Guarding Hearts

by Jaycie Morrison

  “Find that radio station everyone likes, will you, Whit?” Kathleen said into the quiet. The room seemed to relax, and Sara and Whit began a conversation about music. Bett looked at Rains, a question in her eyes. Rains simply put an arm around her shoulders and they walked toward the radio.

  Kathleen murmured her excuses and went into the back bathroom, needing a moment before she could comfortably resume her hostess duties. She’d been prepared to see Rains with Bett, and part of her had harbored hope that her fanciful interest would cool after seeing them together. But seeing Rains’s obvious disapproval of the ill-mannered Miriam Boudreaux had made her feel closer, as if they had something important in common. She hadn’t told Whit of her growing aversion to Boudreaux’s company because she knew their friendship was something Whit counted on. Miriam had never made an obvious pass at her, though Kathleen had caught her eying her body with that leering expression on more than one occasion when Whit wasn’t nearby. Fleetingly, she wondered if Whit would defend her like Rains had defended Bett. Then her mind jumped back to Rains’s explanation of her knife. Rains’s comments about fighting alongside her brother made her suppose it might be the first time she’d ever claimed her heritage quite so publicly. Kathleen sighed, remembering the first time their paths had crossed.

  Chapter Three

  It was her second day at Fort Des Moines, and Captain Kathleen Hartley was still learning her way around. Stepping inside a building she’d thought was the beauty shop, she was dismayed to find it was the library. Turning back abruptly, she ran headlong into a towering stack of hardback books obviously being carried by someone several inches taller than she was. The mass swayed dangerously and she was equally off balance, her brain urging her to move out of the way before her body had finished its recovery from the collision. She knew she was falling, and it looked quite likely she’d end up under the books. Before she could even manage a scream, the texts soared off to the left and strong hands grasped her waist even as she flailed wildly, knocking into something that moved as her arm passed by. Her body was whisked to the right so vigorously that her hat went flying. The thud of cascading publications seemed louder even than the beating of her heart, until her eyes found the face of her rescuer. She felt dizzy, as if she was still whirling through the air, anchored only by deep, incredibly dark eyes radiating concern. She couldn’t catch her breath.

  “Are you all right?”

  The quiet voice was low and melodic, and she became aware of warm hands at her waist steadying her carefully. For one crazy second, she wanted to say no, to pretend another loss of balance and make that firm, gentle pressure continue.

  Blinking rapidly in an attempt to regain her usual poise, she managed a reply. “I—I think so, yes.”

  She focused again. The face was unusual, angular and strong, with a tanned, almost reddish-tinted complexion under dark bangs, the expression troubled. Then, quite suddenly, the hands were gone and the form straightened to attention. The voice became entirely formal. “My apologies, Captain. I wasn’t prepared for you to turn toward me. It was entirely my fault, ma’am.”

  Kathleen managed to expand her gaze to a wider view, observing a chevron on her rescuer’s sleeve. This was a sergeant, she realized, which accounted for why the woman was taking the blame for an accident that was clearly Kathleen’s fault. She looked back over, not exactly sure how the tumbling books had missed her, and saw there were two hats on the ground. Reclaiming one seemed the sensible thing to do, but when she put it on her head, it was much too big and slipped over her ears. She glanced up into the woman’s face, noting those eyes were now fixed on the distant horizon. Not a muscle moved in her face, but Kathleen thought she detected a slight hitch in her breathing that might have been a chuckle.

  Sniffing slightly, she said, “Is it reading that’s made your head this big, Sergeant?”

  By way of reply, the other woman smoothly retrieved the hat that was still on the ground, holding it stiffly in Kathleen’s direction. “Again, my apologies, Captain. But with your permission, I’d like to recover the rest of my uniform now, please, ma’am.”

  They’d been standing face-to-face until the sergeant had bent to get the other hat. At that instant, Kathleen had gotten a glimpse of a beautifully long, thick braid trailing down the sergeant’s back. Speechless, she removed the larger hat, accepting hers in return. In a movement clearly well practiced, the sergeant wound the plait tightly on the top of her head, ensuring a thin band of shorter hair was visible on her neck before securing the hat firmly in place. Then she resumed her official stance. Kathleen was quite sure the sergeant would not move until she was dismissed, or speak again unless asked a direct question. She had dozens of those, but it was obvious this woman was a by-the-book type and personal questions probably wouldn’t go over well at this time. Things at the Florida base hadn’t been quite as spit and polish, but she certainly knew how to follow protocol when the situation called for it. “What is your name, Sergeant?”

  “Rains, ma’am.” Something in the doleful tone of her short answer made Kathleen wonder if Rains was anticipating that some kind of punishment was forthcoming.

  “At ease, Sergeant Rains.” Rains obeyed, but her posture did not relax. “I’m Captain Hartley, Kathleen Hartley.” She wasn’t sure why she’d added her first name, but she pressed on. “I only arrived on base yesterday and I was looking for the beauty shop. But perhaps I should visit the optometrist too, because running into you was entirely my fault.” She grabbed a book from the disheveled pile and extended it toward Rains, letting her voice warm as she added, “I hope we can at least exchange reading lists sometime. I’m told the winter nights here are perfect for settling in with a good book.”

  Rains’s eyes flicked to her so briefly that she would have missed it if she hadn’t been watching. After a quick second, she accepted the volume, and her eyes returned to the horizon. “Thank you, Captain Hartley.”

  That was it. No friendly banter taking her up on her request or even a real second look. Kathleen took advantage of the moment to look Rains over again. To her initial impression of height, she added a tight, sinewy body. The hands that gripped the hardback were large and sure. A strange quivering sensation rippled through her stomach, accompanied by a single thought: I’d like to get to know her. She opened her mouth, but common sense—and her Army training—returned in a rush, and she only answered, “Very good, Sergeant Rains. Carry on,” before stepping around Rains and starting away, down the sidewalk.

  “Captain Hartley?” The question in Rains’s voice sounded slightly less formal, so Kathleen looked back over her shoulder. Rains was pointing toward a building in the opposite direction. “The beauty shop is in there.”

  Kathleen couldn’t help smiling. “And the optometrist?”

  There might have been the slightest tug at the corner of the sergeant’s mouth. “All medical offices are housed in the third building east of here, ma’am.”

  She knew that, of course. It was where Whit worked.

  For weeks after that, Kat’s new protocol and publicity duties kept her busy on base while she and Whit worked on their new home in their off hours. Even so, her encounter with the dark-eyed sergeant hovered in the corner of her mind until she began to feel rather guilty for not saying anything to Whit about her current preoccupation. In the past, she would have eagerly anticipated her lover’s skill at making the object of her distraction into a wonderfully exciting fantasy for them both, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that this one was different somehow. However, on the rare occasions when their paths crossed, Sergeant Rains simply saluted Captain Hartley like any other officer, with absolutely no hint of recognition. Kathleen’s pride wouldn’t let her believe that Rains didn’t remember her, so she concluded it must be something else. Perhaps the very thing that made her interested in Rains was what made the sergeant keep her distance—from everyone, apparently—as anytime she wasn’t with her squad she was always alone.

  Finally, when she
couldn’t stand it any longer, she told Whit about the book incident, making it sound as if it had only just happened, and embellishing it slightly to make sure that Whit would see Rains as she recently had—as a potential kindred spirit, as they called their like-minded acquaintances. But nothing more came of it, until a chance encounter when she’d met up with Rains pacing somewhat restlessly outside a classroom. With very little prompting, Rains had eagerly informed her to expect a larger-than-normal appearance of the moon that evening. Normally, she wouldn’t have given the information a second thought, but it had seemed important to the tall, intense woman, so she and Whit had gone out to watch. Before then, she’d never really thought about their view of the night sky, but the evening was wonderful and the moon spectacular. When the show was over, they’d gone inside and had the best sex since moving to Des Moines.

  Enough of that, Kathleen chided herself, patting her hair one last time. You have guests. She straightened her shoulders and rejoined the group.

  * * *

  They’d been talking base gossip, along with the most recent developments in the war, for about fifteen minutes when the doorbell rang again and Whit answered. There was a great deal of commotion as two more women entered the room with several bags in hand. Hugs were exchanged and then one of the women turned back toward the outside. “Hurry in, honey. It’s cold outside.” A little girl about four years old with brown eyes and curly brown hair entered the room. She was holding a stuffed horse. She and Rains saw each other at the same time. They both smiled. The little girl walked right over, stopping a few feet away. “Who are you?” she asked.

  Rains squatted down to her height. “I am Rain,” she said quietly. “Who are you?”

  “I’m Lilly.” Because Rains was closer to the ground, her glass did not shatter when it hit the floor. She had already finished her club soda, so only a few ice cubes fell out. “It’s okay,” Lilly said, watching Rains scoop them hastily back into the glass. “You didn’t make a very big mess.”

  Rains mopped the few remaining drops of moisture on the floor with her handkerchief. “Thank you, Lilly. I’m usually more careful. But I…I knew a family of flowers once.” Rains took a breath, looking into Lilly’s eyes. “I never dreamed I’d meet another.”

  The room quieted gradually, and now all of the adults were watching them. “This is amazing,” one of the women whispered. “Lillian is usually very shy.”

  So is Rain, Bett was thinking. “She’s darling. Is she yours?”

  “Yes.” The woman smiled before mouthing the word adopted.

  Bett nodded, turning her gaze back to the child. “That’s wonderful.”

  “It is,” the woman agreed.

  Lilly had moved a little closer to Rains. “Are you an Indian?”

  Kathleen Hartley gasped.

  “Yes,” Rain answered. “How did you know?”

  “I heard my mommies talking.” One of the women groaned. Lilly pointed at Rains’s head. “Your hair is longer than mine.”

  “Yes. Do you like it?” Lilly nodded enthusiastically. Rains sat cross-legged on the floor and brought her braid over her shoulder. Lilly climbed into her lap, running her hand timidly along its length. They smiled at each other again.

  The adults stared at them. “Does she have children too?” the other woman asked Bett softly. Bett shook her head. Not that I know of! she told herself, unsettled by the sudden awareness that she actually knew only a fraction of the woman with whom she’d been sharing her bed…and her life.

  Rains tugged on her braid. “This hair has been growing for a long, long time. My hair may be older than your pony,” she added, and Lilly giggled. “What’s his name?”

  “His name is Racer, because he wins all the races.” Lilly said, displaying the toy proudly.

  “I’ll bet he does. I’m sure he could beat my pony. He is called Sage. He never was very fast and he’s getting older now.”

  “Where is he?” Lilly asked, looking around. “Can we go see him?”

  Rains sighed. “No. He lives very far from here. I hope I can see him soon, because I miss riding him.”

  Lilly’s eyes lit up. “Could I ride him too?”

  Rains looked into Lilly’s face. “Since you are such a nice little girl and you take such good care of your pony, Racer, I’m sure Sage would let you ride him. Would you like for me to ask him?”

  Lilly only nodded solemnly, adopting Rains’s manner. Rains looked at the ceiling and asked Sage if Lilly could ride him, speaking in Lakota.

  Lilly’s eyes got wide. “Is that how horses talk?”

  Rains closed her eyes, unable to answer. Lilly touched her face. “Why are you sad, Rain?”

  Rains became aware of the silence in the room, realizing that everyone must be watching them. She cleared her throat and quickly swiped at her eyes before opening them. “You remind me of someone I have been missing for a long time. But maybe if we could be friends, I wouldn’t have to miss her so much.” She stood, bringing Lilly and Racer with her.

  “Come here, Lillian,” one of the mothers said, walking over with outstretched arms.

  The little girl didn’t move, but asked, “What time is it?”

  “Uh, that’s my cue, excuse me,” Whit said, going out of the room.

  “Okay, Lilly, but only once,” the other woman told her firmly.

  “I want to show Rain,” Lilly insisted, holding on to Rains’s shirt.

  Whit came back in. “It’s almost time!” she said excitedly, waving everyone along. “Hurry!”

  They went into a study where there was another fireplace. On the mantel was a large cuckoo clock that had been reset to twelve o’clock. As Lilly pointed, the little bird came out on its perch and began to chirp as the hour chimed. Rains looked at Lilly with her mouth open in shock and then they watched together. When it was over, Lilly laughed and clapped. “I knew you would like it!” Everyone cheered.

  As conversation started again in the room, Rains carried Lilly over to her mother. “Thank you for showing me that, Lilly.”

  Lilly hugged Rains and said, “We can be friends, if you won’t be sad anymore.”

  Rains made a sign on her palm and said, “I promise.” She set Lilly back on the floor and they smiled at each other again.

  Lilly’s mother stroked her daughter’s hair before offering her hand. “I’m sorry we didn’t get properly introduced before my daughter stole you away. I’m Sophie Lucero.”

  “Gale Rains.” They shook hands.

  “Gale, you obviously have a way with children. Lilly’s usually not this outgoing with people, especially the first time she meets them.”

  “I believe Lilly and I have met before,” Rains explained. “In her last life.”

  Sophie looked startled for a second, and then began to laugh. “There’s obviously no other explanation,” she agreed.

  Bett came over and put her arm through Rains’s. Rains introduced her to Sophie and then felt a tug on her pants. She squatted down to Lilly again. “Pick me up, Rain.” Rains did.

  “Lilly, I want you to meet someone special to me,” she said. “This is Bett.”

  Lilly acted shy and hid her face in Rains’s shirt.

  “Now, that’s the Lilly I know,” Sophie said. Her glance found the woman she had come in with. “Patrice! Come get your daughter.” But the other woman was engaged in conversation with Kathleen and didn’t hear her.

  Rains gestured with her head for Bett to say something. “It’s nice to meet you, Lilly,” Bett said, pleasantly. “I hope we can be friends too.”

  Lilly looked over with one eye. “You talk funny,” she said.

  Bett shot Rains an exasperated look. Shifting Lilly to the other arm, Rains walked with her back toward the clock. Bett was telling Sophie about going to school in England. “Is there another way you could have said that, Lilly?” she asked. “You might have hurt Bett’s feelings.” Lilly looked around, as if thinking. “And let me explain something else,” Rains went on. “When I s
aid Bett was special to me, I didn’t mean she was more special than you.”

  Lilly’s eyes came back to Rains. “You like the way she talks, don’t you?”

  Rains smiled. “Yes, I do. But I also like the way you talk.”

  “Okay,” Lilly decided. “I’ll like her too.”

  “Thank you, Lilly.” They walked back over to Bett and Sophie.

  Lilly reached out her arms and hugged Bett’s neck. “I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings, Bett,” she said in a small voice. “You’re very pretty.”

  Bett gave Lilly a kiss on the head. “Thank you, Lilly. You’re very pretty too.”

  “I know,” Lilly said, and they all laughed.

  “Come on, sweetie, let’s get your dinner,” Sophie said, reclaiming her daughter. She looked back at Rains. “After the war, maybe you should think about going into teaching.” She separated Patrice from her conversation with Kathleen, and everyone else began moving back into the den.

  Rains grinned at Bett, who was looking at her expectantly. “After my years as a drill instructor, I believe I’ve done all the teaching I want to do.”

  “But it would be different with little ones, wouldn’t it?” Bett questioned. Before Rains could answer, she added, “I had no idea you were so fond of children.”

  “Why wouldn’t I be?” Rains asked, genuinely puzzled.

  Bett tried to recall where she’d gotten that impression. Perhaps because during basic training, it would have been impossible to envision her cool and controlled drill instructor sitting on the floor with a child on her lap. But then, there were many ways she saw Rains differently now. She herself adored babies and planned on having one or two someday—although she hadn’t quite worked out the details of that yet, and she and Rains had never discussed it. She took a breath. “Would you ever want children of your own?”