Lorri smiled a little. "I lived for four-and-a-half years on a cattle ranch in the middle of nowhere, Mother. Friday nights can be very long and lonely. Josie and I were just having fun. I wanted to have the same fun with Max."

Ruth had to admit that she hadn't looked at it in that light. Nevertheless, everyone could see she was in a quandary.

199.

199.

"I think your mother needs to work this out, girls," Dean put in. "And until she does..."

Both girls nodded, not needing their grandfather to finish. The groceries were put away and lunch was readied without another word on dancing. Lorri, however, had plenty on her mind. The whole episode with her mother had made her feel like a five-year-old, and she wasn't sure how she felt about that Rigg didn't make a move in their direction, but from the pew he'd chosen, his eyes followed the Archer family as they entered into church on Sunday. Rigg had visited this church in the past but had never seen the admiral. Right now he felt surprised speechless. The way they greeted others and made their way to a certain pew told him they were at home here.

Rigg likedthis church, but he hadn't been stationed in the area long enough to get settled anywhere. His eyes studied the back of Lorraine Archer's head, and with a sideways quirk of his mouth, he wondered if this might be a church he should visit more often.

"I need to break our agreement," Max said to Arlene at lunchtime on Tuesday, not about to keep it to herself any longer.

"Okay," Arlene agreed. "What's up?"

"My sister saw the man who rescued her off the island."

"Where? Did he come to the house?"

"No, it was all by coincidence. His niece goes to the school where Raine works."

200.

Arlene's mouth opened. "And they saw each other? Did they talk?"

Max nodded.

"Max" Arlene frowned. "That's not breaking the agreement."

"The next part is," Max leaned close and whispered. "She hopes she can see him again."

"Isn't he married?"

"No, what made you think that?"

"I don't know. I just a.s.sumed. Did she say what he was like?"

"She says he's dreamy. Raine never talks like that."

Arlene's hands came to her cheeks. She was so excited for Max's sister that she wanted to squeal, but they were in the lunchroom, and that wouldn't have worked at all.

"Well, this looks exciting," a familiar voice said. "You must be talking about me."

"Every moment, Johnny," Max said with mild sarcasm, watching him hide a smile.

He ate lunch with them often and was always amusing and a gentleman, but Max knew he wasn't the man for her. He knew how she spent every Sunday, but he never so much as asked about her faith in Christ. Max believed that if Johnny really wanted to get to knowher, he knew how to go about it.

It was never her intent to play games with his heart. She did nothing to lead him on, even though he flirted outrageously with her most days. Max wasn't completely immune to it, but she worked hard. She had determined a long time ago not to let him work his way into her heart.

Today he was especially fun, and he looked great, but Max Archer was keeping her guard up at all times.

n 201.

201.

Lorri was doing it again. On Monday she'd done it; Tuesday too. Now Wednesday rolled around, the school day coming to an end, and Lorri wondered if the lieutenant would pick up his niece. And she didn't just wonder but once outside with the children took swift peeks behind her every few seconds.

And she wasn't sure why. Did she just want to look at him again? Did she hope that they could talk for a while? Did she hope to see interest in his eyes? It was all so confusing that it gave Lorri a headache, but still she thought about the lieutenant. And because of that, she wondered whether he thought about her.

"Miss Archer, I can't find my paper."

Lorri bent down to help the little boy at her side, and in the next instant, Violet Riggs' mother came for her.

Well, that answers one of my questions,Lorri thought, trying not to think about the rest.

"We're going to be grandparents," Cora told Ruth the moment Bible study was over.

"That's wonderful, Cora," Ruth said softly, matching her friend's tone. "Or is it?"

"I don't know." Cora sounded as confused as she felt. "At the risk of sounding selfish, I feel too young."

"You don't sound selfish, but this is new territory for you. Had it not been for the war, I could have been a grandmother a long time ago and feeling just like you."

"I never thought of that, Ruth. Josie and Ken would have been married years ago."

"I haven't dwelt on it, but it's come to mind more since Josie's death. I'm glad she didn't leave a child behind, Cora. Ken would i 202.

do fine as a father-he'd be wonderful-but I hate it when children don't have their mothers."

"I'm sure that stems from your own childhood, Ruth. You know firsthand how hard it is."

Ruth nodded.

"What do you hear from your dad these days?"

"His legs aren't doing well. I'm hoping after Dean retires this summer that the two of us can drive back to Minnesota to see him. I don't think he'll ever make the trip out here again."

"Does Dean like the idea?"

"Yes, we've got it tentatively planned for the fall. It should be beautiful in Minnesota in the autumn."

The women were silent for just a moment. Ruth sat up a little straighter and looked at her friend.

"How did we get off on me? Now tell me everything! How is Janice feeling and when is this little person coming?"

Cora smiled at Ruth's enthusiasm and felt her own excitement rising. She gave her all the details, and when she was done, felt a little better. Getting out the catalog when she arrived home, Cora took a long time paging through baby clothes and furniture.

Lorri told herself to breathe, but she was finding it a bit hard. A week later-the next Friday-the lieutenant was coming toward her again. Lorri thought she should explain that he didn't have to park and walk over, he could just pull up to the curb, but then he'd be gone much faster, and Lorri discovered that she didn't want that at all.

"Uncle Donovan!"

203.

203.

He'd been spotted, and Lorri smiled as his niece ran to a.s.sault him. Clearly they were fast friends. Lorri had two other children to get off, but when she turned back, Rigg was still standing there. It gave her no end of pleasure.

"How are you?" he asked.

"I'm doing well. How about yourself?"

Tm glad it's the weekend."

"It's always nice, isn't it?"

"Very."

His gaze was so watchful that Lorri wondered if they were still talking about the weekend. She didn't want to read things that weren't there, but her heart was definitely acting up.

"My mother wrote you a letter," she suddenly confessed.

"Why did she do that?"

"Well, I think she wanted to thank you."

Rigg nodded, his eyes filled with understanding.

"We weren't sure where to mail it, and we forgot to ask my grandfather, so it's still sitting at home on the desk."

Rigg nodded, and Lorri told herself to hush.

"Did you want me to give you my address?"

"If you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all."

"I'll just get some paper from the room," Lorri said, starting that way.

"Miss Archer?"

"Yes, Violet."

"Do you still have to go to school?"

"Well, I stay a little longer and close things up, and then I go home."

The little girl walked beside her, as if she were headed back to cla.s.s, and Lorri was aware that Rigg was somewhere behind them.

204.

She slipped into the room and grabbed the first piece of paper she could find. She handed it to Rigg, who had produced a pen and wrote out his address, his penmanship neat.

"This should take care of it. Please tell your mother that whenever she gets a chance to mail the letter, I'll look forward to reading it."

'Til do that."

"Can we walk you to your car?"

"Well, I still have to close up."

"We can wait," Rigg offered, not at all in a hurry to leave.

"Well, actually," Lorri said, looking as fl.u.s.tered as she felt, "I walk."

"In that case, we'll give you a lift home."

"You don't have to do that. It's probably out of your way."

"If it's close enough for you to walk, it can't be much out of our way."

Lorri looked fl.u.s.tered again and found the lieutenant smiling. She a.s.sumed she looked like a blushing teenager, so she turned away to finish her work in the room. She didn't expect Violet to follow.

"You lock the windows?"

"Um hm. I check each one."

"I can't reach the windows."

"I think you'll be able to reach them before you know it. How old are you right now?"

"Six."

"When will you be seven?"

"In April."

"You see what I mean? You're almost seven, and that means you're a very big girl."

205.

205.

Violet smiled shyly but with great pleasure, and Rigg, watching from near the door, winked at the little girl when she looked his way.

"I have to check the other room, but I'll hurry."