Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Before we left the reception, Millie and I found out that Don and Paul didn’t have to report in until zero-eight hundred Tuesday morning. Excited to hear that, we made plans to meet on the beach and watch the fireworks together.

Walking down the beach, Millie stops and asks, “What about here Ruby?”

“That’s perfect. We should have a good view of the fireworks from here.”

Unfolding the blanket, Millie took one end while I took the other to spread it out on the sand, and then we repeated the process with Millie’s blanket.

“I’m hoping to be making fireworks, instead of watching them,” Millie says.

Laughing I shake my head, “Millie Bishop, you’re awful.”

“Oh, come on Ruby, don’t tell me you haven’t thought about what it would be like to be kissed by Paul.”

“Oh, I’ve definitely thought about it,” I say as visions of Paul begin to flood my mind.

“Thought about what,” a deep voice asks from behind me as strong hands rest on my hips.

Turning to face him, I smile and shake my head embarrassed he heard my confession. “It was nothing.”

Cocking his head to the side, he studies me. “Oh, it was definitely something or you wouldn’t be blushing,” he teases.

Playfully slapping his arm, I retort, “I’m not blushing. I’ve just been in the sun.”

“No,” Paul laughs while wagging a finger at me. “You are definitely blushing.”

Turning away and pretending to pout, Paul grabs me around the waist and hauls me back to him causing me to squeal and giggle. “Oh no you don’t. Now I know it was something and you have to tell me,” he says as he turns me to face him, still holding me securely in his arms.

Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and confess to him what I said. “I admitted to Millie that I have thought about what it would be like to have you kiss me.”

Lifting my chin so I am looking in his eyes, Paul says, “Ruby, you’re all I’ve thought about since the night we met. You and what it would be like to kiss you.”

“What’s stopping you?”

“I’m afraid if I start, I won’t want to stop.”

My breath catches at his admission. We’ve only known each other for a few days, but there’s an undeniable connection between us. At first, I thought it was a passing infatuation, but the more time I spend with him, the harder I feel myself falling for him.

“Ruby,” Paul says while caressing my cheek with his thumb. “Why didn’t you tell me who you were?”

Shrugging my shoulder, I ask, “Would you be here now if I had?”

“I don’t think I would have had a choice.”

Smiling I tease, “There’s that charm again.”

His grin widens. “Would you like to go for a walk before the fireworks start?”

“I’d love too.”

Taking my hand, we walk down to the shore. “What made you want to become an airman?”

“I love the idea of flying and the thought of becoming a pilot excited me even more.”

“Are planning a career in the Navy?”

“Nah, I’d like to stay long enough to become a pilot, get some flying experience. Who knows, maybe I’ll find a nice girl, settle down, move back to Nebraska and start my own crop dusting service so I can still fly.” Paul squeezes my hand causing me to look up to see him smiling down at me. “What about you?”

“I’m still undecided. I’m not sure if I want to continue going to school, or join the work force.”

“Do you want to stay in California?”

“I suppose, if I have a reason to.”

“Would I be reason enough?”

“You’d be the best reason of all,” I answer honestly.

My answer both surprises and delights him, as is evident by the smile on his face. “Then maybe you should leave it up to fate,” Paul suggests. “If you find the perfect job before it’s time to apply to school, you’ll know it’s meant to be.”

“I like that idea,” I say as I mull over his suggestion in my mind. “Fate seems to be treating me well lately, maybe it will continue.”

“I certainly hope so,” Paul says.

As the sun begins to set, we turn around and head back to the spot we had picked out earlier to watch the fireworks.

When we return, we find Don and Millie snuggled up together on her blanket.

“Hi you two,” I say as I kick my shoes off and take a seat on the blanket. “Having a good time?”

“We are,” Millie says casting a glance at Don. “How was your walk?”

“It was nice,” I say as Paul sit beside me.

Watching the sun drop below the horizon, Paul puts his arm around my shoulders and draws me closer to his side. Leaning my head on his shoulder, he turns and kisses the top of my head making me smile.

Along with the setting sun, the temperature had also dropped and now the ocean breeze caused me to shiver.

“Are you cold?”

“A little, but I’ll be fine,” I insist.

Shivering again, Paul moves away from me taking the warmth with him. “Come here,” he says as he scoots behind me. Looking over my shoulder at him, he pulls me to sit between his legs, and wraps his arms around my shoulders effectively cocooning me from the cool ocean breeze.

“Better?” he asks close to my ear causing me to shiver for an entirely different reason.

“Much, thank you.”

When the first firework explodes in the sky, so do the oohs and ahhs from the crowd around us. Each magical display is more beautiful than the last. Leaning in and resting his cheek against mine, Paul points down the beach. “Look.”

Turning my head to see the display from a neighboring town brings me face to face with Paul. Between the fireworks reflecting in his blue eyes and the air sizzling between us, I can’t look away.

Leaning in, Paul kisses me softly before drawing back as if to ask permission to kiss me again. Giving him an almost imperceptible nod, this time I meet him halfway, eager to feel his lips on mine again. Shifting our position without breaking the kiss, Paul pulls me into his lap, my arms wrapping around his neck on their own accord.

Pulling apart to catch our breath, Paul’s hand cups my face as his thumb gently caresses my cheek. “I knew once I kissed you I wouldn’t want to stop,” he says, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“Then maybe you shouldn’t,” I suggest as my fingers weave into the soft hair at the nape of his neck.

Dropping his focus to my mouth, Paul smiles. “You, Ruby Thorpe, are trouble.” He lowers his mouth to mine again.

While the fireworks continue to light the night sky, Paul and I are unaware of anything happening around us.

When the rumble of the fireworks cease, Paul pulls away again. “As much as I want to keep kissing you, we should stop or these beautiful swollen lips of yours are going to get both of us in trouble,” he says while running his thumb across my bottom lip.

“You’re right,” I agree as I lay my head on his shoulder. “I don’t want to have to answer any questions tonight.”

After a few moments of comfortable silence, Paul asks, “How did you two get here?”

“We walked. It’s not far from the base.”

“Don and I will walk you back. You’re not walking back alone in the dark.”

“One day and you’re already being bossy.”

Chuckling Paul kisses my head, “Just keeping you safe so I can keep kissing you.”

“Well, since you put it that way,” I tease, the smile evident in my voice.

“My, don’t you two look cozy,” Millie says as she and Don walk up to where we’re sitting.

“Mmm, we are,” I practically purr as I snuggle deeper into Paul’s chest.

“We should be going soon Ruby,” Millie says.

“I know, we don’t want to be late.”

“Don,” Paul says, “the girls walked here. I told Ruby we would walk them back to the base.”

“You sure that’s a good idea?”

“Maybe not, but we can’t let them walk back by themselves in the dark. If anyone asks, we’ll just tell them we were making sure they got back safely.”

“Okay, sounds good to me,” Don agrees.

“You could always let us walk through the gate on our own and then follow us a few minutes later,” I suggest.

“That’s up to you. I think the Admiral would take more issue if we left you to get home on your own, than if we delivered you there safely.”

Paul helped me fold the blanket, and carried it back to the base for me. We talked the entire way back, me telling him about my brothers and sister, and him telling me about his family and growing up on a farm.

As we near the base, Paul slows his steps. “We report in tomorrow morning and are off duty at fifteen-hundred Friday until zero-seven-hundred Sunday. I’d really like to see you again.”

“I’d like that too. Millie and I could meet you and maybe see a movie?”

“I like that idea, and then we can make plans for Saturday.”

When we reach the base, Don and Paul walk through the gates with us. Since our house and Millie’s are practically across the street from each other, we stop between them to say goodnight. Handing me the folded blanket, Paul lets his touch linger on my arm.

“Thank you for walking us home, I had a great time tonight.”

“Me too. Goodnight Ruby.”

“Goodnight Paul,” I say before turning to walk to the door.