Chapter Five

Thank God for Nadine, Jon thought as he folded the paper and slid it back into the envelope. Otherwise he might never have known what was going on with his wife. After setting it on the floor beside the bed, he reached up and carefully took down the picture of Evie he had taped to the wall above his bunk. In the photo, he stood behind her, chin propped on the top of her head with his arms wrapped around her waist.

She was laughing at something silly he’d said as they both gazed at the camera, her hazel eyes sparkling with mirth. He gazed out of the photo, lazy amusement on his face as the wind tousled her hair. They made quite the contrast—his hair so dark as to almost be black, cut in a low military buzz, and hers a light reddish-brown, hanging down past her shoulders. There was more red than brown in Evie’s hair, but she didn’t like being called a redhead.

Jon sighed and touched the tip of a finger to one of Evie’s high cheekbones, imagining not the glossy paper but the silken smoothness of her toffee-colored skin. His wife had full, plump lips, the kind made for kissing. Her long oval face and slanted greenish-golden-eyes gave her an exotic look, one that had drawn him like a bee to honey the first night they’d met.

How he loved this woman. She was making an effort to ensure their marriage survived. Could he do any less?

He hunted up a pad and pen from his trunk, returned to the bed and began to write.

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It had been two, almost three weeks since she’d mailed Jon. Evie’s fingernails were little more than nubs as she awaited his reply. According to the Army newsletter, it could take anywhere from ten to twenty days for her letter to arrive. So, did Jon have it? Had he read it and if he had, was he angry?

This was Evie’s biggest fear and the main reason she’d held off from sending another, despite her bold words to the contrary. Why Jon hadn’t responded? It was too soon to receive a reply, but her husband would have emailed, not written. Was he furious with her? Okay, she cautioned herself, worst-case scenario is that Jon received her missive yesterday and simply hasn’t had time to respond. Or what was more likely, he’d received her letter within the ten-day timeframe, about the time his end had gone silent—no email, no IM, no phone calls, and no Skype.

Granted, it happened occasionally. Though his base camp was a large military base, there were still patrols to be run which took him out into the field. Often his unit went into remote areas with few amenities, like electricity and indoor plumbing, for weeks at a time. Jon never said much about it when he returned, only that he’d been out of contact, but Evie had learned to read the signs in the strain and exhaustion on his face. Maybe that was it. He was on patrol and hadn’t received her letter, much less had a chance to read it.

Most of what she knew of Jon’s life in Afghanistan came from the internet and news media. Her husband was an officer and he believed strongly in leading by example. That meant he adhered to the military’s blackout on information and was highly concerned about potential security leaks. While she admired Jon for his dedication and strength of character, not knowing made things harder on her.

Why had she listened to Lynette? Evie fretted. Now Jon was going to read her missive and realize she wasn’t as suited to be a soldier’s wife as she’d promised she’d be. Evie groaned. She should have kept quiet.

Evie remembered how excited she’d been when Jon had proposed. They’d only been dating for about six months when he’d taken her to this nice little romantic Italian restaurant they’d both come to love. They’d dined on a sumptuous meal of Pasta Alfredo with Shrimp for her and Chicken Parmesan for Jon. After the dishes had been cleared from the table and while they were waiting on the dessert they’d ordered, Jon had leaned forward and captured her hand in his.

“Evie, I know we haven’t known each other long, but I want you to know I love you,” he’d stated, his dark brown eyes intense.

She’d smiled, glowing inside at the knowledge that this handsome man loved her. “I love you too.”

“The way I feel for you, while it happened fast, I know it will last for the rest of my life. You’re it for me, Evie. Will you marry me and make me the happiest man on the face of the earth?”

Marriage? He wanted to marry her?

She’d sat, stunned into silence while he reached into his suit jacket pocket and pulled out a small, black velvet ring box. Jon popped open the lid to reveal a small, solitaire diamond on a thin yellow gold band. The stone sparkled and flashed in the candlelight.

“Oh Jon,” Evie cried, covering her mouth with her hand. She couldn’t pull her gaze away from the ring.

“Is that a yes?” he asked, a hint of nervous amusement in his voice.

She’d nodded, too overcome to speak.