Together Under the Stars

by Beryl Matthews

  It was a smooth flight, and he was soon making his descent to a private airfield. The moment he jumped down, Sandy was running towards him with a huge smile on his face. They hugged, delighted to be together again.

  ‘Ah, but it’s good to see you. Let’s get the business settled and then we can talk on the way to the house.’

  When Steve checked in and went to pay the landing fees he was told it had all been taken care of, including refuelling for the return journey. ‘I can’t let you pay for all of this,’ he protested.

  ‘Of course you can. You are here to be my best man and it’s only right I pay all your expenses.’

  ‘But you’ve got enough expense with a big wedding.’

  ‘Think nothing of it.’ Sandy urged him towards a waiting car. ‘Come on, I’ve got a treat for you.’

  ‘What, another one?’

  He laughed and held the car door open for Steve. ‘We are going to have one hell of a boys’ night out.’

  They didn’t stop talking all the way until they turned into a long driveway lined with mature trees. When the house came into sight, he could see this was the home of a wealthy family. They had never talked much about their lives here, but all four were well educated and clearly not youngsters from deprived backgrounds. He had known that Luke and Ricky were part of family businesses, as he was, but they had never gone into details. With the dangerous situation they had been in, it had not been important then. They had been in the fight together and that was all that concerned them at that time. However, none of them boasted about their wealth because they had wanted people to like them for themselves, and not for what they owned.

  The instant the car stopped the front door flew open and familiar people were running towards them. Laughing, Steve opened his arms wide to greet the excited friends.

  Jean and Sybil launched themselves at him with such enthu­siasm he was nearly knocked off his feet. ‘It’s good to see you too.’ He looked up to find their husbands standing there grinning at him. Detaching himself from the girls, he went over and hugged them. He had been excited about seeing them again, but he wasn’t prepared for the flood of emotion surging through him. It was a healing moment when everything he had been struggling with since his return began to melt away.

  He reached for Jean again and asked quietly, ‘How’s Nancy?’

  ‘Putting on a brave face, as always, but she isn’t happy, Steve, and now we’ve come here, she’s alone.’ She gave him a sad look. ‘I’m so sorry it hasn’t worked out for both of you.’

  ‘I understood her reasons for not coming.’

  ‘You are a good man, Steve Allard.’

  ‘Why thank you, ma’am,’ he joked, making her laugh. Then he tucked her hand through his arm and they went into the house.

  Sandy’s parents shook his hand, expressing their pleasure at meeting him at last, and then Sandy introduced him to his future wife, Helen. She was as lovely as the photograph they had seen.

  ‘I am happy you could come. Sandy has told me so much about you.’

  Steve raised his eyebrows at Sandy on hearing that, then politely replied, ‘I wouldn’t have missed this for anything.’

  ‘As best man I am relying on you to look after everyone tonight. After waiting so long for the wedding, it would be good if you were all sober tomorrow.’

  ‘He’s an expert at looking after us, Helen,’ Ricky told her.

  ‘So I understand.’ She slipped her arm around Sandy and smiled up at him. ‘Enjoy yourselves, but don’t get into any trouble or you will end up in front of your father, and he won’t be lenient.’

  ‘That word isn’t in my vocabulary,’ the father said dryly.

  ‘Your reputation bears that out, Judge,’ she teased. ‘Now I am going to spirit your girls away. We have a party of our own planned.’

  ‘You make sure you behave yourselves as well,’ Sandy warned.

  Laughing, she kissed him and then left with Jean and Sybil.

  After that the boys were left to catch up on all the news.

  ‘Is your father really a judge?’ Steve asked.

  ‘Yes, he is highly thought of and has quite a bit of influ­ence.’

  ‘For which we are very grateful,’ Luke remarked. ‘He helped to speed things up so Jean and Sybil could be here in time for this wedding.’

  Ricky nodded agreement. ‘We could have been waiting for months, but Sandy’s dad managed to move things forward quickly.’

  ‘Are you going to follow in his footsteps?’

  ‘No, Steve, that isn’t for me. I have been offered a position as a university lecturer.’

  ‘Really, what subject, history?’

  ‘Archaeology and ancient history.’ He sat forward eagerly. ‘I intend to go back to England some time. That country is steeped in history and I was sorry I couldn’t see much of it while we were there.’

  ‘We knew you were interested in history, but you never told us about the archaeology,’ Luke said.

  ‘We were too busy to think of much but the next mission. Anyway, none of us talked much about what we did at home, and Steve certainly didn’t tell us he owned half of Alberta.’

  Steve tipped his head back and laughed. ‘Not nearly half, only a small piece of it. And what about Luke and Ricky – their families have successful businesses. Tell me, what did your wives think when they found out?’

  ‘Shocked,’ Luke told him. ‘I believe they thought they might be coming to live in a shack.’

  ‘Yeah.’ Ricky roared at the memory. ‘Jean couldn’t under­stand why we had kept it a secret. She said other men boasted about wealth they didn’t have so they could impress the girls, but I explained that we wanted them to love us for ourselves.’

  ‘And they do. So, how many are coming to the party tonight?’ Steve asked, changing the subject.

  ‘Just the four of us. I wanted us to share the evening together, just like we used to. I have told everyone else they will have to party without us. I’ve booked a table at a local hotel, so we can reminisce and wonder how the hell we came out of that alive.’

  ‘Pure luck,’ Steve remarked.

  ‘I agree.’ Sandy stood up. ‘I’ll show you to your rooms and you have an hour to get ready. Have you brought your uniforms?’

  They all nodded.

  ‘Excellent. Helen wants us all to wear them, and our medals.’ Sandy pulled a face. ‘I tried to talk her out of it, but both families like the idea. I hope you don’t mind?’

  They assured him they were happy to do so.

  ‘Thanks.’ He opened the doors to their rooms. ‘I’ll see you in an hour.’

  Later, dressed in smart suits, the four of them set off for a night out. The food was excellent, and they relaxed to talk over their time in England, remembering the amusing parts and ignoring the dangerous missions they had flown.

  It was after midnight when they finally got to bed, and Steve remained awake for a while, recalling the evening. It had been good to talk freely with friends who had under­stood the difficulty in picking up their old lives again. He hadn’t felt able to do that at home, fearing his parents would start asking questions he didn’t want to answer. It was comforting in a way to find out that his friends were having similar problems. It wasn’t just him who had locked away some details and thrown away the key. Perhaps one day that would change, but not yet.

  The next morning the house was alive with activity, and when they were all dressed in uniform as requested, Sandy’s parents inspected them with approval.

  The rings were safely in his pocket and Steve checked the time, then he ushered the bridegroom into the car. Ricky and Luke had left earlier to carry out their duties at the church. When they arrived, Steve smiled at the girls who were dressed in clothes of the latest fashion. Their husbands had made sure they were suitably dressed for the occasion, and it did his heart good to see them looking happy and confident at such a prestigious gathering.

  Helen arrived looking stunning in a gown of white satin and
lace, with a long train flowing gracefully behind her.

  It was a lovely service and went without a hitch. The reception was held at the same hotel they had been to the night before. As best man, Steve gave a short speech in his easy relaxed way and toasted the happy couple. After that there was dancing, and the boys were causing so much of a stir that Jean and Sybil had to stay close to ward off the interested females. Steve had no such protection and politely danced with several girls, avoiding their mothers who were eyeing him with a speculative glint in their eyes. When Sandy and his bride left for their honeymoon the party began to break up.

  ‘I’m surprised you haven’t been kidnapped by one of the mothers,’ Ricky told Steve, laughing. ‘I always said you were too damned handsome.’

  Luke and the girls came over then and he placed an arm around both of them. ‘Let’s get out of here. My parents want to meet you, so why don’t we collect our things and you can spend a couple of days with us?’

  ‘Hey, that’s a good idea. What does everyone think?’ Luke asked them.

  Ricky nodded eagerly, but the girls seemed rather doubtful.

  ‘How are we going to get there?’ Sybil asked.

  ‘I’ve got the plane at the local airfield, and I’m quite safe to fly with,’ he joked. ‘Just ask your husbands.’

  ‘Safest hands in the business,’ Ricky told them. ‘Come on, girls, you’ll enjoy it, and I’m itching to see this spread he lives on.’

  ‘I’m going, and I’d also love to see where this brute lives. It will be fun, Sybil.’

  ‘All right,’ she agreed, but still didn’t look very sure about the idea of flying.

  ‘Sandy has lent me a car, so let’s say goodbye to the families and be on our way.’

  It took them nearly an hour to finally take their leave, and then they were speeding towards the airfield. Steve was to leave the car at the airfield, and it would be picked up by someone the next day.

  After filing a flight plan and checking over the plane, he saw his passengers comfortably strapped in and climbed into the pilot’s seat. Luke sat beside him out of habit, leaving Ricky to cope with two nervous girls, and from the noise coming from their seats he could tell his friend was thor­oughly enjoying trying to calm them down.

  The weather was good, so it was a smooth flight, and when they approached the house he flew low over it to let them know he was back. By the time he landed, his parents were there waiting for him as they always did.

  Rose gave a cry of delight when she saw his passengers and instantly made for Sybil, recognising her from the many photos they had received from Harry. Then she turned to the others, arms outstretched. ‘You must be Jean, and the two handsome men must be Luke and Ricky. We are so pleased you could find the time to visit us. How long can you stay?’

  ‘Just a couple of days, if that is all right, Mrs Allard?’ Luke asked.

  ‘Of course, please stay as long as you like.’

  Ricky smirked. ‘We had to make a hasty retreat because Steve was being pursued by mothers eager to find a husband for their daughters.’

  ‘I’m not surprised.’ Bill was laughing as he studied the three in front of him, still smartly turned out in their uniforms. ‘They must have been disappointed to discover two of you were already married. Whatever your reasons for a hasty exit we are delighted to have you here, and welcome to the Allard ranch.’

  ‘Thank you, sir; we’ll just get our bags from the plane.’

  ‘No need for you to do that, Ricky, it will be taken care of. Come on, you must want to change and have something to eat.’

  Bill had brought the truck, so they were able to cram in together for the short drive to the house, and he asked Ricky to tell him about all the new gadgets now being used in the bombers. They chatted happily about the subject that fasci­nated them both.

  ‘Did you enjoy the flight?’ Rose asked the girls.

  ‘We were nervous about it,’ Sybil admitted, ‘but it wasn’t as bad as we imagined.’

  ‘I know. I was the same, and I admit that I still like my feet on the ground, but these two men of mine love aeroplanes.’

  When the ranch house came into view, Jean gasped. ‘Wow, Steve, and you told us you were just a farmer.’

  They were even more stunned when they walked inside.

  ‘Oh, my goodness,’ Sybil whispered to him. ‘Dad never told me you lived in anything like this.’

  ‘It’s hard to grasp what a place is like unless you have actually seen it, so I expect Harry just thought of it as an ordinary farm.’

  ‘Well, it certainly isn’t that.’ She smiled up at him. ‘I’m going to enjoy exploring and telling Dad just what this place is like.’

  Although faced with unexpected guests, this didn’t faze Rose, and organised as ever, she soon had the maids preparing rooms and Cook busy making a feast for their visitors.

  They sat around in the evening talking, and Steve could see that his parents were thoroughly enjoying the company of his lively friends.

  The next morning, Luke and Ricky found him in the stables. ‘I didn’t expect to see you up so early.’

  ‘We haven’t broken the habit yet.’ Ricky patted a horse that was showing an interest in him. ‘Do you still walk at dawn every day?’

  ‘Of course. Where are the girls?’

  ‘With your mother. We were wondering if you would fly us over your ranch so we can get a good look at it,’ Luke suggested.

  He studied the sky and nodded. ‘Just the two of you?’

  ‘Yes, we received a firm no when we asked if the girls would like to come with us.’

  ‘Okay. We can go now, if you like.’

  ‘Great, I’ll navigate,’ Ricky joked.

  It didn’t take long for Steve to inform his parents what they were going to do, check the plane was ready, and climb into the sky. He did a complete circuit of the property, and then flew over the interior, pointing out the different things it was being used for.

  When they landed, Bill came over to them. ‘Did you enjoy seeing the ranch?’

  ‘Very much. We understand now why Steve learnt to fly at a young age. The only way to see it properly is from the air,’ Luke said.

  ‘Yes, we find a plane very useful,’ Bill said as they made their way back to the house.

  The girls had clearly enjoyed themselves exploring the huge ranch house with Rose, but promised after lunch to come outside and see the horses.

  ‘Riding is another thing you have to be good at on a spread like this,’ Steve explained. ‘I’ll get you both up on a horse this afternoon.’

  ‘First he makes us get in a plane and now he wants to sit us on one of those animals.’

  ‘You can’t come to a ranch and not ride a horse, Jean,’ he teased. ‘We’ll find you a docile animal.’

  ‘Steve, there’s an official-looking letter in the study for you,’ Rose told him.

  The three boys glanced at each other and stood up together. ‘That might be demob papers. Let’s go and have a look.’

  Luke and Ricky followed Steve to the study and watched while he slit the envelope open.

  ‘Do they want us to report back?’ Luke asked while the letter was being read.

  Steve shook his head and held out the paper for them to see. ‘We are no longer in the air force. They don’t want to see us again. I expect your letters will be waiting for you when you get home.’

  ‘Thank goodness that is settled. I was afraid they would find some reason to keep us on for a while longer.’ Luke grinned. ‘This calls for a celebration.’

  ‘It certainly does.’ Ricky was already heading for the door and calling out the good news to the girls.

  Steve and Luke smiled at each other, remembering the many times they had been side by side in the Lancaster as flak burst all around them. They slapped each other on the back, saying nothing, as they both knew their thoughts were with that terrible time when Steve had been injured. Now, with their release from the air force, they could look for
ward to the future – a future they had been so close to not having.

  They walked together into lunch, which turned out to be a lively affair, with his parents eager to make plans so they could celebrate that evening.

  After lunch they all went out to the stables and the hands saddled the horses and then stood back to watch the fun. As usual, Ricky kept everyone well entertained.

  By the end of two days, Steve’s friends were able to trot round a field without falling off their horses and were very proud of themselves.

  ‘I’m afraid we shall have to leave now,’ Luke told them over breakfast the next day. ‘We’ve had a wonderful time and thank you very much for putting up with us.’

  ‘It’s been a pleasure to have you here,’ Bill told them. ‘You must come again and bring Sandy and his wife with you next time.’

  ‘I’m sure they would love to come.’ Ricky turned to Steve. ‘I didn’t notice a field of cabbages when we flew over the ranch. If you have got one, then please don’t fly anywhere near it.’

  ‘It wouldn’t be the same without little Beth there to tell us off, anyway.’ Steve took the photos the farmer had sent him out of his wallet and handed them round. This produced roars of laughter.

  Rose glanced round at the youngsters. ‘Steve has given us only a very sketchy account of this, so would anyone like to fill in the details for us?’

  Steve nodded to Ricky. ‘Okay, you tell the tale.’ Then he sat back, a slight smile on his face as his friend launched into the story, knowing he would make it sound hilarious without mentioning the danger.

  By the time he had finished, everyone was doubled over with laughter and Sybil grabbed Jean’s arm. ‘Were they safe to be let loose with a Lancaster?’

  ‘Of course we were,’ Ricky said before Jean could answer. ‘The only problem was someone kept shooting at us.’

  Jean raised her hands in protest. ‘Please, don’t anyone get him started on that subject.’

  Ricky grinned and kissed his wife on the cheek. ‘That’s a story for another time.’

  ‘I know what happened because I was there, remember?’

  ‘So you were, and you still love me,’ he said smugly.