A Soldier's Song Read online

  He wasn’t sure which affected him more, the beauty of watching her play, or listening to the emotion that drove the music. The combination of both was intoxicating.

  “It’s an awesome piece of music. Really. I’m not just saying that. As for the impression I promised to give you, I hear chaos or danger in some parts, then melancholy or maybe love in other places.”

  She exhaled and let her shoulders sag as if relieved. “I’m so glad to hear you say that because those are the exact feelings I was trying to portray.”

  “Have you written any lyrics for it?”

  “Yes and no. I have a jumble of lyrics scribbled on a paper I keep in my purse. Problem is, I can’t seem to make anything flow together.”

  Putting words to music seemed a monumental task. He couldn’t imagine ever being that creative. “What’s the story you’re trying to tell through the music?”

  “It’s about a man who leaves the love of his life and goes to war. He thinks about her throughout all the dangers of battle. When he finally returns home, her face is the only one that matters in the waiting crowd. His longing is, and always will be, for her and her alone.”

  “I don’t recall seeing a title on the score. Do you have a name for it?”

  “I call it ‘A Soldier’s Song.’”

  Chapter 7

  Showered and dressed, Dex made his way downstairs to the kitchen. His grandfather sat in his usual place at the table, pencil in hand, and a crossword puzzle book lying open in front of him.

  “’Morning, Pop.” Dex pulled the coffee carafe from the machine and gave the shallow contents a swirl. “What’s with the sludge?”

  Pop chuckled. “Been sitting there a couple of hours. I don’t want any more, but you can make some for yourself if you want.”

  The digital microwave clock glowed 11:06. “Think I’ll just hold out for lunch. Did you have breakfast?”

  “Yup, oatmeal. I hate the stuff. Tastes like mush, but Doc says it’s good for my cholesterol.” Pop took off his reading glasses, closed his book, and pushed it aside. “I like her.”

  “Who, your doctor?” Dex pulled out a chair and sat.

  “No, Aria. She’s something, isn’t she?”

  More like candy-coated awesomeness. He licked his lips. “Yeah, she sure is.”

  “I think I’ve got an old-man crush on her.” Pop puffed a few laughs through his nose, his mouth clamped in a mischievous smile. “Just kidding. She sure is pretty, though.”

  Dex couldn’t agree more. “I feel a little bad getting her home so late last night. Must have been close to three in the morning when we pulled up to her house. Then we stood talking outside the front door and freezing our tails off another fifteen, twenty minutes.”

  “She have to go to work today?”

  “Yeah, and I’ll bet she’s probably tired about now. Seemed every time I mentioned taking her home, we started talking about something else, and forgot all about it.”

  Pop smiled across the table at him. “I heard you and Aria cracking up a few times. Did my heart good. Gotta admit you guys had me laughing too, even though I had no idea what was so funny.”

  “I’m sorry we woke you. After ten or eleven, we figured you’d turned in for the night and really did try to keep it down. Evidently, we failed.”

  “No apologies necessary. So, are you planning on seeing her again?”

  “Not sure when, but yes, I want to see her again. Soon, if at all possible.” Dex’s empty stomach gurgled then complained with a deep growl.

  Pop chuckled. “Thinking about lunch?”

  Patting his stomach soothed the beast within for the time being, but if Dex didn’t send something down, it would surely rebel again. “Yeah, I’m pretty hungry.” He didn’t often miss breakfast.

  “This close to noon, Aria is probably thinking about what she’d like to have for lunch. It’d be a shame for her to have to eat alone, don’t you think?” Pop’s wise old eyes stared into his as if to check and see if he caught the message.

  “You wouldn’t mind if I left a little early? What I mean is, I feel as though you and I didn’t get to spend much time together this visit, and I—”

  Pop palmed a crooked, arthritic-fingered stop sign. “Don’t think for one moment that you’re neglecting me if you go. I’m glad you came, and I’m happy you brought Aria to meet me. She—” Pop’s eyes watered. “She brought music back into my home. Our home. And that’s something I’ve missed since I lost your grandmother.” Using the tabletop for support, he groaned and stood.

  Dex got up, went around, and hugged his grandfather. “I love you, Pop.”

  “I’ve never once doubted that. Your grandmother felt the same. I love you too, Jason.” Pulling back, Pop put on a smile and double-tapped Dex’s cheek. “Now go take that girl to lunch and knock her socks off with your charm.”

  “All right, then. I’ll throw my stuff in the car and see what I can do.”

  * * * *

  Dex sat outside Greco’s Music Center with the rental car’s engine running and heater on low. Christmas balls and other holiday decorations hung from swags of garland on the picture window. Spray-on snow covered the lower edges of the glass adding to the festive wintry theme. Whoever decked out the window display had done a good job.

  Standing inside, halfway down a short aisle, her back to Dex, Aria held an open carton in one arm and filled empty spaces on a carousel rack with music books with her free hand. Flouncy curls spilled over the top of a pearly spring clip that held her hair in a twist at the back of her head. Whether they’d escaped or she’d fixed it that way, it didn’t matter. The untamed look suited her.

  Man, he liked her. A lot. But getting involved with Aria would amount to another long-distance relationship. Perhaps not the wisest of moves since the last one had cost him plenty in time, money, and emotional stress.

  Then again, if Aria was anything like her father, she was trustworthy and faithful—a person of true integrity. Not flighty and afraid to commit, if down the road it came to that. Taking a chance with her was worth the risk.

  Dex cut the engine, left the car, and went inside.

  * * * *

  Aria covered her mouth with a book and yawned. A few more hours of sleep would have been great, but she didn’t regret a single moment she’d spent with Dex. Handsome, smart, witty, and funny as all get-out, Sergeant Jason Dexter was as near a perfect man as she’d ever imagined.

  Tiramisu at midnight. If she closed her eyes, she could clearly envision the scene—Dex sitting cross-legged on the floor facing her, light from the crackling fire casting its comforting glow on them, and forks clacking against ceramic dessert plates as they enjoyed their tasty treats. Every detail would be locked in her memory for a long, long time.

  She emptied the last of three short boxes and flattened them for the trash.

  “Excuse me, miss. Can you tell me where you keep your pocket-size cattle prods?”

  Aria spun around, her heart sprinting at the sound of the familiar masculine voice. “Dex!”

  “Hi. Miss me yet?” The sergeant closed the distance between them with two steps, his smile broad and dazzling.

  “Maybe.” Dare she say she’d just been thinking about him and reveal how eager she was to see him again? No, it would seem too forward. “What are you doing here?” She couldn’t think of a more pleasant surprise.

  “I had a chat with your uncle over there,” he turned slightly and shot a little wave to Uncle Angelo, “and he gave me permission to ask you out for lunch. So, would you do me the honor of having one last meal with me before I leave?”

  “I’d love to. Let me get my coat.” Aria hurried toward the back office. On the way, she stopped and pecked her uncle’s cheek. “Thanks, Uncle Angelo.” Though a few years older and physically stouter, her uncle resembled her father, and it only made her love him m
ore.

  “Take all the time you want. It’s slow today, and besides, Christine will be here in half an hour if I need help.”

  “Okay. Thanks again.” She put on her coat and met Dex by the store’s entrance.

  He pushed open the door and let her go first. “I saw a Mexican restaurant a couple of blocks down the road. Have you been there before?”

  “Yes, and the food and service are fantastic.”

  “All right, then let’s do it.”

  At the restaurant a few minutes later, a greeter escorted them to a table and placed menus in front of them. “Your server will be with you shortly.” The soft-spoken man gave a semi-bow and retreated toward the door.

  Dex studied the menu with his arms folded near the edge of the table. “It all looks good, and I’m starving. What do you recommend?”

  “The carne asada is to die for, and the beef fajitas are—”

  “Hi, my name is Brianna, and I’ll be your server today.” She placed two glasses of ice water on the table and smiled in Aria’s direction. Cutesy with blond hair cut into a short, stylish do, Brianna reminded Aria of an actress who’d starred in a movie she’d recently seen. “Are you ready to order, or do you need a few minutes?”

  “I’m ready. Dex, how about you?”

  Dex looked up from the menu and sat back. “I think I’ll have—”

  Brianna hopped backward and sucked a breath. “Jason Dexter?” Wide-eyed, mouth agape, she slapped her palms to her cheeks. “I can’t believe it’s really you.” Darting back to the table, she grabbed Dex’s head and planted a smacker of a kiss on his cheek.

  “Hello, Bree,” Dex said, a little laugh in his voice. “It’s been a long time. How are you?”

  “Great, and you?”

  “I’m good. Aria,” Dex said, looking across the table. “Brianna and I used to run in the same circles in high school. Her twin brother and I were good friends.”

  Aria forced a smile. Time was at a premium. Now wasn’t a good time for an intrusion of the female persuasion. “Pleased to meet you.”

  “Same here.” Brianna’s perfunctory glance barely grazed Aria. The waitress’s attention was riveted toward Dex. “Rumors were flying about you after graduation. Seemed as though you’d fallen off the face of the Earth. Some people said you made it into Harvard, others, West Point Academy. Then, when I ran into your sister at Kohl’s a few months ago, she told me you’d been in the army for the last six or seven years.”

  “I’m still in the army.” Dex smiled, then tipped his menu toward himself, effectively cutting off the social reunion with his former classmate. “Aria, what would you like to order?”

  “Carne asada, please.”

  “Then I’ll order the beef fajitas. Maybe we can share?” Warm and inviting, his smile could hold her captive for hours.

  “I’d like that.” And she’d be glad to dab his chin with a napkin if and when necessary.

  Brianna gathered the menus. “I’ll put your order in right away.”

  Dex’s gaze didn’t waver from Aria as the waitress turned and strutted her stuff all the way through the double doors that led to the kitchen. The observation nearly stole Aria’s breath and erased her momentary jealousy. Maybe she’d been wrong about his interest in Bree. Dex was unequivocally here with her. She was his focal point. And that fact made her spirit soar.

  * * * *

  Aria took the Styrofoam takeout box from the dashboard and held it on her lap as Dex pulled into a parking space outside the music store “Would you like to come inside for a few minutes, or do you have to leave right away?”

  Dex pulled his smartphone out of his jacket pocket. “It’s one thirty. As long as I leave by two, I should be good to go.”

  They went inside and she put the restaurant leftovers in the refrigerator in the breakroom. “I can lock our coats in my uncle’s office if you’d like.”

  “You go ahead and hang yours up. I’ll keep mine.” He unzipped but kept his jacket on.

  Aria locked her coat in the office, came out, and found Dex milling around the aisles. “It’s nice, isn’t it? The shop, I mean. As much as I want to do something other than be a sales clerk in a store, this feels more like a home away from home than work. It’s a pleasure to work for my uncle. He’s very good to me.”

  “It’s always a plus to enjoy your job.” Dex stopped, picked a packaged instrument off a hook, and laughed. “Does anyone really play the kazoo?”

  She tried to keep a serious face. “Of course. I do. Doesn’t everybody?”

  Smiling, he put the package back. “You know what I’d like to see?”

  “What?”

  “The studio you were telling me about where you teach your students.”

  “Okay, follow me.” Aria unlocked a door next to the office and led Dex up a flight of stairs. At the top, she stepped aside and let him pass into the studio. “Here we are. There’s not much to it, really.”

  An upright piano stood against one wall, and two cushy guest chairs occupied the opposite side of the room. On a small round table between the chairs, a philodendron in a colorful pot spilled its vines to the floor.

  Dex walked past the piano, dragging a hand silently across the keys. “You’ve got a nice setup here.”

  “It’s small, but it serves the purpose. I like it.” She pointed to the bare window that looked out over the parking lot and street. “My mini blind disintegrated last time I pulled the cord to open it. I bought a new one, but—what? Is it snowing?”

  Aria went to the window.

  Dex came and stood next to her. “It’s sticking too. Look, my car already has a dusting on it.”

  “That was fast. I don’t think we’ve been back at the store for more than ten minutes.”

  “I’d better go. People lose their minds and forget how to drive when it snows.”

  The urge to cry hit hard and fast. She bowed her head and bit her lip.

  “Hey.”

  Aria drew a breath then turned toward him. She couldn’t speak.

  Dex’s hands found her waist. He stepped closer, erasing any space between them. “I’ve wanted to kiss you from the moment we met.”

  “I’ve wanted that too.” Aria closed her eyes as Dex’s lips grazed hers. The fervor of his next kiss turned her knees into jelly. She threw her arms around his shoulders, lost in the moment.

  “I have to go,” Dex whispered, then kissed her neck and pulled back, still holding her waist. “I’ll call you tonight.”

  “Be careful on the road. The snow’s coming down hard now.”

  “I will.” He pecked her lips then let go and loped down the stairs.

  Aria stood vigil at the window.

  Below, Dex exited the shop and walked to his car. He smiled up at Aria and waved as wind drove snow against his back.

  She mouthed, “Bye,” and pressed her hand on the glass.

  The car pulled onto the street and, all too soon, was out of sight.

  Aria stroked her lips with a finger, remembering the sweet feel of Dex’s kisses.

  She turned, took a deep breath, and headed downstairs. Time to get back to work.

  * * * *

  Dex filed into the plane with his backpack slung over one shoulder.

  Greco was already strapped into a window seat in an otherwise empty row eight. He lifted a lazy one-finger wave from the armrest as Dex passed by. “Dex.”

  “Hey, boss.” Dex checked his ticket then slid into an aisle seat on row fourteen, stowed his bag under the seat in front of him, and clicked his seatbelt.

  Five minutes later, plane half empty, a flight attendant secured the forward hatch and made an announcement of an earlier-than-expected departure. Soon, they were climbing through the clouds.

  The PA system crackled to life. “We’ve reached our cruising altitude. The cap
tain has turned off the seatbelt sign. Feel free to move about the cabin, but we ask that when you’re in your seat, please keep your seatbelt fastened.”

  Dex’s gaze kept going back to the crown of Greco’s head that poked above the headrest.

  The last thing he wanted was to get on the boss’s bad side. He’d laughed off the cautionary glance Greco had fired at him at the reception, but the shot hit its mark and gave cause for concern. If the major had issues with him dating Aria, he wanted to know now, upfront, so there’d be no hard feelings down the road.

  He grabbed his bag, moved forward to row eight, and slid into the seat next to Greco.

  “Hey, Dex. What’s up?”

  “Not much. I’ll get straight to the point. Would you have a problem with me continuing to see Aria?”

  Greco exhaled heavily. “Sergeant—”

  The switch from name to rank sent up an immediate flag.

  “Hear me out, sir. Please.”

  “Okay, go ahead.”

  An inner voice challenged Dexter’s manhood. He was an elite, seasoned soldier, not a high school kid asking a girl’s dad permission to take her to the prom. What the heck was wrong with him? What was he thinking?

  On the other hand, the major was no ordinary father. Dex couldn’t think of anyone he respected more than Dave Greco, or any man who’d shown him as much respect in return. Talking to him man-to-man was the right and decent thing to do.

  “I’m waiting, Dex.”

  His boss’s response was curt and impatient, but the transition back to being called Dex was a good sign. “Aria and I hit it off, big time. We enjoy each other’s company, and she and I agreed we wanted to get to know one another better. My intentions are honorable, sir. You have my word.”

  “Keep it that way, and you and I won’t have a problem. Understand?”

  “Yes, sir. I understand.”

  “Good.” Greco closed his eyes and clicked his chair back. End of conversation. Short and to the point. The Greco way.

  Dex’s apprehension faded. He let his eyes close and settled in for a nap.