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Paul wore a stunned look

"That was…very nice," Ruth reement, then cleared his throat "Very"

"Should I admit I was afraid of ould happen e met?" she asked

"Afraid why? Of what?"

"I didn’t knohat to expect"

"Me, neither" He slid his hand down her spine andin my mind"

"I did, too," she whispered

"I was so afraid you could never live up to ured we could et you out of my system I’d buy you dinner, thank you for your letters and e-mails--and that would be the end of it No wo I’d envisioned you to be But you are, Ruth, you are"

Although the wind and rain were chilly, his words were enough to warm her froined, either, and I was right," Ruth said

"You were?" He seemed crestfallen

She nodded "Paul, you’re even more wonderful than I’d realized" At his relieved expression, she said, "I underestis for you are Look at " She held out her hand as evidence of how badly she was tre after his kiss

He shook his head "I’ve been in life-and-death situations and I didn’t flinch Now, one evening with you and my stomach’s full of butterflies"

"That’s lack of sleep"

"No," he said, and took her by the shoulders "That hat your kiss did to littered as he stared down at her

"What should we do?" she asked uncertainly

"You’re the one with reservations about falling for a guy in the service"

Her early letters had often referred to her feelings about exactly that Ruth lowered her gaze "The fundaed," she said "But you’ll eventually get out, won’t you?"

He hesitated, and his dark eyes--which had been so war her out "Eventually I’ll leave the marines, but you should knoon’t be anyti haul, and if you want to continue this relationship, the sooner you accept that, the better"

Ruth didn’t want their evening to end on a negative note When she’d answered his letter that first time, she’d known he was a one into this with her eyes wide open "I don’t have to decide right away, do I?"

"No," he ad him off She couldn’t allow their differences to come between them so quickly She sensed that Paul, too, wanted to push all that aside When she slid her ared her back "You’re exhausted Let’s randmother and we can talk soain and Paul kissed her hair "You’rethis difficult," he said

"I know I’m sorry"

"Me, too," he whispered

Ruth realized they’d need to confront the issue soon She could also see that settling it wasn’t going to be as easy as she’d hoped

Four

Pauland they walked up the raht before had yielded to glorious sunshine

Unlike the previous evening, when Paul and Ruth had talked nonstop through a three-hour dinner, it see obstacle in their relationship hung between them They sat side by side on the wooden bench and sipped hot coffee as the ferry eased away froht, aren’t you?" Ruth said, carefully broaching the subject after a lengthy silence "About you being in the military, I mean, and my objections to the war in Iraq?"