Timeless

Chapter 49

They all gave various responses—with Poppy interjecting that she expected them to be very inappropriate of course—Kathryn practically rolled her eyes as she walked off with Gale, hand in his. "You know, they're all going to think that you're incorrigible, Mr. Cleven," Kathryn stated lightly.

"I think we both know that I am."

"Yes, but they don't," Kathryn nearly giggled.

"Well if you keep reacting like that, then they'll definitely know."

She couldn't help the smirk that slipped onto her lips. She didn't altogether mind, if she was being quite honest. "So what's the real reason you stole me?"

"I need you to settle something for us guys," Gale said. "We needed an unbiased opinion."

"And I'm so very clearly unbiased?"

"Well you actually have the only valid opinion in the conversation." Gale explained, bringing her to the group where the conversation was taking place. "Crosby, if you'll explain?"

Crosby just grinned and clapped his hands together. "Well, Mrs. Cleven," he started. "Right now, we've got Truman as president. But we're taking bets on if any of the generals will run for president. Half of us are saying no—and some of us are saying yes. Your thoughts?"

"Well Eisenhower would make a great President. He seemed very sincere about our country's future when we talked," Kathryn said innocently.

Gale couldn't help the grin that slipped on his face at the expressions the other men made—but Rosie, Crosby, and Lemmons all seemed to know that Kathryn would be on their side in the debate. "Well there you have it, our Eisenhower expert," Gale said, arm around Kathryn's shoulders.

"Now if you boys will excuse me, we have to go save our precious Meatball from being mauled by his first dad." Kathryn tugged on Gale's hand and they made their way over to DeMarco, cuddling with Meatball in the grass. "Who's the Menace now?" Kathryn questioned, crossing her arms with a look of amusement on her face.

"Still you," DeMarco insisted.

"You're losing a cuddle match to a dog," Gale deadpanned.

"When did you take her side?"

"He's always been on my side, you dumbass."

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After the barbeque, everyone sat down to watch fireworks for the night—taking in the sights and colors lighting up the night sky. Kathryn couldn't help but be reminded of the night the war had ended in Europe—the way that she and her brother and Gale had climbed atop one of the towers and watched the flares go off.

She much preferred the summer of 1947 to then. Then, things had been sober and solemn, though there was a touch of joy underlying everything. But now? Now they were at peace and they could all relax. They could just be them with no threat of war hanging over them like before.

Still, the war had made them all who they were.

And when the men started to sing a song—and her brother was practically leading a choir of men who could not carry a tune, Kathryn just grinned and snuggled into Gale's arm. "He's gonna do this forever, you know?"

"I'm just surprised he still hasn't learned how to carry a tune," Gale murmured in her ear.

"I tried to teach him when I was in choir. It didn't go all that well," Kathryn retorted. "He was singing Ave Maria—and butchering it for weeks."

"That sounds harrowing."

"It was, I assure you."

Gale was silent for a moment, gaze locked onto the fireworks. "Do you remember all our walks back on Thorpe Abbot?"

"Which one?" Kathryn questioned. "The one where you carried my shoes, the one where you caught me and poked fun at my ego, or another time? You'll have to be specific, baby."

He grinned at that. "All of 'em. I'm just thinking back on it. We were—like—kids."

"Ha—don't say that. My brother still calls you a cradle-robber when it's just him and I."

"He set us up."

"I'm well-aware. He's more of a menace than I am. I don't know why I'm stuck with such a ridiculous title when I'm clearly an angel," Kathryn said lightly.

He gave a low laugh and it reverberated from the tips of her toes all the way up through her chest and she gave a grin. "Can't argue with that, sweetheart."

"Well you just shouldn't argue with me anyway," Kathryn said, gently pulling him in for a kiss.

He tasted of lemonade and something smoky. Warmth spread like rain across her body and she grinned against his lips. Kathryn kept it short and sweet, unwilling to embarrass him all that much in front of all of their friends. The last thing that they needed was her brother telling them to keep their hands where he could see them—though they most certainly weren't about to do that for him.

When they broke apart, he just grinned back at her. "Wouldn't dream of it, darlin'."