Page 12 of The Girls of Pearl Harbor
‘What, you don’t like this?’ Poppy asked, flicking even more water.
April squealed when the water soaked her skirt, but Eva just scooped her own handful of water up, expertly splashing Poppy and then chasing after her. Grace appeared beside her, and they both launched an attack on Poppy, kicking up water and scooping it up until they were all soaked through.
‘Enough!’ April begged. ‘Stop!’
They all stood back, laughing and trying to catch their breath. Eva looked down at her dress, soaked through and clinging to her body, showing every bump and curve.
‘Maybe that wasn’t such a great idea,’ Grace muttered beside her.
She looked at Grace and felt her eyes widen, the outline of her friend’s breasts and nipples now visible through her pale-yellow sundress.
‘Um, you might need to grab a couple of palm fronds to cover yourself,’ Eva warned as April gasped beside her.
‘Hey, girls!’
They all squealed and backed into one another, hands over breasts and legs crossed tightly as the navy boys waved at them from farther up the beach. The men were laughing and whistling, and they stood huddled together waiting for them to move on, before bursting into laughter and running out of the water onto the sand.
‘You girls are a terrible influence,’ Eva murmured, shutting her eyes as she lay on her back to dry out.
‘It’s Poppy,’ April said affectionately. ‘It’s always Poppy leading us astray.’
Poppy laughed. ‘Stop moaning; we were having fun, weren’t we? Besides, when else in our lives will we ever have no one caring about where we are or what we’re doing? We have to make the most of this!’
‘She’s right,’ said Grace, propped up on one elbow as Eva watched her. ‘We’re going to look back on this adventure as the best time of our lives. We need to go to every party, stay up late, anything we want to do.’
‘I second that,’ Eva said. ‘I’ve never felt so free in all my life.’ She loved not having to tiptoe around her father, not having to feel like every step, every move she made was being watched and criticized. She was good at her job, she loved nursing, and she wanted to enjoy being posted somewhere so far from home. She’d finally flown the nest, and she was never, ever going back to it.
They all lay side by side in the sun, soaking up the rays, and when Eva felt Grace’s fingers brush hers and squeeze for a moment, she did the same back. She’d started the week disappointed that she wouldn’t be seeing Charlie on her days off, but Grace and her friends had more than made up for it.
She stared at the sky, squinting hard to keep her eyes open. There was barely a puff of cloud, and the light breeze against her skin was warm, helping to dry her wet clothes as she lay as still as a statue. Hawaii was the closest place to paradise she could imagine, and she wouldn’t have wished to be anywhere else in the world.
CHAPTER THREE
POPPY
‘Oh lord,’ Poppy gasped, elbowing Grace in the side. ‘Look at that poor man!’
She tried not to gawp, but there was a man in a full-body cast, with just a big hole cut out in the belly area. Grace started to giggle, but she pushed Poppy away, not wanting to burst into laughter herself. It was awful and somehow funny all at the same time.
‘What are you two on about?’
Poppy shrugged. ‘Oh, nothing. Just wondering what on earth that soldier did to end up looking like a mummy.’
April didn’t crack a smile. In fact, Poppy was certain she heard her make an irritated sound in the back of her throat. ‘He was injured during a maneuver, and that’s the only way they could cast him properly. Stop staring!’
‘Sorry—you’re right,’ Poppy said, giving Grace a sharp stare until she mumbled ‘sorry’ as well. She loved both the Bellamy girls, but sometimes they were as different as night and day. April was as passionate about nursing as the rest of them were passionate about going to parties and listening to music, Grace had only come for the adventure, and she’d only signed up to be close to Teddy.
‘Anything interesting happening down here?’ April asked.
Poppy sighed. ‘Nothing much. Although we have been invited to a bedside poker game later tonight if our shift is quiet.’
‘Poker?’ April asked. ‘We’re supposed to check supplies and do our rounds if we’re quiet.’
‘April, you need to stop taking everything so seriously,’ Poppy said, taking hold of her friend’s arm and pointing around the occupied beds. ‘These poor fellas could do with some cheering up, and we’re not exactly run ragged. What harm is there in sitting down and playing cards with them if we don’t have any nursing to do?’
April raised her eyebrows, but the hint of a smile on her lips told Poppy she’d convinced her.
‘I suppose you’re right,’ April said.
