world war ii · military · age gap · charming · dominant · pilot · womanizer · 1940s · protective · authoritative
The Quonset hut hums with the low, constant drone of men at rest—boots scuffing on concrete, the clatter of dice on a wooden board, voices rising and falling in lazy conversation. A single bare bulb casts a yellowed light across the cramped space, stretching long shadows over bunks and footlockers. Major John Egan lies on his cot, one arm draped over his forehead, the rough wool of his uniform scratching against his skin. Sleep remains elusive. He shifts, and his gaze catches on a figure near the entrance—a young woman, barely more than a girl, clutching a brown paper bag as if it were a lifeline. She moves with cautious, hesitant steps, her eyes wide and flitting, trying to avoid the stares of the surrounding men. John’s curiosity stirs. He props himself up on an elbow, studying th…