Dream of Her Heart Read online

  With her water swiftly cooling, Billie washed her hair and finished her bath. She readied for bed, and returned to her room with her head swathed in a thick, sun-kissed white towel.

  In her room, she combed the tangles from her hair then fluffed it with her fingers until it was nearly dry. Quickly twisting small sections of her golden locks, she pinned them in place, then tied a silk scarf over her head to keep her hair smooth while she slept.

  After turning out her light, she draped her robe over the desk chair and slid between cool cotton sheets. Nestled into the comfort of her bed, she turned on her side and watched her white curtains dance in the breeze from the open window.

  As exhaustion overtook her, she wondered if Zane had found a room for the night. Thoughts of him, of his broad shoulders and dimpled smile, kept her company as she drifted off to sleep.

  The next morning, Billie rushed to get ready for work and carefully packed a bag with a change of clothes. She ate a hurried breakfast with the other girls in the dining room, grabbed her bag, and left before Miss Burwell could begin asking questions.

  Billie’s morning passed quickly as she worked with a variety of patients and problems. The worst moment was when one misbehaving patient tossed his breakfast tray at her and she barely missed being hit in the head with a bowl of oatmeal.

  At a quarter to noon, she changed her clothes, adding a fresh application of lipstick, and finger-combed her curls.

  “Who’s the lucky fella?” her friend Peggy asked as she leaned against the wall near the mirror in the nurse’s breakroom and held out Billie’s hat.

  Billie took the navy and cream fedora and settled it on her head at a saucy angle. She tugged on a navy jacket, piped in cream trim, and adjusted the bow on a cream blouse accented with navy polka dots.

  “What makes you think there’s a man behind my changing clothes? I often change if I have errands to run.” Billie adjusted one errant curl around her ear and gave herself another critical glance.

  Peggy grinned. “You might change, but not into one of your best outfits. Besides, you usually run home to do it. What’s his name?”

  “Lieutenant Zane West. He’s the man who came in yesterday looking for Rock Laroux. I offered to help him search for Captain Laroux today. That’s all.”

  Peggy gave her a knowing look. “Of course, searching for a lost patient requires wearing your new shoes and carrying your favorite handbag.”

  “Of course,” Billie said, winking at Peggy in the mirror. She turned and hugged her friend. “Thank you for taking my uniform home for me. I’ll swing by your room when I get back.”

  “Just don’t be late or Miss Burwell will have your head.”

  “Don’t I know it.” Billie frowned. “She got after me last night and I was only five minutes late. Dr. Johnson needed help with a patient and that’s why I was late. She’s not particularly understanding of our work.”

  A derisive snort rolled out of Peggy. “She’s not particularly understanding of anything that goes against her line of thinking, way of doing things, or her scheduled plans.” Peggy brushed a speck of lint from Billie’s shoulder. “Is Lieutenant West the cutie who had the girls all in a dither?”

  Billie nodded as she pulled on a pair of cream gloves. “One and the same. He’s meeting me out front in a few minutes.”

  Peggy playfully shoved her toward the door. “Well, for gosh sakes, don’t be late.”

  Billie glared at her over her shoulder then broke into a grin as Peggy looped their arms together and they hurried downstairs to the main entry.

  A handsome man walked up the steps as they reached the front doors.

  Peggy whistled softly. “I see why the girls couldn’t stop talking about him. Have fun, Billie.”

  “We aren’t planning to have fun, Peg. The whole point of going with him is to try and find Rock.” Billie scowled at Peggy, then reached for the door. “Just stay out of trouble while I’m gone and be careful around Sergeant Haney. He’s been in a foul mood today.”

  “Don’t worry about anything here. Go on and enjoy the company of that handsome solider.”

  Billie rushed out the door just as Zane reached the top step.

  “Hello, Nurse Brighton. Beautiful day, isn’t it?” he said as he offered her a snappy salute.

  The soldier looked even more handsome out in the spring sunshine than he had inside the hospital the previous afternoon. Tanned skin, thick dark hair, and those incredible blue eyes captured her interest. How was a girl supposed to ignore all that? Regardless of how much she wanted to admire his masculine magnificence, she turned her thoughts to the reason he was there.

  “It is a lovely day. We had a terrible rainstorm the day Captain Laroux disappeared, but the weather has been pleasant since then.” Billie made her way down the broad steps in front of the hospital and followed Zane to a dark green car parked at the curb.

  He opened the front passenger door and stepped back. “I thought it might be easier for us to search if we had something to drive. I wasn’t sure if you had a car, so I rented this one.”

  “I don’t have a car,” she said, gliding onto the seat. “This one is a beaut.”

  “It is,” he said, jogging around the car and sliding behind the wheel. “I sure like this color.”

  “It makes me think of a deep forest,” Billie said, reclining against the fawn-colored seat. She brushed her hand over the leather upholstery. “Renting a car was a good idea.”

  “Is there a bus station nearby?” he asked, starting the car and putting it in gear.

  “There’s a bus stop there on the corner, but the nearest station is a few miles from here. You don’t think Rock would have walked to it, do you?”

  Zane shrugged as he pulled away from the curb and into traffic. “If he was desperate and determined enough, he might have.”

  “Turn west here,” Billie said as Zane braked at a stop sign. He followed her directions and merged into traffic while she considered what Rock might have done in a moment of anxiety-driven panic. “I hate to think of him walking in the rain in his condition. Why, he could have…” She snapped her mouth shut, hesitant to say more about all the tragedies that could have befallen Rock in his weakened state.

  Zane gave her a sideways glance then turned his attention back to the road. He observed one side of the road then the other as they drove.

  “What are you looking for?” she asked.

  “Places he might have stopped or stayed.”

  Billie looked at the businesses and buildings they passed. She couldn’t imagine Rock taking refuge in any of them. Most would have been closed that time of night anyway. “There’s the bus station,” she said, pointing just ahead of them on the right.

  Zane pulled into the lot and parked then hurried around the car to open her door. She certainly appreciated his fine manners. One of the tests Billie gave men she went out with was to see if they opened doors for her or remained standing until she was seated. Sadly, many of them got off on the wrong foot by failing to open her car door and the date would go downhill from there.

  “Let’s talk to the person in the ticket booth. They might remember seeing him,” Zane said. He took out his wallet and removed a photo then tucked his wallet back into his pocket.

  There were only a few people in line in front of them, so it didn’t take long to reach the ticket agent.

  “Where to?” the agent asked as Billie and Zane stood at the window.

  “We don’t want to purchase a ticket. We’re looking for someone. By chance, did you see this man purchase a ticket?” Zane pushed a photo of him and Rock across the counter.

  The agent picked it up and studied it a moment then handed it back to him. He shook his head. “Sorry, sir, but I haven’t seen him. We’ve only had a few soldiers come through this week, and I don’t remember anyone who looked like that.”

  “Are there other agents who may have been working Monday evening?” Billie asked. “It would have been after six-thirty.”


  The man nodded. “Jim Donner was working Monday night. You might ask him. He’ll be on duty tonight.”

  “What time could we catch him?” Zane asked, stowing the photo of him and Rock in his front shirt pocket.

  “His shift starts at five.” The agent looked past Zane to the line of people waiting to purchase tickets. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

  Zane nodded and stepped out of the way. Billie walked beside him back to the car. “Where should we go now?” she asked as he again held open her door.

  He didn’t answer right away, waiting until he was seated and had started the car to look at her. “Do you know how to get to Gales Creek?”

  “I’ve never been there, but I think I could probably find it.” Billie pointed across the street as Zane pulled out of the bus station parking lot. “There’s a gas station over there. I’m sure they’ll have a map of the area.”

  “Good idea.” Zane zipped across traffic and parked the car. He rushed into the gas station and soon returned with two maps. He sank onto the seat and unfolded one, tracing the line of a road with his finger. “According to the map, we should be heading in the right direction.”

  He handed the map to Billie and pulled onto the street, continuing to head west.

  “Rock said you were stationed in Hawaii, and it seems like he mentioned an injury. Are you doing better now?” Billie couldn’t imagine what type of wound might plague a strapping male specimen like Zane West. He was the epitome of strength and health.

  “I’m fine, now. I didn’t want Rock to worry about me since he had plenty of his own troubles. I was flying a patrol when an enemy got the drop on me and shot down my plane.”

  Billie gave him a horrified look, scanning him for any visible injuries. Other than a scar on the left side of his forehead that ran into the corner of his eyebrow, she couldn’t detect anything. “What happened?” she asked.

  “The plane crashed, in spite of my best efforts to keep it in the air. I wound up with a slice of metal through my thigh. Since I couldn’t use my leg and they wouldn’t let me fly until it completely healed, I requested I be sent somewhere I could be of use.” Absently, his hand rubbed across his right thigh. “I was pretty happy when I was assigned to train pilots in Pendleton. It was closer to Rock, even if I didn’t make it to visit him, and gave me something useful to do while my leg healed.”

  Billie fought back the urge to reach over and press her hand to his thigh. Instead, she lifted her gaze to his face. “I didn’t notice you limping at all.”

  “As long as my leg doesn’t get too tired, I do just fine.” Zane leaned a little closer to her. “And truth to tell, I work hard at hiding the limp. I hate not being able to fly and I’m chomping at the bit to get back to my regular duties.” He grinned at her. “Come Monday, I’ll be on the way back to my post in the Pacific.”

  “Doesn’t it frighten you? Being so close to the Japanese opposition?” It would scare her spitless to be in the thick of things like he’d been. “Rock mentioned you being at Pearl Harbor when it was… when the Japanese…” Tears stung her eyes, as they did each time she thought of the devastation wrought by the enemy in December.

  Much to her surprise, Zane gave her hand a tender squeeze. “I think anyone with a lick of sense in their noggin is frightened when they’re at war. It’s just a matter of setting aside the fears and doing what is needed, what is necessary.”

  The modest, humble tone of his voice surprised her every bit as much as his words. She would have assumed someone as handsome as the lieutenant, and a hotshot pilot to boot, would have been quite full of himself and his accomplishments. She knew from Rock’s bragging about his friend that Zane had earned a few distinguished awards for his exemplary service.

  Honestly, the man intrigued her far more than any she’d met. It was for that very reason she had to safeguard her heart and keep matters strictly professional. Billie was not out on a leisurely drive with a good-looking soldier. She was trying to locate a lost patient.

  Before she could think of something to say, Zane pulled off the road into an area that looked like a small park. Half a dozen picnic tables sat back under the cover of trees and two children played on a set of swings.

  “Why did you stop?” she asked, looking at him as he parked the car and cut the ignition.

  He grinned then hurried around to open her door. With a flourish, he held out a hand to her. “Might I talk you into a picnic lunch before we continue on our way?”

  Resolved to ignore her rapidly growing feelings for Zane, she started to tell him she had no interest in a picnic or anything other than tracking down Rock. Hunger and common sense prevailed, though, as she took his hand and rose to her feet.

  “You just happen to have a picnic lunch with you?” she asked, shooting him a dubious expression as he took a box from the backseat and started toward the nearest picnic table.

  A shrug rode his broad shoulders, but he continued to grin. “I assumed you probably wouldn’t take time to eat lunch before meeting me. I found a café close to where I rented the car.” He set the box on the table and held out his hand for her to take a seat. “If you already ate, I’ll hurry.”

  “No need to rush, Lieutenant West. I didn’t have time to eat and a picnic would be lovely,” she said, pleased he’d thought to provide lunch and had chosen a lovely setting. Sun filtered through the trees, creating splashes of light on the lush grass and highlighting the bright pink rhododendron plants lining the park with a beautiful hedge.

  She glanced down at the bench and started to brush away lingering dirt, but Zane draped a starched white handkerchief over it. Billie accepted the hand he held out to her and used it for balance as she stepped over the bench and took a seat. “Thank you, kind sir.”

  “You’re most welcome, lovely lady.” Zane’s gaze collided with hers as he held onto her hand far longer than she deemed appropriate. Something in his gaze — something warm and inviting — made her want to draw closer to him.

  But that would never do.

  She dropped his hand, leaned back, and forced her gaze to the box he’d set on the table. “What are we eating for lunch?”

  Zane took a seat across from her and removed two paper-wrapped bundles from the box. “Turkey or ham?”

  “Turkey,” she said, accepting the sandwich he held out to her.

  He set two bottles of Coca-Cola on the table, along with paper napkins, a small tin of potato chips, and two pickles.

  “What a feast,” Billie said, taking a handful of chips when he held the tin out to her. “Thank you, Lieutenant.”

  Zane lifted his left eyebrow, accentuating the scar visible there. “How about you just call me Zane? I’ve heard you refer to Rock by his first name and I expect you can do the same with me.”

  Billie thought agreeing to his request alluded to a familiarity she was determined wouldn’t happen with the charming soldier. But since he’d brought along a delicious picnic lunch and had been kind and mannerly, she couldn’t very well refuse. “Zane it is, but only if you call me Billie.”

  “Billie. I sure like the sound of that. Is it a nickname?”

  She shook her head and dabbed at her mouth with her napkin. “I’m named after my Grandpa Bill. I think my father had his heart set on a boy, so when he got me instead, they switched from naming me William to Billie.”

  “What’s your middle name? Is it after an uncle? Your other grandfather? Something like Jack or Tom?” he joked.

  “No,” she scowled at him. “For your information it’s Adaleen.”

  Zane’s teasing smile broadened. “That’s a pretty name for a pretty woman.”

  A blush soaked her cheeks with color at his flattery. She was accustomed to men paying her compliments, to flirting and flattering in an effort to woo her, but this was different. Zane’s simple statement felt genuine.

  “Thank you,” she said in a quiet voice, then turned her focus back to her food.

  Zane asked her questions about Portl
and, about how long Rock had been among her patients, and if she thought he’d been hovering at death’s door like the doctor seemed to think.

  “He was in a bad way, Zane. I won’t make light of his situation.” Billie looked off in the distance, thinking about the many times she’d sat beside Rock’s bed as he slept, praying for him to make it through the night. “The thing none of us can figure out or understand is what’s wrong with him. Doctor Ridley has been beside himself trying to discover the cause of what’s making Rock so sick. His wounds from the crash are healing, although far slower than we’d expected. It’s as though his life force drains out of him a little each day.”

  “And with him running off in a rainstorm, the hope is slim that he survived.” Zane sighed then rolled back his shoulders. “I don’t know how I know it, but Rock is alive. Maybe just barely, but he’s alive.”

  Billie reached across the table and patted Zane’s hand in a comforting gesture. “I hope you’re right.”

  Zane gave her a long, studying look. “You seem pretty keen on my buddy. Was there more going on than him being a favorite patient?”

  “Of course not!” Billie was appalled Zane voiced the thought. Then again, she supposed the way she’d talked about Rock with fondness and concern could lead to misunderstandings or questions. “Rock, as you probably know, is quite a charmer. He’s sweet and gentlemanly, even on a bad day, and all the nurses appreciated his cheerful demeanor. He’ll be missed by us all.”

  “But you’re the only one who volunteered to help me look for him.” Zane wadded up the paper from his sandwich then took a long drink of his pop.

  “Rock is a good friend and a patient, that’s all.” Billie thought Rock had feelings for her, feelings she’d seen plenty of soldiers develop for their nurses. It wasn’t real love or affection, but an emotion derived from gratitude. Then again, Rock teased her so much, she was never absolutely certain when he was being serious or not. In fact, he’d proposed to her at least once a week since he’d been at the hospital, but Billie never gave it a moment’s thought. Rock Laroux would make some woman a wonderful husband, but it would never be her. Not when she considered him to be like the brother she’d always wanted and never had.