‘She’s only looking out for you,’ he said. ‘But I get it. She’s like a mother hen sometimes when it comes to her baby sister.’
‘Yeah, and I’m her precious little chick who has no idea how to think for herself.’
Poppy was coming back toward them then, but just as she was about to step away from Teddy to put some distance between them, he grabbed her fingers and gave them a squeeze.
‘I dare you to dance all the way over there.’ He nodded toward the other side of the room. ‘You don’t always have to do what she says.’
Poppy passed Teddy a drink and tucked against him, and Grace gave him a quick smile as she accepted an offer to dance from a nice-looking soldier. This time, she ended up in the arms of a well-behaved man who kept one step between them at all times, and she wished her first experience had been so pleasant. She glanced over at Eva and saw her being twirled, her smile wide, and she thought for the hundredth time that day how incredibly lucky they all were. The music became louder, and she laughed as her enthusiastic dance partner spun her around, and she grinned when she passed by Teddy again, who gave a little point to the far side of the room, daring her to defy April.
Teddy might be handsome as sin, but there were plenty of gorgeous men in uniform filling the room. And while it may have broken her heart once that he hadn’t chosen her, now she had her pick of eligible young men, and she wasn’t going to waste another second wishing she’d been faster to catch Teddy’s eye. Even if he was the only person who seemed to see how hard it was for her, struggling to emerge from her sister’s shadow. She couldn’t help the way she felt, that she’d fallen for the same man as Poppy, but her friend’s happiness meant the world to her. She needed to stop mooning over Teddy and just enjoy herself.
CHAPTER TWO
EVA
One thing Eva never tired of was being invited to other ships for dinner, and tonight was no different. It helped to keep her mind off things like the possible approach of war, and her fiancé, who was so close to defying orders and leaving his unit behind to travel to Europe. She shuddered just thinking about the repercussions, not wanting to imagine Charlie joining the war before their country was even involved.
‘Welcome!’ The captain waved to them as they clambered onto the ship from their smaller rowboat and then held his hand out to assist Eva with her final step. She grasped it gratefully and stood back to let the other nurses pass.
‘Come this way!’ he announced, gesturing for them to follow, and Eva walked behind him, admiring the big ship and wondering who would have enough money to own something so extravagant.
They were passed drinks, and Eva stifled a laugh as she traded glances with some of the other nurses. They were in civilian clothes, and it was nice to be out of her starched nurse’s uniform, even if it was just for a few hours. Although she would have preferred to be on land with the girls she’d met the night before—they’d been a lot of fun, and she’d enjoyed talking with Grace on the beach. All three of the girls had been nice, but there was something about Grace; she was very much the youngest of the group and so innocent, but Eva liked her courage. The poor girl was scared of blood and had been manhandled at her first dance, but she was clearly determined to keep up with the others and not let her sister see her weakness.
‘Tell me, what do you think about it all?’
Eva turned and came face-to-face with the ship’s captain again, who’d for some reason made a beeline straight for her.
‘What do I think about what?’ she asked, smiling as he clinked his glass of champagne to hers. She took a small sip, more out of nervousness than a real desire to consume it.
‘About this situation?’ he said, lowering his voice on the last word as if it were a secret. ‘Do you think there’s going to be a war?’
Eva shook her head. ‘I wish I knew, but we don’t know any more than you do, I’m afraid.’
‘I was certain you’d have heard more of what’s going on,’ he said, raising a brow.
She had no idea why he thought she’d be in the know, but she had nothing of interest to tell him.
‘We’re all in limbo, waiting to see what will happen,’ she said politely. ‘But we couldn’t exactly be anywhere more picturesque while we wait, could we?’
He laughed and raised his glass again, before moving on to another group of visitors. Eva moved away from the crowd, then leaned against the rails and stared back at her home away from home for now, the Solace. She was a magnificent ship, pure white with a big red cross emblazoned along the side, with a flag flying proudly at the stern. She’d once been a luxury passenger liner, featuring ornate staircases and dark wood paneling, and Eva could only imagine what it would have been like traveling on board on a cruise to Canada or even Cuba for the summer. But now she was a more practical ship, the only hospital ship stationed in Hawaii, and with her interior remodeled to accommodate hospital wards and space for the navy servicemen and nurses. They even had their own mess room of sorts, with comfortable chairs and tables to play cards on.
She gazed out farther, at the water glistening as the sun started to make its departure for the day and at the aircraft in the distance performing a drill in the sky. It was rare for planes to come any closer—they were usually some distance away—which meant that many of her fellow nurses seemed surprised at how many pilots were stationed on the island. But not her. She was reminded of the fact every single time she thought of her Charlie.
It had been only yesterday morning that she’d seen him, staring up into the bluest eyes she’d ever known, eyes she’d been admiring since she was barely fourteen years old. Eyes that she’d never forget even if she didn’t see her man for weeks, months, or even years.
‘Charlie, you’re being unreasonable,’ she told him.
Her heart was beating so hard and fast she thought she was going to collapse. There was a roaring sound in her ears, like the ocean, even though they were so far inland, sitting on a grass field beneath coconut trees. It should have been so idyllic, so picturesque, but instead they were arguing over Charlie’s role in the war.
‘The war is coming, Eva, whether anyone wants to admit it or not. It’s only a matter of time before we’re all plunged headfirst into the fighting.’
‘You’re wrong,’ she argued. ‘What information have you received to make you think that? What do you know that no one else does? Because no one I’ve spoken to thinks our country is in any rush to join the war.’
He moved away, his hand no longer pressed to hers, his leg no longer brushing her thigh where they sat on the grass. Charlie was in uniform, his tie and jacket looking so at odds with the otherwise relaxed surroundings, and she could tell from the intense look on his face that nothing she said was going to change his mind.
‘Charlie, please,’ she begged, standing and reaching for his hand. His palm was at his side, hanging, and she put her other arm around him, her cheek to his shoulder, standing behind him. ‘I can’t lose you.’
‘There are other pilots there already, Eva,’ he said, his body stiff. ‘They fought in the Battle of Britain while I stayed here and waited, dutifully following my orders.’
‘I know,’ she said, taking a deep breath and blinking away tears. ‘But those friends of yours, those other pilots, they can’t ever return here, Charlie. You can’t just defy our neutrality laws and expect to get away with it.’
They both knew what had been threatened already. Those pilots had been told they could lose their citizenship or be imprisoned if they ever tried to return home. She couldn’t have Charlie in that situation!
‘Why are you so determined to go? Why isn’t it enough that you’ll be the first deployed if we join the war?’ she asked, holding him, forcing him to relax into her.
Charlie was silent, but eventually he turned in her arms, his eyes softening as he dipped down, his forehead pressed to hers as he stooped lower.
‘I want to help them,’ he said softly. ‘I don’t want to leave you—you know that—but they’re desperat
e for more pilots over the pond, and maybe I could help them win this war before America even has to join it.’
Eva stood on tiptoes, gently touching her lips to his. She loved Charlie so much, this gorgeous, courageous pilot of hers, and it broke her heart to think of him being shot down in the sky. She opened her mouth, pausing as she lowered herself to her heels, before saying something she’d never, ever needed to say before this moment. It was her weakness, the one thing that had always been unsaid between them, but if it stopped him leaving and traveling to Europe on some suicide mission, then she wasn’t going to stay quiet.
‘You’ve been looking after me my whole life,’ she whispered as a single tear slipped down her cheek. ‘If I lose you, if you can’t ever come home to America, how will I survive going back to my father?’
Charlie was the only one who knew the truth about her daddy. The only one whom she’d ever confided in about how cruel he’d been to her all her life. Her brothers would never have believed her—even as grown young men they idolized their father—and that’s why she’d always kept it a secret. Leaving home and marrying Charlie, living with her kind, sweet fiancé, meant more to her than anyone else could ever understand.
‘You know I’d never let that happen,’ he whispered, cradling her closer, holding her tight. ‘I’ll never let you go back there.’
‘You can’t protect me if you’re not here, Charlie. Once you’re gone, we might never see one another again.’
She blinked away her tears, her cheek to his chest. She wasn’t in the habit of guilting other people into doing things for her, and she’d never hold Charlie back from doing anything else, but defying orders to join the war? She just couldn’t let him go, not like that.
‘Promise me you’ll stay?’ she asked, tipping back in his arms to study his face.
He stared down at her, his jaw like steel before he finally softened. ‘For now,’ he murmured back. ‘For now, I promise.’
When he kissed her, she wondered if he was lying to her, if he would be gone by morning, but in that moment, all she wanted to believe was that her Charlie would do as he was told and stay on base.
‘Eva? Earth to Eva.’
She turned, blinking away the memories and quickly wiping at her damp cheeks. Her fingers brushed her throat, too, as she remembered what it felt like to have her father’s hand clenched tight to her skin, choking her, telling her that she’d never amount to anything. When she’d told Charlie he was her lifeline, that he meant more to her than anything else in the world, she hadn’t been lying.
‘You all right, honey?’
Eva smiled at the two other navy nurses standing behind her, nodding as she stepped back to join them. ‘Sorry, I was lost in my own thoughts.’
‘It’s time for supper. Are you joining us?’
She took a long, slow sip of her drink, followed by a deep breath. Charlie would be fine; he was still there at his base, still safe. She had to believe that he wouldn’t go without telling her, that she’d said enough to change his mind.
‘Of course,’ she said. ‘Lead the way.’
Her fellow nurses were a lovely bunch of women, all easygoing and fun to be around, and it was high time she enjoyed herself. Who knew what the future would bring, and so long as she was at sea or in Charlie’s arms, she was happy, and she needed to make the most of it.
Eva made her bed, checking the sheets were tucked in tight and her folds perfect. They weren’t held to the same standards as the navy boys, but they still had regular inspections, and she liked to keep her little space in the sleeping quarters perfect. She reached into her case and pushed aside her gas mask, fingering the ugly brown contraption and trying to imagine wearing it. She breathed deep, the ocean air reminding her where she was, how different Hawaii was from her home in Seattle, which would be so much colder right now. Even in the cabin the air smelled and felt different, and she’d finally started to get used to the stickiness of humidity against her skin. It wasn’t as hot as it had been when she’d arrived a month earlier, and they’d had sudden bursts of rain that had left the air like pea soup at times, but it was still pleasant.
‘Heading ashore in fifteen minutes!’ came a call, and Eva quickly gave her long hair a brush, securing a hair tie around her wrist in case she wanted it later. She loved having her hair out when she wasn’t on duty, but the dampness of her hair against the back of her neck would probably drive her mad within a few hours.
She checked her lipstick and picked up her bag, smiling at some of the other girls as they ran through their last-minute routines and rushed after her.
‘Do you girls have any plans today?’ she asked no one in particular.
‘My man has the day off, so we’re going on a picnic,’ one of the girls said.
‘Really? You sure he doesn’t have a cute friend so we can double up?’ another asked with a giggle, joining the conversation.
‘How about you, Eva?’
She smiled. ‘Well, I’m not seeing my man, that’s for sure. He’s working today, and I don’t think he’ll be getting any leave days this week. But I met some great girls at a party the other night, and I think we’re going horseback riding today.’
They kept chatting as they left their quarters and made their way to the meeting point, climbing down to the smaller boat that would take them to shore. She still remembered the first time, climbing slowly down on trembling legs and holding tight to the side of the little vessel, but now it didn’t faze her.
Once they were ashore, she waved goodbye to the rest of the group and walked quickly toward the beach where she was meeting Grace. They’d organized their day out the night of the party, and she hoped they hadn’t changed their minds. But she hadn’t been waiting five minutes when a familiar blonde came running toward her, a towel under one arm, the other flapping wildly to get her attention.
‘Eva!’ Grace called. ‘Over here!’
She smiled to herself, wondering how on earth Grace thought she couldn’t see her. Eva waved back and put on her sunglasses, before crossing the sand and meeting an out-of-breath Grace where the grass and the beach collided. Grace looked so similar to her sister, with the same shade of blonde hair and beautiful big blue eyes, but whereas April hadn’t had a hair out of place the night of the party, her hair twisted up neatly, Grace’s was wild and carefree around her shoulders. She was very much the younger of the two and far more energetic compared to her sister’s poise. Eva couldn’t help but love her all the more.
‘Sorry I’m late,’ Grace panted, bending over as she caught her breath. ‘I ran all the way!’
‘It’s fine; I was enjoying the sunshine. Where are the others?’
Grace sighed. ‘Still getting ready. I told them we had to get up early, but I had to drag them out of bed before I left. They should be meeting us soon.’
Eva smiled and fell into step beside Grace as they wandered along the beach. ‘Want to get your feet wet?’
Grace shrugged. ‘Sure.’
They padded along the damp sand, the water lapping gently at their toes every few minutes as it washed in and out.
‘So how was your first full day?’ Eva asked. ‘Did you have to deal with any blood?’
She asked it with a straight face, but the moment Grace nudged her in the side, she burst out laughing.
‘You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?’ Grace groaned. ‘I should never have admitted it to you!’
‘Your secret is my secret,’ Eva said, running her fingers across her lips as if she were sealing them shut. ‘Now tell me about the hospital, though. What’s it like? When’s your first proper shift?’
‘Tomorrow,’ Grace said, and Eva watched as she bent to pick up a shell, rubbing her thumb across the rough edge before throwing it out to sea. ‘I’m terrified, to be honest, but according to Poppy it’s little more than football injuries and common colds and so forth.’
‘She’s right. I’ve had fevers to deal with, some mild injuries and infections
, but nothing too taxing.’
She turned and saw April and Poppy coming toward them, pretty sundresses flitting out around them as they walked.
‘You know, I’m not sure we’re dressed appropriately for horseback riding,’ Eva mused. ‘Can we even ride in a dress?’
Grace frowned. ‘Surely we’ll be fine like this?’
‘Morning!’ Poppy mumbled, twisting her hair up as she walked, hairpins sticking out from her mouth.
‘Morning,’ Eva replied. ‘Sorry you had to get up so early for me on your day off.’
‘We can sleep when we’re dead. There’s far too much to see to waste the day snoozing,’ Poppy said, her smile wide as she greeted her. ‘You both ready to explore?’
Eva slipped her glasses from the top of her head and put them on, happy to be enjoying a day out with friends. She might not know them well yet, but they seemed like nice girls, and she was grateful to have someone to meet up with. Poppy seemed to be the ringleader, her manner confident and effortless, while Grace was more exuberant Labrador puppy to April’s reserved, quiet manner.
‘Where do we find our horses?’ April asked.
‘Down there,’ Grace said. ‘They should be ready and waiting for us.’
‘Eva, didn’t you say your fiancé was based here?’ Poppy asked. ‘You could have asked him to come with us.’
‘You’re very kind, thank you, but I don’t think he’s allowed off base for now.’ She cleared her throat, wondering how much to tell them about Charlie. ‘He’s, ah, well, let’s just say he’s in some hot water right now after an argument with his superiors. Something to do with a handful of pilots who left to fly for the Royal Air Force in Britain, and him insisting that US pilots should be allowed to join without any repercussions. So not only is he in some sort of detention, he’s also been grounded for the week.’
Poppy threw an arm around her shoulders as they walked. ‘Hey, at least he’s courageous. But it’s a shame he’s been grounded. My Teddy would hate that.’
‘Your man is a pilot too?’
The Girls of Pearl Harbor Page 3