As Alex and Jim approached the cabin, they saw another car parked in the gravel driveway. Happy as never before, and bursting to show Tansy and John her lovely engagement ring, Alex thought it might be a neighbor who had come calling late.
“I wonder who’s here?” she murmured as she climbed the porch steps arm in arm with Jim.
“Don’t know. Probably one of Pa’s friends coming over to have a bite of Ma’s pie.” He grinned. “She’s famous for her squash pies, you know.”
Alex couldn’t agree more. She entered through the door that Jim had opened for her. Her smile slipped.
“Case!”
Captain Case Vance stood in the center of the living room, and slowly turned toward them. “Alex?”
Stunned, Alex stood uncertainly just inside the door. Her older brother, who had the same hair and eyes as she did, was dressed in dark brown slacks, a white collegiate shirt and a leather coat with his squadron patch on the front of it, proclaiming him a Marine Corps pilot. His square face and high cheekbones were topped by military-short hair. The laugh lines around his eyes and mouth hinted at his sense of humor. Anxiously, Alex searched his drawn features for some hint of the reason for his unexpected appearance.
Jim shut the door and stood tensely at Alex’s side. His parents bracketed Vance with uneasy looks on their faces.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Alex asked softly.
Case stood with his hands on his hips, his eyes cool and assessing. His sharpened gaze moved to his sister.
“I came to see you, Alex.” And then he nodded in Jim’s direction. “And you, too.”
Swallowing against her constricted throat, Alex numbly got out of her coat. Her brother was tall, broad shouldered and, in her eyes, terribly handsome. At twenty-eight, he was a captain and proud of flying one of the hottest and most deadly jets in the world, the F-4 Phantom.
“Did Father send you?” she demanded in a strangled tone.
Case shook his head. “No.” And then a strained smile pulled at his thinned mouth. “I got here about ten minutes ago and the McKenzies were kind enough to offer me a late dinner.”
“You drove here?” Alex couldn’t keep the surprise out of her voice. She still wasn’t sure why Case was here. He was known to have her father’s temper and same obstinate nature. Her stomach was tightly knotted with fear that their private war might touch Jim’s vulnerable and innocent family. She moved toward Case, who towered over her.
“I took off this morning from D.C., Alex.” Case lifted his head and pinned Jim with a long look. “Just to set the record straight, I’m here on my own. Father was ranting and raving so damned much that I wasn’t about to stay under the same roof with him, Christmas or not.”
“Why did you come?” Alex held her brother’s narrowed gray gaze.
“I’m shipping out two days from now, and Father said you were going to be here, in the Ozarks. I wanted to say goodbye before I left.” His hands slipped off his hips and touched Alex’s shoulder. “I’m not at war with either of you.”
Alex pressed her fingers against her pounding heart and hung her head, the relief she felt making her shaky and momentarily speechless. She sensed rather than saw Jim approach. When she looked up, Jim was offering his hand to her brother.
“I’m Jim McKenzie.” Jim fearlessly held Case Vance’s gaze, his hand extended in friendship. Would Case be angry? Refuse to shake his hand? He didn’t know, but he had to make the offer for Alex’s sake, if not for his own.
With a slight, nervous grin, Case thrust his hand forward and gripped Jim’s. “So you’re the ghost on the Vance radar screen.”
“I’m too alive to be much of a ghost, don’t you think?” Jim asked wryly. He wanted to like Alex’s brother. Confidence radiated from the pilot. He saw a genuine smile tip Case’s mouth and they released their handshake grip.
“I think,” Tansy interrupted, clearing her throat, “that you young ’uns can sit and talk out in the kitchen. I just put on a fresh pot of coffee.” She smiled up at Case. “And I think you could use that dinner we promised you, Mr. Vance.”
“Call me Case, ma’am.”
Tansy glowed. “Case is a right proper name for you.”
The pilot flushed. He glanced over at Alex. “Well, how about it? I think Mrs. McKenzie has a good idea. Shall we convene this UN delegation in the kitchen and clear the air?”
Hope threaded through Alex and she deferred to Jim, whose hand rested protectively on her shoulder.
“Ma was always wise about these things,” Jim agreed. “Let’s get somethin’ in your stomach, and then we’ll talk.”
Once Tansy had left and Case had eaten his dinner with obvious relish, Alex waited impatiently to talk further. As always, her brother had the ability to put people at ease, telling stories about Marine Corps life. Her intuition told her Case was here for many reasons. She and Jim sat next to each other, hot cups of coffee in their hands. Alex moved her cup nervously.
Case wiped his mouth with the paper napkin and put his plate aside. He poured a hefty amount of sugar and cream into his coffee and stirred it with a spoon.
“You know Father’s like a wounded lion around the house,” Case began seriously. He glanced at Jim. “In case you didn’t know, my father is into heavy drama when things don’t go his way.”
Jim nodded. “I wouldn’t care, but Alex is involved.”
“That she is,” Case agreed.
“I think we should make something clear to you,” Jim said. “Alex and I love each other, and we’re going to get married. I don’t know why you’re here, or in what capacity, Vance, but if this conversation is going to turn ugly, then you and I will discuss things outside—out of Alex’s and my folks’ earshot. Is that understood?”
Case sat back and raised his black eyebrows. He looked over at Alex and grinned broadly.
“No wonder Father’s so upset. He’s finally run into somebody he can’t control.”
She smiled a little. “Despite what you’ve heard about Jim, he’s never been a coward, Case.”
“I can tell....” He sighed and planted both his elbows on the table. “All right, McKenzie, here it is straight off my hip. I love my sister very much, although the last couple of years we haven’t had the closeness we had before. Father has been dumping a lot of garbage about you on our family, and I got sick and tired of hearing scuttlebutt. He’s making Alex out to be some kind of scapegoat, and I won’t have it. My sister has always had a good head on her shoulders, and I respect her for the choices she’s made in her life. I’m here to see for myself, and make my own judgment about you. If Alex loves you, I’ve got to think there’s something more to you than what Father’s letting on. I’m not here to call you names or add insult to injury. I’m just trying to find out what the hell the truth is.”
Alex gripped her brother’s large, square hand. “I love you so much, Case. Thanks for saying those things. I—I thought the whole family felt the way Father does about me...us.”
Case muttered a curse under his breath. “Look, if you two have the time, why don’t you tell me everything from the beginning. I heard Father’s version, as well as the press stories. I just read an article in Newsweek that said a gunny sergeant was going to be a witness to Jim’s appeal hearing. You have to understand, Alex, that after you crashed and were officially listed as MIA in the Vietnam jungle, all we knew was what the newspapers and television said about your disappearance. After your rescue, the same thing happened. We got only bits and scraps of information. If Buck and I hadn’t been stationed on carriers in the Med, we’d have come and sat on your doorstep to find out what the hell was going down, but we couldn’t.” He cradled her hand between his. Giving Jim a sidelong glance, he smiled at Alex. “So, tell me the story.”
“I’ll tell you mine, but Jim will have to speak for himself. It’s his story, Case, that’s most important for you to hear.” Alex prayed that her brother would understand Jim’s decisions and choices.
“Fair enough,” Case murmured.
* * *
The clock had struck midnight by the time Jim got done with his part of the story. He didn’t know who was more drained by the telling of it—he, Alex or, surprisingly, Case. The Marine Corps officer sat there, his skin pale, his eyes bleak, as Jim finished.
With a shake of his head, Case stood up and ran his fingers through his short hair. “Damnation,” he whispered, anguish in his voice.
Alex felt strongly for her brother. Despite his arrogance and brashness, Case had a big streak of sensitivity that he hid from the world—most of the time. Tonight, Jim’s story had reached inside her brother and shaken him to his core.
Case paced the kitchen, the silence building. “I didn’t know,” he began lamely. He stopped and faced Jim squarely. “None of the papers or magazines printed any of this information. I didn’t know about Kim...or your reasons.”
“Of course they didn’t,” Alex said bitterly. “The truth in Jim’s case would have been boring as far as the media was concerned. It was more dramatic, and would sell more papers, if Jim were made out to be a villain.”
Case shook his head and approached Jim, his features somber. “I’m sorry, McKenzie. I really am. The real story hasn’t gotten out to the American people.”
Jim shrugged tiredly. He felt utterly drained and in need of Alex. Did she realize what a pillar of strength she was to him? “It’s all right, Captain.”
“Call me by my first name,” Case muttered, coming back over to sit down. He nailed his sister with a dark look. “This is a crime, Alex. The damned press hung Jim. And so did our father. It’s a wonder the review process hasn’t thrown the whole mess in the can.”
“I don’t care about the press or the Marine Corps. What I do care about is how Father’s behaving.”
“I can’t believe he doesn’t know the truth about Jim’s situation. Politicians in his circle of importance have inside info available to them, even when the public doesn’t. He had to know.”
“Sure he knows,” Jim said quietly. “Alex told him the truth when he visited her after her rescue. She told him to his face.”
“Then what’s his problem?” Case demanded in disbelief. “My God, any person with a conscience would understand your motives. Hell, I do.” Then Case had the good grace to blush. “Alex will tell you I’m pretty insensitive and hardheaded most of the time.”
Alex gripped her brother’s hand. “Not underneath, you’re not,” she whispered.
“Part of your father’s reason for shunning me, or avoiding the truth,” Jim offered as he looked around the rustic kitchen, “is because I’m a hillbilly from the Ozarks. I don’t think your father wants Alex to marry below her station.”
Case snorted violently, his eyes flashing anger. “Love has no prejudice.”
“Father has always been concerned with his power, his importance—and maintaining that image. You know that, Case,” Alex reminded him softly. “Tell me, does Mother believe him?”
“Mother has been staying out from under. She keeps her opinion, whatever it is, to herself. You know how Father reacts when he doesn’t get his way.”
“And what about your brother?” Jim asked Case.
“Buck was just as confused as I was. Now that I know the truth, don’t think I won’t be writing him a nice long letter explaining things.”
“When we get back to Portland, we’re going to call Mother and Father and tell them we’re getting married,” Alex warned her brother.
With a sigh, Case nodded. Then he smiled tiredly. “That’s going to set Father off again. But that’s his problem, Alex. One of these days, he’ll get down off his high horse and accept reality. Congratulations are in order.”
Alex saw that he meant it. “Thank you....”
“It’s late,” Jim said, standing up. “Case, why don’t you take the couch. Alex, you take my bed up in the attic, and I’ll roll up in a sleeping bag next to the stove. We all need shut-eye.”
None of them disagreed. When they walked into the living room, all the lights except one had been turned off, and Alex realized Jim’s folks were already in bed. As Jim got the blankets and pillows from a hall closet, Alex stood next to her brother near the warmth of the stove. She hugged Case for a long time.
“I like him,” Case told her in a low voice as they eased apart. He grinned broadly. “Not that you need my blessing or anything. All three of us kids inherited Father’s stubborn nature.”
She nodded. “It means a lot to me to know you don’t hold Jim’s past against him...us.”
Opening his hands, Case murmured, “How can I? His decision is something I would never want to be faced with, Alex. My God, he must live in constant pain with that memory.”
“He does,” she whispered. She watched as Jim brought out two pillows and several blankets. When he went back to the closet, she said, “I always know when he’s seeing it all over again. His eyes go dark, as if he’s back in Vietnam. It’s a faraway look, a haunted look. When he stays over with me, he sometimes wakes up screaming about Kim.... It’s terrible, Case. In some ways, it’s eating Jim alive. I try my best to be there for him, to help him.” Alex chewed on her lip. “But I don’t think love or understanding is enough.”
Case squeezed her gently. “With time, some of the horror in Jim will go away,” he promised. “Until then, just keep loving him with everything you have, Alex. Your love, more than anything, will get him through this hell.”
Exhausted, Alex nodded. “Just be careful in Vietnam, Case. I’d die if you got hurt or shot down....”
“I hope,” Case muttered, “I don’t ever get shot down and captured by those Commie bastards. That’s the thing I fear most.” With a shrug of his broad shoulders, Case added, “I don’t know what I’d have done if I were in Jim’s shoes, Alex.”
“If it’s any help, I learned that war does only one thing—it makes you aware of your need to survive.”
“Well,” Case said grimly, “I’ve got to fly one hundred missions before I can come home. I know I’ll find out all about survival.”
Worry thrummed through Alex. She looked up at her big brother’s shadowed and sober features. A fierce love for him swept through her. “I just want you home safe,” she whispered.
Jim glanced over at them as he placed a sleeping bag near the stove. “Let’s hit the sack, people. We’re all so tired we’re ready to keel over. Alex, you want the bathroom first?”
She smiled. “No, you two do your thing. Women are always slower.”
“I’ll go first,” Case volunteered, and he picked up the small leather satchel that sat near the couch.
Alex moved into Jim’s arms. With a sigh, she rested against his strong, lanky form. “I love you,” she said as she slid her hand across his chest.
“I know you do, gal.” Jim pressed a kiss to her cheek. “You were awfully brave tonight. You know that?”
Alex looked up and melted beneath his molten blue gaze. “Me? You were!”
“He was your brother, Alex. That’s just another thing I love about you—you don’t jump to conclusions or get defensive. You let the other person say his piece.”
“I’m so glad Case doesn’t hate you,” Alex said in a wobbly voice.
“With time, maybe,” Jim told her, holding her gently in his arms, “the rest of your family will come around the way he has. I’m sure your father will refuse to come to the wedding, gal. I hope you’re prepared for that.”
Alex held him tightly, hearing his solid heartbeat beneath her ear. “I don’t want them around if they aren’t going to be happy for us, Jim.”
“Time heals all things,” he soothed, hurting for her. “If Case came to you, so will Buck, and then your mother. Eventually, your father will, too.”
“I hope so.”
He smiled and gazed down at her soft, flushed features. “I’m going to miss not having you in my arms tonight, but pretty soon, we’re going to change that.”
Alex absorbed his smile, his sincerity. “What about an April wedding? Here, at your folks’ place?”
He lifted his chin and thought about it. “I know Ma and Pa would love it.”
“What about you?”
“April’s a good month, lots of flowers, everything budding out. A new beginning. How about tying the knot down at Raven Holler?”
A sweet joy swept through Alex. She leaned up and kissed him tenderly. “That’s a wonderful idea! The spot is so pretty, Jim. I love it.”
“See?” he teased. “The magic of Raven Holler’s already working. You put that gift of food at the bottom of the old maple tree and look what happened—your brother showed up to make his peace with us.”
Laughing, feeling lighter and more hopeful than she had in a long time, Alex embraced Jim with a fierceness that paralleled her love for him. “My love for you is forever,” she said, her voice filled with tears. “Forever.”