Texas rich (26 page)

"Could I speak with you outside for a minute. Miss Jenkins?" Billie whispered. The gray-haired woman followed Billie into the hallway, leaving the door ajar. She was a good nurse.

Quickly Billie explained the situation, and the nurse said, "Mrs. Coleman, go to your husband. He needs you more than Maggie does right now. All that bundle in there needs is warm, loving arms and competent care. I can see to that. But your husband needs you. Maggie will be fine. I've been nursing babies for thirty years. I nursed Amelia and your husband, you know. I know Moss would want you to come to him."

"It's just that I'm her mother, Miss Jenkins. I should be feeding her and changing her. I should be rocking her to sleep. Don't misunderstand; I want to go, but I'm torn. I feel I should stay here with my baby. I know everything you're saying is true. Maggie won't know whose arms are holding her as long as they're warm and loving. But I'll know."

The nurse walked her back to her room and patted her comfortingly on the shoulder. "Trust me, Mrs. Coleman. I'll take care of Maggie as if she were my own child."

Billie nodded and watched the older woman walk back down the hallway. The woman had an ample bosom for Maggie to snuggle against. She hoped that the starchy stiffness of the white uniform didn't chafe the tiny face.

Before retiring for the night, Billie walked across the hall to Jessica's room. Her mother-in-law lay propped up in bed with her glasses perched on her nose, her head at an awkward angle, sound asleep. Billie removed the glasses and laid them

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on the night table, along with a new murder mystery. She turned off the bedside lamp and tiptoed from the room. She would bring Jessica a new book, perhaps two, from the city tomorrow. Maybe she would even buy her a small sack of licorice. Jessica loved candy. Billie was sorry that she couldn't share the news with Jessica. Living upstairs the way she did now, the former mistress of Sunbridge was the last to hear of any of the doings in the house.

But Jessica seemed happy in her little haven, thought Billie, where every need was met and she lacked for nothing. Her prayer beads, her endless supply of mystery novels, her small secret hoards of candy, and her writing implements were all she seemed to need these days. And, of course, her twice-daily visits to the nursery when she got to hold the new infant for a few minutes. Someday, Billie was going to try to figure out how her mother-in-law could be so happy shut up on the second floor. Someday, but not now. She purposely pushed away the worrisome thought that maybe she wouldn't like the answer.

Back to her room to finish the letter to Moss. Dear, wonderful Moss. He was going to be so surprised when he saw her. How ugly she had looked at Christmas! Now she'd knock his eyes right out of their sockets. It was going to be a honeymoon fit for a princess. Hawaii.

Billie finished the letter and crawled into bed. It would probably arrive after she did. She smiled to herself as she hugged her pillow to her cheeks, pretending it was Moss. The misgivmgs she'd felt about leaving Maggie and the ache in her chest when she'd stared down at her little daughter were gone now. She thought only of her husband and of the time they would have together.

Thad Kingsley bellowed into the buzzing wardroom: "Hey, Captain Marvel, you've got a call coming in. The radio room says it's your father and the captain has given you clearance for the call. Move it, Coleman!"

Moss looked up, startled. Thad never raised his voice. A call from home? Mam? Christ, they'd only docked in Hawaii that afternoon and he wasn't even officially detached from the ship. Something must have happened to Mam. He didn't need Captain Marvel's magic word to do a disappearing act. He skidded to a stop in the radio room and reached for the phone. "Pap? What's wrong?" Moss shouted into the receiver.

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"Moss? That you, boy?"

Moss's stomach settled down. There was too much exhilaration in the old man's voice. "Christ, Pap, if you got through to me just to ask how the weather is, I'll shoot old Nessie when I get home."

"You touch that old nag and I'll turn the gun on you!" Seth's voice was jovial. "Everything is fine here, real fine. Listen, I found a way to send that little Yankee gal you married over to see you. She's leaving in a few days. I'll be getting back to you with more information, but I just wanted you to know your little wife is fit as a fiddle and hungry to see you. Take care of yourself, boy."'

The wireless operator griimed up at Moss. Some guys had all the luck.

"Pap? Pap, you there?" He looked at the radio operator, who shrugged and tapped the instruments.

"Hope your call was finished, sir. The signal's been terminated."

Leave it to Pap to drop the bomb, Moss thought with annoyance. He wished the old man would quit manipulating his life. Fit as a fiddle. Billie coming here! The first charge of excitement plotted its course. Now how in the living hell had Pap pulled this one off? Memories flooded. Fit as a fiddle. But he ah-eady knew that from Billie's letters. Then the dawn began to creep over the horizon and he saw the light. If Mohammed couldn't come to the mountain. Pap had found a way to ship the mountain. And when Mohanmied sent it home it had better be pregnant. This time with a son.

"The old bastard!"

"Did you say something, sir?" the radio man asked.

"No, nothing. It's just that there are some advantages to this war after all. My wife is coming to Hawaii!" Moss pushed his cap to the back of his head and returned to the wardroom. Billie was coming here; damn the reasons, she was coming. Despite it being Seth's idea, the thought pleased Moss immensely.

Moss returned to the wardroom, bellowed "Shaazz-zaaammm!" at the top of his lungs, made a lunging leap into the air, and spun into the bulkhead.

"This, gentlemen," Thad announced, "is the navy's secret weapon. The expression of pure euphoric bliss worn by Captain Marvel can only mean he's next in line for Halsey's job. Come

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on, Coleman, spit it out so we can all hit the chow line."

"Billie's coming ... my wife," he explained to the others. Hoots of approval and boos of envy resounded.

Thad grinned and clapped Moss on the back. "You lucky devil! Someday I want you to tell me how your old man does it."

Moss grinned. "He says, 'Shazam!' Didn't you know I'm a chip off the old block?"

There was no envy in Thad Kingsley or the other officers. How could you resent a guy because his wife was coming to see him? Besides, there wasn't a harder worker or better pilot than Moss Coleman.

"That was fast woric, even for your Pap," Kingsley told Moss. "When's Billie coming? Where will you stay?"

"I've no idea. I'm certain Pap will arrange everything, but I spoke with him only for a few minutes. He said he'd get back to me. Knowing Pap, Billie will arrive with a list of instructions a mile long. All I have to do is wait it out. Christ, Thad, Billie is coming here, all the way to Hawaii!" He laughed. "When I met her she'd never been out of Philadelphia and now she's traveling halfway around the world to be with me. And from the looks of things the Big E will be in dry dock for a month at least."

"Billie will love Hawaii. You'll put in your day at the airfield and the nights are your own. Don't screw up, Coleman."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Moss demanded.

"It means whatever the hell you want it to mean. I was with you last time we laid over in Hawaii and I know where you spent your nights and weekends. Try to control your greedy appetites. And I wouldn't take Billie sight-seeing—she might get a look at that little cutey you found yourself on the other side of the island."

"If you saw me on the other side of the island, you were there for the same reason."

"With one slight difference, my friend. I'm not married," Thad drawled, imitating Moss's accent.

Moss squinted past his cigarette smoke. "When I'm in Texas I'm married. When I'm not with Billie, I'm just ole Moss Coleman. Period. Don't go preaching at me, Thad."

"I'm not preaching. I'm telhng you a fact. Remember, I met that little girl you married and I always thought she was too young for you. Don't make her grow up the hard way."

"Enough, Kingsley," Moss snarled.

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"You're right. It's none of my business. I'm hungry. See you later."

Moss watched his long-legged friend stride across the wardroom. For a few moments his anger roiled, but then better sense prevailed. Thad hardly ever offered advice. Or was it a warning? He couldn't think about that now. Billie was coming to Hawaii and he'd have her to himself for over a month. He felt himself stiffening inside his uniform. He didn't need food. What he needed was a cold shower to tide him over until he could beg a Jeep and drive to the other side of the island. It would be more than a week before Billie arrived.

The five days allotted Billie flew by on eagle's wings. Agnes and Seth both were at their wits' end with Billie's wide mood swings. She would be wildly exhilarated one minute and depressed the next that she was leaving Maggie in strange hands. Soothing words of comfort were offered by her mother, while Seth made no pretense about his displeasure, telling Billie over and over of the lengths to which he had gone to secure permission for her travel plans. In the end she left Sunbridge with a smile on her lips,'an ache in her heart, and tears in her eyes.

The Coleman luggage consisted of a trunk and four heavy travel bags jammed full of costly dresses, frilly nightwear, and enticing underwear that was more lace than cloth. One bag was full of nothing but shoes. Another held her nighties and her underwear and stockings, all silk. She had almost choked when the matronly salesgirl had asked demurely if there would be anything else, as though a five-thousand-dollar purchase of clothing that couldn't be worn outside the house was an everyday occurrence. They had bought little dresses, as Agnes called them, by the dozen. Summery, demure, sometimes sultry little numbers that exposed even as they covered up. A must, Agnes had said with authority. Later, in the quiet of her room, Billie had tried to tally her purchases in her head and almost fainted. Who in their right mind paid $9,000 for clothing for a trip to Hawaii. Agnes knew that Seth wouldn't blink an eye. But then again, it was Agnes who was writing out the checks these days.

When the chauffeur-driven car drove out of Sunbridge's long, circular driveway, Billie turned to look back. Once before she had seen that smug look on her mother's face—on the night Agnes had come home early fi-om her graduation party and found her and Moss in their compromising position. How odd that she should now remember that look on her mother's

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face. A year ago she had thought it was disapproval.

It was to Jessica, standing in the upstairs window, that Billie waved good-bye.

"I think this calls for a drink, don't you, Agnes? Fetch me a triple Scotch and don't mess it up with water or ice."

"Why don't I just bring the bottle," Agnes called over her shoulder as she made her way into the house. She couldn't recall a time when she'd felt more proud of herself. Maybe Seth thought he'd pulled off a coup, but she knew better. Without her help he wouldn't have gotten to step one. They understood each other so well.

"Moss, I don't believe what you're telling me," Thad said. "It will be unforgivable of you not to pick up Billie—there must be a way," he muttered, running his fingers through his sandy hair.

"Try telling that to Captain Davis," Moss snarled. "The good captain doesn't approve of what he calls asshole saddle jockeys who have friends in high places. You're going to have to fill in for me, Thad. Billie will understand once you explain it to her. I'm giving you the day off. Take care of my wife for me till I can get to wherever Pap has her staying. I'll bet you a month's salary it's a house up in the hills."

"When it comes to your old man, I'm not putting money down on any kind of a bet, but you owe me for this one," Thad said, and grinned. "Okay, I'll stand in for you."

Moss laughed. "See that's all you do. I'd appreciate it if you would take my gear with you. The captain is allowing me to be off base five evenings a week but I have to be here full-time on weekends. He's going out of his way to show me I'm not a favorite of the Navy Department. It's okay. I'm not sweating it. Billie will understand. You're a good friend, Thad."

There were a hundred other things he would rather be doing than standing in for Moss with his wife. Secretly, he agreed with Captain Davis. Favoritism at this time was not a good morale booster for the others. The other guys had sweethearts and wives behind in the States. But he realized that Moss had had nothing to do with his wife's coming to Hawaii. The guy did what was expected of him and then some, and he did it well. He was a damn good pilot and the Texas Ranger had seen more action than most of the others. Thad stowed Moss's gear in the back of the Jeep and headed out of the base.

An hour later he was shading his eyes from the golden

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sunshine to get a better look at the pretty young woman standing at the top of the airUne's portable stairway. One hand was holding on to a wide-brimmed picture hat and the other was trying to hold down the hem of her skirt. Good legs. Damn good legs. This wasn't the same BiUie Coleman he had met months ago. Thad sucked in his breath and stared a little harder.

Billie crossed the tarmac, her hands still keeping her hat and skirt from the clutches of the playful breeze that was whipping about the airfield. Her eyes were anxious as they searched for Moss. The minute she spotted Thad she smiled. Wherever Thad Kingsley was, Moss would be close behind. But there was no sign of him. The smile stayed in place when Thad took her by the arm and escorted her toward the car. "It's nice to see you again, Billie. Moss had duty and couldn't be relieved. I'm to take you to wherever you're staying and he'll join you around six. I've got his gear in the Jeep. We'll have to wait a few minutes till your luggage gets here. Do you have much?"

Billie hid her disappointment well. "A trunk and four bags. I don't think you're going to get it all in the Jeep if you have Moss's things, too." She was a navy wife and had to get used to these wartime changes in plans. Six o'clock was only three hours away.