down the sidewalk that led toward the parking lot. She had not gone far, however, when she heard her name being called and looked up to see Brodie Lee. He was loping easily toward her, and she suddenly thought how rarely he walked anywhere. He had more energy than any man she had ever known.
He stopped in front of her, grinning crookedly. “I’ve been waitin’ for you.”
“When did you get back, Brodie?”
“About two hours ago. I called your house, and your dad told me what time you got off.” He took her arm and propelled her along. “Come on. We’ve got some catchin’ up to do. I haven’t been around to watch you lately. Tell me what mischief you’ve been gettin’ into.”
As Brodie hurried her along toward his car, Kat reflected on their strange relationship. Brodie had been in and out of her life for the past three years. He would fly in, stay for a few days or a week, and then be gone for long periods. He had held several jobs, including flying for the U.S. Postal Service and flying transports. He had even volunteered to help the Loyalists in the civil war in Spain, spending the last part of 1938 there and staying through until the war was over in April of 1939. He hadn’t been to the Winslow farm now for several months, and as Kat got into the car, she asked, “Where have you been?”
Brodie started the car and said, “Mostly just hopping around the States, delivering mail again. After that stint in Spain, I decided to stay out of dangerous situations for a while.” He gunned the car out of the lot, breaking everyspeeding law on the books, as always. “There’s gonna be a change in my life.”
“That’s good. What are you going to do?”
“I’ve decided to get a job sellin’ ladies’ shoes. Then I’m gonna marry you and sit on the front porch every day after work readin’ the paper.”
“I can just see that,” she said with a laugh. “You can’t sit still for ten minutes.”
“You just don’t know me, Kat. I actually hate activity. I’m a natural-born bum.”
“You are not! You’re the most active human being I’ve ever met. You’re like an ant in hot ashes.”
He denied all this and finally pulled up in front of a diner. “How about if you buy me lunch? I’m pretty well broke.”
Kat just laughed and shook her head as the two got out of the car, went into the diner, and seated themselves. When the waitress came, Brodie winked at her and said, “This is our anniversary. We’ve been married twelve years.”
The waitress, a small young woman with snapping black eyes, said, “You must have gotten married when you were ten years old.”
“Actually I was twelve and my wife, Gwendolyn here, was eight. She liked older men.”
The waitress laughed. “All right. What’ll you have?” She took their order and as soon as she left, Brodie started fishing in his pocket but came up empty-handed. “Give me some change, will you? I wanna plug the jukebox.”
Kat gave him some change, and he went over and made his selections. By the time he returned to the table, Frank Sinatra was softly crooning “I’ll Never Smile Again.”
“That’s the way I feel the whole time I’m gone,” he said. “I’ll never smile again until I see you.”
“That’s sweet, Brodie.”
Jimmie Davis picked up the tempo with “You Are My Sunshine,” and Brodie joined in with him, singing slightlyoff-key. “I like this song,” he said, tapping his fingers on the table. “I’ve been keepin’ up with the popular music.”
Tommy Dorsey’s orchestra was next, playing an older tune, “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You.”
Brodie, who appeared to know the words to every popular song ever written, sang along with all of them. When the last song was over, he said, “You know what? I read in a magazine article about a test they did with some chimps at the Philadelphia Zoo. They played a bunch of wild jazz for them and scared the chimps half to death. They ran all over the place hiding
He stopped in front of her, grinning crookedly. “I’ve been waitin’ for you.”
“When did you get back, Brodie?”
“About two hours ago. I called your house, and your dad told me what time you got off.” He took her arm and propelled her along. “Come on. We’ve got some catchin’ up to do. I haven’t been around to watch you lately. Tell me what mischief you’ve been gettin’ into.”
As Brodie hurried her along toward his car, Kat reflected on their strange relationship. Brodie had been in and out of her life for the past three years. He would fly in, stay for a few days or a week, and then be gone for long periods. He had held several jobs, including flying for the U.S. Postal Service and flying transports. He had even volunteered to help the Loyalists in the civil war in Spain, spending the last part of 1938 there and staying through until the war was over in April of 1939. He hadn’t been to the Winslow farm now for several months, and as Kat got into the car, she asked, “Where have you been?”
Brodie started the car and said, “Mostly just hopping around the States, delivering mail again. After that stint in Spain, I decided to stay out of dangerous situations for a while.” He gunned the car out of the lot, breaking everyspeeding law on the books, as always. “There’s gonna be a change in my life.”
“That’s good. What are you going to do?”
“I’ve decided to get a job sellin’ ladies’ shoes. Then I’m gonna marry you and sit on the front porch every day after work readin’ the paper.”
“I can just see that,” she said with a laugh. “You can’t sit still for ten minutes.”
“You just don’t know me, Kat. I actually hate activity. I’m a natural-born bum.”
“You are not! You’re the most active human being I’ve ever met. You’re like an ant in hot ashes.”
He denied all this and finally pulled up in front of a diner. “How about if you buy me lunch? I’m pretty well broke.”
Kat just laughed and shook her head as the two got out of the car, went into the diner, and seated themselves. When the waitress came, Brodie winked at her and said, “This is our anniversary. We’ve been married twelve years.”
The waitress, a small young woman with snapping black eyes, said, “You must have gotten married when you were ten years old.”
“Actually I was twelve and my wife, Gwendolyn here, was eight. She liked older men.”
The waitress laughed. “All right. What’ll you have?” She took their order and as soon as she left, Brodie started fishing in his pocket but came up empty-handed. “Give me some change, will you? I wanna plug the jukebox.”
Kat gave him some change, and he went over and made his selections. By the time he returned to the table, Frank Sinatra was softly crooning “I’ll Never Smile Again.”
“That’s the way I feel the whole time I’m gone,” he said. “I’ll never smile again until I see you.”
“That’s sweet, Brodie.”
Jimmie Davis picked up the tempo with “You Are My Sunshine,” and Brodie joined in with him, singing slightlyoff-key. “I like this song,” he said, tapping his fingers on the table. “I’ve been keepin’ up with the popular music.”
Tommy Dorsey’s orchestra was next, playing an older tune, “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You.”
Brodie, who appeared to know the words to every popular song ever written, sang along with all of them. When the last song was over, he said, “You know what? I read in a magazine article about a test they did with some chimps at the Philadelphia Zoo. They played a bunch of wild jazz for them and scared the chimps half to death. They ran all over the place hiding
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