay of Rhode Island meet Lieutenant John Weldon of Georgia,” Emma muttered, wondering how her piss-off was being turned into a social occasion. People on the street were starting to look their way.
“I think we need to keep walking,” Emma said.
Smooth as butter, John stepped between them and ushered them forward. “I’ll escort you back and say my peace.”
“Well, peace away, Lieutenant Weldon. We’re just two blocks from our destination. What facts are we missing?”
“The Paris Peace talks failed at the beginning of this month. Two years ago there were over five hundred thousand men here in
Nam. Now were at about a hundred and fifty thousand with more troops being pulled every day, yet we’re still out there shooting at the NVG hornet’s nest. If you don’t think something bad can happen in Saigon then you don’t know who we’re fighting. The situation is ripe for a mortal blow against the US. Lastly, you aren’t just staying here in Saigon. You’re flying to Long Bình Christmas Day. And I’m sure they have you visiting more troops other places before the New Year. Am I right?”
Emma pressed her lips to keep silent and could have kicked Maggie for answering. “Yes, we’re scheduled to visit Cu Chi and Da Nang.”
“All of which is none of your business, Lieutenant Weldon. I appreciate your concern but quite frankly you have no right to march into my life and start dictating what I can and cannot do.” Emma sucked in a deep breath, feeling much better now that she’d gotten that off her chest.
They reached the entryway to the Red Cross compound.
“I’ve no right?” John asked softly.
Emma frowned at him and wanted to kick Maggie again. Her friend was grinning from ear to ear.
John continued. “You gave me that right last night, Miss Rollins. I can no more walk away without warning you of the danger I see coming than you could resist touching me.”
The door opened behind Emma as John spoke and the Dragon Lady gasped with outrage. “Touched you? Miss Rollins, your improprieties have cast shame upon us all. You’re fired! I expect to see you in my office in thirty minutes with your belongings. I will be seeking what other disciplinary actions are necessary to assure no other woman under my supervision engages in sordid behavior.”
Emma stood stunned.
“You can’t do that!” Maggie shouted. “She did nothing wrong and you’re besmirching her good name.”
“And you’re lying to protect her. You’re fired, too. You both have thirty minutes.” The Dragon Lady turned on her heal and marched back inside and slammed the door.
“I’ll go explain,” Maggie cried, running after the Dragon Lady.
“What in the hell was that?” John asked.
Emma planted her finger in the middle of John’s hard chest and pushed. “That’s you messing up my life. What do you think someone is going to make of what you said? ‘Couldn’t resist touching you last night?’” She snorted. “You’ve got an ego the size of the Empire State Building.”
John winced and raked his fingers through his hair. “I didn’t mean it sexually. I meant it humanely. You couldn’t walk away from my pain without touching me. I’ll go and explain to the woman. How she could take my sentence and run to Bum-uh-Egypt is mind boggling.”
Emma sighed and shook her head. “I think you’ve done enough damage for one day. Seeing you more will only add fuel to the Dragon Lady’s fire.”
“Because?”
Emma rolled her eyes. “Have you ever looked in a mirror, John Weldon? Every woman who looks at you has impure thoughts, I’m sure.”
He arched a deadly brow. “Do you?”
Emma straightened her shoulders. “It would be highly improper for me—”
John leaned down and kissed her. Just flat out planted his mouth on hers and stole her breath in a thundering heartbeat of excitement. She moaned and leaned into in him a moment. She pressed the palms of her hands to his chest and felt the solid burning heat of muscled man for a brief glimpse into heaven before she wrenched away.
“Dear Lord! You shouldn’t have done that!”
“Why not? As I see it, it was my only chance. Kissing a Donut Dolly is off limits. Currently, you’ve been fired so I can kiss you without breaking the rules. I’ve no doubt that you will get your job back shortly and will then become off limits again.”
“John Weldon you are a devil if I ever saw one.”
He backed away grinning. “I did say we were in Hell. I’m dead serious about your safety, though. If you won’t go home at least speak to your supervisors about staying in Saigon. It’s more dangerous out there than ever. I’ve had my leave cut short for some reason, and I’m going back to camp right now. Something big is up.”
Emma clutched her hand to her heart, wanting to reach out and stop him from leaving. Wanting to touch her lips to his again. She’d thought he was here until Christmas. She wasn’t ready for good-bye. He disappeared around the corner of the building, leaving the main street. Would she see him again?
Throwing everything to the wind Emma ran after him. She caught up to him under the canopy of a food market. “John!” He spun around, and she nearly ran into him before coming to a stop. “Can I write to you?”
He brushed a lock of hair back from her face. “Yeah, Em. I’d like that.” He rattled off how to contact him, started to turn away, then swung back and pulled her into his arms. This time his kiss wasn’t a simple meeting of their lips. This time his tongue sought hers in a seductive fiery dance that swept her away. Hard passion pulled her into a new world of want and need. It was more than just a kiss. It was a desperate searching of a soul in need of connecting, and her entire being responded to his cry.
This time he ended the kiss. They were both shaking and shaken. “Em, I…I’m not sorry I did that.” Then he turned and walked away. Or rather marched away as if he had to force himself by strict action to accomplish what had to be done.
Emma pressed her fingers to her mouth, wanting to forever seal in her mind the touch of him, the feel of him, the taste of him.
Her heart squeezed painfully tight in her chest. It was ridiculous. It was insane. He was a stranger whom she didn’t even know really, but in less than a day’s time, he’d become important in a way she couldn’t explain. Take care, John. Please, take care.
Present Day
Perhaps it was Providence, but there were very few people in the ER waiting room. Usually December in the South was the height of the flu season. Her sons managed to fill all of the empty space though. Jesse took almost three seats with his sprawl and Jared and James paced opposite one another but in perfect sync, as they always had whenever they were upset or angry. It served to either calm them down or rile them up. She used to tell John the boys were “getting their testosterone on” when they started pacing as they plotted how to get back at Jesse and Jackson for some perceived slight.
They were all on edge, waiting for Jackson to come out and tell them about John.
“If you two don’t sit down a minute, I’m going to bean you both,” Jesse muttered.
“Don’t tell us what to do,” James said frowning at Jesse.
Jared swung around. “Really? Dad’s in there and all you can think about is what James and I are doing?”
“Now boys,” Emma said, sensing an explosion. Old habits died hard.
Jesse laughed. “Someone has to kill the tension building. At least you both stopped wearing your shoes out for a moment. I’ve been Googling V-fib and thinking about Dad. Any of you noticed him having any health issues lately? Mom already said he got flying stars at his last check up in October.”
“No,” Jared said. “I haven’t, but then I haven’t been around a lot.”
James’s gaze held anger as he glared at Jared. “Dad’s stopped by the construction office about once a week for the past few months. He’s been fine as far as I could tell.”
Emma raised her brows at that. John hadn’t told her he’d been checking up on James. The little devil. She clasped the dishcloth tighter. “This morning he was slow leaving the house to check on the cows in the pasture. I thought it was just the cold, but maybe it wasn’t. He was late getting back, too. And I was so wrapped up in what I was doing that I didn’t even go check on him. Dear Lord, what if this had happened down in the pasture when he’d been all alone? He would have died.”
“It didn’t happen then,” Jesse said firmly. “So don’t go beating yourself up over what ifs. We have got too many more important things to talk about. I’ve long been worried about how much work he insists on doing at the farm. He’s needed help for a long time. When he recovers from this,
there is no way in hell he’s going back to the way things were.”
“I’ve been fussing at him for years about hiring someone full time to help.” Guilt dug at her. “I should have insisted. I more than anyone know how doggedly stubborn your father can be.”
James shuddered. “I had this conversation with my friend, Ben Harding, just a few months ago. Sorry to say this, Mom, but Ben’s grandfather was just like Dad when it came to the family farm. He died this past summer from a heart attack.”
Emma gasped. “I remember.” Her voice shook.
“Good going, bozo,” Jared muttered. “Dad’s going to pull through this, Mom.”
James glared at Jared again. “He is going to be all right. I already told mom that. I was only reaffirming both Mom and Jesse’s point. Dad can’t go back to doing what he’s been doing. Also, Sam Harding was twenty years older than Dad. Do you think Dad could have been having problems and not tell you about it, Mom?”
Emma frowned. She would have automatically said no, but John had had an inkling about his royal heritage and hadn’t told her. “I don’t know,” she muttered. “Why?”
“Ben recently discovered in some papers that his grandfather had had heart problems for years and had kept it hidden from everyone.”
Everyone sat quiet for a minute, absorbing the implications of that. Emma thought really hard and finally had to be honest with herself and her sons. “I know your father would go to great lengths to protect those he loves, even to the point of sacrificing himself. As to whether he is hiding health information from us, it would all depend on what he’s imagined we needed protecting from.”
Jackson entered the waiting room, and Emma’s breath caught with fear. She hadn’t seen her son looking so haunted or pale since his first wife died in a car accident.
“He’s stable at the moment. The cardiologist is admitting him to the Coronary Intensive Care Unit, and he’s going to have to have a lot of tests done. We won’t know much of anything until we get the results.” Jackson raked his hand through his hair, just like John always did. Except Jackson’s hand was shaking, and he seemed to grow paler by the second.
A Weldon Family Christmas: A Southern Steam Novella (Weldon Brothers) Page 3