Page 453 of Hell Hath No Fury
“Moments after Stover took off, the base was pelted by a barrage of VC mortar fire that would last for days. Turns out, one of those mortars had Stover’s name on it.”
“How did you survive?”
“Private Garner, a young soldier from Wisconsin heard Stover’s shots and came to investigate. He found me and called for the medics who took care of both me and the girl.”
“Whatever happened to her?”
“I have no idea. The next thing I knew, I was being released from medical and shipped back home. It wasn’t until several months later that I became privy to the official report, which claimed I was shot by enemy fire in the early part of the battle.Then came the Purple Heart and the attention and I just couldn’t take any more. I quit the army, bought a bike and have been riding through the South ever since.”
“And you never told anyone about Stover?”
“I never saw an upside to reporting it. Stover and Adams were both killed in the war, and I have no idea who the third man was. Besides, bringing this all to light would only make the Army look bad, and my brothers don’t need this country to hate them any more than they already do. I thought it best to shut up, be their poster boy for the moment, and then fade away.”
“Don’t you mean, ride off into the sunset?”
“I told you, Pearl, I’m no hero.”
“I think that innocent Vietnamese girl would disagree with you.”
I could see she was losing her battle with sleep and I smiled, kissing her gently. “Maybe so. Sleep, Pearl. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”
Hearing her quiet snore, I smiled. Nothing felt better than her in my arms.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Pearl
The next morning, we hit the road early, stopping only a few times for gas and food. Duke was quiet for most of the trip. Not distant, per se, but clearly lost in thought at times.
We finally arrived at a large commercial farm which bore the Hill Cattle company logo. We drove through a windy narrow trail leading to the rear of the property, when Duke stopped his bike and cut the engine.
“This is where you wanted to bring me?”
“You sound surprised. You are aware that my family is in the cattle business, are you not?”
“Of course I am. It’s just, from the way you’ve talked about your father, I figured this is the last place you’d want to be.”
“It is, but like I said, I want to show you something. Besides, I doubt we’ll run into him. He’s more likely to be in a boardroom somewhere than out with the cattle.”
We got off the bike and he led me to what looked like private stables.
“This is just about the only thing I love about this place,” he said as we reached the entrance. Inside were six exquisite horses. Two stallions and four mares. “My father wants me to take over the cattle business when he retires, but that’s not what I want. My dream is to build the finest horse breeding program in the state.”
My eyes widened and I felt a little short of breath.
“Don’t you see what I’m saying now? Do you really think it’s a coincidence that my dream for this ranch and your training in breeding just so happen to match perfectly? That it’s just chance that I was your childhood crush and we bumped into each other out of the blue? Neither of us were even supposed to be on those steps at the courthouse. Call it God, Karma or luck of the Irish. I don’t care. We are meant to be together, Pearl. You and I are supposed to build a life right here. I can feel it.”
“This is crazy, Duke. And not at all how life is supposed to go,” I said, tears welling up in my eyes.
“Let me show you one more thing,” Duke said and led me to a clearing behind the stables where there stood a single oak tree. “My grandfather planted this tree for my grandmother on the day they were married.”
“That’s so sweet,” I said.
“It’s more than sweet, it’s a symbol of a man’s love for a woman and the life he’d envisioned for them. I can’t explain why, but when I look at you, I see my future even more clearly than my past. I see you and me sitting at a picnic table right over there when we’re old. I see horses, and hard, long days of working them. I see a home filled with laughter and love, but most of all, I see your face.”
The tears flowed freely down my face, and once again he got down on one knee. Once again, he asked me to be his bride, and this time I said, “Yes.”
CHAPTER NINE
