every moment of his free time, she was going to miss him terribly. Her niece felt the same. Abe had the knack of relating to a child without spoiling her. Polly obeyed Abe like she did Angela and Jim, when he’d been alive. Finding a man who was a good father figure for Polly was just as important to Angela as relating to the man herself. Abe seemed to be the wonderful combination of both. Yet in spite of what she’d told him about not caring if he was in the military, she couldn’t help thinking how hard it would be for both her and Polly when he was sent away again.
Enough of such thoughts. He wasn’t going away tonight, and she had a date to get ready for.
Angela spent the next few hours bathing, shaving, rubbing on lotion, painting her finger and toenails, and arranging her hair and makeup. Finally, wearing her black dress with a full skirt and a rope of pearls around her neck, she glanced at herself in the bedroom mirror. The results pleased her. She looked pretty good.
The doorbell rang and she hurried down the steps. Abe waited outside, looking handsome in his uniform and carrying a bouquet of red roses.
“They’re beautiful, Abe,” she said, taking the flowers and closing her eyes as she inhaled their scent.
“I thought they were, until I saw you.”
Angela smiled and gazed at him. “I know what you’re trying to do. You want to make sure I’ll never love another man like I love you.”
“Damn right. Are you ready to go to dinner?”
“Just let me put these in some water.”
The small town only had a couple of diners and a drugstore lunch counter, so Abe took her to the only decent place around he could think of. Angela had been to the NCO club once before with Jim, but with Abe everything seemed completely different. She didn’t really care where she was since all she could see was the blue of his eyes and the warmth of his smile.
After dinner, they drove to the beach and parked nearby, watching the waves lick the shore.
“Angela?” He turned to her, his gaze even more intense than usual.
“Yes, Abe.”
“I know we haven’t been together very long, but I love you. I said it before but I’m saying it again just to make things real clear.”
She nodded, tingling inside. “I love you, too, Abe.”
“I care a lot about Polly, too. I think of her like a daughter.”
“So do I. She’s my niece. She means the world to me.”
“How does she feel about me, do you think?”
“She’s crazy about you, Abe. You know that.”
“Good. You know next week my leave is over.”
“Yes.”
“I’ve never spent such a terrific three weeks in my life.”
“Neither have I.”
“I don’t want to rush you, so I think we should give it some time before we set a date—”
A smile touched her lips. “Abraham Marley Forbes, what are you asking me?”
He reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew a ring box. Opening the lid, he held it out to her, revealing a single, pear-shaped diamond. “I’m asking if you’ll marry me, Angela.”
She laughed, excitement coursing through her.
“Are you poking fun at me, or is that laugh because you like the idea?”
“I don’t like it, Abe. I love it!”
“Good.” He took the ring out of the box, grasped her hand, and slipped it onto her finger. “I tried getting the prettiest ring I could find, but it’s nothing compared to the hand it’s resting on.”
Angela’s heart fluttered as he kissed the back of her hand. Tugging her close, he covered her mouth with his. Angela wrapped her arms around his neck, loving the warmth of his body against hers and the moist, tender stroking of his tongue as it explored her mouth.
“When should we set the date?” he asked.
“Late this year? That should give us more time to get to know one another as well as plan a decent wedding.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“Now comes the hard part.”
His brow knitted in question.
She laughed. “Telling my parents without letting them take over all the
Enough of such thoughts. He wasn’t going away tonight, and she had a date to get ready for.
Angela spent the next few hours bathing, shaving, rubbing on lotion, painting her finger and toenails, and arranging her hair and makeup. Finally, wearing her black dress with a full skirt and a rope of pearls around her neck, she glanced at herself in the bedroom mirror. The results pleased her. She looked pretty good.
The doorbell rang and she hurried down the steps. Abe waited outside, looking handsome in his uniform and carrying a bouquet of red roses.
“They’re beautiful, Abe,” she said, taking the flowers and closing her eyes as she inhaled their scent.
“I thought they were, until I saw you.”
Angela smiled and gazed at him. “I know what you’re trying to do. You want to make sure I’ll never love another man like I love you.”
“Damn right. Are you ready to go to dinner?”
“Just let me put these in some water.”
The small town only had a couple of diners and a drugstore lunch counter, so Abe took her to the only decent place around he could think of. Angela had been to the NCO club once before with Jim, but with Abe everything seemed completely different. She didn’t really care where she was since all she could see was the blue of his eyes and the warmth of his smile.
After dinner, they drove to the beach and parked nearby, watching the waves lick the shore.
“Angela?” He turned to her, his gaze even more intense than usual.
“Yes, Abe.”
“I know we haven’t been together very long, but I love you. I said it before but I’m saying it again just to make things real clear.”
She nodded, tingling inside. “I love you, too, Abe.”
“I care a lot about Polly, too. I think of her like a daughter.”
“So do I. She’s my niece. She means the world to me.”
“How does she feel about me, do you think?”
“She’s crazy about you, Abe. You know that.”
“Good. You know next week my leave is over.”
“Yes.”
“I’ve never spent such a terrific three weeks in my life.”
“Neither have I.”
“I don’t want to rush you, so I think we should give it some time before we set a date—”
A smile touched her lips. “Abraham Marley Forbes, what are you asking me?”
He reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew a ring box. Opening the lid, he held it out to her, revealing a single, pear-shaped diamond. “I’m asking if you’ll marry me, Angela.”
She laughed, excitement coursing through her.
“Are you poking fun at me, or is that laugh because you like the idea?”
“I don’t like it, Abe. I love it!”
“Good.” He took the ring out of the box, grasped her hand, and slipped it onto her finger. “I tried getting the prettiest ring I could find, but it’s nothing compared to the hand it’s resting on.”
Angela’s heart fluttered as he kissed the back of her hand. Tugging her close, he covered her mouth with his. Angela wrapped her arms around his neck, loving the warmth of his body against hers and the moist, tender stroking of his tongue as it explored her mouth.
“When should we set the date?” he asked.
“Late this year? That should give us more time to get to know one another as well as plan a decent wedding.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“Now comes the hard part.”
His brow knitted in question.
She laughed. “Telling my parents without letting them take over all the
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