Only a Paper Moon [ Band of Brothers ] 3

Chapter Eight

"Buck Compton, always showing up right before the big day."

They all turned to see Nixon, looking only a bit bedraggled, waltz into the kitchen. He exchanged a quick glance with Alice. She knew he had heard the question. Alice didn't doubt he'd made his presence known to stop any further prying. 

"Lewis Nixon, always half asleep," Buck countered, laughing. He stood from the table and Nix's hand. Then he sat back down. "Now all we're missing are Speirs and Lip."

"They'll be here," Alice assured him. Then she stood up and smiled. "I'm going for a smoke. I'll watch for them."

Leaving Nixon to talk to Dick, Buck, and Harry, she hurried to the door and grabbed her coat. Blanche was still upstairs? She looked up the staircase. Then she shrugged and moved outside. Alice nearly laughed when she found Ron and Lip standing in the cold, the former smoking.

"Carwood Lipton! You're here and you didn't come inside?" 

The man in question whipped around, Ron following suit. He laughed as she barreled into him. "Good to see you, Alice."

"Yeah, you too. How long have you two been out here?"

"Not long," Ron said. "What is this, the Spanish Inquisition?"

They both laughed. But Alice just shook her head. "Buck's inside. He was complaining about you still owing him a pack of smokes?"

The grin on Ron's face made her pause. Clearly he understood, because he said absolutely nothing in response. Lipton just shook his head ever so slightly. 

"Clearly I'm out of the loop for this." She took a deep breath of the smoke from her cigarette and shook her head. "You always were a bit crazy, Ron."

"Not my fault you're all slow," he countered.

Alice laughed. "Slow? Harry beat you in your first encounter, didn't he? Mr. Dog Company."

Lipton hid a laugh with a cough. Beside him, Ron took his cigarette out of his mouth and exhaled. After a moment of silence, he said, "Low blow."

"Get inside," she teased. 

As they picked their way past, Alice squeezed Lip's arm and smiled at him. It was good to see him again. The air had gotten crisper, just as cold but not as damp. It made things a little easier. Alice did her best to enjoy her last few minutes with the smoke and the quiet.

When she set foot inside, she found the men laughing and joking, Buck heckling Ron over something and the latter not entirely amused. But it didn't take long to realize Blanche still hadn't made an appearance. Alice looked at the clock. Almost nine. They needed to be at the church by eleven at the latest. Sparing one more glance up the stairs, she hurried into the kitchen.

"Sorry to interrupt," she said, obviously not at all sorry, "but you all need to get ready. Now."

She didn't even wait for a response. Turning tail, she hurried down the hall and back up the stairs. She and Blanche both were bridesmaids, Nix her matching groomsman and Dick for Blanche. They had work to do. She needed to do her hair, and her makeup, and corral nearly half a dozen men into understanding how serious to take the prep work.

"Blanche!" Alice knocked on the door. She heard no response. With a frown, Alice knocked again, and then went inside. She found the woman sitting on the bed, tears streaking down her face. Alice closed the door behind herself quickly. "Blanche. What's wrong?"

"I'm fine!" Blanche insisted. She got up from the bed, shaking her head when Alice tried to walk over to her. "Alice I'm fine."

"Do you want me to get your brother?" she asked.