Battle Hymn by William C. Dietz

Author:William C. Dietz
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2018-02-20T05:00:00+00:00

HOUSTON, TEXAS

General Bo Macintyre looked up at the sky. It was blue, and the sun was shining. How long had it been since he’d seen that? A month? At least. And now, on his wedding day, ol’ Sol was making an appearance. That meant Kathy was happy. And when she was happy, he was happy. Or happier, since a state of giddiness wasn’t possible for someone of his temperament.

Bo went to the back of the Land Rover to get the groceries Kathy wanted. Most of it was items they already had, like mixed nuts, chips, and dip. But Kathy was concerned that they might run out. The sun was out, so more people would come. That was her logic. But Bo figured it would work the other way. People would want to play—and anyone who could bail out would do so. As for the rest of them, meaning the other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, they were screwed. Bo grinned. He’d been there and done that.

Bo carried the groceries up to the back door, turned the knob, and entered the kitchen. Guests would arrive soon, and the caterer was hard at work. The caterer turned to look at him. “Kathy says it’s time to get dressed. Or else.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Bo said as he took an appetizer and popped it into his mouth. “Yum! Prawns rolled in bacon! Save ten of those for me.”

“You’ll have to negotiate that with the boss,” the caterer replied. “Those kind of decisions are above my pay grade.”

Bo laughed and left the room. There weren’t going to be any uniforms. Kathy had been clear about that. So his tuxedo was laid out on the bed, and Bo knew that Kathy was in the bathroom. He was tying his shoes when she emerged. She had chosen to wear a peach-colored dress. It looked good against her tanned skin.

Bo went over to give Kathy a kiss, and she raised a hand. “Oh, no you don’t! I just put my makeup on. Your tie is crooked. Hold still while I fix it.”

Bo held still. He was lucky, very lucky, and wanted to tell her that. But such things were difficult for Bo. Maybe, had he been able to communicate more freely, his first marriage would have been more successful.

Forget that, Bo told himself. It’s over. Margaret is gone, just like Victoria, and you have to live in the now. Just thinking about Victoria was enough to choke him up.

“There,” Kathy said. “Slip into your jacket, and you’ll be ready.” Then, by way of a concession, she kissed him on the cheek. “I love you,” Kathy said. “Now get out there and mingle!”

The ceremony was going to take place on the large terrace located next to the house. A buffet-style dinner would follow. In the meantime, guests were starting to gather under the umbrellas out front. That’s where the bar, the appetizers, and the view were. Sun sparkled on the Gulf. And as Bo stepped onto the deck, a warm breeze caressed his face.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.