Sgt. Billy's Bride

Then he looked at Darcy, smiling down at Chrissy, Earline’s youngest. It might be a perfect excuse, but everybody’d think he was a damned fool to let a keeper like Darcy get away.

Too bad she wasn’t really his to lose.

DARCY’S FACE hurt from smiling so much, and it was still early in the party as far as she could tell. There were mounds of food on the table, and the huge sheet cake that Lougenia had baked and decorated herself had yet to be cut. It was going to be a long evening.

Lougenia banged on an aluminum cook pot with a wooden spoon. “Come on, ever’body. Food’s getting cold. Grab a plate and fill it, then find a spot to set.”

Edd stepped up to the table and reached for a plate, but Lougenia smacked her brother-in-law’s hand with her wooden spoon. “Hold on, bubba. Where are your manners? Let’s let the birthday boy and the guest of honor go first.”

Edd backed up, looking duly chastened, but his hangdog look soon turned to a grin. “Better get up there, boy. They’s hungry people waiting.”

Bill blushed, and Darcy couldn’t help liking the man more. He took her by the hand and stepped forward, and as a shock of warmth ran up her arm, Darcy couldn’t help thinking she liked that, too. It was a good thing that Bill was going back to his base soon. If she wasn’t careful, she would be wanting to make this engagement real.

And the last thing she needed right now was another man in her life.

Bill handed Darcy a plate, a chipped piece of bone china in a beautiful old pattern that must have been in his family for years. “Better eat up,” he said low, under his breath. “We don’t skimp on food around here.”

Darcy looked around the room at the well-fed group, and could see that that statement was true. Maybe too true. But that was a crusade she’d fight later. She hadn’t done a cardiology rotation for nothing.

Lucy Carterette, the minister’s wife, Darcy thought, stepped into line behind her as she debated the merits of deviled eggs versus carrot sticks. The eggs won. She could do an extra mile the next time she ran. She smiled at the woman and helped herself to an egg.

“It’s so nice that Billy has found someone,” Mrs. Carterette said as she, too, selected an egg. “How did you and Billy meet?”

“Darcy’s car broke down, and I gave her a lift,” Bill interjected. They’d decided to stick as close to the truth as possible without filling in too many details that could get them into trouble later.

“Isn’t that sweet!” another woman, whose connection Darcy couldn’t quite figure, cooed.

“Yes, ma’am. I was quite worried. I had just set out to walk when Bill drove up and rescued me.” That much was true. She’d managed to keep her story straight, so far. Maybe, if people were busy eating, she wouldn’t have to answer so many questions.

She filled her plate and followed Bill to a spot on the floor by the fireplace.

Bill held out his hand and took her plate while Darcy settled, cross-legged, next to him. They left the sofa and chairs for the older, less nimble people.

Chrissie squealed as Little Edd swiped a carrot stick from her. She shoved her plate at her mother and dashed across the floor and tackled the boy in a play that would have made any football coach proud.

Big Edd got up, crossed the room in two long strides, grabbed both kids by the shoulders and pulled them apart. “Go set with your momma,” he told Chrissie sternly. Then he looked at Little Edd. “What do you mean, picking on your sister like that? You know we didn’t bring you up to steal from girls.”

The boy, head hanging dejectedly, dragged back to his spot on the other side of his mother.

“And you watch about letting people tackle you like ‘at. It ain’t no way to get to the University of Alabama if you gonna let a girl get the better of you.”

Little Edd looked up quickly, then swallowed. “Yes, sir,” he said. “I know I shoulda been watching my flank.” He picked up his abandoned plate and sat down.

“Starting a little early, aren’t they?” Darcy murmured as she tried to hide a smile.

Bill looked at her. “Around here, one of the few ways a poor kid can get to college is to do good on the football field.”

“A football scholarship’s the only hope they have?” Darcy concluded.

“Got that in one,” Bill answered grimly, then dug into a mound of potato salad with black olives and pickles. “That and joining the service.”

Earline looked over the heads of her children, still giving each other dirty looks. “Momma said you just graduated from nursing school.”

Darcy nodded.

“I got my LPN at John Patterson Technical College. Where’d you go?”

“Duke.”

“Where’s that?” Earline asked, her mouth full.

“North Carolina.”

Earline swallowed. “If it’s in North Carolina, how’d you meet Billy when he’s in Florida?”

Now it was Darcy’s turn to swallow. She swallowed again, but before she could answer, Bill came to her rescue.

“I went to jump school, at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.”

“Oh. Lucky you.”

Darcy didn’t know whether Earline was referring to Bill or to her, but considering the good save, she answered, “Yes, it was lucky. If Bill hadn’t come along when he did, I don’t know what I would have done.”

“That’s enough poking your nose into Darcy’s business, Earline,” Bill said. “Let her eat.”

“Well, I was just interested,” Earline protested. “She is going to be a member of the family. I would like to know a little something about her.”

Bill shot his sister a look, and she drew in a deep, aggravated breath and turned her attention back to her plate.

“Thank you, Bill,” Darcy murmured under her breath. “It seems like you’re always saving me.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” Bill said.

Darcy wondered what Bill meant by that, but she didn’t make an issue of it. It was good enough that the questions had stopped, for now, and she could eat in peace.

BILL WOULD HAVE LOVED to have everybody leave so he could take a long nap after all the food he’d eaten, but he figured there were a good couple of hours before people headed home. At least he and Darcy hadn’t been bothered too much since Earline’s earlier inquisition. People had gathered into quiet clumps and the kids were outside chasing fireflies.

He turned to Darcy. “How you holding up?”

She shrugged. “Okay, I guess. I like your family and friends, but I feel funny about lying to them.”

Bill let out a long breath. “I know that, but remember it’s for Momma. And so far, we haven’t really lied. We’ve just sort of left out a few details.”

“What’s the difference?” Darcy said, setting her empty plate on the floor beside her. “They all think we’re engaged,” she said in low tones.

“But we didn’t tell them that. That’s the difference.”

“And we didn’t correct them when they made the assumption,” Darcy persisted.

Bill set his plate on top of Darcy’s. “It’s too late to do anything about it now. We’re just going to have to stick with the plan.”

“Easy for you to say. You get to go back to Hurlburt and business as usual.” Darcy sighed.

“What you two lovebirds doing with your heads together like that? Making wedding plans?”

Bill and Darcy sprang apart, and Bill looked up to where Lougenia was standing at the plundered dining-room table, a cake knife in hand.

“It’s time to honor the birthday boy and to cut the cake.” Lougenia motioned toward Bill. “Come on up to the table, and bring the lovely Darcy up with you.”

“They just want me to blow out the candles,” Bill said, offering Darcy his hand. “And everybody wants to get a good look at you.”

Bill loved the way her small, warm hand seemed to fit in his. He helped her to her feet. “Here goes nothing,” he said as he led Darcy across the room.

Lougenia lit the candles and beckoned him forward. “All right, Billy. Stand here,” she directed.

Bill had barely settled into position when everyone broke out in a chorus of “Happy Birthday.” By the end of the song, even Darcy had joined in.

“Now, make a wish and blow out the candles.”

Playing along, Bill closed his eyes and pretended deep concentration while he thought about his wish. Then, drawing a deep breath, he reared back and blew all the candles out at once.

“Yesss! That means you get your wish,” Darcy said, falling into the spirit of the situation.

“What did you wish for?” Chrissie asked.

“It won’t come true if I tell, sugar pumpkin,” Bill said ruffling the girl’s hair.

“I bet I know what he wushed for,” Little Edd said, his voice dripping with disdain. “I bet he wushed we would all go home so he could make kissy face with Miss Darcy.”

Darcy blushed, and Bill didn’t know what to say.

“Well, brother dear, if that’s your wish, I hereby grant it,” Lougenia said. “Have at it.”

Bill looked at Darcy, who was exhibiting nothing short of sheer panic.

“Kiss her,” somebody said.

“Give her a good one,” someone else chimed in.

“Kiss. Kiss. Kiss.” Pretty soon the room echoed with the chant.

“Do you mind?” Bill said quietly, looking into Darcy’s brown eyes. “I think that’s the only way they’ll quit.”

Darcy drew in a short, quick breath and swallowed. “Okay,” she said reluctantly. “If that’ll be the end of it.”

“Go on, Billy. It ain’t no big deal.”

Bill looked around the room. The noisy chant dwindled as the party guests saw that he was accepting the challenge.

“I don’t usually do this in front of an audience,” he murmured, more for Darcy’s sake than for the people watching. In fact, it had been so long since he’d done it at all that kissing Darcy was a very big deal.

He swallowed and wiped his palms, suddenly sweaty, on his jeans. Then he drew Darcy into his arms, situated her in front of him, and lowered his mouth toward hers.

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