for,” he ground out, distress still evident. “Probably should’ve had the sandwich instead.”
Concerned, she caressed his stubble-shrouded cheek. “No more kiss medicine for you.”
He gave her a mock pout. “I suppose.”
Once his breathing lost its harshness and slowed, she placed a kiss on his cheek. “I’ll get your sandwich and make you some tea.”
When she returned, Garrett used his left hand to take the small plate from her and set it on his lap.
“Better?” she asked, setting the steaming tea on the nightstand.
Seeing that she hadn’t done up all the buttons on her shirt, giving him a partially veiled view of her small breasts, his smile was rueful. “I won’t be better until I can show you how much I miss sharing a bed.” He was pleased that she’d brought her food in, too, though. He missed her company as much as he did making love to her.
She moved her chair a short distance away from the bed. “I’m going to sit over here so I don’t tempt you.”
“Especially since your buttons are still undone.”
“That’s incentive for you to heal up.”
With her wit and sass, Garrett thought men should be lined up outside her door for a chance at one of her smiles. Never mind that she’d probably shoot them all first.
Her voice brought him back. “Since we can’t discuss or do anything substantial, what shall we talk about?”
Before he could think on that, she said, “I know. Tell me about being in the navy. You’re the only sailor I’ve met.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Where you went on the boat. What kind of work you did. That sort of thing.”
“I was on a ship called the Kearsarge. Ever hear of it?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“It was in one of the most famous sea battles of the war, the Battle of Cherbourg.”
“Where’s that?”
“Off the coast of France in the English Channel. The fight took place in July of sixty-four between our ship and the Confederate war sloop, Alabama.”
“What were the ships doing in France?”
“The Alabama was there looking for a dock to make repairs. It had made a name for itself attacking Union merchant ships all over the world. We were docked in Holland.”
“Why were the Rebs attacking merchant ships?”
“To stop the flow of food and supplies into the States mostly. Our navy sent twenty war ships out to capture it, but they weren’t successful.”
“Why not?”
“It was bigger, faster, and far better armed, but the Kearsarge was its equal in terms of size and guns. We were a war sloop, too.”
“Was the Kearsarge named for someone famous? I’ve never heard that name before.”
“No. It’s a mountain in New Hampshire.” The confusion and humor on her face made him smile. “I’ve no idea why the navy named it that.”
“Okay, go on.”
“When word spread the Alabama arrived in France, the French refused to let them dock.”
“Why?”
“Because the French supported the Union in Lincoln’s war. When our ship arrived three days later, the Alabama was anchored in the English Channel and the battle began.”
“How long did the fight last?”
“Once we traded gunfire—less than an hour.”
She startled. “Really?”
“Yes, the Rebs had been raiding Union merchant ships for almost two years, and after sailing around the Horn to reach France, their crew was tired, the ship needed overhauling, and their gunpowder was stale. A few good blasts from our cannons, and she started taking on water. Sank less than an hour later. Our captain wanted to bring the Reb officers back to the States for trial, but never got the chance because an English ship sitting in the Channel watching the fight rescued the Reb sailors.”
“The English didn’t turn them over?”
“No. The British supported the Confederacy. In fact, they’d built the Alabama for the South.”
He then told her about the loss of his friend during the battle. “He was a Colored steward named Charles Foster. Knowing him changed me from an illiterate, shoeless country slave into a seasoned seaman.” He quieted, thinking back. “Because of his duties as steward he was allowed to go into the cities where we docked to buy meat and vegetables for the crew, and he’d take me to help carry things back. Tagging along gave me the opportunity to see all kinds of new places and people not only in Europe but in places like the islands of the Caribbean and Cuba. He was also a member of the ship’s band. When we were in Cadiz, Spain, he bought instruments: guitars, violins, cellos.”
“There were navy bands?”
“Yes, and sometimes there’d be