Page 1 of The Girls of Pearl Harbor
CHAPTER ONE
PEARLHARBOR, NOVEMBER1941
GRACE
‘You need to stop making eyes at Teddy,’ April whispered, nudging her hard in the side. ‘It’s embarrassing.’
Grace glared at her sister, pulling away from her and crossing her arms tightly over her chest as her cheeks started to burn. ‘I’mnotmaking eyes at him!’ she hissed.
Teddy was her best friend’s sweetheart, and whatever she thought about him was never going to come to anything. Period. Besides, Teddy adored Poppy, and her friend adored him right back. It would break Poppy’s heart if she knew what Grace felt about her boyfriend.
‘I still can’t believe we’re here,’ April said with a smile, linking arms with her again despite Grace’s protest. ‘Is this paradise or what?’
Grace gave in and leaned against her, forgiving her sister in one big sigh as they strolled along the beach. April had her blonde hair loose over her shoulders, and it was soft against Grace’s cheek, her blue eyes so like their mother’s when she glanced down at her. ‘Definitely paradise,’ she agreed, shifting her gaze from her sister and staring out at the turquoise water, the tide gently washing in against the sand. It was her idea of heaven and so far removed from their life in Oregon, with nothing but sand and palm trees as far as the eye could see.
‘One of the other girls said that we’re in for some football injuries soon,’ April said. ‘Apparently the boys stationed here all love the start of football season.’
Grace nodded, watching as a horse and rider made their way closer, the girl’s feet bare, dark hair streaming out behind her as she rode along the waterline. Grace squinted and held up a hand to shield her eyes from the late-afternoon sun so she could keep watching her. If football injuries were the worst thing they were expecting, then she’d be just fine.
‘Do you think we can go horseback riding?’ Grace asked.
As a girl she’d always wanted to ride, and seeing the horse crossing the sand was bringing that childhood feeling straight back.
‘Wait up!’
Grace turned at Poppy’s call, her friend’s bright smile infectious as she ran and caught up to them. She looked back at Teddy, strolling away in the distance now, but he still raised his hand to wave at her. Grace quickly turned away, sighing as she watched Poppy blow kisses to him over her shoulder. Her friend’s dark hair was glossy under the bright sunlight, her red lips making her look even more striking than usual, and not for the first time she was a little in awe of how beautiful she was.
‘Is he heading back to base?’ April asked.
‘Yes. We’ll see him tonight at the party, though.’
Grace grabbed Poppy’s hand. ‘What party? I thought we had a curfew to keep us all in at night?’
‘Apparently there’s this big house by the beach, and we’re all invited!’ Poppy told them. ‘The people here love all the nurses and soldiers, so the social life is amazing! We’re going to havesomuch fun here.’
‘Definitely paradise,’ Grace repeated with a smile, shaking her head. ‘Didn’t I tell you both this would be the perfect place to be posted?’
The three of them walked, laughing, down the beach, in a row with their arms linked. She had no idea how they’d been fortunate enough to have all been sent to Hawaii, but here they were, and she was in heaven. They’d been thick as thieves since childhood, both claiming best-friend status with Poppy, who’d been like the third sister they’d never had. She’d always been the one to smooth things over between her and April, like the middle child stopping the other two from arguing. And now they were all stationed in Pearl Harbor for the foreseeable future, with their gas masks the only hint that things weren’t expected to remain peaceful forever.
‘How many summer dresses did you pack?’ April asked Poppy.
‘As many as I could fit in my case!’ Poppy replied with a laugh. ‘Although the gas mask took up so much space. Honestly, as if we’re ever going to need it.’
They walked across the sand as the sun beat down on their bare arms, and Grace turned her face up to the sun. ‘What would we be doing if we were still at home?’
‘If we weren’t on duty and giving soldiers injections in their bottoms to stop them from getting yellow fever?’ April said.
‘Ohhh, stop!’ Grace moaned. ‘You know, I never knew men’s bottoms could look so ...’
‘Hairy?’ Poppy teased.
‘Ugh.’ Grace flapped her hands and laughed. ‘There have definitely been moreunattractiveones than I expected.’
They all burst out laughing, before Poppy took off running, shoes in her hand, head tipped back as she splashed through the water. Grace ran after her, leaving April behind as she ran as fast as she could, arms pumping to help her catch up to Poppy. Her toes dug into the sand as she caught her, grabbing hold of Poppy’s slender wrist as they both collapsed onto the warm sand.
‘How did this happen?’ Poppy asked. ‘How did we get so lucky?’
Grace stretched out, her blonde hair fanning out around her as she watched the clear bright-blue sky above. ‘No idea, but I’m so glad we did.’
