Every Storm (2 page)

"My feet hurt," Josie commented as the women exited the schoolroom.

"Do they?" Lorri looked down. "Why did you wear those shoes?"

"I always wear these shoes." "No, you don't. You wear the black ones." Josie looked at her own feet and giggled a little. She had been tired that morning but hadn't realized how much.

Lorri laughed as she watched her, so neither woman was looking ahead. Dean had come around the corner of the building and simply stood, waiting to be noticed. Just seeing the girls had brought tears to his eyes, but he still knew the moment they saw him.

"Grandpa!" Josie was first, running like a five-year-old, Lorri close behind her, to be caught in the arms of the man who had been both father and grandfather to them for more than ten years. "When did you get here?" "We had no idea!" "How's Mother?"

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"How long can you stay?"

The words tumbled from both women as their grandfather kissed them and hugged them again and again. Everyone cried, and after some moments they grew quiet and just looked at each other, drinking in every detail.

"Where can we talk?" Dean asked as he finally found his voice, emotion still filling him.

Josie led the way back to the schoolroom, and the three of them grew comfortable on the seats there, sitting close, needing to be near.

"First of all, your mother and Max send their love."

Lorri didn't think she would cry again, but tears flooded her eyes. Her little sister would be so grown up by now, and they had missed so much.

"They miss you but love your lettersf

"We love theirs too," Josie put in, her voice thick with tears.

"You both look wonderful," Dean suddenly said. "Oh," he continued as he reached for his case. "I have a few things for you."

The women took the small packages and letters but didn't open them. Such things could wait; getting to look at their grandfather could not.

The admiral was older-very tan and fit-but a few extra lines had inched their way around his eyes. His mouth was a bit drawn when he wasn't smiling.

"I spoke to Ian Colins when I arrived. I asked if I could steal you for the next day and a half, and he agreed."

"He said we could cancel the children's lessons?"

"Yes. Now what would you like to do?"

"It doesn't matter" the women laughed and told him, "as long as we can be with you."

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"In that case," Dean took delight in answering, "we're going into town."

"We can't," Lorri said, her voice almost sad.

"Why not?" Dean asked, both family members looking at her.

"Josie's feet hurt."

Both Dean and Josie laughed at this, just as Lorri hoped they would. Her brand of humor was always dry and subtle, and it set the tone for the next 36 hours. Dean, feeling like a king with his granddaughters at his side, took them away from the ranch, not willing to waste a single moment.

"What looks good?" Dean asked, his menu open as the three of them sat in a restaurant that evening in downtown Carson Point.

"The chicken," Josie decided. Lorri wanted the same.

"I, on the other hand," Dean teased a little, "will have the beef, since I don't have the pleasure of living on a cattle ranch."

"The' beef is good," Lorri agreed, gaining a wink from her grandfather that made her smile to herself at what joy one could have over simple things. They had not done anything special that afternoon-a little shopping and now a meal in a small cafe- but it was more than that. She had been with people that she loved and cherished, and every act made it the most special.

"So tell me," Dean prompted when the order had been taken, "are you enjoying the job?"

"Yes." Josie was the one to speak up. "The children are wonderful, and so are the parents. We are treated well."

"Very well" Lorri added. "In fact, there's a birthday party tomorrow night, and we're invited. Just like family."

Dean stared at them.

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"You both have accents. Do you know that?"

"We do not," Josie argued on a laugh.

"Yes," he was adamant, "you do. It's subtle, but it's there."

The girls exchanged a look, smiling in surprise.

"Now tell me," Dean pressed, feeling the hours running fast, "when do you go to Hoyt for vacation?"

"Next month."

"Are you looking forward to it?"

"Yes, we'll have almost a week to ourselves here and then follow the family in a separate plane."

"We're both ready for the change. And the children need this as much as we do," Lorri offered.

"Tell us more about Mother and Max," Josie suddenly put in.

"I will, Jo, but you must understand that Ruth and Maxine are going to ask about you. I can't go home with no information."

"When will you be home again?"

"Possibly in July." He shrugged. "It all depends on this war."

The very word caused silence to fall on their little table. The food was delivered to this silent group, but Dean was not going to let them be sad. As soon as he prayed, he began to tell them more about home.

In short order the three were laughing and sharing, holding nothing back. If there was a feeling of desperation in each heart, well, that was to be expected. These few precious hours were to be treasured, and treasure them they did.

The Saturday morning goodbye was one of the most painful they could remember. For a time after the admiral left, both Josie and Lorri were inconsolable with tears.

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"This is silly!" Lorri declared, working to dry up. "We should be thankful that he came and not bawling like children."

Josie looked at her, eyes still swimming. Lorri looked back. It was no use. They both cried until they had headaches.

June

"Of all the times to break my heel!" Lorri said with disgust, taking a seat inside the small building where they waited for word from the pilot.

"Let me see it." Josie put her hand out and waited for the shoe. She examined it just long enough to see that her sister was right and then tried to hand it back. She found her sister opening her suitcase and searching along the edge.

"All I've got in this bag is a pair of saddle shoes. I'm going to look like a bobbysoxer!"

"Don't wear socks with them. That will help."

"That's true, but the backs of these will scrape my heel if I do that," Lorri answered, even as she pulled on a pair of white socks, slipped on the shoes, and tucked the broken-heeled pumps into her case.

This accomplished, the sisters settled themselves a little more in the seats, their eyes going to the windows.

Crossing the tarmac, Josie and Lorri squinted against the wind outside the small airport. With one hand they each held a suitcase, and with the other, they attempted to keep the hats on their heads.

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Lori Wick

Walking in front of them, confident and all business, was their pilot, Clarence Fuller. He worked for the Colins family, and if Lorri's guess was right, he was sweet on Josie. He never did or said anything improper, but she was always given preference in the plane, and when he had a question or statement to make, it was directed at Josie.

As if to confirm this belief, they arrived at the plane, and Lorri watched Clarence settle Josie with the utmost care in the front next to him. He was kind to Lorri, but in a rather impersonal way.

Lorri wondered whether she should ask Josie if she'd gotten a recent letter from Ken but decided that was meani Her sister was all grown up and able to handle her own affairs. It was also true that she never did anything to encourage Clarence. However, she was lovely and sweet, and Lorri couldn't say she blamed the man.

"Are you comfortable, Lorri?" Josie asked.

"Yes, Jo, thanks. How about you?"

Something in Lorri's voice made Josie turn and give her a stern look. Lorri's eyes danced with silent laughter-she'd teased Josie about Clarence's interest in the past-but both women remained silent as their pilot chose that moment to join them.

"All set?" he asked.

"I think so." Josie did the honors.

Clarence nodded, checked a few more dials and switches, and just minutes later, the plane and its three occupants were airborne.

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Tt*je>

The South Pacific July 1945

Lieutenant Donovan Riggs stared down at the pieces of radio that lay on the desk in the small radio room of the PT boat,
Every Storm.
Click, his radio operator, said something under his breath, frustration evident, but Rigg, as he was known to most, remained silent. A patient man, he was used to things going wrong aboard his boat and took this latest setback in stride.

Before moving down to check with Click, Rigg had been on deck where he had stood and looked at miles of endless, calm sea. It was not a peaceful scene because the enemy loomed constantly, but Rigg had peace within-even though he knew they were sitting ducks wnen their boat acted up.

"Rigg?" Ensign Hugh Westland, his second-in-command, suddenly appeared.

"What is it?" Rigg asked, turning to him.

"Quinn says we've got to make land for repairs. He's been down three times and can't get the hole sealed"

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"All right. I'll be up in a minute." Rigg turned back to Click. "I'll be back."

A grunt was all he received in reply, and Rigg knew that his good-natured radio man was "at the end of his rope," a term that could have been applied to most of his men.

He didn't know what had gone on the day they commissioned this vessel, but in the last few months anything that could go wrong, did. The radio was unreliable, and they had sprung a few leaks. They were due into port in Seaford, Australia, at the end of the week, but they would only make that if repairs were successful.

"We've got to make land," Quinn wasted no time telling his skipper.

"There's the Knot Islands," Hugh suggested.

"Too far," Rigg said, shaking his head, his mind working as his eyes scanned the charts. "Let's head toward Cooley. There are some small islands there, and hopefully we can get in unnoticed."

The decision made, they limped along. The men fell to daily tasks, and Rigg left them to it. Inside, however, his mind was busy. He was asking God for wisdom and to get this boat safely to shore.

A group of ten made the beach about noon the next day. The lifeboat went smoothly up onto the sand, and the men wasted no time getting it and themselves out of sight. There were no guarantees that this island was unoccupied. Three and four to a group, they spread out, armed and ready to scout the area.

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Lionel Pauley and Quinn were with Rigg. Taking the center of the island, the three men moved silently through the trees and brush of a rather dense forest. Light flickered through the trees occasionally. The day was sunny and warm, but everything smelled like fresh rain.

The further they walked, the more Rigg began to relax. He had had a sense that this island was occupied, and not by anyone they wished to meet, but clearly he'd been wrong. He brought up the rear but stopped when Lionel and Quinn did, all three men hearing it at the same time. From somewhere ahead of them-not very far, he would guess-a woman was singing "Deep in the Heart of Texas."

As soon as that song ended, another began. They stood stock still as the sweet words from the first verse of "Amazing Grace" came gently with the breeze.

Hearing it, Lionel and Quinn moved for the first time. They turned to look at their commanding officer and found him looking as stunned as they felt.

The woman had just started "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin' " when Rigg moved past his men and took the lead. They moved toward the voice quietly, but not quietly enough. They were very close when the song cut off and they heard rapid movement and then complete silence.,

Riggf ready with his rifle, stepped into a small clearing to find the wreckage of an airplane. His eyes scanned the area swiftly, taking in the makeshift camp and debris. He stopped before intruding on what felt like private space and spoke.

"You can come out," he called, his voice sounding deeper than usual amid the thick foliage.

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Quinn had moved under cover, but Lionel stood just a few feet away and watched with Rigg as a thin face appeared in the window of the wrecked cockpit. A pair of huge, surprised eyes looked out at them.

"You're not Japanese," Lorri Archer said with relief.

"No, we're not. You can come out."

Moving slowly, Lorri stepped down from the plane and stood looking at them, completely unaware of the picture she presented. Rigg was still taking in the bone-thin woman in a skirt and blouse that had seen better days when she spoke again.

"Do you have a ship? Can you take me off this island?"

"Yes," Rigg answered, his mind snapping back to duty. "What's your name?"