Sergeant Darling

by Bonnie Gardner

  “That’s it,” Ray said. “Just let them wash the salt out.”

  “You’d think that since tears are already salty, it wouldn’t hurt that buch,” Patsy said, her nose stuffy as a reaction to the tears.

  “Tears are saline, but the salinity is nothing compared to full-strength salt,” Ray said, voicing something that Patsy already knew from her nursing training. She’d been joking when she’d made that crack. “Do you have any eyewash?”

  “Id the bathrube, I thik,” Patsy said.

  “I’ll get it.” Ray started to leave, but turned and kissed Patsy on the nose first.

  Now she was really in trouble, Patsy thought. Who could resist a knight in shining glasses coming to her rescue? How wonderful it was to have someone to care for her, care about her!

  How she had missed being pampered and spoiled. Even though she and Ace had been poor as church mice, they’d always managed to do things for each other. She missed that, but surprisingly, the thought didn’t cause the horrible aching pain that remembering her late husband had always done before.

  She smiled to herself. Maybe she really was finally healing.

  “Feeling better?”

  Patsy looked up to see Ray returning with a bottle of saline eye drops in his hand. He knelt in front of her. “Let me put these in.”

  Patsy leaned forward and allowed Ray to administer the drops. They seemed to ease the discomfort almost immediately. “Thank you,” Patsy murmured. “That feels so much better.”

  “You know, you’re not the only one with medical training here,” Ray said, pushing himself up and easing back onto the couch. “I’m certified in first aid. I just never get a chance to use it,” he said. “I wonder if I’ll ever get to show my stuff,” he said, almost wistfully.

  It was the wrong thing to say. For the past few weeks, Patsy had managed to convince herself that it didn’t matter that Ray was in an occupation that could put him in harm’s way at any moment. Now, he seemed almost too eager to get his chance to play war.

  There was currently a situation in the Middle East that didn’t seem to want to settle down. Patsy knew that Ray would have to take his turn there sooner or later, and she sensed he wouldn’t be at all unhappy about going. That was one of the things she hated about the airmen that she ministered to. They were all too eager to get into the fight.

  She stiffened and pulled away. “Don’t say that,” she said a little too sharply. “There is nothing glorious about death and dying. And if you think there is, then maybe we should quit right now.”

  Ray backed up against the back of the couch and held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “Whoa, hold it. I didn’t mean anything by that.”

  “Yes, you did,” Patsy snapped. “Just like every one of you gung-ho guys, you want to get into the middle of the fighting. Don’t pretend you don’t.”

  Ray drew in a deep breath. Patsy was probably right. He did want to put his training to use. He hadn’t trained and practiced for the past ten years only to sit and watch footage on the evening news. He knew that war was hell, but still he wanted to feel useful. He just didn’t know how to explain it to Patsy.

  “Patsy,” he said carefully, taking her small hands into his. “I don’t want to throw myself in front of an oncoming tank. I have special skills that I’d like to get to use. Did you know that I’m a trained weather observer?”

  Patsy’s eyes widened, and she shook her head.

  “They used our guys in Afghanistan to get weather reports to Central Command. I wasn’t there, but some of the guys from here at Hurlburt were. They had to drop in behind enemy lines to do the job, and they were prepared to fight if they had to, but they didn’t want to.”

  He looked off into space. “I studied meteorology in school. It’s something that fascinates me. I’d love to be able to use what I know.”

  “I thought you were referring to your emergency medical training,” Patsy said, flexing her fingers still enclosed in Ray’s hands.

  “Sure, I’d like to use it. I’d like to feel useful.” Hell, he’d like to prove to his parents that he hadn’t wasted his education by running away to enlist, but he wouldn’t go into that now.

  “And I’d like to be able to get to an accident scene and save somebody’s life,” Patsy said, and Ray wondered if there was more to that statement than just the words. “But, I spend my days giving shots and wrapping ankles. It doesn’t mean that I’m wasting my training.”

  “Yeah,” Ray said. “You’re probably right.” He glanced toward the image frozen on the television screen. “Do you want to see the rest of the movie?”

  Patsy nodded, and Ray pressed the play button on the remote.

  He didn’t pay much attention to the rest of the video. After all, he’d seen the movie more than once. He focused his mind on his odd conversation with Patsy. He might actually have gotten a little insight to what made her tick, Ray realized. She was afraid to get involved with military guys because she feared losing them.

  That wasn’t such an unusual fear, but it seemed to go far deeper than that with Patsy. It seemed personal. Now, he just had to figure out why that was.

  FEELING LIKE A TEENAGER on her first date, Patsy held open the front door for Ray. He started down the walk, and Patsy’s hopes fell. He wasn’t going to kiss her. Maybe her outburst had pushed him away. She turned back into the house, her eyes filling with unexpected tears.

  If she’d run him out of her life, then why did she want to cry?

  “Patsy?”

  She turned, her eyes full of unshed tears. “Yes? Did you want to take the rest of your popcorn with you?”

  “No,” he said, striding back to her. “Save it for the next installment of our film festival.”

  “What, then?”

  “This…”

  Chapter Six

  Ray took her by the shoulders and pulled her to him. “I’ve been wanting to do this all evening,” he whispered as he lowered his face toward Patsy’s and kicked the door shut.

  Their lips met, and any thought of tears fled from Patsy’s mind. All she could think about was the strong man holding her, the way he smelled and tasted, with just a hint of beer and salty popcorn on his lips. The slight rasp of his beard tantalized her as his face brushed against hers and evoked a mental image of warm bodies on cool sheets. Theirs. How long had it been since she’d thought of anything like that?

  Eager to feel his heart beating against hers, Patsy wrapped her arms around him and drew him yet closer. She felt, rather than heard, him sigh, and she smiled inwardly. How had she managed to go on for so long without this?

  A tiny, but unsettling, thought kept surfacing even in the midst of so much pleasure. How would it feel to lose something like this again?

  She started to push him away, but Ray pulled her back, and Patsy didn’t resist. The joy of what she was feeling was too strong. A little moan of pleasure escaped from her. Maybe she could learn to live for the day and not worry about what might be.

  Then Tripod started to nip against her shoes.

  Saved by the dog. Darn it.

  Shaken and trembling with desire, Patsy stepped out of Ray’s arms. “I wonder if it’s possible to train a dog to use a litter box?” she muttered as she glared down at the dog.

  Tripod sat on her haunches and cocked her head as if to say, “I’m cute, and you know it.”

  “I hear it’s been done, but I imagine it isn’t an easy process.” He looked down at the adorable pup at their feet. “Who can turn down a face like that?” Ray said, his voice husky.

  The dog pranced back into the living room and returned, dragging her leash.

  “Smart dog,” Ray said. “I know her timing is bad, but maybe it’s better this way. There’s nothing wrong with slowing this down. We have plenty of time.”

  “Yes, I suppose,” Patsy said, not trying to conceal her disappointment. She reached down to connect the leash. Did they really have time? she wondered.

  “Next week?”
>
  “Same time, same place,” Patsy said, straightening.

  Ray leaned in and pecked her on the cheek, and Patsy couldn’t help wishing that she’d gotten more of him, more of his delicious kisses earlier. But time and Tripod waited for no man.

  She opened the door and Tripod dashed out, yanking her forward. Ray followed her out and closed the door behind him.

  As the dog sniffed around in the St. Augustine grass on the dark, dewy lawn, Ray climbed into his car. Patsy raised her hand to wave, and Ray waved back.

  This wasn’t goodbye, she reminded herself. It was “See you later.” With that thought, she smiled.

  They had plenty of time.

  And they’d made a date for next weekend….

  MAYBE TRIPOD HAD interrupted them at the wrong moment, Ray thought as he drove himself back to the apartment he and Danny shared, but that wasn’t necessarily so bad. There was nothing wrong with taking things slow. There was a lot to be said for the experience of anticipation.

  Ray liked the fact that he had next Saturday to look forward to. He liked that there were still some things about Patsy remaining for him to learn. And maybe one day he’d tell her about himself.

  He pulled into the lot and his headlights illuminated Danny’s car in the next spot. Damn, that meant his roommate had spent another night moping at home. Ray didn’t know what had happened on Danny’s bachelor auction date, but the man had been hell to live with since he’d come home the morning after.

  And Danny had been as close-mouthed about what had gone on that night as he’d been surly. Ray was certainly happy that his date had turned out so much better than Danny’s apparently had.

  At the front door he prepared himself to face Danny’s mood again. He opened the door, and he wasn’t surprised.

  “You’re getting to be a regular man about town,” Danny said, his voice slurred. “Used to be, you were the one at home in front of the tube when I came in.” He was holding a bottled beer with one crooked finger as he sat in front of the blaring television. Some sci-fi movie, which Ray approved of, but it still bothered him that Danny hadn’t gone out. He just couldn’t seem to pull himself out of his funk. If the man would just talk about what happened, it might help.

  “Nothing keeping you from going out yourself,” Ray said lightly, hoping he wouldn’t start a fight. His roommate’s red-headed temper had been simmering too close to the surface in past weeks, and it didn’t take much to make it boil over.

  “Not me,” he said. Seeming not to take offense. “I swore off women. Don’t even want to see one.”

  “You can go out without seeing a woman,” Ray pointed out reasonably.

  “What would be the point?” He took a swig of his beer. “I can drink at home, and not have to worry about running into anybody of the opposite sex.”

  Ray figured that midnight was not the best time to try to talk Danny out of his mood, so he just shrugged and headed for his bedroom. At least, one of their bachelor auction dates had turned out well.

  PATSY HADN’T BEEN surprised to learn that Ray was a science fiction fan, but he’d obviously been pleased to learn that she was, too. In fact, they’d finally graduated from home film festivals, to the real thing. She smiled as she drew in the popcorn-scented air in the deserted movie theater lobby.

  They were taking in a late-night showing of a current science fiction flick at the local multiscreen theater, and Ray was at the concession stand loading up on popcorn, sodas and movie candy. It was a guilty pleasure, and Patsy was loving every minute of it. She knew it bothered Ray that she still didn’t want to make their relationship public, but maybe going to this movie was a step in the right direction.

  And if she happened to bump into somebody they knew, she certainly wouldn’t duck around a corner.

  Ray returned from the snack counter, arms filled with all the good stuff. “Ready?”

  “Am I ever,” Patsy enthused. “I love the smell of popcorn at the theater.”

  They hurried through the lobby and found their way to the appropriate auditorium. As they found their seats in the dimly lit theater, Ray waved at somebody. “I just saw one of the guys on the squad,” he commented as he settled into his seat.

  Patsy turned to see who it was, but the theater went dark and the previews began to play. “Who was it?” Patsy knew most of the men in Ray’s squadron, by sight, at least.

  “Runt Hagarty,” Ray said. “He was alone. I don’t think he ever takes his wife anywhere.”

  “Oh,” Patsy said. “One of those guys. He thinks the little woman should stay at home, barefoot and pregnant.” She didn’t place the name, but then, many of the men in the special operations squadrons had nicknames that she didn’t know. Wasn’t Ray Darling called Radar by his teammates?

  “Something like that,” Ray said. “He’s not my favorite person, but he’s a good combat controller.”

  “Well, let’s not think about him. I’d much rather concentrate on the movie.” The coming attractions ended, the movie started, and Patsy dismissed any thought of Ray’s teammate from her mind.

  RAY SLAMMED HIS locker door shut, tossed a towel over his sore and sweating shoulder, and strode into the shower room. The physical training session had felt good after several weeks of favoring his injured ankle. Some of the other men had grumbled about the killer workout, but he’d relished the opportunity to stretch out his tight muscles.

  He turned on the water, letting it stream over his head, allowed his thoughts to turn to Patsy Pritchard. He hated the fact that she didn’t want to be seen out in public with him, but her reasons intrigued him. And one of these days, he was going to find out what they were.

  Not now, however. He much preferred to think about Patsy in another context—in a context having to do with hot sex. Of course, that was yet to happen, but a guy could dream, couldn’t he? He felt his groin tighten, but he clamped down on his muscles to squelch any outward evidence. It would not do in a room full of naked men.

  Runt Hagarty made himself at home under the shower head next to him. “I sure envy you, man.”

  Ray pretended he didn’t hear him, but with Hagarty, subtleties didn’t often work.

  And they didn’t work this time. “Wouldn’t mind getting a taste of that Popsicle myself,” Hagarty volunteered again as he made a quick pass at his armpits with the soap, then stepped out from under the spray.

  “What Popsicle?” Ray said, though he was pretty sure he knew who Hagarty meant.

  “You know that chunk of ice from the clinic.”

  Clenching his own soap so tightly he would probably leave finger marks on it, Ray did his best to ignore the man. He hoped Hagarty would get out of his line of sight before saying anything else to make him even madder. He sure didn’t want to jeopardize his promotion at this late date.

  “What say we get a pool going to see how long it takes you to get Prickly Pritchard in the sack?”

  That was it! Ray had done everything he could to ignore the annoying little man and what he’d insinuated, but that was just too much. He balled up his fist, reared back and hit the man so hard he went sprawling on the wet tile floor. The only thing that saved the boor from being badly hurt was that Hagarty was wet and slippery, and Ray hadn’t been able to get enough purchase to do any real damage.

  “What the hell did you do that for?” Hagarty said, rubbing a red spot on his jaw.

  Ray turned the water to cold and stepped under the stinging spray. “I don’t think I’m going to tell you,” he said between clenched teeth. “Because I’d just love to get another excuse to do it again.”

  Hagarty picked himself up and grabbed his towel from a hook on the wall. Muttering to himself, he hurried into the locker room to dress.

  “No doubt, the sonofabitch had it coming,” said Rico Scanlon, the new non-commissioned officer from the open doorway. “But I don’t think Captain Thibodeaux would take too kindly to you beating up on his best demolitions man every time he opens his sorry mouth.” He unwrap
ped his towel from his waist and hung it on the hook next to Ray’s. “I will admit I enjoyed seeing that, though.”

  “The guy’s a jerk,” Ray muttered as he twisted the tap shut.

  “Can’t argue with you on that one,” Scanlon agreed. “Just keep it out of the squadron.”

  Ray wrapped his towel around his middle and headed out into the locker room. Ray generally preferred to settle his arguments with words and not fists, but in this case, he’d been eager to make an exception. However, since Master Sergeant Scanlon had warned him about Hagarty, he’d have to comply.

  “IS THAT A HINT of makeup I see?”

  Patsy looked up from the notations she was making and frowned slightly. She’d hoped it wouldn’t be that noticeable. After a long period of trying not to draw attention to her looks, she’d finally started experimenting with a little blusher and mascara.

  Maybe she shouldn’t have tried it at the clinic. After all, how often did Ray Darling come in here?

  “Is it too much?” she found herself asking Nancy.

  “No, it’s great. I like it.” Nancy returned to her work and Patsy hoped that would be the end of it, but the pregnant woman turned back to her. “All right,” she said, “I can’t stand it. Who’s it for?”

  Patsy swallowed. Should she tell or not? It had been so long since Patsy had confided anything to anybody that she was very out of practice, and Nancy was the closest thing to a best friend she had. “Nobody in particular,” she finally fudged. “I just thought I might give it a try.”

  Apparently, Nancy would have none of it. “Yeah, and I’m going to win the title of ‘Miss Swimsuit Model of the Year,”’ she said, a knowing look in her eyes. “Don’t tell me. I’ll figure it out.” Then, chuckling to herself, Nancy turned back to the reception desk.

  At least Nancy hadn’t pressed, and maybe one of these days, she would confide in the other woman. After all, Patsy was so very new to the whole dating thing. When she had last dated, she’d been a love-sick teenager. Her upbringing had been so traditional that she’d had to elope with Ace in order to succumb to her sexual desires. The rules were different now, she supposed. But she still didn’t quite know what those rules were.