"Stop it!" Alex cried. She pulled from Jim"s protective grasp and faced herfather. "How dare you come in here like this! I haven"t done anything wrong,Father. And don"t you dare call Jim a coward. He-"
"I"m ashamed of you, Alex," Hiram breathed savagely. "You"re consorting with alowlife!"
"I am not!" Alex sobbed.
"Alex," Jim whispered harshly, "stand aside. This is between me and him."Gently, he moved Alex to one side, his heart breaking to see her cry. Herounded on Vance.
"You have no right busting in here and yelling at your daughter, Mr. Vance,when it"s me you really want."
"I want you out of her life, McKenzie," Hiram snarled. He looked over at theunmade bed. "And it"s obvious you plan on hanging around for a while. Let memake this very clear. I don"t like you, I don"t like your kind, and you"re notthe right man for my daughter. Not now. Not ever."
Jim controlled himself as never before. The congressman"s face was a lividred. He saw the man"s fists c.o.c.ked, ready to strike him. "You don"t run mylife, Vance. And you don"t run Alex"s, either. She"s old enough to make up herown mind about who she wants in her life."
Alex felt buffeted by her father"s attack. "H-how did you know Jim was here?"
Vance snorted violently. "I"ve had one of my a.s.sistants keeping tabs on him."
He glared over at McKenzie. "I"d hoped that intercepting those d.a.m.ned letterswould do the trick-"
Alex gasped, her eyes becoming round. "You-you stopped my letters fromreaching Jim?"
"That"s right."
"That"s tampering with mail, Vance. You"re supposed to be upholding thiscountry"s laws, not breaking them," Jim countered.
"Where you"re concerned, McKenzie, I"d stop at very little to make sure youstay out of my daughter"s life." His voice dropped into a sneer. "You"renothing but a dirt-poor Missouri hillbilly-barely a high school graduate. Andyou refused to fight for your country. I"m not going to allow my daughter toconsort with a yellow belly like you-"
"Stop it!" Alex shrieked. She stabbed blindly at her father"s chest with herindex finger. "I don"t care if he"s poor! He"s got more decency and bettermorals than you ever had, Father. And I don"t care where he"s from or what hisd.a.m.ned school grades were! You"re wrong about Jim not serving this country!How can you forget that he spent two years in Vietnam with the recons? How canyou forget he"s got two purple hearts and a silver star for bravery? d.a.m.nyou," she sobbed, backing away from him. "I see the good in Jim. You only wantto see the bad!"
Hiram glowered at his daughter. "He"s not good enough for a congressman"sdaughter. You can do better."
"Get out, Father." Alex stood rigidly, her voice oddly low and off-key. "Getout of my house. If you can"t talk civilly and be mature about this, I don"twant to speak to you anymore. Not until you calm down."
Hiram put his hands on his hips. "You forget, Alex, it was my money that putyou through nursing school. I paid for everything."
"You don"t own her, Vance," Jim whispered caustically. "And if you think youcan hang money over her head to make her come into line with your beliefs,I"ll make d.a.m.n sure every last cent is refunded to you no matter how long ittakes."
Hiram gave him a strange look. "What that h.e.l.l are you talking about?"
Jim moved over and placed his arm around the distraught Alex. He ached forher. "My intentions toward Alex are honorable. I love her, and I intend to askher to marry me."
Alex took in a ragged breath and glanced up at Jim"s grim features. The wordsshe"d wanted to hear but never dared hope for had been spoken. She saw herfather"s eyes grow huge in disbelief.
"Alex?" Hiram demanded harshly, "is that true? Are you seriously thinkingabout marrying this-this coward?"
Her heart squeezed with such pain that it took everything Alex had to standbefore her indignant father. She felt Jim"s arm tighten around her, as if togive her silent support. "Father, I"ve loved Jim since I met him."
"But look what he"s done!" Vance roared.
A strange peace flooded Alex, as if all her fear suddenly dissolved. In itsplace was a sureness she"d never before experienced. "What"s he done?" shequavered. "He"s a man who has paid triple the price that anyone should goingto war! He served with bravery and honor for two years before experiencing atragedy beyond most people"s worst nightmare. War did it, Father. Jim didn"t.Please, can"t you understand that he-"
"No, Alex," Jim said thickly, "don"t try and defend me. It"s no use." He heldHiram"s glare. "You think whatever you want of me, Mr. Vance. I love yourdaughter with my life. But I doubt there"s any way I could prove it to yoursatisfaction."
"I can"t believe this, Alex," Vance rattled. "You"re actually going to marryhim?"
Jim looked down at Alex"s taut, washed-out features and saw the terriblesuffering in her dark gray eyes.
"Jim and I have a lot of things to catch up on before we cross that bridge,Father. We need time to get to know each other."
"Well," Hiram said as he strode toward the door, "if you marry this coward,Alex, you"re as good as disowned. I won"t have my daughter marrying a man witha bad conduct discharge! Politically, it would be disastrous. I hope you makethe right decision."
The door slammed shut. Alex jumped outwardly and shut her eyes. She felt Jim"sarms go around her. Her knees grew weak, and she sank against him.
"I"m sorry, so sorry," Jim whispered.
"No," Alex choked, "I owe you an apology, Jim."
He kissed her damp cheek. "Maybe he"s right, Alex. I told you last night thatmy past will always stay with me. This is the kind of thing you could run intoif you stay around me." He caressed her sleek sable hair, sharing her anguish."I don"t want to make you hurt any more than you already have, gal."
Grimly, Alex looked up at him. All she had to do was see the hurt and torturein Jim"s eyes to know the answer. "Jim, we"ve survived the war."
"What about the people who would know about me? Judge my past?"
"They aren"t people I want to know," Alex whispered. She caressed his hardenedfeatures, knowing how much her father"s hurled insults had hurt Jim. "Ifpeople can"t see your goodness, your honesty, then that"s their problem, notours."
He held her tightly for a long time, unable to speak, only to feel intensely."You"re so small, yet you"ve got a backbone of steel," he said against her ear.
"No more so than you," Alex said.
"Nothing"s been easy for us, has it?"
"No."
He gazed down into her sad eyes. "I didn"t mean to bring up marriage. I-well,someday, I planned to ask you to marry me if things worked out between us, Alex."
She nodded. "I"m glad to know."
He rallied beneath her warm look. "Yeah?"
"Yeah," she teased huskily, and then threw her arms around his neck. Alex felthis strength, his love. "Your past," she said, "is past. Jim, you"re startingout a whole new life. You"ve got goals, good ones, and a dream."
Holding Alex tightly, he nodded. "I"ve dreamed so big, I"m afraid it"s nevergoing to come true."
With a shake of her head, her eyes pressed shut as she clung to him, shequavered, "Never let that dream go. We"ll make it work. We"ll hold on to ittogether."
Smiling gently, Jim squeezed her tightly, pressing a kiss to her shining hair."Together," he promised.
Chapter Thirteen.
Alex was just getting off work when she saw Jim sauntering toward her from thebank of elevators. As always, her heart started hammering in antic.i.p.ation. Shequickened her pace. Since they"d returned from their trip to Missouri, takenthe week he"d come back from Vietnam, the changes in him had been remarkable.Jim had two part-time jobs and was working hard to save enough money to startcollege in January. He"d already applied for several scholarships and grantsand talked to a counselor about his chosen field of psychology.
Jim was dressed casually, as always, in jeans, a long-sleeved plaid shirt anda beat-up leather jacket. His dark hair had grown slightly-although it wa.s.still military short, in Alex"s opinion. His boyish smile of welcome as sheapproached sent a sheet of warmth and longing through her. Since her father"svisit, they"d grown closer, if that was possible. Alex was amazed at the wayadversity had sent them down a path not only of self-discovery, but ofdiscovery of each other. It had been one of the happiest times of her life,and one of the saddest. Her father refused to talk to her about Jim at all,and her mother was caught in the middle. Alex had received letters from hertwo brothers, but they had been letters more of curiosity than condemnation.Alex had spent a great deal of time writing back to them about Jim. To herdisappointment, neither had responded. But perhaps it was because they weredeployed far out at sea on their naval carriers.
Jim stopped and placed his hands on his hips. "If you aren"t a sight for soreeyes, gal." With a low whistle, he caught Alex"s hand and squeezed it warmly.
Alex laughed and smiled. "Hi, stranger. What a nice surprise." Jim"sappearance felt like an unexpected gift.
Walking her to the elevators, Jim shrugged. "I guess I had that coming, didn"tI?" They saw each other once a week. Usually, on that free evening, Alexcooked for him, because he loved home-cooked meals. They would allowthemselves the luxury of curling up together to watch television over a bowlof popcorn, snuggled in each other"s arms. Jim would stay the night and leavethe next morning for his first job.
"How are the jobs coming along?" Alex asked as she followed him into the empty elevator.
"Boring, but I just keep thinking of the books and tuition they"ll pay for.It"s a decent trade-off," Jim said. The instant the doors whooshed shut, Jimtook Alex into his arms. He saw the greeting in her gray eyes, and the smilethat blossomed across her lips as he leaned down to kiss her. There was suchwarmth and intensity to her as she moved into his waiting arms.
"Mmm," Alex whispered as she drew back a few inches to look at him. "You aresomething else, Jim McKenzie."
He grinned. "Glad you think so, Miss Vance. I talked to your supervisorearlier today, and she"s agreed to give you the next four days off. How aboutthat?"
Alex smoothed out her uniform, her entire body still tingling from his heatedwelcome kiss. "Oh?"
His eyes twinkling, Jim gave her a pleased look. "Yup. I also talked my twomanagers into giving me the same time off."
It was December 22, and Christmas was fast approaching. Alex was stymied."What"s going on, Jim?"
Jim pulled two airline tickets from his jacket pocket. "Here. Merry Christmas,gal."
Perplexed, Alex opened one of the tickets as they walked out of the elevatortoward the parking lot at the rear of the hospital. "Tickets, Jim?"
"Looks like it. Go on, read them. What do they say?"
Alex stopped at the rear door and read the ticket closely. "Round trip ticketsfrom Portland to Missouri."
Jim grinned. "So would you like to go home over Christmas with me, MissAlexandra Vance?"
Thrilled, she laughed. "I"d love to!"
"Good." Jim opened the door for her and they walked out arm in arm. Theevening was cool, the wind bl.u.s.tery and the skies cloudy.
"I see that glimmer in your eyes, Jim McKenzie. That means trouble."
Jim had taken a bus to the hospital from his restaurant job so he could driveAlex home in her station wagon. Once in the car, he put his arms around her."I thought it was time," he told her seriously.
Alex sat very still. "Time? For what?"
"Us." Gently he threaded his fingers through her hair, savoring the naturalbeauty that radiated from her.
Alex understood what Jim meant. Their time together had been severely limited,the moments they were able to share like bright spots of sunlight. "I"d loveto go home with you over the holiday," she whispered.
He smiled happily. As they shut the doors and began the drive home, he said,"I"ve got one more surprise."
Alex glanced over at him. "I don"t know if I can take all this good news allat once, Jim." Gripping his hand, she asked, "What is it?"
"I don"t know if I told you that, when I was up on that hill with CaptainJohnson, Gunny Whitman, the second in command, was badly wounded. When mycourt-martial went down, the gunny wasn"t around to testify on my behalf." Jimgrimaced. "If he had been, Lieutenant Breckenridge felt the other chargeagainst me would have been dropped. Captain Johnson"s story about my behaviorwas mostly lies, but I didn"t have Whitman to prove it."
Jim held her gaze. "My skipper called me today. He"s over here on leave,getting married to a lady he"s known for five years. He called to tell me thatGunny Whitman is well enough to give his story to the appeals board." His handtightened on Alex"s fingers. "If the board believes the gunny, then it"spossible that my sentence will be overturned. I could get back my rating ascorporal, and all my back pay."
Shaken, Alex whispered, "Jim, that"s wonderful!"
"There"s more," he said, his voice mirroring hope. "Lieutenant Breckenridgesaid the bad conduct discharge would be lifted. The board will more thanlikely give me an honorable discharge or a medical one. Either way, it wouldmean I could get my GI benefits back to help pay my college tuition."
"And you wouldn"t have to work two jobs," Alex added excitedly. "How soon w.i.l.l.you know?"
"The skipper said the board would convene in early January. I don"t have to bepresent. The board will review all the old testimony, hear Whitman"s side, andmake a decision. I"ll be notified by mail."
"What a great New Year"s gift."
"Now, don"t count on this, gal," he warned heavily. "What it comes down to isthe board believing Captain Johnson"s testimony or believing Gunny Whitman."
Alex knew that the gunny sergeants in the Marine Corps served as fulcrumpoints between officers and enlisted men. If there was such a thing as abackbone to the corps, it came in the guise of the gunnys. "They"ll believeWhitman," she said fervently. "I just know they will."
He grinned. "I hope you"re right...."
Jim was in the kitchen helping Alex make dinner when the phone rang. She driedher hands on a towel and picked up the wall phone near the kitchen door.
"h.e.l.lo?"
"Alex, this is your father."
Her heart plunged. His voice sounded ragged and edgy. Since that fateful dayhe"d shown up unexpectedly, she"d talked only to her mother. Her mouthsuddenly dry, Alex glanced over at Jim, who was still busy chopping lettuce.
"Father. It"s nice to hear from you."
Jim looked up sharply, the knife stilled in midair. He saw Alex"s face blanchof all color, her eyes go dark. Compressing his lips, he turned and waited tohear the rest of the conversation.
"Alex, your mother and I want you home for the holiday. I"ve ordered one of mya.s.sistants to get you a plane reservation on TWA for two days from now."
Jim saw the anguish in Alex"s eyes. Automatically, he moved to her side andplaced a steadying hand on her shoulder. He could see the devastating effectof whatever had been said. What was her b.a.s.t.a.r.d of a father up to now? Hetried to control his anger and remain still while Alex spoke.
"Father... I can"t."
"Why, Alex? Because of him?
"Even if I could come home, he"d be with me, Father."