Page 20 of The Flyboy's Girl
“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.
