Page 5 of All We Carry Home

“That sounds awful.”

“It comes from Bedouin legend.” She turned to me and waved her hands in a flourish. “There’s an ancient tale of how a prince’s loyal white Arabian mare carries him all the way home after battle and then delivers a colt that bears the bloody mark that her injured rider had left upon her. It’s the sign of a warrior, of good luck and great courage.”

She put a light hand on my arm, as if I wasn’t already enraptured by her words and the adorable scrunch of her shoulders.

“His coat will fade from dark gray to light gray and white, just like his mother’s. This mark will stand out against the white hair like a badge of honor.” As if her entire being hadn’t been radiating before, she grew more passionate as her gaze pored over the foal. “This colt truly is special. I’ll never forget him.”

Neither would I.

She gathered her bag, and I picked up the buckets, stool, and rag and followed her out of the stall.

Phantom rose shakily to his feet, a thin body on willowy legs that didn’t even seem capable of holding him erect. The baby wandered over to Mira and began to nurse, which seemed to set Eva further at ease.

“He’s marvelous.” She rested her arms on the stall and watched the mother and child.

I watched Eva and her intense gaze on the horses. I didn’t want to interrupt, but I was so curious to learn more about this mysterious nurse. “Where do you call home, Lieutenant?” I asked, leaning my elbows on the stall.

“A tiny town out west that no one has ever heard of.” She sighed. “There’s no place I’d rather be on earth.”

“Why is that?”

“The valley is hugged by mountains on every side, and the wildflowers paint the hills in the springtime. The sunrises over Beacon’s Bluff—the land glows as if all the spoils of the gold rush were gathered in one place. It’s heaven.” Her face tipped upward, and her smile went dreamy before she gave her head a little shake as if to wipe away the image. “What about you?”

“Philly. No mountains or sunrises worth mentioning. But then, before the Army, I didn’t much care to rise before noon.”

She chuckled and then looked over my shoulder and straightened, the humor gone from her expression. I turned, my pulse picking up.

Nurse Sally Emerson raced up the aisle with a worried look on her face. “Eva,” she breathed, then nodded to me. “Captain Hayes. A rogue SS band attacked a supply convoy, and we have dozens of critical injuries. Eva, we’re shorthanded—”

Eva picked up her medical bag. “Let’s go,” she said.

Sally nodded, and the three of us strode quickly from the stables and toward the barracks and medical tent.

As Eva kept pace with me, she shook her head. “I thought there was an armistice.”

“Not every German agrees with the ceasefire,” I said.

“The convoy. Are they your men?” she asked.

I nodded. Lucky, Reid, and another dozen of the 42nd Reconnaissance Squadron. Though my pulse quickened and my heart thudded loudly, I kept my breathing calm and my mind focused. There was no benefit to assuming the worst. Eddie had told me days ago that I needed to stop living on edge, always waiting for the next sniper around the corner. But this was a reminder of what we all still faced.

Eddie met me at the entrance to the hospital tent, his arms crossed, his face drawn. “No one was killed.” He pointed to the nearest bed. “Lucky took the worst of it.”

Eva was already there. The boy writhed and clutched his eye. She reached for his hand and put her other hand to his forehead. “Lucky, is it?” she said.

He grunted.

“Is that an ironic nickname?” she said with a smile. “Let me see your eye.”

He moved his hand away from his face to reveal a deep gash in his eye.

“You are a lucky son of a gun,” she said. “This is just shrapnel, not a bullet.”

Lucky grimaced. “Am I going to lose my eye?”

Her lips pressed into a line, and she glanced at me. “Better than your life, soldier.” After she drew a syringe full of morphine, she put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Besides, fellas with eye patches are simply irresistible to us women.”

Lucky calmed slightly. “Really?”