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She put the glass to her lips and took a sip, not flinching over it either. It wasn’t expensive fancy shit she was probably used to tasting or drinking, even cooking with.
“I like that,” she said. “That is what I think of the water. Even in the winter, I’m at peace sitting in the window seat looking out over the ocean. Mother nature is a bitch but beautiful at the same time. You just have to know what it is you are looking at or when.”
Lincoln smiled when she said that. In all his years on the island, he hadn’t talked to her much like this even though he noticed her plenty.
He wasn’t quite sure what they were doing now either, but he’d always been known to go with the flow.
“I’ve lived a lot of my life that way,” he said. “Take it as it comes and make the best of it.”
Even if he hated to live it that way, but in the service, sometimes you had no choice.
Now he had a choice and that was to plan things out better.
Put away for rainy days and make sure you’ve got something to show for all the work you’ve done.
Pride. He took pride in everything he did.
“So that is what you’re doing with this drink?” she asked, frowning. “I didn’t know it put you out.”
“Having a drink with a pretty lady is hardly being put out,” he said. “Don’t think that. Just surprised you asked is all, but then I got thinking you looked like you needed it. Why don’t you tell me why?”
“Like a therapist?” she asked, smirking.
“You’d be surprised by the things people say to me in flight.”
When people were nervous, scared or excited, all sorts of things slipped between their lips. He’d heard it all in the service too.
A tiny bit of excitement mixed in with a bushel of nerves. Him being the one doing the flying, he was paying more attention to going into enemy territory than contributing to those talks.
Nothing was worse in his mind than flying home injured or dying buddies. Confessions came out to ease their guilt and he tried to pretend he didn’t exist while they rambled but couldn’t do it.
There were just some things that would never leave his brain when it came to those dying last words.
That last breath of someone you know and even love.
He’d experienced it way too many times in his short life.
“You’re probably right,” she said.
“So tell Dr. Lincoln what’s bothering you tonight,” he said.
She laughed. “Dr. Lincoln?”
“It works with your cousin.”
He’d said it to Egan enough in their years of friendship to get his best buddy to open up. Lately it’d had more to do with Egan’s relationship and impending fatherhood.
More good than bad, that was for sure. That was what he wanted to hear in life too.
Grace shook her head. “Nothing much,” she said. “I’m not much for public speaking. I’ve put this off for years though my mother has wanted me to do it. I just felt that it wasn’t for me.”
“Why?” he asked.
“Because she runs a not-for-profit to empower women or help return them to the workforce after long absences. Most of the clients they serve are low-income or coming out of hard situations. That isn’t me.”
“So?” he said. “You said most but not all. I’d think seeing a young woman dominating her field and talking about it would be a good thing regardless of their background. Maybe in spite of it.”
“Meaning what?” she asked, sipping her drink.
