Not to forget my good friend, Ann Chambliss, I wish I could have shared this experience with her, but sadly she has passed on. I do appreciate that I have been able to share this with with my daughter, Kristi, and eventually with my granddaughters, Sheila and Sky. A final thank you to my husband and his eternal patience.

Chapter 1: Columbus, Georgia, October 1969

Chapter 1

Columbus, Georgia, October 1969

Jorden stopped pacing for a moment and stared out the picture window. An unfamiliar white car caught her attention as she watched it maneuver slowly around her apartment complex for the third time. She figured the driver must be looking for the right building. A gust of swirling leaves blurred her vision, causing her to focus on her current dilemma.

What was she doing? “A date, of all things, is not what I need,” Jorden mumbled as she resumed pacing. How did she let Darby talk her into this? Alex had been off to this gut-wrenching war for five months—and she was going out. “What’s wrong with me?”

Tapping her fingers, Jorden turned up the radio. The catchy lyrics to the tune “For What It’s Worth” made her think about the Vietnam War and the terrible uncertainty it had created. She picked up her momentum as the tempo of the song increased.

“Stop pacing! You’re making me nervous,” Darby called out. “I heard what you said, but I don’t think of this as a date, only a dinner. Besides, you deserve a night out,” her roommate stressed as she applied her makeup. “Hey, I’m looking out for your welfare.”

“My welfare?” Jorden stopped. “How do you figure?”

“Look, you’re twenty-two and not officially engaged.”

“Just because I don’t have an engagement ring doesn’t mean I’m not marrying Alex next summer.”

“Yes, but the point is—you’re not married now. I don’t doubt your loyalty to Alex. I’m just worried about you! You’ve been cooped up for the last five months. I think you need to get out.”

“Need to?” Jorden scoffed. But, Darby had struck a nerve. She looked at her roommate, realizing she did miss the fun of an innocent date: a movie, a football game, and even a dinner out with friends. Besides, she wasn’t married. Jorden valued Darby’s companionship and support; she had become her confidante. To think of it, Jorden even let Nate, Darby’s boyfriend, sway her on the decision to go out.

Jorden watched Darby apply blush to her high cheek bones. She had to admit her roommate, at five feet, eleven inches, looked more like a model than a teacher.

Darby seemed to sense Jorden’s distress. “Remember, Nate says the guy’s an American Indian, so this should be an interesting evening.”

Jorden couldn’t help but smile. “Yes, it should be.”