The Fourth Sunrise Read Online Free PDF Page A

was the type of girl who liked confidence but not a guy who was cocky.
    “ I said, ‘The truth is, I was scared to death both times. I didn’t want to let any of you down.’
    “ Christine stared deeply into my eyes and said, ‘You are very sweet.’
    “‘ I’ll accept that. I took a chance and it could have ended real badly with a kid crying and a dad yelling at me. I am glad it worked out.’
    “ Christine looked at me in a way no woman ever has. It was beyond attraction. It was as if she sized me up at the moment and took stock of who I was. And I felt it. It was pulling at me. So much so that I couldn’t process it in my head.
    “‘ When is this thing over?’ I asked.
    “‘ This thing goes until 2:00 in the morning,’ she said, laughing at my choice of words.
    “‘ Wow, that’s pretty late!’
    “‘ Don’t sound so disappointed we only have this thing o nce a year.’
    “‘ Sorry, calling this ‘a thing’ was a bad choice of words, but if I can be completely honest with you, meeting someone like you happens only once in a lifetime.’”
     
     
    Present Day – Delta, Colorado - Coffee Shop, 10:05 p.m.
     
     
    “You really said that?” Sharee asked.
    “ Why do you ask?”
    “ Because that is a pretty heavy line to lay on a woman, five minutes into your second conversation.”
    “ It is what I felt, so it was what I said.”
    “ How did she respond?”
    “ She didn’t. She acted almost as if she didn’t hear it.”
    “ She heard it. Trust me on that.” Sharee leaned in and wanted more of the story.
     
     
    July 1968 – Delta, Colorado - Deltarado Days, 10:30 p.m.
     
     
    ‘“I get off at two, so…’ Christine said.
    ‘“ Isn’t your dad going to come pick you up? Or a boyfriend?’ I asked, trying to subtly get the details if she had a boyfriend.
    ‘“ You think I might have a boyfriend?’ Christine asked with a big smile on her face.
    ‘“ How could you not? You must be the grand prize in this town. You’d be the top trophy in any town.’
    ‘“ Prize and trophy? Nice to know how you see women.’
    ‘“ I didn’t mean it like that. I met that I’m just surprised you don’t have a boyfriend.’
    ‘“ What I have,’ she said, ‘is something a little more complicated than I would like to get into right now.’
    ‘“ So, you do have a boyfriend?’ I asked.
    ‘“ Not at the present moment. We recently broke up.’ Christine said the statement in a way that I wasn’t sure how she felt about the breakup. There was a bit of excitement and pain in her voice.
    “‘ I’m sorry to hear that.’ Actually, I was pleased as punch to hear that bit of information. I just wasn’t sure how close they had been or still were.
    “ Christine looked up at my face and said, ‘He’s a good man. Just not…’
    ‘“ Just not… what?’
    ‘“ Just not what I expected in a boyfriend.’
    “‘ Why is that?’ I asked.
    ‘“ I’m a romantic at heart and he isn’t. But he showed me he cared by what he did for me. He was just not a good communicator.’
    ‘“ Where is he right now?’ I asked.
    “‘ Boot camp.’
    “‘ He got drafted?’
    ‘“ Nope, he volunteered. There is this goofy war out there where men are coming home in droves in body bags, but he insisted on fighting for his country.’
    ‘“ I want to hate this guy, but he is sure making it hard,’ I said.
    ‘“ He was sent out to South Carolina a month ago. We broke up right before he left.’ I could tell Christine was feeling a little more comfortable talking about it.
    ‘“ Well, I hope he stays safe,’ I said. ‘I got lucky, I got missed the first time around from the draft lottery. Thank God for baseball.’
    ‘“ Just ‘cause you play baseball, you don’t get drafted?’
    ‘“ Not exactly, it just gives you a better chance not to be. Some ball players got drafted. I was lucky.’
    ‘“ You don’t want to fight for your country?’ Christine asked.
    ‘“ Christine, don’t