And with that statement Lorri realized she was exhausted. It was only 9:00, but her whole body felt weighted with fatigue.

"I'm going to bed, Mother."

"All right, dear."

They hugged and Lorri started up the stairs, thinking someone had added a few steps when she wasn't looking. She went through the motions of washing her face and brushing her teeth, but she was already half asleep. Once in bed, she turned out the light and remembered no more.

246.

Lori Wick The girls had no compa.s.sion. They laughed hysterically over this, and Dean gave up with a laugh of his own. He changed into work clothes to tackle the lawn.

"h.e.l.lo, Rigg," said the admiral, wasting no time in greeting him Sunday morning.

"h.e.l.lo, sir."

"How did things go on Friday night?"

"I think fine, sir. We didn't cover a lot of ground, but we did speak of the rescue, and I encouraged her to check with me if she had any more questions."

"Is that what she did, question you?"

"Some. Sometimes she just talked."

Dean nodded, his mind wandering a bit. Josie's birthday was coming up, and Dean knew it was going to hit all of them.

"I'll hope you'll join us again," Dean invited, realizing he'd fallen silent.

"Thank you, sir."

"Why don't you come and sit with us?"

"All right."

With no further ado, Dean moved to join his family and Rigg followed.

Lorri saw her grandfather talking to Rigg on Sunday morning, but even when they came toward the pew, she decided not to stare.

247.

247.

Rigg didn't appear to have anyone to sit with, and she thought her grandfather very gracious to include him, but Lorri was determined not to read anything into it.

Had she but known it, Rigg was on the end-on the far side of the admiral-hoping Lorri was getting some type of message. He wasn't sure of anything just yet, but it certainly seemed that the admiral did not object to his presence. He didn't want to play games with Lorri's heart, but if getting close to her family was what it took to get close to her, he would do it.

To his surprise he actually heard the sermon. It was easier not to have Lorri in his line of vision because she looked sensational in a green dress with lots of white trim. He was actually able to listen very well. It was also satisfying that Max wasted no time after the benediction. She scooted down the row to talk to him and even waved her friend, Arlene Andrews, over so they could meet.

Lorri didn't join them until it was nearly time to leave, but Rigg was okay with that. Little by little, whatever it took, Rigg had a challenge and a question ahead of him: Was there room for him in Lorri Archer's heart, and was she supposed to occupy his?

"Rumor has it that a certain good-looking sailor has been to visit you the last few weeks," Martha Beach teased Lorri when there was a lull in the day.

"Don't believe all the rumors you hear."

"So it's not true?"

"Well," Lorri drew out the word, "it might be."

The teacher laughed. "Too bad Violet is out sick. He won't have an excuse."

248.

Lorri rolled her eyes at the teacher's tone and went back to putting vocabulary words on the board.

Several times during the day she'd been caught up with guilt. Was she sorry that Violet was sick or that the lieutenant wouldn't be coming? Each time she tried to remember the sick child and pray for her.

If the truth be told, she had grown very accustomed to seeing Lieutenant Riggs on Friday afternoons. It was the highlight of her day, and sometimes the highlight of her week. She wasn't exactly blue when it was time to see the children off, but it didn't hold the usual antic.i.p.ation of most Fridays.

"h.e.l.lo."

Lorri started when she heard the voice, not having seen him. The children were all gone, and he was waiting back by the cla.s.sroom. For a moment Lorri stared at him.

"Violet was out sick today," she finally managed. "Did your brother not tell you?"

"Actually I did know that," Rigg said, hoping she would still ride home with him. "I didn't want you to get wet if it rained."

Lorri stepped out from under the overhang of the building, her head going back to inspect a perfect sky-clear and blue, not a cloud in sight. When she looked back at the lieutenant, she barely kept from laughing.

"That was very thoughtful of you," Lorri just managed to say. "I didn't even bring my umbrella."

Rigg's smile now matched her own. "Whenever you're ready" was all he said.

This time they talked all the way home. Lorri learned of Rigg's duties at the base and that he would be done in late June.

"What will you do?" Lorri asked.

249.

249.

"Hopefully find a job. I was with a small architectural firm before enlisting, and I'll probably go back to that."

"To that line of work or to that firm?"

"That firm is in Santa Rosa. I'd like to stay in southern California if I can."

Lorri glanced over to find him watching her. Their eyes held. The light turned green, and the person in the car behind them tapped on his horn.

"You could get us into an accident,^ Rigg said, his foot going down on the gas.

"I could?"

"Certainly. It's quite obvious to me."

Lorri watched his profile, seeing that he wanted to smile.

"I think you're better behaved when your niece is along."

"Shh " he said softly. "It will be our little secret."

Again Lorri wanted to laugh. She felt that way a lot when he was around.

"So tell me," Rigg said. They were in the driveway, and Rigg had held Lorri's door open so she could get out. "Have you thought of any more questions you wanted to ask me?"

"Not really about the rescue, but I did think of one thing."

"Okay."

"The food on the boat was good, and I've always heard the opposite. Did Ellis fix special things for me?"

"Yes," Rigg replied drily, "I suspect he did go out of his way for you, but you need to remember that you were starving."

Lorri laughed. His tone and facial expressions had been hysterical.

"Oh, yes," he went on. "You can laugh. You didn't have to eat our usual fare for months on end."

i 250.

Lori Wick "Come now." Lorri wasn't convinced. "It couldn't have been that bad."

Rigg's look was telling, and Lorri only laughed tnore The two heard the front door at the same time. They looked up to see Ruth on the porch.

"I've got iced tea if you're interested," she called to them.

Lorri looked to Rigg, her brows raised in question.

"Lead the way," he said, and Lorri couldn't help but notice that her heart was as light as a balloon.

251.

"That was fiin," Max said at the end of the evening, Rigg having stayed for dinner.

Lorri didn't answer. Staring at seemingly nothing, she stood mute in the middle of the living room. She didn't even notice when her family came in, took seats all around her, and just watched her.

"What?" Lorri said, having finally noticed them.

"That's what we want to know," Dean said.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Sit down, Raine," Max invited, patting the sofa.

Lorri did sit by her sister and then looked back to Dean. Her eyes went to her mother, who was looking very satisfied, and then to Max, who was just barely holding a smile.

"All right," Lorri gave in. "I think I might like him."

That her family found this hysterical was all too apparent. They burst out laughing, leaving her to tolerate their mirth with a blushing face.

"What is so funny?" she demanded, waiting for them to catch their breath.

252.

"You are," Ruth told her. "You nearly floated around this house tonight. You even stepped on m.u.f.fin's tail, and-"

Before Ruth could finish, m.u.f.fin came struggling into the room. She had captured one of Ruth's ap.r.o.ns and was dragging it in with her.

"Stop that, m.u.f.fin!" Ruth scolded. "Now look at that," she continued, disgusted. "There's cat hair on it, arid I just finished the laundry."

m.u.f.fin had come close to Lorri and Max, knowing she was safer by their legs. She was, in fact, a very nice cat, but her propensity to attack and drag things around sometimes got her into trouble.

"We just wanted to know what you were thinking," Dean broke in, taking the conversation back to Lorri.

"Well, I was actually wondering what you were thinking, Grandpa. You and Lieutenant Riggs talked on Sunday and then again in the backyard tonight, and I just wondered if you're getting to know him a bit"

"Yes, I am. Sometimes we talk about the rescue, and he asks how you're doing with all of that. Other times we talk about his plans and things at the base."

"Can you tell us whatyouthink of him, Dean?" Ruth asked.

"I think he's a fine young man. He didn't come right out and ask if he could court Lorri, but he did ask how we were all doing with Josie's loss, and then his questions zeroed in on Lorri."

"Well," Max declared suddenly, "I think Raine should marry him and be done with it."

"Max," Lorri said patiently, "there's a bit more to this than good looks and kindness."

"Well, you can see that there's more to the lieutenant than good looks and kindness, so you're all set."

253.

253.

Lorri looked to her mother, who knew that Max was mostly teasing, but if the truth be told, they all liked Lieutenant Donovan Riggs very much.

"Your turn, Lorri," she said gently. "How do you feel?"

"I think he's very special. In my mind I can see glimpses of the boat. He put Lionel in charge of me, but he took care of me too. And there was nothing romantic about it. He was just doing his job. And then when he saw me that first time at school, he wasn't expecting it, but he was still kind." Lorri looked at her family. "I like him. I like him a lot."

"Well, that's good," Dean declared, growing weary with the hour, "because I invited him to dinner again next Friday night."

Lorri laughed, her mouth opening in amazement. Ruth's mouth was open too, but Max looked l^fce the cat who had just swallowed the canary., "Don't forget," Max said as they all moved to go upstairs. "I was the first one to say that Raine shoi^d marry the man."