A Soldier Finds His Way

by Irene Onorato

  Edward eased his hold on Audra.

  Zoe wedged herself between them and started climbing up Edward before he lifted her into his arms.

  He let her cry a minute or so and stroked her hair. “Shh. Calm down so you can introduce me to your mom. Can you do that for me?”

  She nodded and Edward set her down.

  Zoe performed tearful introductions.

  Edward offered his hand, but Vanessa hugged him and wept into his ear, wetting his shirt. “Thank you for saving my baby. Thank you.” The rest of what she said was a garbled bunch of words interspersed with bawling.

  What was he supposed to say in response to such profuse thanking? You’re welcome? My pleasure? Understanding women wasn’t easy. All this crying was unnerving.

  A short hallway lay beyond Vanessa’s shoulder. How many more women were inside, and were they all going to fawn over him like this? He hoped not.

  Vanessa backed away and blotted her cheeks with the edge of her sleeve. She took Zoe’s hand and looked at Audra. “The family is waiting for a glimpse of Edward.” She turned to him. “And, I’m sure you’re famished by now.” Her gaze fell upon the flowers that lay on the side table. “I thought I smelled Stargazers.”

  Vanessa and Zoe headed back down the hall.

  “Stargazers?” Edward touched a stem that poked through the bottom of the tissue wrapping. “Is that what they’re called?”

  Audra picked up the bouquet and drew a deep breath. “Yes, Stargazer lilies. My favorite. How could you have possibly known that?”

  “I didn’t. I just looked for the prettiest thing I could find in pink, your favorite color. That, I did know.”

  She cradled the lilies in the crook of her arm. “Come, let’s get something to eat. After all, it was an invitation for lunch, wasn’t it?”

  He followed her toward the dining room.

  Audra’s heels clicked a rhythm on the tile floor, and her hips swayed with graceful, fluid movements. He couldn’t help but smile. This was way nicer than walking behind a guy.

  She cast an over-the-shoulder look at him. “There’s my parents now.”

  Joe and Josie met them in the hallway outside the dining room.

  Joe stepped forward, right hand extended. “Joe Lorenzo. Welcome.” Joe pumped Edward’s hand and stepped in for a backslapping hug. “Non riesco a trovare abbastanza parole per dire grazie.”

  “Dad, English,” Audra said. She smiled at Edward. “He goes back to Italian when he gets a little emotional.”

  Josie spoke up. “Joe is trying to say that he can’t find enough words to say thank you.” She kissed Edward on both cheeks. “I’m glad you’re here, Edward, very glad indeed. I’m Audra’s mother, Josie.”

  “Pleased to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Lorenzo.”

  “No, no,” Joe said. “Call us Joe and Josie, please.” He led the way into the dining room.

  Edward followed with Audra beside him.

  “Everybody,” Joe said, “I’d like to introduce you to Edward Giordano. Please, let’s give him some space and let him join us at the table for a bite to eat. Later, you can all get acquainted with him.”

  Edward flipped a hand of greeting to those at the table.

  One twin whispered rather loudly to the other, “Oh my gosh, is he cute. He can rescue me any day of the week and twice on Sunday.”

  Joe issued a sharp rebuke with his eyes.

  Audra looked at Edward with a shake of her head. “Whispering is not one of their strong points.”

  He hung his head and stifled a laugh.

  Audra handed her mother the bouquet, then took Edward’s arm and led him to the chair she’d reserved for him.

  Before he sat, he reached across the table and shook Hank’s hand.

  “About time you got here.” Hank grinned. “I thought I was going to have to make good on a few promises.”

  “Like hunting me down and breaking my neck if I didn’t show up?”

  Audra and the twins laughed.

  Josie set a plate of food in front of Edward. “Here, I fixed a plate to get you started. Enjoy.” She stood behind him and patted his shoulders.

  He looked up and thanked her before she left.

  The twins stared across the table at him.

  “Friends of yours, Hank?”

  “Rachael and Robin. Don’t ask me which is which, ’cuz I can’t tell the difference.” Hank laughed.

  “I’m Robin,” the twin on Hank’s right said, jutting her chin out a bit. Her voice carried an air of confidence.

  The other twin’s body language told a different story. She averted her eyes from him for a moment and blushed.

  “Got it. Robin, Rachael.” He pointed at each as he said their names.

  He picked up his fork and took the first taste of his meal. The food was excellent. Nothing like army chow or fast food. Each bite tasted better than the last. Once he started, he found he was ravenous. He turned to Audra. “This has got to be the best meal I’ve ever had. I’m not exaggerating.”

  She smiled. “I’m glad you like it. My father is a chef, and my mother is an excellent cook. It’s what they do for a living. I’ll show you around later and tell you about the family business.” Her manicured hand rested on his forearm. “I made your favorite dessert for later. Chocolate layer cake with chocolate frosting.”

  “How did you—”

  “I called Hank, of course.” She tilted her head to one side and smiled sweetly. “I wanted to do everything I could to make sure you enjoyed your visit.”

  Man, she was even more beautiful than he remembered. Those eyes. He leaned closer to her. “I’d say it’s off to a good start.”

  * * * *

  After lunch, Audra introduced Edward to the rest of the family. The children scampered off to the basement to play games and the adults retreated to the living room for coffee. Edward sat on the love seat with Audra. She sat close, nearly touching. Not that there wasn’t enough room on her other side. There was.

  The barrage of questions began with Robin. “How long have you been in the army?”

  “Eight years.” He expected the next question to come from Rachael.

  “So, ah, how old are you?” She dropped her gaze to her lap as if embarrassed to have said anything at all.

  He was right. She followed Robin’s lead.

  “I’m twenty-five.”

  “What’s it like to be in Special Forces?” Robin held her head high and sat straight with her shoulders pulled back.

  “It’s special.” Edward bit his lip and tried not to laugh. If they were expecting a lengthy explanation, they were out of luck.

  Rachael raised sheepish eyes. “H-Have you ever been shot?”

  “Rachael!” Josie shook her head. “Edward, I’m sorry. These girls—”

  “It’s all right, Mrs. Lor—Josie. I don’t mind. No, I’ve never been shot.”

  “Are you married?” Robin’s straightforwardness made Edward laugh.

  “Robin.” Joe threw a stern look her way.

  Edward answered anyway. “No, I’m not married.”

  On the couch, to Edward’s left, Vanessa sat on the edge of the cushion. “Edward, I was wondering if you could—” She wet her lips and fidgeted with her hands.

  He’d seen it coming. Questions about the day of the accident. The need for a blow-by-blow from the horse’s mouth.

  From the basement, children’s playful screams and Zoe’s laughter broke the momentary silence. A sob shook Vanessa. “Tell me about it.”

  Vanessa had come close to losing her only child and Edward deemed it only right for her to hear the details. He scooted forward on the couch cushion and spoke to her as if she were the only one in the room. “The cabin is situated in a canyon with two large hills on each side and a narrow river between. Winds out of the north funneled through that day, making mournful, howling sounds like an animal in distress. The snow was as thick as I’d ever seen.�
�� He sipped his coffee and placed the cup on the end table.

  “Cricket had gotten used to the noise of the storm and had settled down. All of a sudden, though, she jumped up and started pacing and looking around, whining. I stopped what I was doing and listened hard. Certain sounds seemed out of place. Cricket wanted out, so I bundled up and followed her outside and down to the river.”

  All eyes were riveted on him.

  Josie reached for Joe’s hand without looking.

  Edward turned back to Vanessa and tuned everyone else out.

  “I saw the car right away, on its side, halfway through the ice, driver’s side up. As I ran toward the car, I looked up to the road from where it had fallen and saw the rockslide. Huge boulders were piled up and a stretch of guardrail was broken and bent out over the edge.”

  The tears Vanessa had been trying to hold back with blinks and sniffles made their way down her face.

  “I’ll cut to the chase,” Edward said. “I got Zoe out of the car and went back for Audra.”

  Vanessa wiped a tear with a knuckle. “Didn’t you get dragged under the water when you tried to get Audra out?”

  “Yes.” Hank met his gaze when he turned his head. “But we have a rule, don’t we, Hank? Never leave a man behind.”

  Hank nodded.

  Edward shot a small smile at Audra. “In this case, a woman.”

  She mirrored his smile, her eyes moist like every other female’s in the room.

  “Audra didn’t look good when I brought her to the bank and put her near Zoe. I-I didn’t know if she was going to make it. Zoe was screaming, and I saw a vapor cloud by her mouth every time she breathed out. I saw my own breath. Audra’s, none. I checked her neck for a pulse but couldn’t find one. I started CPR, and didn’t stop until she came back.”

  “And, you brought me back a second time in the cabin.” Audra said. “Didn’t you?”

  “That’s right. From then on, you know the rest of the story.” He sat back and finished his coffee.

  Audra was a little closer now. Her hip brushed against his when she adjusted herself in the seat. She crossed her legs and her dangling calf touched his leg.

  Edward tried not to stare at her knees, but it was hard. Her closeness wasn’t easy to ignore.

  Josie stood. “Let’s change the subject. Edward didn’t come here to be interrogated. More coffee, anyone?”

  While everyone’s attention turned to Josie, Edward leaned to Audra. “Hey, I think I’m ready for you to show me around outside.”

  A smile crossed Audra’s face. “Let me change out of this dress. Five minutes, okay?” She got up and left the room.

  Audra returned wearing jeans and a simple pullover. She stood in the arched doorway and nodded toward the door with a coy smile.

  “Hey Hank,” Edward said. “Why don’t you tell everyone about the time you made a pair of wings and tried to fly.”

  Hank’s eyes darted to Audra and back to Edward. He grinned, and started to tell the tale.

  Edward waited until everyone was sucked into the story then got up and joined Audra and slipped out of the house.

  “That was slick,” Audra said.

  “I know. I needed a diversion. Hank caught on fast.”

  Chapter 20

  The warmth of the afternoon sun welcomed Audra and Edward as they stepped outside and began their walk.

  “Let’s go this way.” Audra turned left in front of the house.

  Edward walked beside her to the long wooden fence that separated the residence from the business property. She opened the wrought iron gate and held it while Edward stepped through.

  A large, white single-story building stood a few yards from the fence.

  “My parents own a wedding business. This is the reception hall with a fully equipped kitchen. On the far side of this building is the wedding chapel.” They continued onward to the chapel.

  A pillared portico graced the front of the predominately white building. Large, ornately carved-wood doors hung at its entrance. On the side of the chapel, tall windows topped with stained, arched transoms lent further elegance to the structure.

  Audra stood for a moment and looked around. “The groundskeepers have been getting things in shape for the busy season. We hire contractors for the outside work and for maintenance of the buildings when we need it. Mom and Dad run the reception part of the business. Kyle directs everything else.”

  “So, what parts have you played in this orchestrated endeavor?”

  She counted the tasks on her fingers. “I’ve cooked, cleaned, put decorations up, taken them down, set, waited and bussed hundreds of tables. I worked for my parents every summer when I was a teenager.”

  Audra led the way down the gentle slope to the meandering brook. Following the water, with the sun to their backs, their shadows guided them back toward the house.

  “I’m glad you came today,” Audra said. “I was afraid you wouldn’t be able, or wouldn’t want to come. After I sent the invitation, I worried that you would read it with rolling eyes, thinking me a forward, presumptuous, silly girl.” She couldn’t bring herself to look at him. “I thought maybe my letter wouldn’t mean anything to you.”

  He touched her arm and stepped in front of her. “Your letter meant a lot to me.”

  A cool breeze tossed her hair. Edward brushed a lock of hair from her face and smoothed it behind her ear. The back of his finger traced her jawline as he withdrew his hand.

  She drew a short, sudden breath. Goosebumps pinched the skin of her neck and arms, and she pressed a hand to her chest to calm herself. She stood silent and let him probe every line, every feature of her face with his steel blue eyes.

  His whole face hinted of a smile. “I’m not ashamed to say I think of you often. You brought me back from certain death and cared for me when I was bruised and broken. These are not small things.”

  Her breath caught in her throat. Did she dare hope she’d heard him correctly? “You memorized my letter?”

  Edward’s smile grew. “Remember the day we played in the snow? Sometimes I close my eyes and relive it. I can almost feel the cold, fresh air fill my lungs, and hear the snow crunch beneath my feet. Our laughter echoes through my mind and makes me happy all over again.”

  He inched closer. “Now listen carefully, because here comes the good part. You wrote, ‘I would like to see you, Edward.’ When I read that, I thought, yeah, I’d like to see you too.”

  His admission stirred a euphoric moment of confused emotions. Why should happiness make her cry? Her fingertips worked quickly to wipe the tears from her hot cheeks. She looked up at his smiling face and smiled back at him.

  Edward swung around to her side and they walked together with unhurried steps.

  Audra looked over at him. “Did you have to get permission to come?”

  “Yes, I had to ask Major Greco for leave.” He gave a small laugh. “He grabbed his chest as if he was having a heart attack. This was the first time I’d ever put in for personal time off.”

  Her grateful heart fluttered. God had answered her prayer. Edward was walking beside her, and she wasn’t dreaming.

  A path curved around the end of the dividing fence near the brook. One behind the other, they made their way around toward the house and were greeted by children’s laughter.

  Kyle’s boys and Zoe played a game of dodge ball of sorts, throwing a small blue and white football at each other. From somewhere on the other side of the house, Vanessa’s voice called to them. With one last toss, the ball went over Zoe’s head and tumbled down the slope. The kids abandoned the game and ran toward the beckoning call.

  The football wobbled its way toward the brook and settled a few yards from Audra and Edward. A few steps later, the ball was at Edward’s feet. He picked it up, brushed a bit of dirt from it, and tossed it up in the air a few times. “How about a game of one-on-one?”

  She laughed and shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t kn
ow how to play football.”

  “Then I’ll teach you.” He walked back toward the fence and stopped about twenty feet from it.

  She followed.

  “Here’s the game. I’ll take defense, and you take offense. You get the ball first, and you have to get past me and touch the fence with it. That’s all there is to it. It’s simple.” He handed her the ball.

  “Hold on. Are you going to tackle me?”

  “Of course I’m not going to tackle you. Are you kidding me? I’ll block or try to take the ball from you. That’s it.” He backed away a few paces and crouched slightly. “Go ahead, hike the ball.”

  Audra looked at the ball in her hand, then back at him. “Hike it?”

  Edward threw his hands up and laughed. “I didn’t think it would be this hard. What’s the problem?” He raised a quizzical eyebrow.

  “Isn’t hiking the ball when the guy in the middle throws the ball between his legs to the quarterback?”

  He slapped his palm to his forehead and laughed some more. He motioned for the ball with up-curled fingers. “I’ll take offense and show you. We’ll go slow.”

  Ball in hand, he went through the motions as he spoke. “First, I put the ball on the ground like this. After that, I hike, or snap it to myself.” He slammed the ball to his chest but didn’t move from the spot. A crooked grin, riddled with mischief, appeared on his face. “If you’ll notice,” he directed a slow look over each shoulder, “there’s no one on the field except me and you, hence, the term one-on-one. In essence, I’m the center, the quarterback, and the receiver all rolled up in one. You, on the other hand, are the defensive lineman, and the linebacker. Are you with me so far?”

  Controlling her laughter wasn’t easy. Edward’s playful eyes and raised cheeks contradicted his tightly pressed lips. No doubt, he was trying not to laugh.

  “Are you ready for the play?”

  Audra crouched like she’d seen Edward do just minutes before.

  Edward touched the ball to the ground. “Hut one, hut two, hut three.”

  He snapped the ball to his chest, feinted to her right, spun around and passed easily around her left. He ran the ball, but stopped short of the fence and pivoted on his heels. He came back to Audra, shaking his head and laughing. “That was your defense? That was all you had? Come on, Audra, growl at me. Show me some intimidation. Scare me out of my boots. Give it a shot.” Head tipped to the side, he waited for her display of aggression.