Red Helmet Read Online Free

in that regard. That is not necessarily a good thing. In my experience, interesting women are a great deal of trouble. My daughter also generally gets what she wants. I would hate to be in your shoes right now. Surrender and get it over with, that’s my advice.” Then, after welcoming Cable into the family, he hung up.
    â€œWhat did he say?” Song asked when she came back from her unhappy walk.
    â€œHe said he was going to thrash me.”
    She smiled. “How I love that man,” she said. “You too, of course.” She took her cell phone back. “Are you ready to talk?”
    â€œAbout what?”
    â€œWhere we’re going to live.”
    He picked up his mask, snorkel, and fins. “I’m ready to go snorkeling.”
    She scowled. “You’re going to put this off, aren’t you?”
    Cable was honest. “Yes, ma’am, I sure am. We’re on our honeymoon. Let’s make it a good one. The last day will come soon enough. We’ll decide then.”
    But when the last day of the vacation that became a honeymoon arrived, nothing had been decided. On the ferry from St. John to St. Thomas, Song and Cable stood on the outside deck watching their magical island shrink until it disappeared in the mist of an encroaching storm. Song wondered if the magic that had brought Cable to her was also disappearing in that mist.
    â€œCable . . . ,” she began. “We have to talk.”
    â€œNot yet, honey,” he said, gathering her in his arms. “Let’s just savor our last moments here.”
    As the rain pattered down, they took a taxi to the airport. Her plane was the first one to leave, and when they called her to the gate, he held her until, after an awkward kiss, they parted with him promising to call her, to get everything settled. “It’s all going to be okay,” he said.
    â€œBut how?” she asked.
    â€œYou’re my destiny,” he answered. “It has to be okay.”
    She waved away the umbrella the attendant tried to hand her and walked through the rain across the apron to the airplane, allowing the raindrops to mix with her tears and hide them. She climbed the steps and looked back. He was there, holding his hat, watching her. He started to smile, but she turned away and walked inside the airplane. All the way home, she brooded and plotted and schemed, ultimately solving nothing but managing to make herself thoroughly miserable.
    T HREE WEEKS PASSED . Song and Cable talked every day on the phone. At first, their talks were long, detailed, but they began to get shorter. She was busy at work, and so was he. He became increasingly difficult to call. He had no cell phone, which struck Song as odd, and his home phone rang and rang. It was only at his work phone, usually answered by a man named (incredibly) Mole, that she had any chance of catching him. Though she kept bringing up their forced separation, he kept saying it was all going to work out because it had to. After a while, she realized he was trying to wear her down.
    And to an extent, it worked. On a lonely day, after a string of lonely days, Song called Cable. “I miss you,” she said, which she’d said before, too many times.
    â€œWell, honey, I miss you too,” he replied. “Tell you what. In a couple of weeks, if I’m running some good coal, I’ll come up to New York for a day or two.”
    â€œNo, Cable,” Song retorted. “I want to see this little town you love more than me. I can visit for a week. How about if I fly in next Wednesday?”
    â€œThat new section is giving me fits,” he said. “Time is somewhat limited.”
    It didn’t matter what he said because she wasn’t listening. She’d already made up her mind.
    â€œI’ll
be there on Wednesday.”
    After a short pause, Cable said, “Well, come on then.” It was scarcely a declaration of his aching need for her, but she let it