Garden of Her Heart (Hearts of the War Book 1)

by Shanna Hatfield

  Her head bobbed in agreement as the flames in his eyes held her captive. Finally, she blinked and pulled away.

  Rock sighed and started the car. “Anywhere you want to go?” he asked as he left the park. He wanted to take her out for dinner or to a movie, but it seemed far too risky.

  “I wish I could see my family.” The wistful tone in her voice made his heart ache.

  He folded the fingers of his left hand around the steering wheel and reached out to her with his right, patting her on the leg. Her gaze dropped to where his hand rested on her thigh. Bright pink color suffused her cheeks, but she didn’t push his hand away. She turned to him and he leaned over, kissing her cheek through the netting hiding her face.

  “Today had to be hard for you, Miko, and nothing like you probably imagined for your wedding, but I do appreciate you marrying me. I will work very hard to build a happy future with you.”

  “I want you to know…” Her head whipped up and she reached for the steering wheel. “Rock!”

  Unable to steer well with his left hand, he’d drifted into the oncoming lane of traffic. Taking control with his right hand, he maneuvered the car back onto the proper side of the road seconds before they ran into a farm truck loaded with chickens.

  Unsettled, but unwilling for her to know it, he cracked a grin. “That would have made a memorable mess.”

  “You think?” she asked with a teasing smile, setting aside her fright.

  “What did you start to say before you were so rudely interrupted by our near demise?”

  His playful grin helped her relax. She leaned against the seat, releasing her stiff posture. “I started to say that I never really gave much thought to a wedding. When we were girls, Ellen used to talk all the time about what she wanted at her wedding. She cut pictures out of magazines and saved color swatches, pasting them into a book. When Paul asked her to wed, she already had everything planned down to the color of his tie.”

  Rock laughed. “What about you? You didn’t have any visions of how you wanted your wedding?”

  Miko again sighed and studied the ring on her finger. “No. Not really. The majority of men aren’t comfortable around a woman as tall as or taller than they are. Add in my tendency to be independent and think for myself, and most men don’t want a thing to do with me.”

  “They’re all idiots,” Rock muttered.

  Heat filled her cheeks again and she dropped her left hand back to her lap. “Be that as it may, I didn’t hold out any hope of finding a man who would marry me. Mother and Papa might be very modern about most things, but they had it in mind I needed to find a nice Japanese boy. That’s when the height issue came into play. The few who came close to my height didn’t ask for a second date after they found out I had no intention of sitting at home, catering to their every whim.”

  Rock affected a shocked expression. “You mean you aren’t going to greet me at the door each evening with my slippers in one hand and the newspaper in the other? You aren’t going to fluff my pillows and cook whatever I want whenever I want it, and treat me like a superior intellect presiding over our domestic kingdom?”

  Miko laughed. “I most certainly am not and you know it.”

  The look he shot her, full of mirth, longing, and affection, made her bones liquefy. “I do know it, Miko, and I wouldn’t want you any other way. I’d much rather marry a girl with some spunk and sass than one who chases after me like an obedient dog.”

  They traveled in companionable silence for a while. Miko took the opportunity to study her husband from the fedora on top of his head to the polished toes of his shoes. The suit he wore was dark gray with a black pinstripe. A white shirt with a lighter gray-and-black tie appeared formal and gave him a striking appearance, especially with the hat tipped at a rakish angle on his short-cropped brown hair.

  “I thought you’d wear your uniform today.” She reached out and fingered the sleeve of the expensive suit. Since he hadn’t asked her to press it, he must have taken it somewhere in town to have it done.

  “I was concerned it might draw more attention than a man in a suit with a beautiful girl on his arm.” He cast a quick glance her direction. “Do you not like my suit? I purchased it for Dad’s funeral.”

  “Oh, I do. It’s a fine suit, very distinguished,” she said, mustering a measure of bravery. “But you cut such a dashing, rugged figure in your uniform. I’m sure you broke many hearts wearing it.”

  Rock waggled an eyebrow at her. “Whether I did or not is of no importance. The only heart I care about is yours and I don’t plan on ever breaking it.”

  Stunned by his words, she remained quiet until she realized he wasn’t heading back to the farm.

  “Where are we going?” she asked, staring out the window as they drove south instead of turning west.

  “I thought it might be nice to go for a drive this afternoon. You’ve been stuck at the farm for weeks, other than our hasty trip to the courthouse for the license.” His head tipped her direction. “With your hat and sunglasses on, no one will give a thought to where you supposedly belong, unless of course someone mistakes you for another movie star.”

  Grateful for his lighthearted comment, she joined in the fun. “In that case, I hope you brought along an extra pen. I might run out of ink signing autographs, and then where would we be?”

  Rock chuckled as they continued on their drive.

  Although gas and rubber were rationed commodities, he decided the splurge in taking a long drive was worth it for their wedding day. He drove to Salem, then headed west on country roads before turning north toward home.

  Miko enjoyed the ride, visiting areas she’d previously not explored. They talked about the small towns they passed, crops growing in the fields, and how they’d need to hire more help to pick the cherry crop.

  Suddenly, she removed her sunglasses and turned to him, placing her hand on his arm. “If you don’t want to talk about it, Rock, I understand, but I’d like to know how you were injured. You’ve never told me the whole story.”

  Rock hesitated. He didn’t like to talk about it, but not for the reasons Miko thought. It was because he felt like such an idiot for accidentally ending his military career.

  She patted his arm, then pulled away her hand when he hesitated to speak. “It’s okay, Rock. Forget I asked.”

  A resigned sigh weighed heavy between them. “No. I’ll tell you, Miko, but I’m afraid you won’t like me quite as well when you hear the story.”

  Her hand settled on his shoulder and she rubbed it encouragingly. “There isn’t a thing you could say that would alter my opinion of you, Rock Laroux.”

  He stared at her for a moment, then spoke in a subdued tone. “I told you the other day about graduating from West Point. The squadron I joined trained aircrews, took part in maneuvers, and participated in air shows.”

  Miko grinned. “I can picture you as a daredevil pilot, charming all the girls with your breathtaking performances.”

  Rock smirked. “Maybe I did, a little.” He turned his head far enough to kiss her fingers where they rested on his shoulder. “Eventually, I shipped out to the Panama Canal. A growing need existed to tighten security there, enlarge and improve the airfield runways, and send out more long-range air patrols as the conflict with the Japanese and Germans escalated. Folks in Trinidad noticed an alarming number of Nazi boats prowling along the coastline, intent on destroying allied shipping enterprises. Waller Army Airfield was established in Trinidad last year and I ended up there, training pilots and overseeing a fine company of men.”

  “How long were you there?”

  Rock gazed out the window, recalling the days he’d spent in the tropical locale. “I arrived last spring. The Army wanted to create a flying facility within reach of Fort Read, to protect the oilfields and refineries, and to guard the ships in the area. We flew patrol over cargo and merchant ships and kept an eye out for the Nazis. A few times, we shot at planes spying on allied ships. They’d locate a lone ship or a
small convoy and send the location to one of their submarines. Then they’d show up and torpedo the ship.”

  “Oh! That’s horrible.” Like all good Americans, Miko and her family had followed the news of the war, but much of it seemed so far away. Their focus shifted from what happened in the world to the pressing issue of what would happen to Japanese Americans.

  “It is horrible. Anyway, we were down to five planes, held together mostly with bubble gum and bootlaces.” Rock grinned at her.

  “You’re teasing,” she said, returning his smile.

  “Mostly.” He winked and continued. “One of the planes had been down for repairs and I took it up for a test flight. It seemed to be working fine, so I took it a little farther out, and a little farther. Movement off to my right caught my eye. I ended up chasing a German plane. We exchanged fire and flames burst from his plane, but by then an encroaching storm made it nearly impossible to see. I headed back to the base and realized my plane had sustained considerable damage as it continued losing altitude. The closer I got to the island, the more the storm raged, blowing me off course. The landing gear refused to function, so I crash-landed in the trees. The plane was destroyed. I woke up with shrapnel peppering my side, the inability to use my left arm, and no vision.”

  “My goodness!” Miko had no idea his injuries had been so extensive. The wound to his arm was obvious, and she’d seen the scars on his side when he’d been sick, but she’d had no idea about his loss of vision. “But you see okay, don’t you?”

  “I do, but it took a while for my vision to return to normal. My side has healed, but my hand…” He glanced down at the left hand resting on his thigh. The wide band on his ring finger glittered in the sunlight spilling into the car. The gold circle and all it represented made him wish his injury would miraculously heal overnight. He hated to burden Miko with a husband who wasn’t completely whole. “I might never regain full use of it.”

  With her trademark optimism, she offered reassurance. “It’s so much better, Rock. You’ve gained so much ground in the past month. When you first started helping on the farm, you could barely move your arm. Now, you’re using your hand. Soon, you’ll have control of your fingers.” Miko reached across him and brushed her fingers over his hand in a comforting gesture. “I’m sure it will continue to improve.”

  “That’s because I have a slave-driving wife determined to rehabilitate me.” By concentrating on his movements, Rock turned over his left hand and grasped her fingers.

  “See, look at that!” Miko beamed at him. “You’ll be able to milk both cows blindfolded before you know it.”

  A smirk held a hint of accusation. “You’re just saying that so you won’t have to help with the milking anymore.”

  “Maybe,” Miko said, glancing out the window as they turned down the familiar road that would take them home.

  Home. The place she wanted to start a future with the man she loved… the amazing, generous, kind man beside her. Thoughts of him ever leaving made her snap her head around and stare at him in question. “Will you ever go back to the Army?”

  Rock shook his head as he drove past the house and parked the car outside the storage building. “No. The Army doesn’t have much use for a fighter pilot who only has one usable hand.”

  Relieved, she handed him the key to the door, and he jumped out of the car, unlocked the door, and pushed it back. Miko slid across the seat, drove the car inside and parked it. Rock opened the car door and gave her a hand as she climbed out.

  She squeezed his fingers. “I’m sorry your career ended so abruptly, but you went out a hero.”

  He scoffed. “A hero? I don’t even know for sure that I hit that Nazi, and in the process I destroyed one of the few functioning planes we had left. I used to holler at my men about not doing anything foolish, keeping an eye on the weather, and treating the planes like they were made of gold since we weren’t getting any more in the foreseeable future. Then I did everything I warned them not to do.”

  Miko looped her arm around his after he locked the door and they ambled toward the house. “I don’t care what you say, you are a hero. I know for a fact you’re one, or we wouldn’t have just come from having Pastor Clark marry us.”

  Gratified, Rock smiled as they reached the back step. He unlocked the door with the key she’d given him weeks ago. “Marrying you has nothing to do with being a hero, Kamiko. That is an entirely selfish move on my part.”

  At her baffled countenance, he swept her into his arms and carried her into the house, setting her down in the kitchen as they both laughed.

  “Oh, how lovely!” Miko smiled at a tall crystal vase with a bouquet of fragrant summer roses on the table. A note beside it encouraged them to look in the refrigerator. She hurried to open the door and smiled at the sight of a picnic basket sitting on the shelf, loaded with a variety of tempting treats. Whirling around, she glared at Rock. “Who did you tell?”

  Sheepish, Rock rubbed a hand along the back of his neck. “I thought it best if John and Lucy Phillips knew the truth. When I went over yesterday to get Petey’s stamp of approval on our plans to wed, I told his folks about you being here, about us getting married today. Lucy said she wanted to do something for us and that she had a spare key your grandfather had given them. I told her it wasn’t necessary, but the flowers and food are from her. John said he’d take care of the milking this evening. Petey volunteered to feed the future slabs of bacon, as he refers to your three little pigs, and check on the chickens.”

  “Oh, that’s so sweet,” Miko said, relieved her friends knew the truth. The family’s care and gifts touched her heart. “I’ll have to take over the blanket I made for Alice now that they know I’m here.”

  Rock nodded. “Lucy said she looks forward to seeing you. In fact, it would be nice to invite them for dinner one evening.”

  “I’d love to have them over.” Miko removed her hat and dropped it on the table along with her sunglasses. “Perhaps we can plan something soon. I can’t wait to see the baby who earned Petey’s title of princess.”

  “She’s a cute little thing,” Rock said, removing his jacket and loosening his tie. “I’ve got a few things I need to see to, then how about we take the picnic basket up the hill to the garden?”

  “I’d like that.” Miko glanced at the clock. “Shall we meet back here in the kitchen in an hour? I’m dying to see what’s in the trunk Mother wants me to open.”

  “Sure. Would you like me to carry it in here for you?” he asked.

  “I’ll go out there. If it’s something we aren’t going to use right away, there’s no need to pack it in and right back out.”

  “That sounds reasonable.” Rock backed toward the door with a rakish smile on his face. “I’ll be back in an hour, wife of mine, so don’t go running off anywhere. I’ve got a thing or two to show you this evening you might enjoy.” Before she could say a word, he rushed out the door.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Miko watched Rock jog off in the direction of the barn as she stood on the back step with the key to the trunk in her hand. Speculating about what he had planned, she both feared and anticipated finding out.

  She strode to the storage building and opened the side door, then hurried over to the stack of boxes where her family had left her things. A dark red leather trunk with brass fittings rested at the bottom of one pile.

  Hurriedly, Miko set aside boxes of winter clothes, secretarial supplies, and her collection of books on flower varietals to reach the trunk. Nervous, she jammed the small key into the lock with shaking fingers, and pulled down the latch when it clicked open. She lifted the lid, and the scent of sandalwood blended with herbs wafted to her nose.

  Origami sachets, similar to those she and Ellen used to make to tuck into drawers and the linen closets, claimed her interest. She picked one up and sniffed it, then set it aside. Her gaze returned to the trunk, and she noticed an envelope with her name written on the front.

  Impatient to read what her
mother had to say, she slid a fingernail beneath the flap and lifted the sheet of parchment from inside, unfolding the monogrammed stationery. Miko lifted the paper to her nose and sniffed, inhaling the fragrance of her mother’s perfume.

  She closed her eyes and pictured her mother sitting at the dressing table in her room. The woman dusted powder on her nose and applied just a dab of perfume behind her ears and on her wrists, schooling her daughters in how to appear alluring yet remain wholesome.

  A pang of regret and homesickness, not for a place but for her mother, hit her with unexpected force. She sank down on top of one of the boxes and held the letter for a long moment before she read the words.

  My darling daughter,

  (And yes, Miko, I mean you, not your sister!)

  Miko blinked the moisture from her eyes and continued reading.

  Your father arrived home tonight bearing the news we must report to the Portland Assembly Center next week. You’ll probably think I’ve lost my grip on sanity if you somehow find this letter, but I had the strangest sensation I needed to write this to you.

  I don’t know what tomorrow or next week, or even next year, may hold for us. War is a scary, uncertain, humbling thing.

  If, for some unexpected reason, we end up separated, I want you to know how precious you are to me. Although we don’t see eye to eye on most subjects, I greatly admire you and the woman you’ve become. You are all the things I could never be: independent, strong, witty, and determined. You were always that way, even as a tiny girl.

  In spite of your plans to remain single, Miko, someday you’ll find a good man who will turn your head and capture your heart. When you do, the contents of this trunk will serve as your hope chest. Your sister and grandmother helped with the embroidery. And your father even added a few things.

  You will always be special to me because you have such a fierce loyalty to your family, a gentle spirit, and a loving heart. Stand tall and proud, Miko, and never stop being uniquely you.