Page 40 of Casualties of War
“That’s okay,” she said, hiding her disappointment. “I guess it would be cheating or something, to take advantage of both of us being in the same space for more than two seconds.” It came out more wistfully than she expected.
Duardocupped her cheek. “The sacrifice of war.” A small smile pulled at his mouth.
“I want to help. I mean,reallyhelp, Duardo. How can I do that? And don’t tell me the quarter master shit is helping, because I know the big push is about to start. The last thing you guys will worry about is adequate spice for your coffee.”
His eyes widened. “Who told you that?” he demanded.
“About the big push?”She shook her head. “No one. You’re here on the Rock, and Vistaria is right there within spitting distance. You’d be crazy to pack up and come back to Acapulco now.”
Duardo didn’t relax. “You really want to help?”
“Yes. Direct and front line, Duardo.”
He nodded, his eyes narrowing. “You are right. We don’t need coffee now. What we need is the machinery of government at our backs. Quartermasteris part of it, although we need…God, everything. Someone must think about what happens afterwards and I don’t have time. Neither does Nick nor Flores. You and Calli, though, you have room and time to figure out how Vistaria will run, when we get it back.”
“You mean…invent a government?”
He nodded. “There was much that was good, that worked well. Only, there were flaws, too. This is a chanceto correct the flaws and use the good. Rubén Rey can help—he’s a trained lawyer and knows the Vistarian constitution.”
Minnie’s heart beat harder. “You really do mean it…” she breathed.
Duardo looked at her quizzically. “Of course I mean it. Why do you look at me that way?”
Minnie turned on the bench to face him. “You’re not brushing me off with a make-work detail.”
“I would not do that. Youasked to help.”
“You would have, when we first met,” Minnie said. “You did it a lot. You would keep me out because I was just a woman.”
Duardo studied her. “If I did, I was a fool and I am sorry for that. You are still a woman to me, only I have learned your worth. We could not have got this far in the war without you and many other women.”
Minnie kissed him, her heart light and filled withjoy. She wormed her way onto his lap and fumbled at the buttons on his jacket.
“Minnie…” he said, his voice strained and his lips moving against hers. “No.”
“Stay alert if you want,” she breathed, dropped her hand to his belt. “I’ll take care of the rest.”
He groaned and leaned back, bringing her with him.
