What is it about Teach that makes Alice feel like a teenaged kid instead of a twenty-eight-year-old woman? Perhaps it’s the fact she still technically lives under Teach’s roof. A roof that Teach just walked into two days earlier than expected. By the look on her coach’s face, things aren’t quite what she expected either.
“Well, hello,” Teach says, her gaze dropping to her apron on Joe. “Who do we have here?”
“This is Captain Joe Crowley,” Alice offers. “He just stopped by.”
“Did he now?” Teach questions. She checks her watch. “At this early hour.”
It’s not spoken as a question but an accusation.
“Hello, Ms. Tennant,” Joe says, offering his hand. He’s older than Alice—only by a year or two—but in that moment he may as well be prepubescent as well. “I was just coming by for coffee with Alice here.” He takes what must be a scalding gulp. “But let me get out of your hair. You must be tired from your trip.”
“Uh-huh,” Teach deadpans.
Joe makes to leave, doing a stutter step before deciding to kiss Alice chastely on the cheek and whispering, “Lunch at the Stage Door Canteen?”
Alice nods. Teach be damned, she’s eager to see him again as soon as humanly possible. Bonus points for that happening away from the eagle eyes of her coach.
“Oh, and, Joe?” Teach says.
He turns on his heel.
“My apron.”
* * *
Teach is not short on questions, beginning with, “Who was that?” and ending with, “He’s not going to be a distraction, is he?”
A distraction . . . Teach’s go-to when it comes to reasons for Alice not saying yes to love. But a distraction from what, exactly? Competitive tennis is still on pause. A distraction from the war? Hardly. Not when Joe is part of the fighting.
Alice sighs. There are many layers to that sigh. But she focuses on Teach’s strong grip on her life.
She points out, “This is my life, Teach. If I want something beyond tennis, that is my choice.”
“Is it now?” Teach says, arms crossed, luggage still at her feet.
Alice startles. “Yes. How is it not my prerogative? I may have given in before when you made me choose.” She blows out a breath. “But I am not a child anymore. I’m in a different place in my career. I can love who I want, when I want.”
Teach throws up a hand. “Tell me, is it love or is it lust? He’s a captain in the army, Allie. Call this what it is—a one-night stand.”
Alice’s nostrils flare. Honestly, the fact Teach is making a stink only makes Alice want to lean harder into her relationship with Joe. She crosses her own arms. “That is not fair to say.” And trust her, Alice could say a few unfair things of her own. Teach’s history with love isn’t the best. She was married before. A short-lived marriage that ended after Teach discovered the long-term affair her husband had been having. Teach swore off men after that.
“They’ll all just hurt you,” Teach had said to Alice years ago, wrapping up all men in that sentiment. “You’ll let them in. You may even put your dreams on the back burner for them. For what? Them to change their minds and walk out on you, leaving you with the pieces of your dreams to try to put back together? They’re not worth it.”
“I think Joe is worth it,” Alice says now, knowing her coach is headed in that direction.
“Yeah? And what if he gets killed? How many times have we seen that happen? How many times have you felt bad for the women left behind? Do you want that to be you?”
“Of course I don’t want that. But I think I want Joe. And if you’ll excuse me, I have a lunch to get ready for.”
Teach’s next words chase Alice from the room. Alice doesn’t listen; doesn’t care what they are.
Lunch with Joe is grand. The week that follows is near perfection. Alice seldom lets Joe out of her sight while he’s on leave. She postpones much of her obligations, which likely sparks Teach’s ire. Not that Alice allows herself to notice. Every day Joe watches her practice, then they wander the streets of New York hand in hand. They lunch. They peruse museums and shops. They see Tarzan’s New York Adventure and Citizen Kane. They pass on One of Our Aircraft Is Missing. That one hits too close to home. Every night they sleep in each other’s arms.
“Tomorrow,” Alice whispers to him in the dark.
“Tomorrow,” Joe says solemnly.
In the morning, he ships out. Part of Alice goes with him. She’s only loved one man before him.
It’s how she knows it’s love this time too.
During their exhibition games at the bases, Mary teases Alice about being lovesick. She can’t even deny it. She longs for each crackly sounding long-distance phone call from Joe.
“My friend Judy married her husband after only two dates,” Mary says, hands squeezed together over her heart. “Think you’ll say yes to Joe?”
Well, they’ve had more than two dates, so there’s that.
But Alice only ever smiles in response, feeling like each time she sees Joe brings her closer to accepting his proposal. It’s only been every few months that she’s had the chance to slip her hand in his, put her arms around his neck, kiss his lips, daydream of the three kids he brings up again and again. Alice is happy to be in that position in this very moment. He’s in New York during one of his leaves.
Forehead pressed against hers in bed, Joe says, “One day when we’re forty, love, we’ll look back and realize we have everything we’ve ever wanted.”
There was a time when that’d only been tennis for Alice. But not anymore. “I’ll marry you,” she says back. His expression flickers to life and she’s quick to put a finger over his lips to keep him quiet. “Teach is sleeping.”
He lets out a muffled celebratory scream.
Alice chuckles. “I’m removing my hand now.”
He grabs it, kisses her knuckles. “We mustn’t poke the dragon, is that right?”
“It’s best the dragon doesn’t know at all. She’ll get herself all worked up and smoke’ll come out of her nose. I don’t want the drama. I want the excitement. You’re thrilled. I’m thrilled. We’re doing this. That’s what I want to focus on.”
Joe leans back to better see Alice’s face. His forehead scrunches. “Are you certain you want to keep this from Teach?”
“Yes. I want to keep this for myself.”
Maybe it’s true. Maybe it’s also wanting the course of least resistance. Teach mostly pretends Joe doesn’t exist. She likely believes Alice will come to her senses, grow bored of him, or something will happen to break them up. And it’s not that Teach dislikes Joe. Alice once caught her coach chuckling at one of Joe’s jokes from across the room, even. Teach just doesn’t like Joe’s intrusion into her grand plan for Alice’s tennis-centric life.
But if Teach doesn’t know . . . not yet, anyway . . .
It’s sound logic to Alice. And, hey, her coach is all about logical thinking.
Alice and Joe plan to marry the next day in secret aboard a ship docked in the Hudson.
“Small,” Alice says.
“Small,” Joe agrees.
Small is not what they get. The crew catches wind of their plans and a hundred sailors in dress whites insist on gathering on the deck for the ceremony. When Alice and Joe kiss, sealing the deal as husband and wife, a hundred caps are thrown in the air in celebration.
Belly laughing, Alice holds Joe’s hand as they race toward a taxi afterward. “How long will it take for them to each find their own hat?”
Joe shakes his head, telling the taxi driver the name of their hotel. A honeymoon will have to wait. Joe is set to leave the very next day. “The questions that form in that pretty head of yours will forever amuse me.”
Alice snorts. “I’m here to keep things interesting.”
“Well, here’s another question for you, Mrs. Crowley.”
“Mrs. Crowley. I like the sound of that.”
“How do you like the sound of us getting started on the first of our three kids?”
Her eyes go wide. “Now you’re the one with the amusing questions.” But maybe, just maybe, the answer to that one is yes.