"Anyone who puts you in danger is automatically out," Walter said as he and Grant helped Carter lie down.
"You didn’treallylike her," Grant said. "I know she seems fun because she’s a bartender and weird and cool, but you need someone who will be a good partner."
"Maybe she's the best I’ll do," Carter contested.
"You can do better," his uncle said.
"We’re only doing this because we care about you," Jack said.
"No, you don’t!" Carter exploded. "You don’t care about me at all."
"You know that’s not true," Walter said, pushing him back down on the bed.
"Enough," Nancy told them, coming into the room with several ice packs. "Carter needs to rest. Lie down, and I'll put some ice on your back."
"I don’t want ice."
"Stop it," she said, placing the ice on his back. "You didn’t actually want to marry her, did you? She just doesn’t seem like… well, like your type, is all. We just want you to be happy."
"I'll never be happy," he mumbled.
His mother rubbed his back and left him with the ice packs. Carter turned his head and saw a long black strand of hair—Allie’s.
He opened up his messaging app to text her. He wanted to say that he missed her but then erased the message and went with something more noncommittal and funny.
She had been so excited about the bathroom. He chuckled to himself. He knew from experience after coming from the disgusting military bathrooms, especially the Port-A-Johns, that seeing an actual really nice bathroom felt like a dream.
Surely her bathroom at home couldn’t be that bad. He realized he didn't know where she lived. He was going to visit her when he returned to North Carolina, he decided.
You're weirdly obsessed with her,he told himself.Just fuck her and get it out of your system.He wondered what it would be like. He lay on his bed and fantasized about it.
He hadn't slept with a woman in years, it felt like. He didn't trust the women who hung around the barracks, the Stacys of the town. He wondered what it would feel like to be with Allie.
17
Allie
As the year sped toward Christmas, Allie finished up her classes and tried to ignore how alone she felt. Allie never did anything special for Christmas except rest up because she knew the day after Christmas was a madhouse at Tom Toms Oyster Bar. The Wildcat was also open for the marines who were not allowed to go home for the holidays.
Christmas Eve at the Wildcat always depressed Allie. Bert always wanted to decorate, so she and Stacy hung up little paper elves, and she had to wear a Santa hat.
There weren’t as many people there as she thought there might be, although she probably had a warped perspective since this place was always completely packed.
The door swung open, letting in the warm, humid air.
"It's too hot for winter," Stacy said.
"It's all of that temperate air off the coast and the swamps. It's better than the cold, though," Allie replied.
A group of marines walked in. They weren’t as boisterous as she normally saw them. These men were a little more subdued. It must be Christmas depression.
"Merry Christmas," she called out. "What can I make you to drink?"
"My, my! Is that Carter Holbrook?" Stacy said, her eyes lighting up.
Carter ignored her and headed straight for Allie.
"Welcome to the Wildcat," she said. "Would you like a beer or a shot?"
