A Soldier Finds His Way (17 page)

“What if I told him you were coming too?”

He clucked his tongue a few times. “Now, isn’t that nice. Using me as bait. Are you inviting me for real, or are you just going to make up a story to get Edward to show up? Make up your mind, blondie.”

“Let me start over. Hello, Hank? I’m calling to invite you to my house on Easter Sunday. We usually eat somewhere around noon. I would love it if you would come.”

“That’s better. I don’t like to be treated like the one-eyed stepchild.” He laughed. “Now, about Eddie. You might have to pester him to get him to come.”

“I called him once before, not long after you guys brought me home. He never responded, so I’m not even sure he got my message.”

“He got it. I was there when your call came in.”

“I don’t understand. Why didn’t he answer? All I got was his voicemail.”

“Okay, here’s how it went. I met him and the team at a restaurant down at Fort Bragg. That’s when I gave him his phone. When he got up to go to the men’s room, he left it on the table. I heard it ring and I saw the caller ID, so I knew it was you. When he came back, he grabbed the phone and went off by himself to listen to your message. He must have listened to it three or four times in a row. I know, because I watched.”

Her breathing accelerated with excitement. “Really?”

“Yes, really. You’re smiling, aren’t you?”

She laughed. “Did he say anything to you about the call?”

“Ol’ poker face? Nah. But I know him well enough to know it had an effect on him.”

“I know what I’ll do,” she said. “I’ll send him a written invitation and follow it up with a phone call. Can you give me his address?”

She wrote as Hank dictated.

1LT Edward Giordano…

* * * *

Audra sat at the desk in her room. The box of linen stationery mocked her, daring her to take up a pen, write, lick an envelope, and apply a stamp. Such an archaic means of communication, an almost abandoned form of hieroglyphics, something only an old person could be adept at doing. Had she ever written a letter? Perhaps she’d penned a note in a Christmas or birthday card, but never anything like this. Writing a real letter carried more weight than an e-mail or text message. Maybe not to everyone, but to her it did.

Pen in hand, she took a sheet of copy paper and practiced her penmanship. Dear Edward. Dearest Edward. My Dear Edward.

She rolled the barrel of the pen between her thumb and fingers. This wasn’t a simple endeavor. Simply getting through the salutation proved difficult. The closing wouldn’t be easy either. Sincerely, yours truly, love? Then, there was the important stuff that belonged in the middle.

She pulled her laptop to the center of the desk and fired it up. Words poured from her heart, right into the keyboard. Arranging and rearranging, she formulated a letter she hoped would convey what she meant to say. Satisfied with her final composition, she penned the words onto the stationery and addressed the envelope.

* * * *

At the Post Office half an hour later, Audra pinched the envelope in the fingers of one hand while holding the mail chute open with the other. Why was a simple task of mailing a letter proving to be so difficult? If Edward were here, he’d tell her to relax and breathe in through the nose, and out through the mouth. Of course, if Edward were here, she wouldn’t be mailing him a letter.

“Come on, lady.” A gruff, ill-mannered voice startled her. “You gonna mail that thing or what? I ain’t got all day.”

Towering over her shoulder a tall, crotchety old man cast a wrinkle-faced scowl at her. He held a handful of mail near her face and shook it a bit. She dropped the letter into the chute and made a hasty retreat to her car.

* * * *

After a morning of organizing their gear, the team stood back from the storage building and waited while Edward locked up. They grumbled about wasting a fine Saturday morning working on base, but they had let the room fall into a state of disarray. Greco hadn’t been pleased. It was lunchtime, and their task was complete for the day. The topic of conversation centered on where they’d like to eat.

Greco arrived and walked through the middle of the group carrying a large, thick envelope. “Mail call,” he said, slapping the envelope into Dexter’s chest as he passed by.

Edward paid no mind and stepped back from the men who now surrounded Dexter. What did Edward care? The only mail he ever got was bills and advertisements.

Greco leaned against one of the short concrete bollards built to prevent vehicles from getting too close to the storage unit. He seemed happy. Too happy. The huge grin pasted across his face seemed to be aimed at Edward.

The team pressed in as Dexter called names and handed out mail. “Sanchez, Jackson, Alvarez, Marcus.” Once he’d distributed the mail, Dexter turned the envelope upside down and gave it a shake to prove it was empty. “That’s all, folks.”

“Not so fast, Dex.” The chatter stopped, and the men looked at Greco. “I’ve got one last piece of mail to deliver. Let’s see—”

Greco took a square pink envelope out of his back pocket, ran it under his nose and gave it a good sniff. “Now, boys, when I picked up this letter, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Would anybody care to guess to whom this estrogen-laced pink envelope is addressed?”

Dexter took a step and reached for the letter. “It’s for me, right?”

Greco jerked the envelope back. “Nope, not this time, Casanova. This letter is addressed to our very own Lieutenant Edward Giordano.”

Heads rotated to look at Edward.

Ignoring the grinning faces, he made his way forward and snatched the letter from Greco’s hand. Return address, Audra Lorenzo. Postmarked six days ago. He lowered the envelope and met Greco’s gaze.

While his teammates teased and made light of the situation, Greco’s face expressed something else. Something akin to attaboy, or good for you. Greco’s small smile made it clear that he was pleased to see Edward get something personal, especially this feminine pink envelope.

Edward gave a nod. “Thanks.”

Letter in hand, Edward walked away and looked for a place to read in privacy. Not far off, he found a concrete bench and glanced left and right to make sure no one was in sight before he sat. He brought the envelope to his nose. No scent. With an index finger, he opened the flap, taking care not to destroy the envelope. The letter itself was white and had the feel of stiff woven fabric. He pulled it out and read.

Dear Edward,

My mind is a jumble of thoughts. Where do I begin? Are you well? Is life treating you kindly? I wish I could hear your voice respond in the affirmative.

I’m not ashamed to say I think of you often. You brought me back from certain death and cared for me when I was bruised and broken. These are not small things.

Remember the day we played in the snow? Sometimes I close my eyes and relive it. I can almost feel the cold, fresh air fill my lungs, and hear the snow crunch beneath my feet. Our laughter echoes through my mind and makes me happy all over again.

I would like to see you, Edward.

My family has a tradition of getting together for lunch on Easter Sunday. We usually start around 12:30. I’d love it if you would come and join us. It may comfort you to know that Hank will be here as well.

Please come.

Affectionately,

Audra

Two lines jumped out at him and he read them again under his breath. “I think of you often. I would like to see you.”

Edward thumbed the calendar on his smart phone. Two weeks until Easter. He folded the letter and slid it back into its envelope. With it safe in the chest pocket of his shirt, he made for the parking area where he had left his bike.

I think of you often. I would like to see you
. The words bounced around his head. He couldn’t turn them off.
Our laughter echoes through
… He stopped and pulled the letter out of his pocket and searched for the line.
Our laughter echoes through my mind and makes me happy all over again
.

He threw his leg over his bike, sat and gave serious thought to the invitation. The possibility of seeing Audra again excited him. Would it be a simple lunch and then good-bye, thanks for coming or would there be more? More would be good. She fit nicely up against him, like a missing puzzle piece. The silky hair that pressed against his cheek made him want to hold her tighter. Audra was a real-deal blonde, a babe, and now she wanted to see him.

Key in hand, he reached down to start the engine but changed his mind. Instead, he left the key in the ignition, whipped out his phone and called Hank.

Hank answered after a couple of rings. “Yeah?”

“I’m going to skip the preliminary chitchat and get straight to the point,” Edward said. “What do you know about the Easter invitation I just received from Audra? Do you think I should accept? Why would she invite me to something that’s obviously a family tradition? What does—”

“If you’ll stop flapping your jaws long enough for me to get a word in edgewise, Eddie, I’ll answer your questions.” Hank mumbled something Edward strained to hear.

“Did you just call me an idiot?”

“That, and a few other things. You need to work on telephone etiquette.”

Edward kept his mouth shut.

“That’s better. Now, I’ll tell you what I know. Don’t butt in until I’m done. Are you ready?”

Edward grunted.

“Audra called and asked whether or not I thought you’d come if she invited you to her house for Easter. Then, she asked me to come so you’d feel more comfy-cozy about showing up. She asked for your address and I gave it to her. The end. Now, you may speak.”

“Do you think I should go?”

Hank let out an over-emphasized sigh. “It amazes me that you’re even asking that question. Without a doubt, you should go.”

“Catch you later.” Edward hung up.

The invitation was something he’d seriously consider. Audra was reaching out, making the first moves, wanting to get to know him. She went out of her way to make it easy by inviting Hank.

He leaned close to one of the rearview mirrors. “I don’t know what she sees in you, but you’d be a fool to pass on this offer.”

The flight landed in Newburgh, New York, a little behind schedule. Edward gathered his bags and stood in the aisle, glad to be among the first passengers to get off the plane for a change. Leaving the crowd behind, he hustled out of the terminal onto the sidewalk where taxis circled, looking for fares. He shot out a hand and waved down a yellow cab.

Edward got in, gave the cabbie directions then sat back and turned on his cell phone. The date and time glared up at him. He’d be late, but there was nothing he could do about it. Two voicemail notifications popped up right away, both from Hank.

“I’ll hunt you down and break your neck if you don’t show up.” More idle threats followed in the second message. He listened and laughed.

He hit the replay button to hear Audra’s message from a week ago. He’d already listened to it several times, but it never got old hearing her voice.

“Hello Edward. Hank told me you received my invitation. I hope your silence isn’t a form of refusal. I’d rather think you’re simply too busy to respond. Maybe you’re out in the woods playing war games, or, I don’t know, cleaning your guns or something.”

She laughed, but then her tone shifted to something more serious. “Easter is a special time. Trees are budding, birds are nesting, and daffodils are blooming.” A soft sigh followed. “It’s as if the whole world wants a fresh start. Please come.”

Her lyrical words cast a spell, drawing him to her. A fresh start. Who wouldn’t want that?

* * * *

Chatter filled the kitchen, but Audra only heard bits and pieces of it. The electric mixer whined in her hand and the beaters clacked against the stainless steel bowl. Whipped potatoes, already whipped to death. Her eyes flitted to the clock on the microwave. Neither of her guests had arrived and twelve-thirty was fast approaching.

Hank, she was certain, would come. But, her insides quivered like Jell-O, thinking of the possibility of Edward showing up. His was a secret invitation, one she’d only shared with Hank. Should she dare to hope, or was she building herself up for a big disappointment? She’d know soon enough.

“Hank’s here!” Zoe’s excited screams filled the kitchen. “And, he brought Cricket with him. He’s outside talking to Grandpa.”

Audra took off her apron, abandoned her task and followed Zoe through the house and out the front door.

Zoe ran full speed, crashed into Hank, and threw her arms around him.

He scooped Zoe up and spun her around. He set her down, turned to Audra and waited for her to finish welcoming his excited dog.

Hank delivered a brief hug and kissed her cheek. “Happy Easter. You look nice. Did you just get back from church?”

“Thank you. We went to early service. I thought about changing into something more comfortable, but I wanted to look nice in case—”

“In case Eddie shows up.”

“Is there any chance of that happening?” The worry in her voice pleaded for an acceptable answer.

The twins came outside. Robin pointed at Hank’s face with a huge grin. “Hey, who’s keeping an eye on your house now?”

Hank laughed. Clean-shaven with short-cropped hair, he was nicely dressed and wearing his glass eye, a stark difference from the first time he’d been at the house looking like a bearded, patch-eyed pirate. He pressed a knuckle to Robin’s jaw and gave it a gentle nudge.

Robin giggled. “You look like a different person than the last time I saw you.” Mischief spread across her face. “No. You just look like a person
now.” She took a step back from his playful lunge. The banter and laughter went on as they walked into the house.

* * * *

Edward’s phone chimed with instant message. Greco.

Where R U?

NY cab.

Get flowers.

Flowers? Where was he supposed to get flowers? Wasn’t everything closed on Easter? He went to type, but Greco’s next message popped up before he hit the first letter.

Ask the cabbie. It’s his turf.

Edward laughed to himself. Greco thought of everything, and he seemed to have a knack for reading minds. The cabbie’s hack license hung on the dash in a frayed pleather frame. George something-or-other.