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  Dany.

  “Gib? Hey, where’d you fly off to?” Pete teased.

  Gib flushed. “Sorry. What did you say?”

  Pete halted at the door to the flight shack, opening it for Gib. “I said, I’m gonna go over to Da Nang and wrangle some supplies for us in about an hour. Do I have your permission to leave?”

  Grinning belatedly, Gib entered the partially air-conditioned building with its long plywood counter, flight desk and meteorology equipment. Evidently Pete was out on one of his scrounging tours again. “Sure. Just be careful you don’t get caught.”

  Pete grinned widely. “You bet. I’ll be gone before those gyrenes know I’ve been there.”

  Laughter helped ease the terrible strain Gib felt inwardly. Pete Mallory was a blessing to the squadron in so many ways. The marine sergeant on duty approached Gib.

  “Sir, Colonel Parsons asked to see you after you’re done filling out the paperwork.”

  Frowning, Gib nodded. “Thanks, sergeant, I’ll do that.” What was up? It was 1700, and all Gib wanted to do was drag himself over to his tent, take a shower and fall into the cot to sleep for twelve heavenly, uninterrupted hours—although he knew the idea was mere fantasy. VC sappers regularly tested the defenses surrounding Marble Mountain, and sporadic firefights broke out along the concertina and mined perimeter off and on all night.

  “A squadron commander’s work is never done,” Pete whispered conspiratorially.

  “All I want is to shower and hit that rack,” Gib muttered.

  “No can do.”

  Gib eyed Pete jealously. “Where the hell do you get all that spunk? You’ve flown as many missions as I have the past few weeks.”

  Grinning, Pete signed off the discrepancy sheet and handed it to the maintenance sergeant behind the counter. “Man, I keep telling you—you just don’t live right. It’s women that keep my blood pumping, my eyes bright and my exhaustion at bay. Didn’t you know that?” He clapped Gib on the shoulder. “Now, if you had some good-looking filly to chase, you’d be alert, too.”

  Scowling, Gib continued to fill in the necessary paperwork.

  “I’m going to head on over to Da Nang,” Pete said, lifting his hand in farewell. “See you later.”

  “Yeah.”

  Gib returned to his paperwork after Pete had left. When he’d completed the routine signing of squadron flight reports, he retrieved his utility cap and headed on over to Parsons’s office. As he made his way between the long, neat rows of tents, he admitted to himself that his deepest concern revolved around Dany. The weeks had turned into a depression-laden mire for Gib. Were the pressures of war making him feel this way? Maybe taking on a second tour hadn’t been so smart. Maybe he was burned out, and Dany symbolized the kind of normalcy, peace and sanity he needed.

  Gib shook his head. He’d never know. They hadn’t been given the chance to explore what they could be to each other. In spite of his attempts, Gib couldn’t ignore his feelings for Dany any more than he could stop breathing. Was it just a crazy infatuation? Was he acting like this because he couldn’t have her? She was a fever in his blood—beautiful, white-hot heat that sizzled through his nightly dreams, taunting him.

  His steps slowed as he neared the HQ tent. In spite of the heat, Gib had to appreciate the incredible beauty of the late afternoon. He turned and looked toward the mirrorlike ocean in the distance. The air around him was filled with sounds of aircraft taking off and landing, of helicopters winding up, their engines shrieking to a higher pitch, breaking the stillness he knew would exist if they weren’t here. The peach-tinted sky had deepened to a tangerine color, as brilliant as it was delicate. The wispy clouds reminded him of the soft strands of hair that blew across Dany’s face. Drawing in a deep, shaky breath, Gib stared up at the sky, absorbing its inherent beauty.

  In a way, Dany seemed clean and pristine to him—she existed outside the life-and-death dance he was forced to perform every day as he flew into battle. Dany represented a gentle nurturing he was starving for. The war was bleeding every decent and fragile emotion out of him. Somehow, Dany revitalized him, made him feel alive again, reassuring him that his ravaged emotions had been numbed rather than truly destroyed.

  Gib didn’t want to interface with the military anymore today. He wanted only to hear Dany’s soft contralto voice on the phone. The urge to call her was excruciating. But as quickly as the thought arose, he squelched it. As he opened the door and entered the HQ tent, Gib knew he had to resist his own selfish urge for Dany’s sake.

  Colonel Parsons looked up. “There you are.”

  Gib halted in front of his desk, came to attention, and at the colonel’s nod, relaxed again and asked, “What’s up, sir?”

  Parsons leaned forward and took a file from his In basket. “Got a job for you, Gib.” He grinned and gestured to Gib to take a seat. “Not that you need any more responsibility than you already got, but the Logistics boys down in Saigon decided to call in the chip on you.”

  Stymied, Gib set his duffel bag on the floor, sat down and opened up the file Parsons handed him. It was labeled Villard Estate Purchase. “What’s this, sir?”

  “Remember when Saigon dubbed you liaison officer to Miss Villard?”

  “Yes.”

  Parsons punched his finger toward the file. “The powers that be want to expand our helicopter facilities in the Da Nang area. They have authorized you to negotiate for purchase of Miss Villard’s estate so that it can be turned into a heliport facility.”

  Gib’s eyes narrowed. “They want to buy her out?”

  “That’s right, and they’ve chosen you to get it done as expeditiously as possible. Of course, we have to work with local ARVN officials on this.” Parsons grimaced. “Their palms have to be greased, or they’ll feel left out of the action.” Parsons folded his hands. “Now, you read over that file tonight. Tomorrow morning, come back over here, and if you’ve got any questions, I’ll get them answered. Officially, I’m pulling you off the duty roster tomorrow so you can go visit Miss Villard and make her a fair offer.”

  “But—”

  “Gib, this has to be done quickly. We’re going to be receiving a hundred and fifty more helicopters in the next four months, and there’s nowhere to put them. Logistics has chosen the Villard plantation as the ideal location—its close to the base, easily defended and south of us, where most of the action is taking place.”

  Gib sat stunned for a long minute. My God, Dany will come unhinged over this, he thought. And worse, he was to be the messenger. What would she think of him? His mouth suddenly dry, Gib croaked, “What if she refuses the offer?”

  “Then up the ante money within the range given in the file.”

  “No, sir, I mean, what if she absolutely refuses to sell to us at any price?”

  Parsons shrugged. “Then, unfortunately, the Vietnamese government—with the help of hefty bribes—will intervene. She’ll be forced to sell.”

  “How?”

  “They have their ways, Gib, don’t worry about it.”

  Anger stirred within him. “Colonel, I know she won’t sell. Her tie with this land is special. For God’s sake, she buried her mother on it less than a month ago. She wouldn’t leave it for anything—or anyone. Especially not for us.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, Gib. Look, you have a lot of charm, and you’re very good in diplomatic negotiations. That’s why you were chosen for this assignment. Command doesn’t want to upset Miss Villard, and they’re willing to pay a fair market price for her estate, but they will get that land.”

  Gib’s hand trembled on the file as he slowly rose to his feet. Nausea stalked him. “Sir, isn’t there some other way? Some piece of land bordering her plantation that might do just as well? Have the high-command boys looked at all alternatives?”

  “Major,” Parsons said abruptly, “your orders are to get her to sell. I don’t intend to tell high command their job. I’m sorry this has to happen to Miss Villard, but that’s the way the chips fa
ll.”

  Gib read between the lines of Parsons’s warning. Despair gut-punched him. “I’ll see you at 0800, sir,” he said resignedly.

  Brightening, Parsons smiled. “Fine, Gib. Just look at it this way: with the amount of land involved, Miss Villard will end up becoming a very rich young lady. She can go back to France and start another farm or business with no problem at all. Have her look at this as an opportunity. God knows why anyone would want to stay in this country in the first place.”

  Gib knew he had to leave before he allowed his anger to get the better of him. Parsons wasn’t at all interested in Dany’s emotional tie to the land. The colonel didn’t understand that sort of thing. Reeling emotionally, Gib left headquarters and walked toward the barracks in the growing dusk. His mind spun with shock and disgust. How could he handle this? How would Dany react? He knew she would fight. She would refuse any offer. And if he were in her shoes, he’d do the same thing.

  Still, come tomorrow, Gib would have to deliver the most fatal blow Dany had ever received. Bitterness coated the inside of his mouth, and for the first time he felt ashamed of the Marine Corps and of the uniform he’d always worn so proudly. This war was coldly going to smash Dany after all her struggles to remain neutral. And what did that make him?

  *

  “Missy Dany, Missy Dany,” one of the children called, running up to her and pulling on the tail of her white overblouse, “a man is here! Ma Ling said to come quickly!”

  Dany knelt down and hugged the anxious six-year-old girl. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Tell Ma Ling I’ll be there right away.”

  Frowning, Dany watched as the little girl, dressed in a dark green blouse and pajamas, her hair pulled into perky pigtails, ran off toward the house. Dany was working a good quarter-mile inside the rubber-tree grove. Turning, she dropped her machete and gloves beside the trunk of one of the huge trees and asked her foreman to carry on. Who was here?

  Perhaps it was Dr. Perot, the French homeopathic physician, dropping by unexpectedly to check Vinh’s progress. Vinh was recuperating in the main house at Dany’s insistence. He was coming along wonderfully and would soon have an artificial limb fitted to his arm. Thinking it must be Perot, come to take measurements of Vinh’s injured extremity, Dany walked back to the house in a leisurely fashion instead of hurrying.

  Ma Ling met her at the back door, her brow wrinkled.

  “Major Ramsey is here,” she said flatly. “This is not good.”

  Dany stood rooted to the spot, stunned by the news. Instantly, her pulse bounded and her heart squeezed, so that she couldn’t find her voice for a moment. Finally she whispered, “Gib’s here?”

  “Yes. I took him into the drawing room where he might not be seen by Duc’s spies. I don’t know, they may have seen him anyway. This isn’t good, my daughter.”

  Patting Ma Ling’s darkly tanned and wrinkled arm, Dany said, “I know it isn’t. Let me go see why he’s here.” Dany was filthy from working, her dark blue pajamas and overblouse damp with sweat even at ten in the morning. She handed Ma Ling her bamboo hat and went into the kitchen to wash her hands, neck, face and arms with a cool cloth.

  “Is he in uniform, Ma Ling?”

  Ma Ling rolled her eyes. “No! At least he respected you that much.”

  “Thank God.” Hurriedly Dany dried herself. Hanging up the damp towel, she said, “Bring us iced tea, please.”

  As she padded barefoot down the hall, Dany tried to steady her heart, which was beating like a throbbing drum in her breast. Anticipation and dread moved through her simultaneously as she approached the drawing room. When she reached the doorway, she slowed, her thoughts and feelings in utter disarray. She touched her hair, gathered into a thick braid. How messy she must look! She swiped at her wispy bangs, to make sure they weren’t matted against her forehead.

  It was painful to walk quietly into the drawing room. Gib stood tensely at the window, his hands thrust into the pockets of his dark green slacks, a briefcase at his feet. The crisp white short-sleeved shirt he wore clung to his chest and back, already damp from the late May heat that would soon be broken by returning monsoon rains. He hadn’t heard her enter, and Dany stood a moment, absorbing the sight of his harsh profile silhouetted by the light filtering through the gossamer curtains.

  His feet were planted slightly apart, as if in determination, but his shoulders drooped. It looked as if the many loads he carried were getting to him. It was then that Dany began to realize just how exhausted Gib really must be. His skin was taut across his cheekbones, his usually full mouth thinned and tucked in at the corners as if he were experiencing some kind of pain. Darkness hovered beneath his eyes. At the discovery of his evident suffering, Dany gave a little cry of distress.

  Hearing a muffled cry, Gib jerked around to see Dany standing in the doorway. No matter how he’d planned to guard his feelings, to control himself, the sight of her standing there, her eyes huge with anxiety, her lips parted and looking incredibly lush and inviting, destroyed his resolve. She was beautiful. Exquisitely beautiful in her uncertainty—poised as if not knowing whether to run from him or to him. Without taking time to think, Gib found himself striding toward her, his arms open, his heart ruling his needs.

  As he swept Dany into his arms, Gib no longer cared what his head was screaming at him. All he cared about, wanted, was this precious woman. As she melted into his arms, her hands sliding up across his shoulders, he groaned, not daring to believe what he saw in her lustrous eyes.

  Stunned Dany sank into Gib’s welcoming arms. “Gib—I’ve missed you so much,” she murmured, and tilted her head to meet his descending mouth. Her world rocked to a halt as his mouth hungrily found hers. He was strong, searching, seemingly starved for the taste and touch of her. With a moan, she matched his hunger, her breath coming in ragged gasps as he plundered her lips, asking for access and receiving it. The smell of him, the texture of his recently shaved face spurred her heightened, famished senses. As his hand captured her hips solidly against him, his other hand slowly moving down her spine, pressing her completely against his body, Dany grew weak with need.

  She felt as if she were melting into Gib. Unable to get enough of him, she kissed him repeatedly, her hands framing his face, reveling in the feel of his roughened, tanned skin. Sliding her fingers through the short, thick hair at the nape of his neck, she felt every nuance of her body flare with heat, with urgency. She felt the tension in Gib as well, the fine trembling that told her he was close to losing control. Every muscle in his neck stood out as she caressed him, then gently ran her fingers across his broad shoulders.

  Finally, slowly, Dany felt him ease her away from him just enough so that he could look down at her. She burned beneath the light in his shadowed gaze, a delicious sizzle of heat collecting deep within her, making her want him even more. As if in one of her many dreams, Dany reached up and caressed his cheek and jaw. Gib shuddered, his hands tightening momentarily on her upper arms.

  “Gib…this shouldn’t be happening,” Dany whispered unsteadily.

  Gib smiled shakily down at Dany, drowning in her lovely emerald eyes filled with what looked so much like love for him. He saw the golden flecks in her eyes, a sign that she was happy, and knew the feverish kisses they’d shared had been responsible. “I’m glad it happened—” And Gib couldn’t say anything more because Dany threw her arms around his neck and pressed herself completely against him. He took her full weight and stood, holding her, his eyes closed. This was what he’d wanted. What he’d needed above all else.

  “You’re all I’ll ever need,” he managed to say huskily. “All I’ll ever want. God, how I’ve missed you, Dany, missed hearing your voice…seeing you….” He buried his face in the mass of her thick black hair. The urge to unbraid it and sift it through his hands had been part of the torrid dreams that haunted him each night. It would be so easy to do it now.

  Burying her face against his damp cotton shirt, Dany couldn’t say anything. She simply clung to
Gib, feeling his heart beat raggedly against her, feeling his warm breath cascade across her. His hands lovingly stroked her back and shoulders—a dream come true. For the first time that she could remember, Dany surrendered herself utterly to someone else. How long she stood in the protective and loving circle of Gib’s arm, she didn’t know. It didn’t matter.

  When Ma Ling entered the room, Gib was the first to notice her. Reluctantly, he eased Dany away from him, his voice shaken. “I think our iced tea’s here,” he told her thickly.

  Embarrassed that Ma Ling had seen her in Gib’s arms, Dany moved away on unsteady legs. Her nanny’s eyes didn’t show disapproval, only sadness. Dany raised a nervous hand to her flaming cheek and thanked Ma Ling as the mamasan silently deposited the tray on the coffee table and left. Standing in the quiet room, Dany stared at Gib. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes narrowed with fire. She trembled inwardly at how badly she wanted him.

  “Please,” she whispered, making a weak gesture toward the sofa, “come and sit down.”

  Reluctantly, Gib picked up his briefcase, his heart torn and heavy. He had kissed Dany as if he’d never get a chance to kiss or taste her again. Her lips were slightly swollen from his plundering hunger, and he felt guilty. Setting the briefcase down alongside the sofa, Gib walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

  Her eyes were lustrous and dazed, telling him more clearly than words could, how she felt about him. When she tried to smile, the effort went straight through him, making him bleed even more for what he had to tell her. Gib hated himself. Hated what his message was going to do to them. His grip on her shoulders tightened. “Listen, sit down. We’ve got something serious to discuss, Dany.” Desperation filled him. “Look, no matter what I have to say, I want you to understand I didn’t approve it, and I don’t condone it. Do you understand that, Dany?”

  Gib saw the joy in her eyes begin to dim at the warning tone in his voice. His whole world was coming apart before him. He was going to lose Dany. He knew it.