must admit that you bring me to eat at the most interesting places," Savannah said, glancing over her shoulder. In the distance beyond the dune, we could see a long line of customers snaking away from Joe's Burger Stand in the middle of a gravel parking lot.

“It's the best in town,” I said, taking a bite of my enormous burger.

Savannah sat close to me in the sand, facing the water. The burgers were fantastic, nice and thick, and though the French fries were a bit too greasy, they hit the spot. As she ate, Savannah stared at the sea, and in the waning light I found myself thinking that she seemed even more at home here than I did.

I thought again about the way she'd talked to my father. About

the way she talked to everyone, for that matter, including me. She had the rare ability to be exactly what people needed when she was with them and yet still remain true to herself. I couldn't think of anyone who remotely resembled her in appearance or personality, and I wondered again why she'd taken a liking to me. We were as different as two people could be. She was a mountain girl, gifted and sweet, raised by attentive parents, with a desire to help those in need; I was a tattooed army grunt, hard around the edges, and largely a stranger in my own home. Remembering how she'd been with my dad, I could tell how gracefully her parents had raised her. And as she sat beside me, I found myself wishing that I could be more like her. “What are you thinking?”

Her voice, probing yet gentle, pulled me away from my thoughts. “I was wondering why you're here,” I confessed.

“Because I like the beach. I don't get to do this very often. It's not like there are any waves or shrimp boats where I'm from.”

When she saw my expression, she tapped my hand. “That was flippant,” she said, “I'm sorry. I'm here because I want to be here.” I set aside the remains of my burger, wondering why I cared

so much. It was a new feeling for me, one I wasn't sure I'd ever get used to. She patted my arm and turned toward the water again. “It's gorgeous out here. All we need is a sunset over the water, and it would be perfect.”

“We'd have to go to the other side of the country,” I said. “Really? You're trying to tell me the sun sets in the west?” I noted the mischievous gleam in her eye.

“That's what I hear, anyway.”

She'd eaten only half of her cheeseburger, and she slipped it into the bag, then added the remains of mine as well. After folding the bag over so the wind wouldn't blow it away, she stretched out her legs and turned to me, looking at once flirtatious and innocent. “You want to know what I was thinking?” she asked.

I waited, drinking in the sight of her.

"I was thinking that I wished you'd been with me the last couple

of days. I mean, I enjoyed getting to know everyone better. We ate lunch together, and the dinner last night was a lot of fun, but it just felt like something was wrong, like I was missing something. It wasn't until I saw you walking up the beach that I realized it was you."

I swallowed. In another life, in another time, I would have

kissed her then, but even though I wanted to, I didn't. Instead, all I could do was stare at her. She met my gaze without a hint of selfconsciousness.

“When you asked me why I was here, I made a joke because I thought the answer was obvious. Spending time with you just feels ... right, somehow. Easy, like the way it's supposed to be. Like it is with my parents. They're just comfortable together, and I remember growing up thinking that one day I wanted to have that, too.” She paused. “I'd like you to meet them one day.”

My throat had gone dry. “I'd like that, too.”

She slipped her hand easily into mine, her fingers intertwining with my own.

We sat in peaceful silence. At the water's edge, terns were bobbing their beaks into the sand in search of food; a cluster of

seagulls broke as a wave rolled in. The sky had grown darker and the clouds more ominous. Up the beach, I could see scattered couples walking under a spreading indigo sky.

As we sat together, the air filled with the crashing of the surf. I marveled at how new everything felt. New and yet comfortable, as

if we'd known each other forever. Yet we weren't even a real couple. Nor, a voice in my head reminded me, is it likely you ever will be. In a little more than a week, I'd be heading back to Germany and this would all be over. I'd spent enough time with my buddies to know

that it takes more than a few special days to survive a relationship that spanned the Atlantic Ocean. I'd heard guys in my unit

swear they were in love after coming off leave—and maybe they were—but it never lasted.

Spending time with Savannah made me wonder whether it was possible to defy the norm. I wanted more of her, and no matter what happened between us, I already knew I'd never forget anything about her. As crazy as it sounded, she was becoming part of me, and I was already dreading the fact that we wouldn't be able to spend

the day together tomorrow. Or the day after, or the day after that. Maybe, I told myself, we could beat the odds.

“Out there!” I heard her cry. She pointed toward the ocean. “In the breakers.”

I scanned an ocean the color of iron but didn't see anything.

Beside me, Savannah suddenly stood up and started running toward the water.

“Come on!” she shouted over her shoulder. “Hurry!”

I rose and started after her, puzzled. Breaking into a run, I closed the gap between us. She stopped at the water's edge, and I could hear her breaths coming fast.

“What's going on?” I said. “Right there!”

When I squinted, I saw what she'd been referring to. Three of

them were riding the waves, one after the next, then disappearing from view in the shallows, only to reappear again a little ways down the beach.

“Young porpoises,” I said. “They pass by the island almost every evening.”

“I know,” she said, “but it looks like they're surfing.”

“Yeah, I suppose it does. They're just having fun. Now that everyone's out of the water, they feel like it's safe to play.”

“I want to go in with them. I've always wanted to swim with the dolphins.”

"They'll stop playing, or they'll just move down the beach to

where you can't reach them. They're funny that way. I've seen them while surfing. If they're curious, they'll come within a few feet and give you the once-over, but if you try to follow them, they'll leave you in the dust."

We continued to watch the porpoises as they moved away from us, eventually vanishing from view under a sky that had grown opaque.

“We should probably get going,” I said.

We made our way back to the car, stopping to pick up the remains from our dinner.

“I'm not sure the band will be playing yet, but it shouldn't be long.”

“It doesn't matter,” she said. “I'm sure we can find something to do. Besides, I should warn you, I'm not much of a dancer.”

“We don't have to go if you don't want to. We could go someplace else,if you'd like.”

"Like where?'

“Do you like ships?” “What kind of ships?”

“Big ones,” I said. “I know this place where we can see the USS North Carolina.”

She made a funny face, and 1 knew the answer was no. Not for the first time did I wish I had my own place. Then again, I was under no illusions that she'd follow me home if I did. If I were her, I wouldn't go either. I'm only human.

“Wait,” she said, “I know where we can go. I want to show you something.”

Intrigued, I asked, “Where?”

Considering Savannah's group had started their work only yesterday, the house was surprisingly far along. Most of the framing was already finished, and the roof had been raised as well. Savannah stared out the window of the car before turning to me.

“Would you like to walk around? See what we're doing?” “I'd love to,” I said.

I followed her out of the car, noting the play of moonlight on

her features. As I stepped onto the dirt of the work site, I realized

I could hear songs from a radio emanating from one of the kitchen windows of the neighbors. A few steps from the entrance, Savannah motioned around the structure with obvious pride. I moved

close enough to slip my arm around her, and she tilted her head against my shoulder as she relaxed into me.

“This is where I've spent the last couple of days,” she almost whispered in the nighttime quiet. “What do you think?”

“It's great,” I said. “I'll bet the family is thrilled.”

“They are. And they're such a great family. They really deserve this place since it's been such a struggle for them. Hurricane Fran destroyed their home, but like so many others, they didn't have flood insurance. It's a single mom with three kids—her husband ran out on her years ago—and if you met the family, you'd love them. The kids all get good grades and sing in the youth choir at church. And they're just so polite and gracious ... you can tell their mom has worked hard to make sure they turn out right, you know?”

“You've met them, I take it?”

She nodded toward the house. “They've been here the last couple of days.” She straightened. “Would you like to look around inside?”

Reluctantly, I let her go. “Lead the way.”

It wasn't a large place—about the same size as my dad's—but

the floor plan was more open, which made it seem larger. Savannah took me by the hand and walked me through each room,

pointing out features, her imagination filling in the detail. She mused about the ideal wallpaper for the kitchen and the color of tile in the entryway, the fabric of the curtains in the living room, and how to decorate the mantel over the fireplace. Her voice conveyed the same wonder and joy she'd expressed when seeing the porpoises. For an instant, I had a vision of what she must have been like as a child.

She led me back to the front door. In the distance, the first rumblings of thunder could be heard. As we stood in the doorway, I drew her near.

“There's going to be a porch, too,” she said, “with enough room for a couple of rocking chairs, or even a swing. They'll be able to sit out here on summer nights, and congregate here after church.” She pointed. “That's their church right over there. That's why this location is so perfect for them.”

“You sound like you really got to know them.”

“No, not really,” she said. “I talked to them a little bit, but I'm just guessing about all this. I've done that with every house I've helped to build—I walk through and try to imagine what the owners' lives will be like. It makes working on the house a lot more fun.”

The moon was now hidden by clouds, darkening the sky. On

the horizon, lightning flashed, and a moment later a soft rain began to fall, pattering against the roof. The oak trees lining the

street, heavy with leaves, rustled in the breeze as thunder echoed through the house.

“If you want to go, we should probably leave before the storm hits.”

“We don't have anywhere to go, remember? Besides, I've always loved thunderstorms.”

I pulled her closer, breathing in her scent. Her hair smelled sweet, like ripe strawberries.

As we watched, the rain intensified into a steady downpour, falling diagonally from the sky. Streetlamps provided the only light, casting half of Savannah's face in shadow.

Thunder exploded overhead, and the rain began coming down

in sheets. 1 could see the rain blowing onto the sawdust-covered floor, forming wide puddles in the dirt, and I was thankful that despite the rain, the temperature was warm. Off to the side, I spotted some empty crates. I left her side to collect them, then began

to stack them into a makeshift seat. It wouldn't be all that comfortable, but it would be better than standing.

As Savannah took a seat next to me, I suddenly knew that

coming here had been the right thing to do. It was the first time we'd really been alone, but as we sat side by side, it felt as though we'd been together forever.