Sentimental Journey (Home Front - Book #1) Read Online Free Page B

hawked on every corner. Leslie Howard, Ashley Wilkes from Gone with the Wind , had been en route from Lisbon to England when his airliner was attacked by an enemy plane and brought down.
    No one was safe: Absolutely no one.
    Catherine forced the notion from her mind. There would be plenty of time in her darkened bedroom to think about it later.
    Oklahoma reigned supreme on the Great White Way, and she had to tug at Nancy’s arm as the girl stopped to stare at the color posters flanking the entrance to the theater.
    “Hurry up!” Catherine urged as their parents crossed to the other side of the street. “We can’t get into the Canteen without Dad.”
    That was all Nancy had to hear, and they scurried to catch up.
    “I’m so nervous,” Nancy said. “If I meet a movie star I’m afraid I’ll die!”
    “You won’t die. If you meet a movie star, you’ll smile and say hello, same as you would if you met a plumber.”
    “My stomach hurts,” moaned Nancy. “I wish I had some Bisodol.”
    Catherine looked at her little sister and for an instant she couldn’t remember how it had felt to be seventeen and in love with life. Had she ever felt all giddy with excitement, trembling on the threshold of new experiences, new adventures? It seemed so long ago since she’d approached each new day with pure joy that she felt older than her grandmother.
    Her dad kissed her mother on the cheek as he opened the door to the Stage Door Canteen. “This way, ladies.”
    Well, if nothing else, at least she’d have something new to write Douglas about tonight.
    She sighed and followed Nancy downstairs.
    * * *
    Movie stars! Soldiers! Sailors! All the glamour and wonder that Nancy had dreamed about was right there in that noisy smoky room. Big band music, so loud you couldn’t hear yourself think, surrounded her—and so did men in uniform, a dazzling assortment of army privates, youthful marines, sailors in their jaunty outfits, and fly-boys with silver wings sparkling on their chests. The room smelled of Brylcreem and Vitalist of Old Spice and Ivory soap. Laughter rang out from every direction, and a big smile spread across her face as she realized she was right there in the middle of things in the most exciting place on earth.
    “Take a look over there, honey.” Her mom directed her attention toward the stage up front. “Isn’t that Bob Hope?”
    “Oh, golly!” Nancy’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “And that’s Mary Martin with him!”
    Old Ski Nose and the beautiful blond star of Broadway’s musical fantasy One Touch of Venus took the stage to a round of enthusiastic applause. They launched into a skit that Bob Hope must have done a hundred times at bases and camps around the world, yet his enthusiasm was electric, as he and Mary Martin took an imaginary stroll, arm in arm, through Central Park.
    “Nice night,” said Bob.
    “Nice night,” said Mary.
    “Nice party.”
    “Nice party.”
    “Nice moon.”
    “Nice moon.”
    “Nice bench,” said Bob, waggling his eyebrows in a mock leer.
    “Nice bench,” said Mary, all-innocence.
    “Some do.”
    “ I don’t!”
    The crowd loved it, but no one loved it more than Nancy. Everything was as she’d imagined it would be—and even better. Bob Hope put on an apron and magically transformed himself into the world’s most famous busboy, while Mary Martin perched on a high stool and sang along with Harry James and his Music Makers.
    “’Scuse me,” said a male voice behind Nancy. “Care to dance?”
    She turned and saw a cute jug-eared sailor with even more freckles than she had. “I’m Nancy,” she said, smiling at him.
    “Bobby Dunn. I’m not much good at jitterbugging, but if you’re game...”
    “Sure,” said Nancy, ignoring her father’s knowing grin from across the room. “Why not?”
    Bobby Dunn didn’t lie. When it came to jitterbugging he was about as graceful as a cocker spaniel, but somehow it didn’t matter. He made her laugh as he told her