She bent over him, and kissed his forehead.

But as she began leaning away, she felt his arms sneaking around her, his hand pressing against the back of her head. Next thing she knew, her lips were touching his and she could taste the whiskey on his breath as he kissed her.

His hands were gentle, yet for a moment she felt strangely powerless but to stay where he held her. Then she collected herself, tried to pull away. “JJ—” she said.

“Please, Anne,” he whispered, still holding her tight. “Please just kiss me. I’ve been so lonesome. You don’t know what it’s been like.”

He pressed his lips to hers again. She strained against the hold he had on her, but her straining was as gentle as his kiss, and she could feel herself losing the battle. Her sympathy for him burbled like coffee in a percolator. Just one kiss won’t hurt anything, I guess, she told herself. But when he stopped kissing her, he still clutched her close, and spoke with his lips brushing against her face, his breath hot on her skin.

“Did you know tomorrow’s my birthday? Three years ago on my birthday was when I saw my first action. I saw my friends die.”

She tried to pull away. “JJ—”

He held her fast. “The minute this weekend’s over, I’ve got to go back in the hospital—”

“JJ, I’m sorry—”

“You’re so nice, Anne, and you said you didn’t mind about my leg.”

“I don’t, but—”

“Please,” he said. “You don’t know what it’s been like.”

It hadn’t been easy for Anne, either, losing Bobby, but she didn’t think that gave her any right to try to make anyone feel sorry for her. She had fallen in love with Harry because he hadn’t tried to coddle her. He knew that everyone had their heartaches, and that there was nothing to be done about them except to keep moving forward. “I’m sorry,” she said, still trying to pull away from JJ, trying to be gentle and not hurt his feelings. “I’m sorry you’ve had a bad time. But I’m not that kind of girl.”

“Just kiss me again. Nobody would ever have to know.”

“No, JJ,” she said, and she managed to sit up.

But as she tried to stand, he sat up, grabbed her waist from behind, and pulled her back down on the bed. He buried his face in her neck, and kissed the spot where her neck met her shoulder. She shivered despite herself, and, while her defenses were down, he somehow pushed the sheets out of the way and pulled her down on the bed next to him. Then he was on top of her, kissing her, his hand creeping up under her sweater.