Page 109 of Romance and Peppermint Lattes
“Excuse me,” Cait said, drawing a deep breath and making her decision. She approached the soldier. He seemed impossibly young now that she had a good look at him. No more than eighteen, maybe nineteen. He’d probably joined the service right out of high school. His hair was cropped close to his head and his combat boots were so shiny Cait could see her reflection in them.
The marine glanced up at her, his face heavy with defeat. “Yes?”
“Did I hear you say you needed to be on this flight?”
“I have a ticket, ma’am. But it’s standby and there aren’t any seats.”
“Listen,” she said. “You can have mine.”
The way his face lit up was enough to blot out her own disappointment at missing Christmas with Martin and her sister-in-law. The kids. Her mother... “My family’s in Minneapolis, too, but I was there this summer.”
“Ma’am, I can’t let you do this.”
“Don’t cheat me out of the pleasure.”
They approached the counter to effect the exchange. The marine stood, his eyes wide with disbelief. “I insist,” Cait said. “Here.” She handed him the two bags full of gifts for her nephews and nieces. “There’ll be a man waiting at the other end. A tall minister—he’ll have a collar on. Give him these. I’ll phone so he’ll know to look for you.”
“Thank you for everything... I can’t believe you’re doing this.”
Cait smiled. Impulsively the marine hugged her, then swinging his duffel bag over his shoulder, he picked up the two bags of gifts and jogged over to Security.
Cait waited for a couple of minutes, then wiped the tears from her eyes. She wasn’t completely sure why she was crying. She’d never felt better in her life.
***
It was around six when she awoke. The apartment was dark and silent. Sighing, she picked up the phone, dragged it onto the bed with her and punched out Joe’s number.
He answered on the first ring, as if he’d been waiting for her call. “How was the flight?” he asked immediately.
“I wouldn’t know. I wasn’t on it.”
“You missed the plane!” he shouted incredulously. “But you were there in plenty of time.”
“I know. It’s a long story, but basically, I gave my seat to someone who needed it more than I did.” She smiled dreamily, remembering how the young marine’s face had lit up. “I’ll tell you about it later.”
“Where are you now?”
“Home.”
He exhaled sharply, then said, “I’ll be over in fifteen minutes.”
Actually it took him twelve. By then Cait had brewed a pot of coffee and made herself a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich. She hadn’t eaten all day and was starved. She’d just finished the sandwich when Joe arrived.
“What about your luggage?” Joe asked, looking concerned. He didn’t give her a chance to respond. “Exactly what do you mean, you gave your seat away?”
Cait explained as best she could. Even now she found herself surprised by her actions. Cait rarely behaved spontaneously. Butsomething about that young soldier had reached deep within her heart and she’d reacted instinctively.
“The airline is sending my suitcase back to Seattle on the next available flight, so there’s no need to worry,” Cait said. “I talked to Martin, who was quick to tell me the Lord would reward my generosity.”
“Are you going to catch a later flight, then?” Joe asked. He helped himself to a cup of coffee and pulled out the chair across from hers.
“There aren’t any seats,” Cait said. She leaned back, yawning, and covered her mouth. Why she should be so tired after sleeping away most of the afternoon was beyond her. “Besides, the office is short-staffed. Lindy gave Paul her notice and a trainee is coming in, which makes everything even more difficult. They can use me.”
Joe frowned. “Giving up your vacation is one way to impress Paul.”
Words of explanation crowded her tongue. She realized Joe wasn’t insulting her; he was only stating a fact. What he didn’t understand was that Cait hadn’t thought of Paul once the entire day. Her staying or leaving had absolutely nothing to do with him.
If she’d been thinking of anyone, it was Joe. She knew now that giving up her seat to the marine hadn’t been entirely unselfish. When Joe kissed her goodbye, her heart had started telegraphing messages she had yet to fully decode. The plain and honest truth was that she hadn’t wanted to leave him. It was as if she really did belong with him....
