“I’ll say an amen to that!” Ida flashed her generous smile that widened further as she pointed to a large new bill posted in a spot all its own. “Speaking of forces to be reckoned with, I reckon our evening will be highly entertaining.” She peered closer at an announcement for the “rousing patriotic speech” to be given by “a true wartime hero.” “‘Hear the daring exploits of Army Captain John Gallows,’” Ida read aloud. “‘Thrill to the tale of how he saved lives at the risk of his own.’ Well, where I come from a gallows is something to be feared.”
Leanne could only laugh. Some days Ida sounded as if West Virginia were the wild, wild West. “Oh, that might still be true here. The Gallowses are a very formidable Charleston family.”
“Have you met them?”
“I’ve not had the pleasure, but I believe our fathers know each other back in Charleston. A fine family going back for generations.”
Ida leaned back and crossed her arms while eyeing the dashing photograph of Captain Gallows that illustrated the announcement. “Fine indeed. He’s certainly handsome enough.” She adjusted her stiff white apron as if primping for the photograph’s admiration. Ida did like to be admired, especially by gallant army officers. “I can’t think of a better way to spend our first free evening off base. Perhaps he’ll let me sketch him.”
“Why is it you want to sketch every handsome man you meet?” Leanne teased. Already she could see it might prove hard to keep her artistically inclined roommate focused on her duties. Ida was a free spirit if ever there was one, and while she took her nursing very seriously, her adventurous nature already pulled her too often away from her tasks.
“I’d be delighted to sit for you,” came a deep voice behind them. “Especially if you are so partial to handsome war heroes.”
Ida and Leanne spun on their heels to find the very man depicted in the photograph. Complete with the dashing smile. Even out of his dress uniform—for he wore a coat, but not one as fancy or full of medals as the one in the photograph—he was every bit the U.S. Army poster-boy hero. His dark hair just barely contained itself in its slick comb-back underneath his cap. He carried himself with unmistakably military command—Leanne suspected she’d have known he was an officer even in civilian clothes. He certainly was very sure of himself—a long moment passed before Leanne even noticed he leaned jauntily on a cane.
Ida planted one hand on her hip. “Well—” her voice grew silky “—no one can fault you for an excess of modesty. Still, my daddy always said a healthy ego was a heroic trait, so I suppose I can let it slide, Captain Gallows.” She drew out the pronunciation of his name with a relish that made Leanne flush.
Captain Gallows was evidently all-too-accustomed to such attentions, for he merely widened his dashing smile and gave a short bow to each of them. “How do you do?” He pointed to the sign. “Say you’ll attend tonight’s event, and my fears of facing an audience full of dull-faced students and soldiers will be put to rest.”
“Are you one of the Four Minute Men, then?” Leanne asked. Her father had been asked to serve on the nationally launched volunteer speakers board, called “Four Minute Men” for the prescribed length of their speeches, but Papa had declined. Still, from the superlatives on his bill, Captain Gallows could go on for four hours and still hold his audience captive.
“The best. They give me as long as I want. They tell me I’m enthralling.”
“I have no doubt they do. I’m Ida Lee Landway, and this is my friend Leanne Sample. We’ve just joined the nursing staff at the base hospital.”
The captain tipped his hat. “How fortunate for our boys in the wards. Miss Landway, Miss Sample, I’m delighted to meet you. Tell me what I can say to convince you to come to the rally.”
“Oh, it won’t take much,” Ida cooed.
“We were just on our way over to town early and already planning to attend,” Leanne corrected. “No persuasion will be required.” He certainly seemed a cocky sort, this Captain Gallows.
“I’m not so sure,” he replied with a disarming grin. “I was on campus this morning and one of the students told me she would come, but she would bring her knitting. Not the kind of response I’m used to, I must say. I’m trying to see it as a patriotic act, not an expectation of my inability to fascinate.”
Definitely a cocky sort. “Don’t take that as an affront at all, Captain Gallows. I’m meeting my parents for luncheon and I have my knitting with me right now.”
“Well, I can’t say I haven’t longed for a sharp pointy stick in several conversations with my own father.”
Leanne didn’t find that especially funny. “The Red Cross encourages us to knit everywhere we can, Captain Gallows.” She tried not to glare as she pointed to the bag currently slung over her shoulder. “I assure you, I knit even in church, so the presence of anyone’s yarn and needles need be no dent to your confidence. Our boys need socks as much as the army needs our boys.”
Gallows tucked a hand in his pocket. “Duly noted, ma’am.” He turned to Ida. “Does the Red Cross know what a fine champion they have in nurse Leanne Sample?”
“They ought to,” Ida boasted. “She’s been here a week and already she’s teaching two knitting classes at the hospital.”
“Impressive,” Gallows replied. “I’m sure the fellows here at the hospital have told you there are days when a pair of warm, dry socks are the highlight of the week. I suppose if I just remember that while you all are staring down at your needles instead of up at me, I’ll be just fine.”
The man enjoyed being the center of attention—that much was clear. “You needn’t worry. Most of us can stitch without even looking. I’ve knit so many pairs of socks I think I could probably knit in my sleep by now.”
“Not me,” Ida said. “Leanne’s a good teacher, but I fear for the feet that’ll have to put up with my socks. I’ll have to stare down a fair amount—” she paused and batted her long auburn eyelashes “—but not the whole time.”
“Well, then.” Gallows rocked back on his boot heels. “I have my orders. I’m to be enthralling but not distracting. Have I got it right?”
“I have no doubt you do such a job very well,” Leanne replied, not wanting to give Ida another chance at that one. “Good day, Captain. We’ve a trolley to catch, but we’ll also catch your enthralling-but-not-distracting presentation this evening.”
Gallows tipped his hat. “You do your bit, I’ll do mine.”
Chapter Two
Captain John Gallows planted his feet—or rather one good foot, one bad foot and the tip of his cane—on the porch of the Camp Jackson officers’ hall. He’d envisioned his homecoming so very differently.
Still, he was in South Carolina, if not yet in Charleston. And home, in the form of his formidable and sharp-pointy-stick-worthy father, had come running to him.
“John.” His father pulled open the door before John even set hand to the knob. He gave John a stiff clap on the back. The force made John put more weight on his bad leg than he would have liked. “Our boy, our hero, home for a bit from the grand tour of rousting up
