Love Is a Battlefield

by Annalisa Daughety

  But he couldn’t seem to get her off his mind. The way she cheerfully greeted the visitors, so that even the gruffest Civil War buffs left the desk smiling. Or the way even the drab gray and green uniform made her skin glow like that of a cover model. But it was more than all that. She had a quality that drew him to her.

  As his grandpa used to say, he was smitten. Not that it mattered. Most days, she ran hot and cold with him. Her demeanor was chilly toward him in the visitor center. He could see it on her face—obvious disapproval of how he handled certain things. But the time they spent alone together in the old pickup was different. She was warm and open. The way she listened to him and asked insightful questions showed that she was interested in what he had to say. Those moments lingered in his mind and made it hard for him to keep his mind on business.

  He hadn’t been at all sure it was smart to open their stakeouts to personal questions, but given the alternative—silence—it had seemed to be a good idea. And he had nothing to hide. Well, maybe some things, but the odds of her actually asking him the true reason behind his move to Shiloh were slim. He’d chance it if it meant he could get to know her on such a personal level.

  He wondered what she’d say if she knew he’d been praying for her every night. Praying that God would heal her of her pain and give her the strength to move on and find His path for her life. He’d found a great verse in Psalm 147. “He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.” Ace thought seriously about sharing that with her but was pretty sure she would deny being brokenhearted.

  So it seemed all he could do was wait it out. Slowly get to know her. Become her friend. But if his feelings got any stronger, he was going to have to let her know. If he’d learned anything from Caroline, it was that time was fleeting. And Ace wanted to make sure he didn’t leave anything unsaid.

  Even if what he had to say might not be anything she wanted to hear.

  ***

  Kristy was on time for once. She chalked it up to insomnia. Last night she’d tossed and turned and never felt as if she completely fell asleep. When she glanced at the clock this morning and saw that there were only fifteen minutes left before her alarm went off, she gave up and started her day. Who needs sleep anyway? but she was jealous when she left the house and Sam was still curled up tightly on his plush doggy bed. He at least opened one eye when she said good-bye, but she knew he was likely still lost in dreamland, chasing squirrels and cats.

  “Good morning,” she called as she entered the visitor center.

  A grunt came from Owen’s office.

  She popped her head inside and raised an eyebrow. “Are we grumpy today?”

  He turned toward her, his eyes bloodshot and his hair disheveled. “I fell asleep on the couch last night in front of a braves game. Hate it when I do that,” he grumbled. “Now I have a crick in my neck and a headache.”

  “I have some aspirin in my purse. And I’ll start a pot of coffee.”

  He grunted again and turned back to his computer.

  She threw her things in the seasonal office and noticed that Matthew’s backpack was in the middle of the floor. Guess he’d gotten here early, too. Hopefully that meant he’d also begun opening up the center. She’d get to see how well she’d trained him.

  Kristy grabbed the carafe from the coffeemaker and took it to the bathroom sink to fill it up. Her mind drifted back to Owen’s bloodshot eyes, and she wondered if accidentally falling asleep on the couch was all that was wrong with him. She worried sometimes about him all alone. She remembered when his wife lost her battle with cancer. That was nearly five years ago. And as far as she knew, other than a few dates here and there, he was usually a loner. Hmm.

  “Hey, K.” Matthew unlocked the visitor center door and nodded in her direction.

  She shook her head and smiled. She supposed “K” was better than “Miss Kristy,” which was what he’d started out calling her, much to her chagrin. Made her feel like a kindergarten teacher.

  “Morning, Matthew. Thanks for getting everything opened.”

  “Not a problem. We’re all set. And guess what?” He followed her to the coffeepot and watched as she poured the water into the coffeemaker.

  “What?” she pressed the button and heard the sweet sound of the machine brewing.

  “Owen put me on the schedule to do a rifle demonstration today! I get to fire the gun.” Matthew beamed, his blue eyes dancing.

  “Congratulations. I remember the first time I got to do one by myself. That must mean you’ve passed the test, huh?” she teased. Owen drilled all the seasonals nonstop about the nine steps it took to load and fire the musket. She was pretty sure that her first summer at Shiloh, she dreamed about those steps.

  “Yeah. We did a demo together yesterday, and afterwards, he told me I was ready to go solo. I’m a little nervous, though,” he admitted.

  “You’ll be fine. Just remember to take your time. And if anyone asks a question you can’t answer, what do you say?”

  “Follow me to the visitor center, and we’ll find out together.” He grinned.

  “I’ve taught you well, grasshopper.”

  “Huh?” Confusion washed over his face.

  She shook her head. “Never mind. I’m an old lady.” she smiled. “But you’ll do great. Really.”

  “Thanks. I hope so.”

  The bell rang on the front door.

  “I’ll go take care of them.” Matthew hurried off to greet the first visitors of the day.

  Kristy poured a cup of coffee and carried it into Owen’s office. She set it on the desk in front of him. “Here you go. Maybe this will help.”

  Owen looked at her through puffy eyes. “Thanks.” His voice was gravelly. He shook his head. “I probably should’ve just called in sick today.”

  Kristy stepped inside the office and pulled the door closed. Matthew could handle things for a few minutes. She’d seen the look in Owen’s eyes, and she recognized it as one she saw sometimes in her own mirror. Something was wrong.

  “You okay?”

  He shrugged. “Nothing for you to worry about. I’m just having one of those days.”

  “I see.” she waited to see if he wanted to tell her about it. They’d worked together enough years for her to know that sometimes he needed her to be a sounding board.

  “It’s been five years to the day since I lost Helen. I thought by now maybe I wouldn’t hurt so bad over it. But I sure do miss her.” He looked up at Kristy. “There’s nothing worse than loneliness.”

  Kristy put her hand on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do?”

  He sighed deeply and leaned his head back against his office chair. “Maybe. But it might sound crazy.”

  She smiled. “Try me.”

  “Well, I have these tickets to a concert next week in Memphis. My sister was supposed to go with me, but she backed out.”

  Did he want her to go with him? Where was he going with this?

  “Anyway, it hit me yesterday that I don’t have anyone else to invite. I guess I could take one of the guys. Ace, maybe. But I was thinking...” He trailed off.

  Suddenly she understood. He was trying to find out if she knew anyone who might like to go with him. She grinned. “Tell you what. Let me make a phone call. We’ll see if we can’t find someone to go with you.” she started to leave the office then stopped. “Wait. What’s the concert?” she asked.

  “Brad Paisley. Should be a good one.” He smiled sheepishly. “I’ll spring for dinner, too, if that will help you convince someone to go with me.”

  Kristy closed the door behind her and peeked at the front desk. Matthew was entertaining a group of college girls with a “ranger” story. She glanced at her watch. The movie should’ve started three minutes ago. “Could you hand me the remote, Ranger?” she said with a grin.

  His face turned beet red. He grabbed the remote and passed it to Kristy then hurriedly took the girls’ money and ushered them toward the movie.

  Kris
ty pressed the Play button and dashed off to her office to make a call. It was time to play matchmaker.

  CHAPTER 28

  As Kristy made her way to the visitor center on the morning of the Fourth of July, it was already blazing hot. She’d had to carry Sam outside to get him to do his business. He’d let her know in no uncertain terms that there wasn’t a dog in his right mind who’d want to go outside during a heat wave, even if his owner spoke sweetly of treats and shaved ice. But he’d finally relented like the good dog he seldom was.

  By the time she reached the employee entrance, she could feel the sweat beading on her forehead underneath her hat. From the looks of the cars already beginning to fill the parking lot, she knew it was going to be one of those days. No one on staff was off today; it was all hands on deck.

  She quickly set the coffee to brewing. By the time she finally stepped out to the front desk, Owen, Ace, Matthew, and Mason were congregating near the cash register.

  “What’s going on?” she asked.

  “The vandal struck again last night.” Owen’s face was grim. “Arnie is fit to be tied. Says if Steve doesn’t get back from vacation soon, he’s going to personally get on a Europe-bound plane and drag him home.”

  Figured Arnie would find a way to pass the blame along to someone who wasn’t even on this continent. “Which monument did they get this time?”

  “Texas.” Ace shook his head. “This was the worst one so far. Two different colors of spray paint.”

  “The bottom line is that we need to be on full alert today. There’ll be a ton of traffic in and out of here, and our programs will likely be loaded with people. If you see anything suspicious, let me know,” Owen said. “Obviously whoever is doing this is someone familiar with the park, so we’re looking for someone who’s been here before.”

  The front door chimed as the day’s first visitor opened it. Mason greeted the family, and Matthew reached for the microphone to announce the start time of the movie.

  Kristy followed Ace and Owen through the swinging doors that led to the ranger offices. It sounded like it was going to be one of those days. “So does this mean another stakeout is in our near future?” she asked.

  Owen groaned. “You know it. I hope you didn’t have anything exciting planned to celebrate tonight. Hank’s in with Arnie right now, so I’m sure we’ll get our orders soon.” He poured some coffee into his UT mug and went to his office.

  “Guess you’ll be spending the holiday with me.” Ace grinned at her.

  She stared at him over her coffee. “It’s my favorite holiday, you know. I always go watch the fireworks at Pickwick.”

  Pickwick Dam was a favorite spot for locals during the summer. The Tennessee River flowed right through the area, making it a mecca for fishing, boating, or just relaxing near the water. Every year, there was a spectacular fireworks display on the Fourth of July. Kristy was actually supposed to watch this year’s festivities with Robert. She made a mental note to call him as soon as she had a free moment and let him know that she had to work. He probably wouldn’t be too happy, but maybe he could still come. She was certain his little brother would love to go see the show with him.

  “Maybe we’ll still be able to see some of the fireworks, depending on where Mr. Bramblett has us stationed.” Ace leaned against the doorway of his office and grinned as she made her way into the seasonal office.

  Kristy turned the computer on and pulled her cell phone out of her purse. May as well get it over with.

  “Hello.” Robert’s deep voice sounded on the other end.

  “Hi. It’s Kristy.”

  “I thought you were working today. Did you end up with the day off?” he asked.

  “No. I mean, I am at work. I just needed to tell you something.” she cleared her throat.

  “Oh? What’s up?”

  “Well, actually, I can’t make it tonight. We had more vandalism last night, and since it’s a holiday, we’re going to be staking out again. So I won’t be able to go to Pickwick for the fireworks. I’m sorry.” she did feel awful. He’d seemed so excited and said they’d stop and get stuff for a picnic and watch the fireworks over the river.

  “That’s too bad. I can’t believe you have to work tonight after working all day today. And on a holiday, too.”

  “I know. But that’s the price I pay to work at America’s favorite national park.”

  Her little joke fell flat, and he was silent.

  “Maybe you can still catch the fireworks. I’m sure Zach would love to go with you.”

  He sighed. “Probably so. And I was planning on heading over that way soon anyway. Mom bought him one of those aboveground pools for the backyard, and I promised her I’d help set it up.”

  “That’s nice. I’m truly sorry, Robert. I hate to cancel. But Arnie is pretty adamant about our catching this vandal. I know it keeps cutting into our time together, though. I hope you understand.”

  “I do. Don’t worry about it. Really. Not another thought. Maybe we can get together Friday? Put our little plan into action?”

  She laughed. “Sounds perfect. I’ll make sure Owen is available. You talk to your mom today.”

  “I’ll do it. I’ll call you tomorrow. And, Kristy?”

  “Yes?”

  “Happy Fourth of July.”

  “Thanks. You, too.”

  They said their good-byes and Kristy snapped her phone closed. She wondered what Owen would say about a get-to-know-you double date. As soon as he’d let on that he might be interested in a fix-up, Robert’s mother, Dorothy, had popped into her mind. She and Owen were about the same age, and Robert had mentioned that she’d recently confided in him of her desire to start dating again. He was all for it, and when Kristy had called him last week about the possibility of a fix-up, he’d been totally on board. Now she just had to make sure Owen was available for dinner on Friday. She was enjoying her little stint as matchmaker so much, she wondered if she was turning into her mother. Pushing that thought away, she went to find Owen. Time to put the plan into action, as Robert had so aptly put it.

  CHAPTER 29

  “So maybe if we told the boss that the Fourth of July is your favorite holiday...” Ace let his words drift off when Kristy gave him a blank look.

  “What?” Her brows drew together.

  “I could—” Ace shrugged. “You said—”

  A distracted smile lifted her lips as she looked past him. “Hey, Ace. There’s Owen, and I need to talk to him.”

  As opposed to me. The person you obviously don’t need to talk to. Ace watched her follow the older ranger into his office. When he’d realized that Kristy was going to have to spend her favorite holiday cooped up in an old truck with him instead of on a blanket somewhere watching fireworks with friends, he’d decided to be noble and help her get out of the stakeout. But she was too preoccupied to even talk to him.

  He stared at the closed door. Oh well. At least he’d tried. He couldn’t keep a smile from his face. Sitting out there alone would’ve been pretty awful. It would be better to have company. Especially if the company was Kristy. A niggling thought rose to the surface. Any time they spent staking out was time she wasn’t spending with Robert. He was ashamed of how satisfied that made him feel.

  “Ace, can you come here for a second?” Mason called from the front desk just as Ace was starting to wonder what Kristy needed to talk to Owen about privately.

  Grateful for the distraction, he swung open the doors that separated the offices from the front desk area. They always reminded him of saloon doors straight out of a John Wayne movie. He had to fight the urge to swagger a little bit and call Mason “Pilgrim.”

  “What’s up?” he asked. Being around the twins made him feel so out of touch, what with their slang terms and constant texting. He’d had to threaten to confiscate their BlackBerrys early on. He didn’t tell them, but he’d never even sent a text message.

  “I accidentally rang this lady up as a family because she has her little gir
l with her, but it turns out her daughter is under three, so she’s free. So I need to change it to an individual fee instead of family.” Mason’s face was red to the roots of his blond hair, his trademark dimple nowhere to be seen.

  “It’s okay. We can just void it and start over. Don’t worry about it.” Ace pointed out the correct button on the cash register. “Now take the original receipt and write on the back of it that it is void because of cashier error.”

  Mason ducked his head and did as instructed.

  “Excuse me.” The woman tapped her hand on the counter, and Ace looked into blue eyes that seemed strangely familiar. Did he know her?

  “I don’t have much time to spend here.” Her snippy tone made it sound like she couldn’t imagine a worse place to be. “And I don’t see why I need to pay the entrance fee anyway. I’m not here for a tour. I just need to speak to one of the rangers that works here.” she shifted the toddler to her other hip.

  “I’m s-s-sorry, ma’am.” Mason’s stammering was so soft Ace could barely hear him, but he stood his ground. “All visitors have to pay the fee, regardless of if they take the tour or not.”

  The woman’s nostrils flared, and she glanced toward the ceiling then narrowed her eyes at Mason. “Let me speak to the manager, please.”

  Okay, enough. This wasn’t a restaurant. “Mason, you’ve been out here for a long time. Why don’t you take a break.” Turning to the woman, Ace smiled. “I’m as close to a manager as you’re going to get, and Mason was telling the truth. The entrance fee is for everyone who enters the park. The upside is that your fees are good for a week, so if you don’t have time to take the tour today, you can always come back later on in the week.”

  The woman’s blue eyes blazed at him. “No, thank you,” she said disdainfully. “I just need to speak to one of your staff members. Can you please see if Kristy O’Neal is available?”