Semper Fi (35 page)

“And you’re not? Besides, I heard you already talked to the captain.”

Cal brushed it off with a smile. “I’m a sergeant now, Jim. I’m practically planning this thing with Patton these days.”

Jim regarded him evenly. “They were going to send you home, weren’t they? You’ve fought three campaigns.”

“So have you.”

“I was in the hospital for most of Cape Gloucester. So was Sully. But you weren’t. I heard you fought to stay. Insisted on it.”

Part of Cal had wanted to take the ticket home so desperately, hoping that the war would end before he had to return. For a terrible moment, he’d wanted to go and never look back. But the thought of returning to New York while Jim was still in hell was unimaginable.

The shame that he’d even considered it prickled his skin. He kicked at a stone. “Figured someone had to stick around to keep you and Sully out of trouble. Especially you.”

Jim’s lips twitched. “Yeah, I’m a real ne’er-do-well.”

“A menace. They need me to keep you in line.”

“Good thing you’re on the job, Sergeant Cunningham.”

Cal nudged Jim’s shoulder. “Don’t you call me that.”

“Why not? You deserve it, Cal.”

He snorted. “They threatened to send me to Officer Candidate School. Said I should have gone there in the first place.”

“They’re right.”

“Why, because I’m loaded and went to Princeton?”

“Because you’re a leader. You’re the one who got us through Peleliu. Kept our spirits up. We all looked to you.”

Despite himself, Cal basked in Jim’s praise. “You know they only promoted me because most of the NCOs are dead, and they can only ship over so many from the States.”

“Even so, you deserve it.” Jim gazed at him intently. “We had a hell of a time on Peleliu, Cal. But you didn’t let us give up. So don’t be hard on yourself.”

He nodded, trying not to smile too widely. “All right.”

A grizzled Marine sauntered by, puffing on a cigarette. “You guys hear the reports from Iwo Jima? They’re in tough.”

Cal said, “Sounds like Peleliu all over again.”

The Marine grunted. “Ain’t that the truth. But we’ll be moving out soon enough ourselves with all this training we’re doing. They’ve got another battle planned for us, that’s for sure. Another one of these fucking islands. There’s a million of ’em.”

Puffing on his cigarette, Cal tried not to think about it. He and Jim watched the sun dip below the horizon, and slapped at the mosquitoes as they buzzed to life.

When they returned to their tent, the mail was being delivered. Each man with a letter from home read it eagerly while the others asked what the notes said. There was nothing for Cal, which was expected. He’d received a perfunctory Christmas card from his parents, and likely wouldn’t hear from them again until the next December.

A land crab scuttled by, and he smashed it with his bayonet. “Damn things won’t get the hint.”

But Jim didn’t reply. He sat on his cot, his eyes roving over neat script that Cal knew from a glance was Ann’s. He swallowed down his unfair resentment and spoke up. “How are things at Clover Grove, Jim?”

His expression blank, Jim didn’t answer as he folded the letter neatly and stowed it back in its envelope. Cal sat beside Jim and gave him a nudge. “Everything okay?”

“My father died.” Jim’s voice was flat.

That caught everyone’s attention, and the chattering in the tent stopped. Cal gave Sully a look, and Sully gestured to the others.

“It’s almost chowtime. Let’s get a good spot in line.”

When he and Jim were alone, Cal murmured, “I’m sorry.”

Jim nodded, his throat working. “It shouldn’t be a shock. He’s been sick. First he broke his hip, and then his heart started to give out. You know how it is.”

“Still is a shock though, huh?” He rubbed Jim’s back.

“Yeah. Silly, isn’t it?”

“Not at all.”

Jim swallowed thickly. “He was a good man. Had a good life. He was the best father I could have asked for. When my mother passed he took on so much. I was such a burden.”

“You were no such thing, and he’d tell you the same.”

Tears glistened in Jim’s eyes. “I wish I could have been there with him.”

“He understood you had to do your duty. He was proud of you.”

A sob escaped Jim’s lips, and he hung his head. Cal pulled him closer, murmuring to him as Jim slumped against his shoulder. He let Jim cry, and when there was nothing left he urged him back onto the cot and pulled the blanket over him. Jim was asleep in minutes, his breath still hitching. Cal skipped dinner and watched over him, ready in case Jim woke again.

As Cal drifted off to sleep later, he said a silent prayer to any deity listening that no matter what horrors they had to face in their next blitz, Jim would make it home in one piece.

Leaning against the paddock fence, Cal watched the last wall go up on the cider house with a deep sense of satisfaction. They’d decided to situate it near the top of the rise, but far enough away from the house that any noise wouldn’t be heard. His cousin had come through with the press in only a month, and Cal had made sure the extension on the electricity line had been finished in time. Of course when you had enough money, miracles were infinitely possible.

“Look at this, Uncle Cal!”

Cal turned and watched Sophie trot around the paddock on her horse, Trixie. “You’re a pro. Make sure you hang on tight.”

She rolled her eyes artfully. “I’m not a baby.”

“You should still hang on tight no matter how grown-up you get.”

Sophie giggled and continued prancing around. Cal glanced back at the cider house to watch the progress. They were building it around the press after laying the foundation and putting on the floorboards. One side would slide all the way open if they ever needed to replace the machinery, and storage for the fermenting barrels had been built into the ground to keep them cool all year.

As the wall went up, Cal squinted at it, deciding it looked decidedly upside down. Sighing, he headed over, muttering, “If you want something done right…”

The workmen were heaving the wall back down when Sophie’s scream pierced the air. Wheeling around, Cal saw Trixie sidestepping in the paddock, her nostrils flaring. Cal was moving already, legs pumping as he raced across the grass. He vaulted the paddock fence and almost landed on Sophie where she was crumpled on the ground.

He thought his heart might beat right out of his chest as he crawled to her. “Sophie!”

Screaming, she clutched at her left arm, tears streaming down her cheeks. “It hurts!”

Relieved she was still breathing and talking, Cal glanced up as Mrs. O’Brien appeared. “I think it might be dislocated.”

“Oh dear. You’d best drive her to the hospital in Rhinebeck. I’ll get one of the workers to fetch Jim from the orchard. He can meet you there.”

Mrs. O’Brien hurried off, and Cal lifted Sophie as gently as he could. “Shh. It’s all right. You’re going to be all right.”

She clung to him, whimpering with her face pressed to his neck as he carried her to the Cadillac and eased her down onto the back seat. He drove quickly, careful of any potholes in the road. The whole time he kept up a monologue. “They’ll fix you up lickety split, don’t worry. When I was a kid I was in the hospital every other week. You’ll be right as rain, I promise. Everything’s okay, Sophie.”

The admitting nurse assumed Cal was Sophie’s father, and he didn’t disabuse her of the notion. After Sophie was settled on a bed in the emergency room, Cal sat and took her good hand in his. “It’s okay, honey.”

She clung to him, blinking away tears. “I’m sorry, Uncle Cal.”

“It was an accident.” He brushed her hair back from her forehead.

The doctor arrived a minute later and examined Sophie gently. “The shoulder’s dislocated. We’ll have to reduce it. Don’t worry—we’ll give her something for the pain first.”

Cal nodded and hoped Jim wouldn’t be long.

He still hadn’t arrived by the time they forced Sophie’s shoulder back into its socket, and Cal held her still, wishing it was him as she screamed in agony. Then it was done, and they bound her arm in a sling.

“You’ll have to follow up with your doctor to ensure it’s setting properly. She’s young, and it should heal quickly.” The doctor signed off on the chart and was gone, his lab coat fluttering behind him.

Jim finally rushed in. He peered at Sophie anxiously and caressed her damp cheek. “Are you all right, baby?”

She nodded, sniffling but clearly trying to put on a brave face. “I’m okay, Daddy.”

The older nurse on the other side of the bed frowned at Cal. “I thought you were her father?”

“I’m her uncle.”

“Oh.” The nurse nodded. “All right. I’ll be back with the prescription and then you can take her home.”

“Thank you,” Jim said.

The woman smiled. “Maybe I’ll come back with a lollipop too. Would you like that, Sophie?”

Nodding, Sophie managed a smile of her own.

Cal recognized the tense set of Jim’s shoulders. “It was dislocated, but the doc says she’ll be just fine. No need to worry.”

“You were supposed to be watching her.” Jim faced him, clearly struggling to keep his tone in check. “How did this happen?”

“I’m not sure.” Cal’s ears were hot.

“Why weren’t you watching?”

“The workmen made a mistake on the cider house. I was only gone for a minute.” The excuse was pitiful to his own ears. “I’m sorry, Jim.”

“Daddy, stop. It was my fault.”

Jim and Cal turned their attention back to Sophie. Jim brushed at her cheeks where fresh tears spilled. “Of course it wasn’t.”

She nodded. “It was! He told me to hang on, but when he wasn’t looking I let go. I made it all the way around three times, and then I wanted Trixie to go faster. She did, and I fell. Please don’t blame Uncle Cal.”

“It’s okay, Sophie. I should have been watching.” Cal hoped his smile was reassuring. “It’s not your fault.”

“Yes it is! And if Daddy’s mean to you, you’re going to go away again!” To Jim, she pleaded, “I don’t want him to leave. Why can’t he come back and live with us?”

Jim opened his mouth and closed it, and Cal jumped in. “Hey, I’ve been back every week to visit. I’ll be back next week, too, I promise.”

“Why can’t you just stay? Why do you like the city more than us?”

Cal walked around the bed and pulled a chair up to the other side. “I don’t like the city more than you, but there are things I need to do there. Believe me, whenever I’m in Manhattan I’m counting the hours until I can come back to Clover Grove and see all of you.” It was the truth, but he avoided Jim’s gaze.

“Really?” She swiped her sleeve across her nose.

“Really.” Cal leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Once they had her settled into Jim’s pickup, happily sucking her lollipop, Jim closed the door and spoke quietly.

“I’m sorry. I overreacted, and I was wrong.”

“No, I got distracted. I shouldn’t have.”

Jim sighed. “She’s growing up, and we can’t watch her every second. I know she’s going to fall off more than one horse in her life.” He frowned. “I hope not literally.”

Cal couldn’t help but smile.
We.
“It’s still awful seeing her hurt. I’ve never felt so powerless. Not since what happened on Okinawa.”

Jim winced, his eyes clouding over. Before he could say anything, Sophie’s muffled voice came from inside the truck. “What happened on Okinawa?”

They answered in unison, “Nothing,” and hurried out of earshot toward where Cal had parked the Caddy.

“I’d better get her home,” Jim said. “Are you still driving back to the city?”

“I suppose so. Unless you want me to stay tonight.”
Say yes.

Jim shook his head. “We’re fine. I don’t want to keep you.”

“I was thinking I could come back in a few days and we’ll put the new press to the test.”

“Sure.” Jim smiled. “Sounds good.”

They stared at each other for too long, and finally Cal climbed into his car. “See you.”

Jim stood there for a few moments, before disappearing back to the truck.

Cal followed Jim out of the parking lot and onto the main road. At the juncture, Jim turned left back toward Tivoli, and Sophie waved in the back window with her good hand. Cal made his right turn and watched them getting smaller and smaller in the rear view mirror, until the road curved and he was alone.