The Pieces We Keep(114)

“Hang on,” he said, and gently tugged her hand, keeping her upright.

She expected him to point out something to be avoided on the step-a wad of chewing gum, a splinter of glass-but he merely stood there, his hand around hers.

“Vivi, every day we were apart-every hour, for that matter-it became clearer to me that you’re the girl I want to be with.”

She stared, trying to follow the aim of his declaration.

“If anything, I’m a dumbbell for not seeing it right from the start. I just feel like I’ve wasted so much time. With my job, the war, there are a lot of regrets floating around out there, and-well, the point is.” He wet his lips as if to slicken his pace. “The first time we were really alone together was here on these stairs. It was that night after the USO, remember?”

Her gaze shot to the steps as her mind raced to keep up, his intentions latching on.

“I didn’t know what was hurting you then, or who. All I knew was I wanted to hold you and protect you. I guess, ever since, I’ve never stopped feeling that way.” He gave a small shrug, and his Adam’s apple shifted. “I’d planned on taking you out for a fancy night on the town. Dinner, candlelight, all that business. Maybe I’m a royal heel for not doing it properly. It’s just that once I got on the train, this spot came to me and . . . it all seemed right.” With that, he looked into her eyes and lowered onto one knee.

“Gene,” she said on a gasp.

“Just hear me out,” he told her. “Sure, we haven’t been dating all that long, but when a fella knows, he just knows. There have been times in my life I was afraid of something like this, but I’m not anymore. Not with you. I want to have a family together, and spend my life with you. If you’ll have me, Vivian.”

He reached into the pocket of his trousers and pulled out a gold band. “You don’t have to answer this very minute. I just want you to think about it. And if you’re not ready, I’m willing to wait. As long as it takes.”

The ring shimmered in the light, like a candle on a cake, the gift of a wish.

Be happy, darling, read Isaak’s final letter. Enjoy a long, splendid life with a man who adores you, children who illuminate your days, and all the happiness you deserve.

Slowly, she dared to meet Gene’s eyes. In them she saw a genuinely good man, one who was offering all of those things and more. A person she trusted with the whole of her heart. A man who loved her, and, in truth, whom she loved too.

Despite her mistakes, she could give her baby a respectable life, that of an Army officer’s child, not the bastard of an executed traitor. She could even save her parents the disappointment and disgrace of having an unwedded pregnant daughter. And through it all, she would never have to hurt the kind man before her.

There was only one decision that made sense.

“Yes,” she said, barely audible in her own ears.

“Yes ... you’ll ... think about it?” The tentativeness in his voice matched his expression.

She pushed out the answer before second thoughts could intervene. “Yes,” she said, “I’ll marry you.”

He appeared to be suppressing a smile until it broke free and overtook his face. After sliding the ring onto her finger, he shot to his feet. He gave her a kiss, brimmed with exuberance, and wrapped her in his arms. “I’m going to take care of you, Vivian. For the rest of my life, I promise you that.”

She clung to his pledge, his embrace, and said, “I know you will.”





53


Audra now had a convenient excuse. Still without word from Sean, she’d been tempted several times to drive to the farm, wanting to clear up the issue. This morning, a voice mail on her cell phone gave her cause to follow through.

“Hi, Audra,” the woman had said, “this is Taylor, Sergeant Shuman’s wife. Sean Malloy asked me to do some digging for a genealogy project of yours. I left him a message about it, but haven’t heard back. Since he gave me your contact info, I thought I’d try you directly. I did uncover some things about Jakob Hemel that I think you’ll find interesting. . . .”

It was both troubling and a relief that Audra’s calls weren’t the only ones Sean was ignoring. She had honestly lost all interest in hearing about Jakob Hemel, and she would let the woman know there was no need for more investigating. But first Audra would make sure Sean was all right and, if so, assure him Jack’s antics had no real connection to his family.

At the front door of Luanne’s house, Audra knocked and waited. In the reflective glass panel she noticed strands fallen from her bound hair. She tucked them in and smoothed her fitted cotton shirt over the top of her jeans. She knocked again, but nobody answered.