Free A Marine’s Proposal by Lisa Carlisle Page A

walkway where they slowed their pace.
    “I'd suggest we go out for drinks, but you seem to have quite the buzz already .”
    “I'm fine,” Caitlyn protested. “Let's go out and celebrate!”
    “Okay,” Slade replied. “How about we see a band or go dancing. No karaoke, please.”
    “Dancing. Let's go dancing!” Caitlyn exclaimed. “I know just the place.”
    Slade’s eyes narrowed inquisitively. “Back from your clubbing days?”
    Caitlyn smiled sweetly to acknowledge his statement. She tried not to cringe remembering her first days in Okinawa, when she partied until the early morning at the clubs. She had been only nineteen, for Pete's sake, and living on the other side of the world. She had to do something to get over the shock.
    Then Slade had intervened. When he came by one Sunday morning to see if Caitlyn wanted to go hiking, she had declined. She had been too busy nursing herself with cold wet facecloths to ease the headache, a consequence of having a too much fun the night before.
    “O'Neill, you're a mess. Don't you want to wake up on a Sunday morning for once without a hangover?”
    “Leave me alone,” she had muttered.
    Slade had grabbed her by the arms. “I'm serious. Don't you think you're taking a little too far?”
    “What else is there to do on this island?” she had replied. “I'm all alone thousands of miles away from my family on a tiny island in the Pacific. I signed up to be stationed over here for three long years. It seemed like a better idea before I actually moved away from everyone.” She had put the facecloths back over her eyes and laid down.
    “You're not alone. You have me,” Slade declared. “And you're going to throw away one of the best opportunities of your life. How many chances do you think you'll have to live in another culture, a tropical island no less, on the other side of the world?”
    Caitlyn pulled the covers over her head. It was too early for a lecture. Slade pulled them off and she winced.
    “The light.”
    “Listen to me, Cait. Next weekend, forget about hanging out with all these bums. You're spending the whole weekend with me. I'll show you another side of Okinawa. By daylight.”
    “Sure, whatever,” she said, and pulled the pillow over her head.
    When she had crawled out of bed later that day, Caitlyn thought of what Slade said. He was right. She had been a mess, burying her homesickness in a bottle while she wasted her deployment away.
    She had stopped going to the clubs with the other Marines she lived and worked with and started spending time with Slade. That first weekend, they had gone into Naha, explored ancient ruins, hiked near some falls. She had to admit it was a far better way to experience Okinawa than through the way she'd been pursuing.
    Since then, they'd spent much of their free time together when Slade wasn't in a class. He introduced her to the wonders of Okinawa, from the ancient ruins and splendid red castles to the modern bustle of Naha and breathtaking beaches. They explored Okinawa on his crazy outdoor adventures unless she could convince him to hang out and watch a movie or go out to eat. They’d developed a die-hard Scrabble competition, trying to show off their vocabularies. She had to admit it; if it wasn't for Slade, her once in a lifetime chance to live and experience Okinawa might have turned into a sequence of mistakes.
    Now it was her turn to show Slade Okinawan nightlife. One night out dancing wouldn't ruin him. She led them to a rooftop club that played American and Euro hits, the bass booming from speakers all around them.
    “Voila,” she said.
    “Is this where you used to party?” He scanned the crowd.
    “Sometimes.”
    ****
    Slade noticed how many heads turned when Caitlyn appeared. Scanning the club, he saw a few groups of servicemen, while the rest of the club was filled with locals and tourists. If Caitlyn was aware that she stood out as the only blond American female in the club, she didn't let on as she