“A franc for your thoughts.” Gerard’s voice sounded close to her ear.
With a start, she turned. His eyes had darkened to cobalt with concern. She forced a smile and sat back in her seat. “Just wondering what the future holds. Having been with the military, you’re a seasoned traveler. As of three months ago, I’d never left my state, and now I’m getting ready to fly to Europe…perhaps never to come back.” She shrugged. “The feeling is rather daunting.”
“I understand. I felt the same way the first time I shipped out.” He squeezed her arm. “Too bad we won’t be spending any time in England. I think you’d love it. London is a fantastic city with thousand-year-old history everywhere you look. The villages are beautiful and quaint, many of which have castles nearby. Maybe after the war, you can visit.”
“I’d like that. I also want to explore France. The photographs in my textbooks show a gorgeous country. But now, the citizens are suffering under the heavy boots of the Germans. The few news reports I’ve seen indicate the people are starving because the Nazis are availing themselves of most of the supplies. So sad.”
“Agreed, which is why our mission is vital, and you’re ready. You do know that, right? You’ve studied hard and are fully prepared. I have no reservations about your skills and knowledge.”
Emily ducked her head. “Thanks for saying that. We got off to a rocky start, but I couldn’t have completed the courses without you.” She sighed. “I wish I had a report card to send home, so I could prove I’m not a total failure.”
“You’ve nothing to prove. It’s your family’s fault they don’t believe in you.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, fasten your seat belts. We’ve been approved for takeoff.”
Her eyes widened, and she nibbled her lower lip, then pressed them together. It was a habit she needed to quit.
The aircraft rumbled along the taxiway then turned onto the runway. Awkward and cumbersome on the ground, the plane gathered speed and lifted, engines screaming.
Emily pressed a hand against her middle in anticipation of the butterflies that would also take flight, but her nerves remained steady. She grinned at Gerard. “After all you’ve put me through, I guess flying is easy.”
He chuckled and pulled out a deck of cards. “How about a few games of gin rummy to pass the time. We’ve got a long journey ahead of us.”
“Prepare to lose, Major, um, I mean, Gerard. This is one area in which I’m highly skilled.”
“Would you like to make a wager, Emily?”
“And take your hard-earned money? It wouldn’t be fair.”
“Overconfidence is dangerous. And never underestimate your opponent.”
Emily giggled and held out her hand. “You’re on.”
He enveloped her hand in his calloused palm and shook it.
Tingles shot up her arm, and she shivered. She glanced at his face, and the muscle in his jaw flexed. Had he felt the sensation too? Extricating her hand, she swallowed and pointed to the deck. Business. She had to remember their partnership was strictly business. “Deal ’em, Major.”
j
Gerard shuffled the cards, the softness of her hands still lingering on his palms. He studied her through his peripheral vision, her face a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Despite his efforts to ignore the adrenaline coursing through his veins, he probably looked the same way. All the men did before a campaign. A medic once told him the chemical was great in small doses, responsible for sharpening his senses, but too much would render him helpless.
The aircraft reached cruising altitude, and the shriek of the engines reduced to a dull roar. He put his briefcase on his lap and dealt them each a hand before laying down the remainder of the deck. “You first.”
Emily picked up a card, tucked it in her hand, and then discarded a two of diamonds.
Gerard tapped his index finger on his chin while he considered his strategy.
She poked at the pile. “I’d say we haven’t got all day, but I guess we do.”
“And possibly all night. I forgot to ask the pilot how long this trip would take.” He selected a card, glanced at it, then put it on the discard pile.
“I’m trying not think about the fact we’re flying over water for the majority of the flight.”
“More phobias?”
Her face pinked, and she took her turn. “No, somehow it just seems worse to crash in the water than on land. At least on terra firma we’d have somewhere to travel to if we survived. On the water we’d be floating on endless ocean.”
He cocked his head. “Do you always consider the worst-case scenario?”
With a shrug, Emily laid down her cards. “Gin.”
“What? How can you have won already?”
She laughed. “It’s your fault. You dealt me a hand that was almost complete.”
“See if you can do a better job.”
“Don’t mind if I do.” She scooped up the deck and shuffled, her eyes sparkling, and her face flushed. She distributed the cards, laying each one down with a snap.
“You are much more competitive than I realized.”
“Who said never underestimate your opponent?” She giggled, bell-like, then rubbed her chin. “Oh, wait. That was you.”
“Touché.” He cocked his head. “Seems to me we’ve been here before. The Germans don’t know what they’ve got coming.”
“Hey, Major.” Jensen leaned across the aisle and slapped Gerard’s knee. “You two going to yammer the whole time? Some of us are trying to get some shut-eye.”
“Mind your Ps and Qs, Jensen.”
“Hard to, with all the noise you’re making.”
“You’re jealous because you’re stuck with Tully, whose claim to fame is how many hot dogs he can eat at one sitting, while I’m teamed with the lovely Emily. Guess you should have paid closer attention in class.”
The stocky man snorted a laugh and touched two fingers to his forehead in mock salute. “Tully and I are going to have more fun than you two, stuck with the Frogs. I’d rather work with the Brits. Bet the food is better.”
“But not the wine.”
“I’m a beer man, myself.”
“Why am I not surprised?”
“Hey—”
“All right, gentlemen, please remember we’re on the same side.” Emily waved her hands in the air.
“Beg your pardon, miss.”
Jensen cleared his throat. “Rumor has it that you two are pretending to be married. I haven’t seen any lovey-dovey behavior. You might want to practice before you get there. You know, cuddle up together, kiss.” He closed his eyes and pursed his lips.
Tully sat up and applauded. “Great idea, Jensen. They should get the hang of kissing each other. Their romance needs to be gen-u-ine. What better time to rehearse than in the privacy of the plane? Come on, Major, lay one on her.”