In Love and War

by Natalie Brock

  “Michael, you’re not listening to me. I need to learn how to be the kind of girl men like David want.”

  “From where I’m sitting, you already are.”

  Cathy was getting exasperated. “Do I have to spell it out for you? I ... Okay, I don’t know how to ... you know.”

  Michael tried hard to read Cathy’s mind, but he was coming up empty. “Sorry, I don’t know. Maybe you do need to spell it out for me. What is it you don’t know how to do?”

  “Well, I don’t know how to ... flirt, for one thing. And ...” she closed her eyes to hide her embarrassment, “... kiss, for another.”

  Michael raised his eyebrows. “Ohhhh. You mean ... you’ve never ... you’ve never been kissed?? I find that hard to believe.”

  Cathy’s eyes flew open. “Are you calling me a liar?” she asked indignantly.

  Once again, Michael said the wrong thing to her. “No, no, not at all. That’s not what I meant. I just wouldn’t have guessed that a girl like you....”

  Cathy pointed her index finger at Michael. “Don’t you dare make fun of me and don’t you dare tell anyone. If you do ....”

  Michael gripped Cathy’s finger. “I won’t. I promise. Your secret’s safe with me. I’m just ... surprised. You seem like the kind of girl ....”

  Cathy squinted and gave Michael a dirty look. “Be careful what you say next, soldier. You’re treading on thin ice. What kind of girl do I seem like?”

  Michael’s tone of voice turned serious. “The kind of girl who’s been kissed. Or who should be kissed. And often.”

  “‘And by someone who knows how to do it?’ Thanks Rhett. I read Gone With the Wind too. Why do you think I chose you?”

  “Because I’m irresistible?”

  “Hardly,” Cathy said. “I chose you because you seem like someone who has experience. And like ... like someone I can trust. Am I right?”

  “Yes. Um ... On both counts. You can definitely trust me, Cathy. But, just so I’m clear here, you want me to teach you how to kiss, meaning ... show you?”

  “Yes. I want you to show me.” She pulled her finger out of his grasp. “I want you to show me how to kiss. And how to flirt. And how to act feminine, you know, the way men like David expect girls to act. Can you do that for me?”

  Michael was having a hard time hiding his smile. How did he get so lucky? “Sure, I mean, if you really want. I’d be happy to teach you how to kiss.” Michael leaned toward Cathy and she pushed him away.

  “Not here! We need to go somewhere private. No one can know about this.”

  “There aren’t many private places here on base.” Michael rubbed his lips with his finger. He thought about the garage but immediately dismissed that idea. Cathy was obviously not a back-seat, flat-bed kind of girl, at least not yet. “Hmmm. There’s a wooded area surrounding the base. Tall apple trees. It’s sort of private.”

  “Good. Let’s go.” Cathy took Michael’s hand and led him out of the Commissary. The woods were essentially a natural fence -- several rows of trees that separated the base from the rest of the world. They were about a hundred yards from the Quad, and there was a shortcut of sorts through the back door of the administrative building.

  As soon as they found their spot, Michael trapped Cathy against a tree. He slipped her eyeglasses off her nose and rested them on top of her head.

  “Wait.” She pressed her palm against his chest. “I’m not sure I’m ready.”

  Michael smiled. “I’m sure you are.” He leaned closer and her eyes went wide. “Close your eyes,” he instructed. Cathy scrunched her eyes closed. This isn’t going to work, Michael thought. “Okay, never mind. Open them.”

  “Was that it?? I didn’t feel anything.”

  Michael shook his head and sighed, already feeling his frustration building. “No. I didn’t do anything yet. Listen, you need to relax. You’re too tense. Here.” He ran his hands up and down her arms trying to get her to loosen up. “Take a deep breath. Now, place your hands on my shoulders.”

  “Why?”

  “Don’t ask questions, just do what your teacher tells you.”

  Cathy smiled. “Yes sir.” She put her hands on Michael’s shoulders and Michael could feel her trembling slightly.

  He needed to get her to relax. “Let’s both take another deep breath. ... Okay, now I’m going to put my hands on your waist, like this.” His body was already responding to being so close to the object of his affections. “Now close your eyes. Not tight. Just close them like you’re going to sleep. Good. And don’t pucker, just part your lips, just a little bit, like you’re about to take a sip of champagne from a wine glass. Not that much. Look at me.”

  “You just told me to close my eyes.”

  “Just look for a second. See. Like this.” Michael demonstrated the lip-spread for her. “Now close your eyes again.” Michael studied Cathy with her eyes closed, her lips poised and ready for their first kiss.

  She took his breath away. She was a natural beauty and she didn’t even know it. Michael had a feeling she was going to break a lot of hearts, starting with his.

  His pulse began racing and a nervousness settled in the pit of his stomach. He couldn’t remember ever feeling this way when he was with any other girl. Michael knew he might be in for a world of hurt once she no longer had any use for him, but for now, he was a willing teacher. “I promise this won’t hurt a bit,” Michael whispered as he leaned forward and brushed his lips softly against Cathy’s.

  Cathy opened her eyes. “Are we finished?”

  “Shhh,” Michael spoke quietly, trying not to break the mood. “No, we’re just getting started.” He inched toward her again and watched her long eyelashes close over her beautiful blue eyes. He pressed his lips onto hers again, very gently at first, increasing the pressure and going a little deeper each time their lips interlocked. And every time his lips molded to hers, he tasted a little more of her moist mouth.

  This lesson was probably a lot harder on the teacher than it was on the student, Michael thought. He had to keep reminding himself not to get carried away, not to lose control. He understood the sensitivity of the situation and he didn’t want to scare Cathy off. He knew this was an important step in Cathy’s life, but there was no question that these kisses meant far more to him than they did to her, and he felt himself falling harder for her with each kiss.

  Sliding his lips over hers was almost as sensual as making love, and he discovered he’d rather spend 15 minutes kissing Cathy than spend hours having sex with any other girl. For now, though, it would have to be enough that she was letting him kiss her at all, and that she trusted him enough to be the first man to taste her virgin lips.

  Chapter 29

  “You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word. It is victory. Victory at all costs. Victory in spite of all terrors. Victory, however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival.”

  -- Prime Minister Winston Churchill

  Kay was seated at the dining room table, drinking a cup of tea and buttering a biscuit when Alexander entered the room. He did a double take when he saw her.

  “What the hell are you doing in here?”

  Kay kept her cool despite Alexander’s unnecessary outburst. “Good morning.”

  She could see that her calmness agitated him further. “Don’t ‘good morning’ me, Miss Nolan!”

  “It’s Doctor Nolan.”

  “I’ll call you doctor when you’ve earned the title. Why aren’t you with your patient?”

  Kay set her butter knife on her plate and sighed. “He didn’t make it through the night.” She looked up at Alexander. “He passed away.”

  Alexander’s eyes widened. “He ... expired?”

  “Yes,” Kay said, almost whispering. “He’s gone. James is making arrangements to have his body transferred ...”

  “His body. I see. He was never anything more than a body to you, eh? And a British one at that.”

  “What are you talking a
bout?” Why did he want to argue with her all the time, Kay wondered.

  “I’ll have James arrange to have your body moved as well. Back to your unit you go. Enjoy your breakfast, Miss Nolan.”

  Kay wanted to scream. That man was so damned infuriating. So unbelievably rude. What was eating him all the time?

  Yes, their patient died and yes, that was sad, but the deceased had no connection to Alexander Fielding that she knew of. Not only that; Sir Fielding knew before Kay ever arrived at Merrifield that Group Captain Welles wasn’t long for this world. It didn’t take a medical degree to figure that out. So why was he so disagreeable?

  She finished her tea and rose from her chair, picked up her dirty dishes and set them down again, not knowing where she should put them. She was a guest in someone’s home and she felt obligated to help out, but this wasn’t any ordinary home. It was an English manor, a strange and unfriendly one at that.

  Kay knew she shouldn’t care about what Alexander thought or how he felt, but for some reason, she did. She didn’t want to feel attracted to him, but the attraction was there nonetheless. Something about him reminded her of Edward Rochester in Jane Eyre. There was a sad and mysterious quality about him.

  Oh hell, Kay decided, she would be gone from both Merrifield and Sir Fielding’s life, long before she had a chance to figure him out.

  She really didn’t even unpack her things, except for a few necessities she used, like her toothbrush and tooth powder, so there wouldn’t be much repacking to do. Even so, she figured she’d better check her gear in preparation for the long trip back to base. She moved toward the dining room door and was surprised when Alexander re-entered. He looked awfully serious, so Kay decided she should say nothing and let him tell her whatever it was he came back to say.

  “I have some bad news,” he said somberly. Kay wondered what could be worse than her patient dying.

  “Oh?” Seemed like the fewer words she uttered, the less opportunity it would give him to holler at her.

  “The ... um ... the local roads are closed by military authority and there’s no other way back to your base. You’ll have to stay here until further notice.”

  Alexander turned and left the room leaving Kay stunned. That was just about the worst news he could give her.

  Chapter 30

  The next day, Cathy was up extra early. She looked over at her barracks mates who were still sleeping as she made up her cot. She couldn’t help but smile because she finally knew what they all knew -- how to kiss.

  Even though the first few kisses felt odd, the more Michael kissed her, the less odd it felt. In fact, by the time the first lesson was over, Cathy had to admit it felt pretty good. Her cheeks warmed at the thought of kissing Michael under the shade of the apple trees. After half an hour of practice, she asked him if her lips looked swollen, but Michael said she looked fine. No, that’s not what he said. He said she looked perfect. “Perfect.” No one ever told her that before.

  Yesterday alone, Cathy experienced several firsts. First kiss, first real compliment from a boy, first tingling in her toes. Cathy may be inexperienced, but she wasn’t completely naive. She knew there was a lot more to learn, a lot more to discover. She was determined to learn as much as she could as fast as she can. And nothing would detract her from her ultimate goal -- wooing and winning Dr. David Mason.

  She headed over to the Commissary to start preparing breakfast. She wasn’t expecting anyone else to be there, but as soon as she entered the kitchen, Michael pulled her into his arms and kissed her. When their lips parted, Cathy spoke.

  “That was a good one. I liked how you added the hugging.” Michael captured Cathy’s lips again, kissing her harder than the first kiss of the day. “I’m getting good at this, right?” Cathy tried to catch her breath when the kissing stopped.

  Michael cupped Cathy’s cheek. “And how! You’re amazing Cathy. A really quick study,” he rasped breathlessly. Cathy moved out of his arms and over to the coffee pot to make some brew. She needed to put some space between them.

  “So what’s next, Michael? I still need to learn how to flirt and French kiss.” She avoided looking at him, feeling like it would be too easy to get caught up in him, and that wasn’t part of the plan. “When are you going to start teaching me how to flirt?”

  Michael smiled and took a step closer. “Well, whether you realize it or not, you already know how to flirt.”

  Cathy turned away from the coffee pot to glance at Michael. “Do not.”

  “Do too. Remember the other day when I was pointing at you and you grabbed my finger?”

  “That’s not flirting!”

  “Well, yeah, it kind of is.”

  “I don’t understand. I mean, how was it flirting? Can you flirt by accident?”

  “I think it’s instinct. Everyone has those instincts, Cathy. Even you.”

  “Hmmm.” Cathy considered Michael’s explanation. “I didn’t know I was flirting. Is there such a thing as officially flirting?”

  Michael buzzed his lips. “It’s not a matter of flirting accidentally or intentionally. It’s a feeling you get inside.”

  “Who gets? The flirter or the flirtee?”

  Michael smiled. “Both, if you’re lucky. As long as it produces the desired effect, it’s flirting.”

  Cathy looked down, feeling slightly confused. “Michael, how can you tell if someone is flirting with you?”

  “Well, from a guy’s point of view, if the girl does something and it gets him all hot and bothered, it’s flirting.”

  “Interesting. When you say ‘hot and bothered,’ what do you mean?”

  Michael licked his lips. He wasn’t sure if Cathy was just pulling his leg or if she was really that naive. “Well, speaking strictly from a personal point of view, being hot and bothered makes me want to kiss you.”

  “Hmmm. Are you hot and bothered now?”

  Michael nodded and chuckled. “Yeah, I’m getting there.”

  Cathy laughed too. “Okay, then show me.”

  “Show you what?”

  “Kiss me.”

  She didn’t have to ask twice. Without hesitation, Michael walked to Cathy and ran a hand through her hair. Holding the back of her head, he pulled her forward, but their lips didn’t have a chance to meet. Cathy took a giant step away from Michael when her colleagues walked into the kitchen. She took a renewed interest in the coffee pot and hoped no one saw what just almost happened. The last thing Cathy needed was for anyone to think there was anything going on between her and Michael, especially when her objective was David.

  Maggie looked from Cathy to Michael. “Sorry, Private, we’re not open yet. Come back in an hour.”

  Michael looked over at Cathy, but he couldn’t catch her eye; she avoided looking in his direction. He nodded at Maggie, Millie, and Doris, and left the mess hall.

  Michael’s head was down as he walked through the Quad. He wasn’t looking where he was going and he bumped into Mary.

  Chapter 31

  Michael’s head was down as he walked through the Quad. He wasn’t looking where he was going and he bumped into Mary.

  “Michael! I haven’t seen you in a week. Where have you been hiding?”

  “Mary. Hi.” Michael kept walking, quickening his pace a bit.

  “Where are you going?” Mary asked. “And could you walk a little slower? Your legs are longer than mine and it’s hard for me to keep up.”

  “Um, sorry, I have somewhere I’m supposed to be. I’ll see you later, okay?”

  “Wait. ... Michael, wait.”

  Michael stopped and faced her, slightly annoyed at being sidetracked. “What is it?”

  “I ... um ....” Mary tried to disregard what seemed to be Michael’s foul mood. She cocked her head and smiled coyly as she fingered his shirt buttons. “There’s a movie playing tomorrow night in the Conference Hall. Gone With the Wind. I thought we might ... you know ... see it together.”

  Michael put his hands in his pockets, looke
d down at his shoes and back up again. “That’s a tempting offer, Mary, but I can’t. Maybe another time, okay?”

  He turned her down. Mary attempted to hide her surprise over Michael’s rejection. She tried to read the look on his face, but his expression was almost one of indifference. “Oh. Um, sure. Okay.”

  “See ya later, Mary.”

  Mary watched Michael walk toward his barracks. Her upbeat mood turned dour as she headed back to the hospital. She’d been certain he’d jump at the chance to be with her. After all, she heard him say he was in love with her. He must be distracted by something important. She wondered what it could be.