30

Tubby carried her into the lodge as if she were made of heirloom china.

“Put her in my bed,” Geoff said.

“The heck I will.” Tubby knocked Geoff out of the way as he laid her on the living room couch. “Don’t just stand there, Chambers. She’ll need pillows, blankets, and something to drink. Hop to it, boy.”

“When will you return this way?” Josephine asked as Geoff propped up her head and arm with more pillows than she remembered being at the lodge.

The captain grinned. “Sooner than you think. The front of my ship’s looking barren and lonely.” Tubby gave Geoff an over-protective-father glare. He headed for the door. The scent of apples and cinnamon trailed in his wake.

“Thank you, Tubby,” Josephine said.

“Don’t thank me. Geoff here is going to get you back shipshape.” With a wink and a puff, he continued, “I’ll visit soon with some baked goods from the wife. Wouldn’t want you wasting away to nothing. Would we now, Chambers?”

“I’ll take good care of her.”

“You’d better,” Tubby shot back. The front door closed with an extra loud thump.

“Are you comfortable?” Geoff balanced his weight on the edge of the couch.

“Yes, you’ve made a nice nest for me.”

He didn’t smile. The lines on his face deepened as if phantom pain tormented him.

“I’m going to make things right between us. I don’t want anyone to take you away from me again.”

The determination in his voice made her heartbeat surge. She snuggled into the pillows. Sleeplessness streamed into her veins. “I know you’ll care for me,” she assured him. If only he knew how much she cared for him.

“I do care, Jo.” His fingers glided down her arm and cupped her hand. “I realized how much when you weren’t here with me last night.” A tic flared his jaw. He tilted his head backward. His eyes were moist, but no tears wetted his face. “I want you to stay at the lodge…with me.”

The tenderness of his request made tears flood her eyes.

“Stay past June, past summer. I don’t want to watch you dancing in another man’s arms unless I know you’ll end up in mine.”

She slipped her hand from his and wiped the tears from her face.

He leaned closer inching higher on the couch. “I know it won’t be easy—”

“I know what it’s like.” Her lips trembled as she smiled. “How can I leave you? You haven’t bested me at rummy.”

He came closer. His breath warmed her chin.

Closing her eyes, she waited for his kiss.

“Marry me.”

Her eyes flew open. The tenderness in his voice and the gleam in his eyes swept her away on an ocean breeze. Her spirit soared to the highest glacier.

She pressed her lips into his and waited for him to deepen their kiss. He didn’t disappoint. Neither did she.

“Can I take that as a yes?”

There was no way she could refuse his proposal. Her face grew hot as her mouth curved into a dazzling smile of acceptance.

“Josephine Nimetz, for the first time in my life, I think I can read your face.”

“You realize I come with a dog,” she said, leaning forward to kiss him again.

“Is that all?” He laughed and removed a small velvet box from his pocket. “I thought you wanted me to type another manuscript.”

“No, but have you ever thought about adding a wrap-around porch to the lodge?”

“Always thinking of me.” He eased the tiny metal hinges open.

The lamplight played hide-and-seek with three diamonds set on a gold band. The large center stone, faceted to perfection, sparkled between a pair of smaller, equally impressive gems. Her chest pounded with excitement.

“My father gave this ring to my mother the day I was born.”

“It’s beautiful.”

“Not as beautiful as you. Without you, I don’t know if I would have gotten my life back.” Tears glistened in Geoff’s eyes. Not tears from split-open sores or phantom pains. These were tears she had not seen before, tears of love and happiness.

“Josephine Primrose Nimetz, will you have me as your husband? I’d get down on one knee to ask, but I don’t know how you’d get me up?”

She wanted to laugh, giggle, and sing all at the same time. “Yes, I will have you.”

“When?” His arms draped loosely around her waist. “We can wait if you’d like? I can wait ’til you’re nineteen, twenty, twenty-one? Whenever you’re ready.”

“I’m ready,” she said, her body enjoying the touch of his embrace. “I’ve dreamed about being with you.”

His eyes widened.

“You have? What did you dream?”

“That you came into my room,” she paused, “and I let you slip into my bed to comfort me from a storm.” His hands tightened around her waist.

“Did I have legs in your dream?”

“No legs, not even wooden ones. It was just you…and me, but I woke up before…”

His mouth found hers.

A few minutes later, he said, “I love you.”

With her lips tingling, she nestled her limp body into the couch.

“How about November?” she asked. “After my nineteenth birthday and before Armistice Day. I want to show you off to the whole town.”

“Your outstanding veteran?”

She liked that he remembered her praise. Even if it was during her outburst at the mine.

“And after Armistice Day,” he said, “we’ll take a trip wherever you want to go.”

“But you told Brice traveling was too difficult.”

“Traveling will be easy with you. You know how I…” He cocked his head to the side in thought of a word. “Work. You know how to assemble my parts.” A hint of a blush bathed his cheeks. “The difficult task is deciding what we’re going to do until you’re healthy enough to go back to Juneau? You can’t match a hand of cards for rummy, writing will be a challenge, and sewing bridesmaid dresses is definitely out of the question.”

“We’ll play hide-the-ring from Tubby, and we’ll pretend we’re riding in a taxi. We’ll need lots of Gregory-kiss practice for our honeymoon trip.” She pulled his shocked, handsome face closer. “Won’t our driver be surprised?”

~*~

A week after her return home from the mine’s infirmary, Geoff led her to the couch. He fluffed a pillow for her arm to rest on. “I need to get my winning streak back.”

She eased onto the cushions. “You’re stuck as dealer.”

“My penance.” He shuffled and dealt, even looked away when she sorted her cards one-handed.

Shortly, she was within a few points of winning.

Holding the cards to her lips, she dared him to beat her.

Geoff leaned across the table. “Aren’t you going to lay that card down?”

She giggled into her lucky spade.

“Josephine Primrose.” His voice rose with a playful chastisement. “Lay down so I can see what you’ve got.”

The door swung open.

Tubby held his pipe in hand; his gaze darted between the two card players.

“For Pete’s sake. What’s going on in here?”

“Gin Rummy.” She and Geoff answered in unison.

“That all?” Tubby’s bushy eyebrows arched. He belted out a laugh.

Geoff fanned his face with the cards.

She flashed the diamond ring hidden by her sling. “It’s a good thing he knows I love you.”