I made my way over to her. “Really.”

She moved around to the other side of the tree. “Yes, really. I thought you should be aware of it since you’re going to be living here with me.” Her expression was deadpan.

I started to reach for her but she moved again, switching to the other side of the tree trunk. My sweetheart liked a bit of fun and games at times. “You want me to stay here with you under this cherry tree, Cherry?” I asked slowly, my eyes tracking, picking my opportunity to lunge for her.

She nodded and shifted again to the other side, keeping me at a distance, her eyes tracking me, just as much and I was her. “You have to stay here with me, Neil.”

“I do, eh? Because you love me so much?” I inched closer.

Her expression betrayed her because she couldn’t help the devilish gleam that appeared in her eyes when she shook her head. “No, I need someone to row the boat!”

I sprinted for her and she took off shrieking, both of us laughing when I got my hands on her, and pulled us down into the soft grass.

I trapped her beneath me and tickled first, getting lots of playful groping in between the kisses and general horseplay. She got some good digs in too, and damn if she discovered I was ticklish as hell in the ribs.

“Now, be a good girl and let me kiss you,” I warned, pinning her hands down to the grass so she couldn’t get at me with more tickling.

Her eyes flared and she tilted her head to the side a bit, her hair strewn out around the grass with a few blossoms already fallen down to land all around us.

She got that softness in her expression I adored, and in the way her body melted into mine. She let me soak her up, and kiss her until we were both breathless, and wishing that time would just stop altogether.

****

We made out cloud shapes from the grassy bank with the cherry tree blossoms still floating down. By that time, we were covered in them, but it was futile to brush them away as more just kept falling. Neither of us seemed to mind and the blooms had just the barest light scent so they weren’t overpowering at all.

“I see a leaping frog at two o’clock just there.” I pointed. “See how his back legs are out and the webbed feet—”

“Oh look, Neil, don’t move!”

I froze. We both stared at my outstretched finger where one of those glowing blue dragonflies had chosen to land. I brought my hand closer very slowly, and miraculously it stayed on my finger.

“It’s so pretty. Just look at the colours of blue,” she said softly, as we both studied the insect. Seemingly unperturbed by our presence, the dragonfly extended its wings and lifted its legs to take a step or two.

“Amazing that the colour is from nature isn’t it?”

“It really is. Like a sky blue crossed with a metallic blue. I love it so much.”

“You said that sky blue is your favorite colour.” I felt the vibration of movement and then the dragonfly was off my finger and flying away.

“Oh, there he goes,” she said, “and yeah, sky blue is my favorite.” If I wasn’t mistaken I’d say there was some sadness to her comment.

“Why do you love the colour of sky blue so much?”

“It’s the colour of the sky when it’s beautiful on a sunny day.”

I nodded and looked back up at the sky, searching for more shapes.

“September 11 was a sunny day,” she said very softly.

I understood my girl so well. She had reasons for most of the things she did, and this was a very good example of that.

“The colour of the sky reminds you of your dad.”

She snuggled into my side. “Yeah. It’s so pretty and soft looking. I like to think of him up there in the clouds of heaven or something. It was the last place I know where he was alive and it was such a beautiful day…” her voice trailed off.

I played with her splayed-out hair as we lay on our backs, content to touch its silkiness, until I heard a soft sound, and felt a small shudder, as she turned and wept in the crook of my neck. Telling me had brought out very painful emotions. I understood how that worked. You were fine holding onto your deepest feelings just fine, but as soon as you shared them with somebody, the flood of hurt came busting out.

“He’s there waiting for you, Cherry. He’s proud of you and happy if you’re happy. There’s no pain or sadness where your dad is.”

“How do you know?” she asked.

“I just do. I have to believe in something and I believe in this. For your dad and my gran—the good people—they are in a better place now. And we can miss them, but I know they would only want us to be happy.”

“I just love you so much,” she told me, her eyes still brimming with tears.

“I love you so much, and I’ll be coming home to you when I’m done with the army and we can start our life together. We’ve got nothing but time.”

“Okay then, I’ll be here waiting for you right here at this cherry tree.” She tried to give me a smile with her little tease but I could see it was still hard for her. The next months would be hard on both of us.

“I know. When I return, we’ll come back up here for our reunion weekend.” I pulled up her chin toward me and met her beautiful, sad face. “What do you say to that idea, darlin’? Back here at Hallborough, you and me, cherry blossoms, row boats and blue dragonflies.”

“Better make it a week, captain. A measly weekend just won’t do for me.”

“Thank the blessed gods for that, because I’m going to need lots and lots of long baths in that tub together before I’m even close to recovered from being separated from you, Cherry Girl.”

I held her close up against me and worried. I couldn’t shake the feeling of gloom that hung in the air and feared I might be losing my mind. I tried to remember that as I left for my tour this time, I was leaving England with the girl I loved waiting for me back home.

Elaina would wait for me. She’d needed the reassurance that I would always be her man, but we’d worked that out. I’d promised her there was nobody else who could take my heart away from her and I meant it with everything I had in me.

I closed my eyes and held her and prayed. I prayed that everything would play out, and fate would be kind, and my beautiful girl would be here for me when I came home.

12

Four weeks later

I woke with the weight of dread pressing on me. I’d be returning to active duty in the morning so the day was our last one together for more than ten long months of separation. The SAS might have me on a plane bound for Afghanistan within a day, but my heart would stay behind in London with Elaina.