Page 34 of Wishing for Christmas
Her head tilted with sympathy as she took Clara’s hand into hers, placing her other one on top. “It’s so nice to see you again, Clara,” she said in a hushed tone.
“You too,” Clara said, in barely a whisper.
Brent noticed Clara’s eyes drop to the floor. He hadn’t realized she’d met Will’s wife before, but figured it must have been the day he got home.
“Are you feeling better?” Janie asked her. “You didn’t seem to have your bearings the other day on base.”
Brent’s ears perked up at the mention of her behavior. He met Clara’s gaze for a second before she shifted it away. Everyone was quiet.
“Clara, are you okay?” he finally asked.
Her glance quickly turned back to Janie. “Oh, I’m sorry. Yes, of course. I’m fine,” she said. “I think I was just a little nervous about everything. And then it was so shocking. You know, theproposal and all. I guess for a moment I got myself all turned around mentally.”
“Oh, well, that’s completely understandable,” Janie said. “I’ve been there too, when everything feels a bit cattywampus. That’s what we call it in Charleston anyway. It happens to us all.”
Brent shared a look with Will, who nodded at him. “See?” he mouthed. “Adjustment.”
Brent relaxed, knowing Will was right. At least it hadn’t been his imagination. Clarahadacted odd, and other people had noticed it too. At least he knew why now. She’d said it herself—she had just been nervous. It made complete sense when he thought about it. She hadn’t been expecting a proposal on top of the pressure of a long-awaited reunion. Maybe he should have dropped some hints beforehand instead of springing it on her so suddenly. Looking at it now, that probably would have been a better plan. None of that really mattered now, though. Their relationship was quickly getting back to where it needed to be.
Janie’s mouth popped open as she looked past them. She waved at someone on the other side of the room, then turned back to them. “Now, please excuse me, but I’m in charge of running the games tonight. It looks like they want me to get things started.” She gave Will a quick kiss on the cheek and hurried off toward the dance floor.
“Well, I believe congratulations are in order for you two,” Will said once it was the three of them.
Brent caught Clara’s eye, and she gave a timid smile back.
Will set his beer on a cocktail table and folded his arms across his chest. “I couldn’t be happier for you both. You two clearly have what it takes to make it in this chaotic military life. And, Clara, I want you to know how much it meant to Brent.”
“What’s that?” she asked.
“Everything you did for him during the deployment.”
Her eyes popped open, then they shifted to the floor.
“You know, the letters, the gifts, the care packages—they certainly kept his spirits up.”
A silence followed. The band stopped for a moment before starting up again with a jazzy rendition of “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
Clara appeared to be lost in thought, her focus elsewhere.
Will waited for a response, but she said nothing. He chuckled and picked up his beer again. “I’ve never seen anyone spend so much time on video calls. You two must have set a new record.”
Brent noticed her stiffen. He offered up a nervous laugh, but she remained quiet.
“Not all girlfriends are willing to commit that kind of time to a boyfriend that’s out of sight,” Will continued, oblivious to any awkwardness.
“Uh-huh,” she said.
“Brent knowing that you cared as much as you did, well, it made all the difference in the world for him.”
Brent watched Clara from the corner of his eye. He couldn’t help but notice the discomfort all over her face. She shifted her weight and moved a stray piece of hair out of the way.
Clara cleared her throat. “That’s nice to hear,” she said. She let out a breath of annoyance that couldn’t be hidden.
“In fact?—”
Brent interrupted before Will could go on any longer. “Enough about the deployment. Itisa party, after all. Right?” He laughed.
“Okay. Sure,” Will said.
