Every Storm Part 38

"She gave me no warning," he said calmly. "My boat was in need of repair, and I had a rather frail female civilian on my hands. I came down the beach to find her in the water."

"What did you do?" Max needed to know.

"I asked her to come out, or rather, ordered her."

"Your voice was less calm that day," Lorri took pleasure in reminding him.

"So was yours " he shot right back, taking just as much delight.

Lord's mouth opened. "I forgot that I argued with you."

"Lorraine!" Her mother sounded mildly shocked.

"I did, Mother" Lorri was still horrified with the memory. "I'd forgotten all about that.", "The men loved it," Rigg told them.

"They did?" Lorri questioned, looking confused.

"Oh, yes. It went all over the boat that you had stood up to me. They were ready to keep you as a mascot for the rest of the war.": 261.

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Not until Rigg said this did he remember to look at the admiral. He was glad to see a smile in those wise, older eyes.

"That," Rigg finished, "was before they learned you were an admiral's granddaughter."

Dean had a good chuckle over this last bit of information. It was still a little hard for him to picture his Lorri on a PT boat, but it delivered her back safely, and that was all that mattered.

"Were you ever a.s.signed to a PT boat, Grandpa?" Max wanted to know.

"Transported on them," Dean replied, and then regaled them with some stories about his own ocean adventures. Some of his tales made Rigg's adventures seem tame.

"How was your week?" Lorri asked Rigg as they worked on the dishes later that evening.

"It was fine-busy, but I like that. How about yours?"

" Josie's birthday was Wednesday," Lorri said, the event still very much on her mind.

"Was that hard?".

"Yes, but then I knew it would be. The hardest part was thinking about my mother. Josie and I had been together in the past years; Mother and Josie hadn't."

"I wish I had known your sister," Rigg said, carefully drying a plate.

"Look at Max if you want to see her. She wasn't as talkative or inquisitive, but now that Max is older, they could have been twins."

i 262.

The kitchen was silent for a time, but then Rigg plunged in, heart pounding, hoping it wasn't too soon.

"I was thinking it might be fun to go to dinner some night. Do you think you might be free next Sat.u.r.day?"

"I think so," Lorri told him, feeling breathless with surprise and excitement.

"Do you want to let me know?"

Lorri nodded. "I'll check with Mother to make sure she doesn't have plans."

Before they knew it, the dishes were done. Lorri couldn't remember it ever going so fast. Max was waiting for them in the family room and wanted to play a game. Lorri and Rigg agreed but should have known better. Max won three games in a row. For some reason, Lorri and Rigg found concentration a little bit taxing.

Rigg felt he was making progress. This Sunday when he sat with the Archers, Dean moved down the pew a ways, and Max came to sit by him. Lorri was still on the other side of her mother, but she was slightly closer. What he didn't bank on was Max's curiosity.

"So were you born in Santa Rosa or in southern California?" she asked.

"Santa Rosa."

"Were your brothers born there?"

"Yes."

His short answers didn't give her much encouragement, but Max was not easily put off.

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"Do you hope to live in southern California for a long time?"

Rigg couldn't stop a smile.

"I hope so. Where do you hope to live?"

"Right here," Max said simply, and then opened her mouth to have another go.

Rigg's shoulders shook with silent laughter as the music leader stepped behind the pulpit and Max was forced to close her mouth.

"I'm not done with you" she whispered, fighting a smile.

"Thanks for the warning."

But Ruth had other plans. As soon as the service was over, she sent Max on an errand. This was not lost on Rigg, who also noticed that Ruth slipped away, leaving Lorri free for conversation.

"I'll have Miss Archer home early" were Rigg's last words at the front door on Sat.u.r.day night Lorri didn't comment at that moment, but just as soon as she could manage it, she called him lieutenant, putting a slight emphasis on the word.

"Lieutenant?" Rigg asked, having put Lorri in on the pa.s.senger side and climbed behind the wheel.

"Miss Archer?" Lorri shot right back, her voice carrying no heat.

Rigg sighed. "I don't mind telling you that your grandfather scares me to death."

"Grandpa? Why?"

"I'm a lowly lieutenant; he's an admiral."

"Not for much longer. You'll be a civilian in June, and he'll be one in August."

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They were headed down the street now, and Rigg was in a quandary. He knew he couldn't explain the rest of his thought process. He was working hard not to have impure thoughts about Lorri Archer, but men still knew the way other men thought. At times he would catch the admiral's gaze on him and feel caught, even when he'd done nothing!

"So my grandfather is the reason you have to call me Miss Archer?"

"I'm just trying to be respectful. I don't want to overstep."

"If you were overstepping, I wouldn't be on this date."

Rigg glanced at her. "Is that how it works?"

"Both my mother and grandfather have to approve. I'm sure you understand."

"Yes, I do, but I still get pretty nervous around him. I can't tell what he's thinking."

"He's not going to be quiet and let me walk out the door with a man he doesn't trust. You can trustmeon that."

Rigg nodded. This was not the way he thought the evening would start, but maybe it was for the best. He glanced at Lorri's profile, wondering what she was thinking. "What would you like me to call you?" he finally asked.

Lorri looked at him, smiling a little. "My name," she said simply.

"Ah, but you have several. I've heard Lorraine come out of your mother's mouth, usually when she's scolding you. I know that your grandfather calls you Lorri, and Max calls you Raine. As you can see, I'm at a loss."

Lorri smiled over his dilemma and suggested this, "I'll tell you what: You decide what you want to call me tonight, and I'll decide if you're Donovan or Rigg."

"Not sailor? I rather liked that."

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Lorri felt her face heat, glad that the interior of the car was growing dim. They rode in silence until they arrived at the restaurant, when Rigg decided he wanted the details out of the way. While they waited fdr the maitre d' to come for them, he bent to where Lorri stood in front of him and spoke into her ear.

"Lorraine," he said softly.

Lorri turned her head just enough to look up at him, not even working to hide the emotions she felt.

"Is that going to be all right?" Bigg asked, his voice still low.

"If Rigg is all right with you," Lorri just managed, rather lost in his eyes.

"It's fine," Rigg got out before the maitre d' came for them.

It was the start of a perfect evening.

j 266.

Ttomty Lorri let herself quietly into the house but noticed right away that a light burned in the living room. She was glad to see it was her grandfather. His gla.s.ses perched on his nose, he sat with a book and looked up when she came in.

1"Hi," Lorri said, bending to kiss his cheek and then sitting on the closest chair.

"Hi, yourself. How was your evening?"

Lorri smiled, her look dreamy. "It was wonderful. He's so nice, Grandpa."

Dean smiled at her.

Lorri's eyes suddenly darted to him. "He's afraid of you!"

That Dean was not surprised or dismayed by this announcement was immediately clear.

Lorri's mouth opened. "You don't mind, do you?"

Dean was still smiling when he answered. "Tell me something, Lorri. Whose car will Rigg be more careful with, mine or his?"

"Yours."

"That's right. It's not all bad that he remembers there's a man waiting at home for the car to be returned in perfect order."

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"I'm not a car, Grandpa."

"No, but you get my point, don't you?"

"Yes. And you don't need to worry. He was a perfect gentleman."

"Good. I expect nothing less, but he's still a man, and men have areas of temptation, women being the strongest one."

"Why is that?" Lorri asked.

Dean shrugged. "It's the way G.o.d made us. We can't have excuses, but it's best to know our own weaknesses."

"When I was on the PT boat," Lorri told him, "I never went into the crew's quarters. But one day I glanced in the door. There were a lot of pinups."

Dean shook his head. "Some men surround themselves with those pictures and then wonder why they can't stay faithful to their wives."