Facing the dark window, Lucie lay on her side away from him. Buck was on his back, propped up by a pillow. Her head rested on his forearm.

"What happened over there?" She broke the silence.

He exhaled a cloud of smoke. He had been chain smoking since she had first seen him that afternoon.

"I got hit. Really nothing more to say about it."

"How did it happen?"

"Well, you see," he murmured hoarsely. He trailed cool fingertips down between her shoulder blades, her skin prickling at his touch. "There was a man with a gun and he aimed or tried to because he missed everything vital and got me in the ass."

Lucille laughed softly, flipping onto her belly. She propped herself up on her elbows, her hair falling loose over her bare shoulders. Buck drew the cigarette from his mouth, wetting his lips as his gaze drifted over her.

"Christ, Lucie."

Lucille's eyes cut down to her hands. Setting the cigarette on the bedside table, Buck slid down under the covers and pressed against her. He brushed her hair onto her back and grazed his lips over the top of her arm.

"You never answered my question."

"I just did," he muttered into her skin, his arm snaking around her hips.

"The one in the letter." Her breath caught in her throat as his mouth brushed below her ear. "When I asked what I was to you."

Buck hesitated, burying his face in her hair. "I remember."

"Can you tell me now?"

She flipped onto her back and peered up at him. Her heart thudded hard in her chest as his eyes drifted away.

"I would like to know. Please. Especially after tonight when you randomly arrived on my doorstep then let yourself in."

Downstairs, the front door creaked opened. Ruby rustled into the kitchen. With her bedroom lights off, Lucie knew they wouldn't be disturbed. She inwardly cringed at what her friend would have to say about her midnight tryst with Buck. No doubt, Ruby would sulk and give her the cold shoulder for a couple hours before bursting at the seams with her opinion. It was the usual response.

"It isn't fair to leave me wondering," she pressed.

He sighed. "I know it isn't. But I feel if I made any promises right now, it wouldn't be fair either."

"What do you mean?"

Buck rested his head against her chest, his ear pressed to her heart as he had done the night before he had left. Her hand went to his crown, her fingers brushing against his feathery curls.

"It's difficult to explain." His breath was warm against her skin. "Until you see it...over there. You can't understand-"

"I know it's difficult for you to think of these things at a time like this," Lucie interjected. "But Buck, sometimes I feel like it's a convenient reality for you."

"How is anything about combat convenient?" He replied shortly.

"What I mean is that, is it just an excuse to keep me at bay?"

Buck rose on his elbows and stared hard down at her. A harsh blush erupted on Lucie's cheeks. Her mouth went dry.

"An excuse?" He sat up in bed sharply, swinging his legs off the side. "Is that what you think of me?"

"What? I didn't mean to sound-"

"Careless?" He stood, tugging on his boxer shorts and reaching for his shirt on the bed post.

"Buck, wait." Lucie reached out. "Let me explain."

"I think you just did." He pulled his arms into his sleeves. "You think I'm the kind of man to sleep with a girl whenever he hops into town then give her a sob story about how horrible war is then hit the road, twirling my mustache on my way out the door."

Hooking up the button on his pants, he reached for his uniform coat. Naked, Lucie leaped from the bed. She grabbed her dressing gown and held it to her breast.

"Buck. Wait." She grabbed his forearm.

His eyes grazed around the room over her head. He let out an aggravated breath through his teeth. Swinging herself into him, Lucie squeezed her eyes shut. She rested her mouth against his collar bone as her fingers curled around his hand.

"Please, I'm sorry. That was insensitive of me," she begged.

"Yes, it was," Buck growled.

Despite his agitation, his free hand dropped his coat to the floor and pressed into the exposed small of her back.

"I should have let you explain yourself."

"That would have been nice."

"Will you come back to bed and we can start this whole conversation over?" Lucie let go of her robe and drew her hand up around his neck.

"Are you sure?" Buck's voice grew husky as Lucie let her jaw rest against his.

"I'm certain."

But they didn't speak again that evening.