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Rebecca’s heart seized with empathy for these women. It was one thing to love your children with all your heart and mind; it was another to ensure you lived a fulfilling life. Very few women in the world managed to do both. She supposed she was one of the lucky ones.
Chapter Fifteen
Rebecca was lucky to be seated in the middle of one of the long wooden tables. Beside her sat Bethany, and Victor was a few chairs down. Doug and Ben sat across from her. Now that she’d spent a bit more time with them, they resembled college roommates. All they did was pick on each other. All they did was find new and creative ways to tease.
“Didn’t anyone ever tell you to grow up?” Rebecca asked Doug. Her fork was heavy with herb-crusted salmon, and she took a bite, then closed her eyes. Laughter and flavor bubbled through her. It was remarkable bliss.
“Doug’s been on the run from growing up his entire life,” Ben reported.
“Don’t even get us started,” another veteran down the table said. “Doug’s been causing trouble around Nantucket for years.”
Doug looked mischievous. “Nantucket in the sixties was a wild time. I’ll tell you that.”
Rebecca and Bethany locked eyes. “I think we need to hear more,” Bethany urged.
“This is absolutely delectable, by the way, Rebecca,” Doug said hurriedly, pointing his fork at the plate.
Rebecca blushed as Bethany cried, “Don’t compliment your way out of telling us your stories.”
“Oh great. Now you’ve given him an audience, and he won’t shut up all night long,” Ben joked. His eyes were alight as he bent across the table and added, under his breath, “This really is delicious, Rebecca. You have an incredible talent.”
Rebecca’s laughter echoed from wall-to-wall of the gorgeous space. Around them, other veterans swapped stories from years gone by, ate heartily, and filled their plates with fish, potatoes, freshly baked rolls, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, and crab cakes. Rebecca had gone all-out, and their contented eyes told her she’d succeeded. It was a spectacular feeling.
For the next few minutes, Doug pieced together a few of his stories from the sixties. Back then, apparently, he’d been married to “the most beautiful woman in all of Nantucket,” but she’d left him for his very best friend and moved to Martha’s Vineyard. “But I wasn’t single for long,” he explained. “The sixties were a time of optimism. Of change! And women were suddenly telling you what they wanted. I met a beautiful journalist named Gwen, and boy, did our lives take off after that.” His eyes swam with nostalgia.
“Did you marry her?” Bethany asked.
“Of course. No matter what this clown tells you, I am and have always been a gentleman,” Doug said. “We were married in a beach ceremony in 1965, and we went on to have three children.”
Rebecca’s lips parted with surprise. Why had she assumed Doug had no children? That he was alone? But then again, where were those children and grandchildren? Why was Ben the only one around to care for him?
But before Rebecca could ask any additional questions, Doug tilted his head and eyed her. “You know, I fought with your granddaddy in the war.”
The table quieted. Every war was revered among veterans, and World War II rocked history in the greatest way.
“I knew you were in World War II,” Rebecca breathed. “But I didn’t know you fought with my grandpa Thomas.”
“My God.” Bethany shook her head.
Victor leaned forward, trying to involve himself in their conversation. “Doug, you used to tell a story from those days. Something about a German village? A dance?” His eyes sparkled at the memory.
Doug bucked with laughter. “Your grandfather and I were young men. Although we were starving and at war, we thought we were the strongest of all. We were stationed outside a village near Dortmund, and it was threateningly cold. Maybe ten or fifteen degrees. Thomas and I went for a little walk through the campsite as a way to warm our toes. That was when we saw them.”
Rebecca was captivated. “Who?”
“Three young German women,” Doug continued. “They were around our age, all bundled up in coats, hats, and mittens. They’d just been ice skating on a local pond. For whatever reason, they weren’t afraid of us. One of them came over and asked to try on our hats. She hardly spoke any English, but we knew enough German by then to make it work.”
Rebecca and Bethany shivered with laughter. Rebecca could practically feel the sharp chill of the German winter.
“Of course, Thomas and I were immediately smitten,” Doug admitted with a grin. “The flirting warmed us up. But we were scared one of our officers would see us and cause trouble, so we asked to see them later. They told us to sneak out of camp that night and come to their village. I still remember. They drew us a map so we could find the way.
“That night, Thomas and I stayed up shivering in our tents. When it was clear, we raced out from the campsite, across three hills, left at the stream, and then onward until we found Scherfede. We could hear the music coming through the trees. It was just about the most magical sound I’d ever heard.”
“But you were American soldiers,” Bethany whispered. “Weren’t you scared they would hurt you?”
“In those small villages, the Germans were more curious about us than anything,” Doug explained. “When we appeared outside the dance hall, a man came to offer us two beers. He laughed and said things we didn’t comprehend, so we laughed and thanked him and tried to make him understand we came in peace. By then, all Thomas and I wanted to do was come home to Nantucket. We wanted the war to be over. We wanted to see our families again. We wanted to live long enough to become real men.
“Anyway. The girls were there, just as they’d said they would be. And the prettiest of the three of them walked right up to your grandfather and asked him to dance. I swam with jealousy and took the next prettiest one. Mine was a spectacular dancer, though. Although I was starving and tired from months at war, I kept up with her and found myself laughing all night long.” Doug looked wistful. He took a bite of potatoes and chewed slowly.
