Hope Rising (16 page)

He shook his head. He needed to respond—and think about—Evelyn with complete neutrality. If only she’d stop surprising him, as she had with the feather yesterday. Her thoughtfulness toward him and her compassion toward Louis and the other boys were fast wearing through his defenses against admiring her.

She certainly had a way with these children. He might deem marriage as the last possible way to help her, but if they did marry, was it fair to consign her to a life with only one child? Evelyn deserved a husband who could provide her with a whole houseful of children whom she could care for and teach, just as she was doing with Louis.

The notion of her marrying someone else left him more unsettled and annoyed than he wanted. He frowned at the material beneath his scissors. Why should he care if she chose a different man to be her husband?

“Would you like me to take over, Corporal? You’re scowling at that cloth like you want it to surrender.”

He cleared his throat, reining in his misguided irritation. “No. I’ve got it.”

“All right.” She shot him an impish smile before turning to Louis. “Look how much you’ve done already, Louis.”

An irrational desire to show up the boy, especially one-handed, overtook him, and Joel doubled his efforts to cut the material. At last Evelyn announced, “That’s enough for today. It’s getting late. Let’s get your sweet, Louis.”

Joel finished cutting the piece on his lap, then relinquished his scissors to her. He bit back a triumphant smile when he saw his own pile was larger than Louis’s.

“I’m impressed, Corporal.” Evelyn added his pile of cloth to Louis’s and the rest of the uncut material. “Clearly you are a man of many talents.”

Her compliment shouldn’t inspire as much pride as it did. “Should I walk back, instead of having you push the chair?” he asked, noting her full arms.

“If you’re up to it. Either way, I’m afraid if I don’t have you back in the recovery ward soon, we’ll both be in trouble.” Her tone was light, but Joel didn’t miss the meaningful look she gave him as she spoke. If they wanted more time together in the coming days, he would have to relinquish a walk around the lawn with her tonight.

“I can walk, if Louis doesn’t mind pushing the wheelchair.”

The boy’s black eyes widened. “Can I?”

Joel laughed. “Sure, kid.”

He rose to his feet with the help of Evelyn and his cane. She fell into step beside him, while Louis pushed the chair.

“You’ve improved in the last few days.” Her tone held a note of appraisal.

“I’m hoping by next week I won’t need the chair to get around.”

“You’ll be walking back and forth before you know it. Then you’ll be off to the convalescent home.” Instead of a smile, her lips appeared to tighten at the thought. What about his leaving made her frown? Did she harbor the same attraction for him that he felt for her? Joel schooled his expression to keep from revealing the absurd hope.

“What is a con-ves-scent home?” Louis swerved the chair one way, then another.

“Convalescent,” Evelyn corrected. “It’s a place soldiers go to finish resting and getting better before they return to the front lines.”

“You mean you have to go fight again?” Louis stared in wonder at Joel. “Are you scared?”

He considered the question as he took one careful step after another. “A little. Most times I don’t think about it. In the past I’ve prayed and put my trust in God. I suppose I’ll keep on doing that.” Though God’s plans for his life were leaving Joel more and more confused of late.

“We’ll pray, too, won’t we, Nurse Gray?” the boy said over his shoulder.

Evelyn’s posture stiffened, but she responded, “We certainly will.”

Her obvious discomfort reminded him that he knew nothing of what she thought about religion and God. Unlike Nurse Thornton, he’d never heard Evelyn mention the subject.

“Maybe the corporal will come see us again, too.” Louis rolled the wheelchair backward so he was beside them again. “Wouldn’t that be great, Nurse Gray?”

She tipped her face in Joel’s direction, halting his steps as effectively as if she’d held on to him. His gaze fell to hers and stayed there as if tethered by some unseen force. The openness and vulnerability in her large, dark eyes did funny things to his heart.

“Yes, Louis.” Her voice had grown serious, reflective. “I hope we’ll see much more of Corporal Campbell.”

The urge to take her chin in hand and kiss those red, full lips nearly conquered him. He checked it just in time by gripping his cane and forcing his feet to move again.

He liked her, yes, but nothing could come of it. Though he didn’t condemn Evelyn for her choices, he’d expected to marry someone who shared a similar moral code and a faith in God. He also wanted to live near his family, and Evelyn wasn’t likely to leave her ailing grandparents to move to another state.

Most of all, Evelyn deserved a relationship built on honesty. She’d been forthright with him; Joel ought to be the same with her. But he couldn’t. If he told her the truth surrounding Ralph’s death, he would forfeit any chance of aiding her and her child.

“I’d like to see more of both of you, too.” It was the truth, but he couldn’t quite muster a smile after he said it. The familiar regret over Ralph’s death pressed hard against his chest and lungs and soured his mood.

Would he ever be free of the consequences on the battlefield that day? His decision, or the lack thereof, had cost him his best friend, and ironically, now endangered his friendship with the lovely woman Ralph had left behind.

J
oel kept in step beside Nurse Thornton as they circumvented the far edge of the lawn. His stride wasn’t anywhere near his former gait, but he could feel strength returning to his right leg.

His gaze sought out Evelyn, overseeing the cutting of bandages by Louis and the other boys. He wished he were walking with her instead. But Evelyn had informed him they needed to spend time apart today to avoid attracting suspicion. While Joel agreed with her, he still couldn’t help watching her and wondering what Louis had just said to make her laugh.

He stole a glance at Nurse Thornton, plodding silently along beside him. Not surprising, her own gaze lingered on someone else, too—Sergeant Dennis seated in a lawn chair with his injured knee resting on another chair. Joel nearly laughed out loud. He and Nurse Thornton both wished they could be with other people, but rules and decorum had stuck them together for today.

Joel slowed his footsteps as he studied the faces of those outside. Were there other soldiers hoping for a friendship to blossom with a certain nurse? How many hearts would be broken when these soldiers moved on? He didn’t condone Evelyn and Ralph’s way of doing things, but he could understand how the thought of separation had likely driven them to act differently than they might have otherwise. A similar sense of urgency filled him. He wanted to spend as much time with Evelyn as he could, especially with his transfer to the convalescent home looming ever closer.

“Are you ready to turn around?” Nurse Thornton asked.

Joel stopped and considered how far they’d come. If they turned back now, perhaps he could convince Nurse Thornton to leave his wheelchair near Evelyn. “All right.”

As they retraced their path, Joel felt someone watching them. Sure enough, Sergeant Dennis kept throwing glances their way. “Is Dennis treating you well?”

The red-headed nurse blushed and darted a look in the sergeant’s direction. “Yes, he is. Thanks to you, Corporal.”

“What do you mean?”

“I told him what you said about he and I being good friends. How that isn’t exactly against the rules.” A smile softened her face. “Once this awful war ends, we talked about finding each other. I told him where I’d be in the States.”

“Did he agree to your plan to be friends?”

She nodded, her green eyes alive with happiness. “He really is sweet, once you get to know him.”

Joel chuckled. “I’ll take your word for it.”

“What about you and Nurse Gray?”

“I’m not sure what you mean.” He feigned sudden interest in placing one foot in front of the other.

“You two have been spending time together, too. I assumed you’d set your sights on a friendship with her.” Nurse Thornton shrugged, her gaze moving past him to where Evelyn sat with Louis and the other boys. “I think it might be good for her. Don’t tell her I told you, but there’ve been nights I’ve heard her crying before she falls asleep. I worry about her.”

Joel cleared his throat. Was Evelyn still in love with Ralph? Was that why she cried at night? Or had she done that before Joel came to the hospital?

“She’s an excellent nurse and a genuine person,” he said with as much nonchalance as he could muster. “We may have struck up a friendship, but that’s all for now.”

He wouldn’t say more and risk betraying Evelyn’s secret to the other nurse. Fortunately, Nurse Thornton let the matter slide. They returned to his wheelchair, and he managed to get himself into the seat without assistance. A small victory, but he felt pleased with himself all the same.

As she pushed him across the grass toward the hospital, Joel tried to think of how to get himself near Evelyn. His mind remained void of a good excuse. Any justification to be near her would contradict what he’d told Nurse Thornton about him and Evelyn only being friends. He would have to resign himself to seeing her tomorrow.

At that moment a young voice called out, “Corporal! Come see what we’ve done.”

Joel grinned. Louis had unknowingly given him the perfect reason to join their group. He’d have to remember to thank him later.

Nurse Thornton stopped his chair. “Would you like to go over there?”

“Sure.” He prided himself on keeping his voice casual.

She wheeled him in the direction of Louis and the others. “Maybe Nurse Gray can bring you back inside when you’re ready.”

Was that amusement in her voice? Joel let it go without comment. He would get to spend time with Evelyn today—and right now, that’s all he cared about.

Evelyn closed the primer on her lap, trying to ignore the increase in her pulse at Joel’s appearance. “Good job, Pierre. You’re learning fast.”

A smile illuminated the boy’s face, and he stuck his chest out in pride. She’d been teaching Louis and the other boys to read English from the old primer. Louis and Pierre, who also knew a little English, had caught on the fastest. A sense of accomplishment and excitement had overtaken Evelyn at seeing their progress. The reading also gave them something to do when they grew bored with cutting bandages.

They’d nearly made it through all the material she’d found in the attic. Already some of the bandages they’d cut had been put to use in several of the wards.

“What do you think of our pile, Corporal?” Louis pointed to the bundle of bandages in the middle of their semicircle.

“Very impressive,” he said, exchanging a smile with Evelyn. Her stomach churned in a way that had nothing to do with the baby. “It appears you’ve been busy in other ways, too.” He motioned to the book in her lap.

Evelyn held it up. “It’s an old reading primer I found when I was scouting for bandages.”

“Look what I can read.” Louis took the book from her and opened it toward the beginning. He read one of the sentences in a halting voice, but he managed to get all of the words correct.

“Well done, Louis.” Joel clapped his hand against his knee by way of applause. “I see you have a great teacher.”

Evelyn’s cheeks warmed at the compliment, but she didn’t want him to know his attention flustered her. Rising to her knees, she surveyed the boys’ handiwork. “Just a little more today, gentlemen.”

Louis groaned and flopped onto his back against the grass. “I cannot cut anymore, Nurse Gray. Can we do something else?”

“Like what?” She wanted to finish this project, and yet she understood the boys’ restlessness. They’d been diligently cutting the material for more than an hour.

“A game! What do they play in America?”

Evelyn thought a moment. “We could play hide-and-go-seek.”

Louis jumped up. “Yes.” He translated their conversation for the other boys. They scrambled to their feet, too, their expressions full of anticipation.

“May I play?” Joel asked.

“It might be hard to hide your wheelchair,” she teased.

He gripped one of the chair arms with his good hand. “Then I’ll leave it behind.” Using his cane and the chair for support, he climbed to his feet.

Evelyn’s eyes widened. He was growing stronger and stronger, but the game would require more than walking. “Are you sure?”

“I have long held the title for hide-and-go-seek king.”

She bit back a laugh. “Is that so? Do you mean here among the other soldiers or at home?”

Joel pretended to scowl as he advanced a step toward her. “At home, of course. It’s a title I’m not ready to relinquish yet, even for an injured leg. Just make sure whoever’s
it
counts for a good long while.”

Her laughter broke through at his request. “Very well.” She turned to address the boys. “It appears Corporal Campbell will be playing, too.” All four of them cheered. “Now who would like to be
it
? You’ll need to count to fifty. That should give us, and the corporal, plenty of time to hide.”

After Louis interpreted the instructions, Pierre raised his hand to be the finder. Without waiting to be acknowledged, he covered his face with his hands and began counting in French.

“Go, go,” Louis cried as he and the other boys scattered.

Evelyn stood still, unsure where to hide. Should she follow Joel or let him fend for himself? He was already moving with fairly steady steps, even with his cane, toward the trees bordering the lawn. She decided to follow, though she’d hang back in case he didn’t want her help.

Pierre had passed the number twenty. After that, Evelyn didn’t know the numbers in French. Ahead of her, Joel disappeared into the woods. Evelyn hurried after him.

When she reached the edge of the trees, she glanced over her shoulder to see if Pierre was finished counting. With her gaze focused behind her rather than on the ground, Evelyn didn’t see the tree root until it was too late. She stumbled forward and would have fallen onto the hard ground if a firm hand hadn’t grabbed her elbow and pulled her behind the giant tree.

“Careful,” Joel murmured in her ear. His steady hold on her arm meant she was standing against his chest.

Her heartbeat ricocheted at his nearness. His warm, solid presence at her back both unnerved and relaxed her. It felt so wonderful to stand in his semi-embrace.
Is that because I’m missing Ralph or because I’m falling for Joel?

“Thank you. I’m all right.” She took a deliberate step to the side, though mere inches still separated them.

“Is he done counting?” Joel kept his voice low.

Evelyn listened, but she couldn’t hear much over the rapid pounding of her pulse in her ears. Perhaps she shouldn’t have followed Joel. “I—I think so.”

“It’s terrific what you’re doing for Louis and the other boys.” His eyes shone with blatant admiration. Could her heart beat any faster? “You’re quite the natural teacher, with the bandage project and helping them learn to read, too.”

Evelyn lowered her gaze to the root she’d tripped over rather than continue to stare at her gallant rescuer. “It’s mostly Louis and Pierre who’ve been interested in reading, but they’ve caught on well.” She slid a few more inches away from him, finagling her feet around the gnarled roots. Breathing was difficult with Joel so close.

He shifted to lean his shoulder against the tree trunk. “Is something wrong?”

She pressed her lips together and shook her head.

“Are you angry at me? For coming over to the group, instead of staying away like we talked about?”

Evelyn flicked a glance at those hazel eyes. “No, not at all.”

Silence reigned for several heartbeats, then she felt his finger beneath her chin. He gently prodded her head upward until she had to look at him. Her stomach flip-flopped as she peered fully into his handsome face. Light fuzz covered his chin and jaw. He needed another shave. A strange, irrational thought that she must be the one to do it filled her mind.

“Are you afraid of something, Evelyn?”

You.

She kept the word sealed inside as her thoughts spiraled like a tornado. What if he didn’t reciprocate these growing feelings? What if he decided not to marry her next week? There’d been times over the last few days when she thought Joel was beginning to soften toward her, even like her. She’d notice a lingering look from him or a smile, but they would disappear as quickly as they came and his manner would return to its usual, kind aloofness. Perhaps she ought to be asking him a similar question. What was
he
afraid of?

“I’m fine, really.” She swallowed hard. “Just a bit tired is all.”

Instead of releasing her chin as she expected, Joel lowered his gaze to her mouth. The rush of sound in Evelyn’s ears grew as thunderous as a windstorm. Was he going to kiss her? Should she let him?

Yes
, her heart cried. She wanted him to kiss her, had dreamt of this moment.

She held her breath as Joel leaned forward. Closing her eyes, she waited for his lips to reach hers. Would his kiss be as glorious as she’d imagined? Or better? She felt his breath brush her chin, sending her stomach into another frenzy of flutters.

The sudden blare of horns dropped like a bomb into the quiet of the trees, obliterating their shared moment. Evelyn opened her eyes and turned toward the hospital. “More wounded soldiers.”

Joel straightened, robbing her of the warmth of his closeness. “Which means more surgeries.”

His disappointed tone had her hopes soaring heavenward again. Did it mean he cared? “Yes, it does. Will you watch after Louis for me?”

“I don’t profess to be as good a teacher as you, but I’ll try.”

“Thank you.”

She turned to go, but Joel caught her hand, stopping her retreat.

“Evelyn?”

“Yes?” She wished she didn’t sound so breathless. Wished she didn’t have to leave him.

He released her hand to brush her cheek with his thumb, heating her skin with the tender touch. “Good luck.”

Louis and Pierre bolted toward them, signaling the end to their private conversation. “Ambulances,” Louis said, gripping his knees as he caught his breath.

“I need to go.” Evelyn squeezed Louis’s shoulder. “You boys be good.” She waved good-bye and hurried across the lawn. Dr. Dupont would be waiting. It was time to be a nurse, and not a woman falling in love.

She drew in a deep breath of the sun-soaked air, attempting to steady her emotions. Her face felt overheated from more than the weather. Evelyn lifted her hands to her flushed face and couldn’t help but smile. Maybe Joel hadn’t given her a real kiss, but he had caressed her cheek. She could be content with that for now.