of communicating.
“A dairy farmer, is that right?”
“Uh-huh. Best kind of farming there is.” Ronald coughed and took another drag. “Apples.” He snorted dismissively. “One bad storm and the whole crop’s ruined for the year.”
“I suppose every kind of farming has its risks.”
Ronald watched Cal with a speculative gleam as he exhaled a cloud of smoke. Finally he said, “So, you’re a Marine.”
“I was. I stopped wearing my dog tags last year, but I guess I’ll always be a Marine. That’s what they say.” The Marine motto echoed in his mind: semper fidelis —always faithful. He wondered if Ronald had fought in the first war, but didn’t ask. “How was your winter in the Catskills?”
“My only child died at the start of it.”
Shifting his weight, Cal took a nervous puff. “I’m very sorry. I always heard wonderful things about Ann.”
“She should have stayed with her family. Now she’s dead and gone because of him.”
Cal’s hackles rose. “It wasn’t Jim’s fault. I can only imagine how difficult it must be for you—”
“Her mother talked me into letting her go work near that school. She got all those ideas in her head. Then she met him and stayed here in the valley .”
He said the word with the same scorn he might direct toward the city, Cal suspected.
“She should have come home. The Johnson boy was all ready to marry her. Could have combined our land. But no, she insisted on Jim Bennett. Look where it got her.”
“It was a terrible accident, sir.”
Ronald tossed his cigarette to the floor and ground it out with the toe of his scuffed, lace-up shoe just as the hay ignited. “Wasn’t no accident.”
The tension in Cal’s body increased tenfold. “Of course it was.”
“Things were never the same once he came back. Annie tried to hide it, but we could see. He’d barely look her way, while she tried and tried to please him.”
Cal frowned. That didn’t sound at all like Jim. “I’m sure it was an adjustment for everyone when he returned home.”
A grunt. “Last summer Lorraine came down for a surprise visit and there was our girl with a black eye. Gave some sorry excuse about opening a cupboard door too fast. I know it was him.”
Cal’s mouth dropped open before he inhaled sharply. “Jim would never hit a woman. Never.”
“’Course you’d say that.”
“Because it’s true! I know him better than anyone, and I know he would never have hurt your daughter.”
“Then what the hell was she running away from? Died all alone out in a ditch in the night. She must have been coming home to her mother and me! Just like we always wanted. I wish that son of a bitch had been killed over there. Annie would still be alive. We could sell this useless place and bring her and the children back home where they belong.”
Cal’s hands clenched into fists. “You’ve suffered a terrible loss, Mr. Shelton. I think you should go spend some time with your grandchildren and stop talking nonsense.”
“I know the truth, and so does our Lord almighty. Jim Bennett will burn in the hellfire for what he’s done to my daughter.” With that, he stalked from the barn.
Cal trembled with rage. The man had some nerve spewing his poisonous accusations at Jim’s own home. Outside of war, Jim wouldn’t hurt a fly, let alone his wife. Of that, Cal was utterly certain. It wasn’t even a question. He had half a mind to call out Ronald Shelton and tell Jim what had been said, but he couldn’t see what good it would do.
Wincing as the smoldering end of his forgotten cigarette scorched his fingers, Cal quickly stubbed it out and went to make sure Ronald Shelton didn’t cause trouble.
1942
“You are the men of H Company, Second Battalion, First Regiment, First Marine Division. I’m your company commander, Captain Brown.” The young captain walked along the line of men, surveying them carefully. Of medium height and build, with sandy hair and a snub nose, he
“A dairy farmer, is that right?”
“Uh-huh. Best kind of farming there is.” Ronald coughed and took another drag. “Apples.” He snorted dismissively. “One bad storm and the whole crop’s ruined for the year.”
“I suppose every kind of farming has its risks.”
Ronald watched Cal with a speculative gleam as he exhaled a cloud of smoke. Finally he said, “So, you’re a Marine.”
“I was. I stopped wearing my dog tags last year, but I guess I’ll always be a Marine. That’s what they say.” The Marine motto echoed in his mind: semper fidelis —always faithful. He wondered if Ronald had fought in the first war, but didn’t ask. “How was your winter in the Catskills?”
“My only child died at the start of it.”
Shifting his weight, Cal took a nervous puff. “I’m very sorry. I always heard wonderful things about Ann.”
“She should have stayed with her family. Now she’s dead and gone because of him.”
Cal’s hackles rose. “It wasn’t Jim’s fault. I can only imagine how difficult it must be for you—”
“Her mother talked me into letting her go work near that school. She got all those ideas in her head. Then she met him and stayed here in the valley .”
He said the word with the same scorn he might direct toward the city, Cal suspected.
“She should have come home. The Johnson boy was all ready to marry her. Could have combined our land. But no, she insisted on Jim Bennett. Look where it got her.”
“It was a terrible accident, sir.”
Ronald tossed his cigarette to the floor and ground it out with the toe of his scuffed, lace-up shoe just as the hay ignited. “Wasn’t no accident.”
The tension in Cal’s body increased tenfold. “Of course it was.”
“Things were never the same once he came back. Annie tried to hide it, but we could see. He’d barely look her way, while she tried and tried to please him.”
Cal frowned. That didn’t sound at all like Jim. “I’m sure it was an adjustment for everyone when he returned home.”
A grunt. “Last summer Lorraine came down for a surprise visit and there was our girl with a black eye. Gave some sorry excuse about opening a cupboard door too fast. I know it was him.”
Cal’s mouth dropped open before he inhaled sharply. “Jim would never hit a woman. Never.”
“’Course you’d say that.”
“Because it’s true! I know him better than anyone, and I know he would never have hurt your daughter.”
“Then what the hell was she running away from? Died all alone out in a ditch in the night. She must have been coming home to her mother and me! Just like we always wanted. I wish that son of a bitch had been killed over there. Annie would still be alive. We could sell this useless place and bring her and the children back home where they belong.”
Cal’s hands clenched into fists. “You’ve suffered a terrible loss, Mr. Shelton. I think you should go spend some time with your grandchildren and stop talking nonsense.”
“I know the truth, and so does our Lord almighty. Jim Bennett will burn in the hellfire for what he’s done to my daughter.” With that, he stalked from the barn.
Cal trembled with rage. The man had some nerve spewing his poisonous accusations at Jim’s own home. Outside of war, Jim wouldn’t hurt a fly, let alone his wife. Of that, Cal was utterly certain. It wasn’t even a question. He had half a mind to call out Ronald Shelton and tell Jim what had been said, but he couldn’t see what good it would do.
Wincing as the smoldering end of his forgotten cigarette scorched his fingers, Cal quickly stubbed it out and went to make sure Ronald Shelton didn’t cause trouble.
1942
“You are the men of H Company, Second Battalion, First Regiment, First Marine Division. I’m your company commander, Captain Brown.” The young captain walked along the line of men, surveying them carefully. Of medium height and build, with sandy hair and a snub nose, he
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