Ollie nodded.

“Susan, how about a wee walk while Oliver from Maine escorts our pigeons?”

Susan looped her arm through her grandfather’s arm.

Ollie got into the truck and started the engine. As he drove down the lane, he glanced at his rearview mirror and noticed Susan running toward the truck. He stopped and rolled down the window.

Susan placed her hands on the window frame and caught her breath. “Can you make sure they load them carefully?”

He touched her hand. “I’ll make sure.”

“Thank you.” She squeezed his fingers.

Ollie felt her slip away. He pressed the gas pedal and followed the military trucks out of the farm. Through his mirror, he watched Susan disappear.

* * *

Susan watched Ollie drive away. A trail of down feathers floated from the truck and settled onto the road. It would be the last time she would see many of the pigeons, she believed. The odds of returning from France were against them. But knowing that Ollie would be with them in their final moments, before being loaded onto planes, made her fears about the mission more tolerable.

She’d never met a man like Ollie. He’s tender, handsome, and dedicated to family. He displayed many of the qualities she cherished in a man. And he liked pigeons, something that could scare away the strongest of suitors. Her grandparents, Bertie and Agnes, had a loving marriage—continually holding hands, laughing, and kissing—something she hoped for herself someday. When the war began, her thoughts of having a relationship had turned dormant. But Ollie had awakened her heart.

Susan slowly walked to the house. Tonight, she thought. We’ll be together.

CHAPTER 19 - NORTH WEALD, ENGLAND

CHAPTER 19

NORTH WEALD, ENGLAND

Ollie followed the trucks along Epping Road, watching downy feathers stream from their beds. He was about to drive onto an RAF air base, maybe even get a glimpse of a Hurricane or Spitfire, but all he could think about was Susan. Everything she cared about, except for Bertie and Duchess, was stuffed into the back of these trucks. The pigeons were her life’s work. Her passion. They were going to war, and most would die. He felt like he was delivering prisoners to a death squad.

At the gate of North Weald Airfield, an armed guard shook his head when he learned that a civilian was attempting to drive a truck onto the base. The guard debated with the sergeant, then resorted to making a phone call before deciding to let Ollie through. Ollie wanted to believe he was allowed onto the base because he was part of the mission or, even better, because he was a future RAF pilot. But he knew it was probably because they would need to transfer the pigeons again by hand. The guard inspected Bertie’s truck, checked Ollie over to make sure he carried no weapons, and let him proceed.