Hey my buddy LaylaLovely2011 and I wrote this. You should totally check her page out, that is where most of our Army Wives stories are. Anyways I hope you like it and PLEASE REVIEW!
Chapter 1: Meeting Texas's Sweetest Southern Bell
Doña Catalina Maria Gabriela Hernandez-Branch was perhaps the most beautiful woman Fort Bliss had seen in a long time. Her family owned a large hacienda outside the fort ever scenes her wealthy Spanish ancestors stepped foot on these lands. Tall, with big shoulder length black hair, eyes as black as coal and skin as white as snow surly made her stand out in the sea of blondes. The perfect example of Spanish beauty. She always wore a knee length pencil skirt with a plain top and a thin sweater that matched the pencil skirt. Her hair was always teased, nails always manicured, make up done, and pearls on her neck. Even if she was sick she was well put together because she wouldn't want the doctor to see her a mess.
Now that she was forty and no longer the most beautiful woman on the post, she was at least happy her middle daughter took her place. Denise Ann Branch was very close to being the spitting image of her mother. She had her mother's dark hair and eyes but had more of a tan skin tone. Very smart and very driven like her father, she was studying to be a nurse, her mother knew she didn't need to work but Denise wanted to,she wanted to support herself and not have to depend on a man,she had seen enough of that from her mother and decided she wanted more out of life. Doña Catalina Branch, as the fort knew her, was a very strong woman. When her own mother died she took charge of her father and the lands. From that she had an aura of leadership and became head of almost every organization the wives took part off. A perfect symbol of class and kindness, however to some of the new wives she wasn't modern. Especially to Denise. Denise loves her mother but the old Spanish ways her mother tried so hard to keep where was old as the typewriter she thought.
Denise was a bit of a rebel,at age eighteen she enjoyed riding motocycles with her brothers and hanging out with the boys who all had a crush on her. She was the bell of the town. She had nearly every civilian and solider between the ages of 17-26 at her Beck and call. Doña Catalina Branch would always insist on the boys over to have dinner. At least that way Denise would behave herself and act like a lady. Denise hated that her mother tried ot set her up with these men,she wasn't interested in any of them,she had no intrest at all in fact in marrying a soldeier at all. Denise knew her mother only had the boys over in hopes that she would behave. But that her daughter not marry one, on that they both agreed. Doña Catalina made it quite clear how marrying a Irish-Scottish-French mutt solider took her from her lands.
Denise's dad got lost trying to find the fort and ended up on Doña Catalina's lands. He got shot for trespassing and two weeks later he arrived at the fort with seventeen year old Catalina was his wife. A love story that most all girls on the fort knew about and wish would happen to them. Denise's sisters loved the idea of marrying soldiers, getting taken care of and not having to work or do anything but spend money. Bethany Alecia Branch and Suzanne Farrah Branch were polar opposites and Denise and her parents thought at times the two hated each other. Her father, Colonel Branch would take Doña Catalina's horse whip and get their hide each time the started their bickering. Then Doña Catalina would come out telling her husband that only the feild workers got their hide whipped and Denise would laugh at how her mother had her husband at her cammand.
Denise's days always started out the same,she woke up usually before anyone else in the house and would study then around noon she would get ready and hurry off to work where she was a nursing student almost reaching her degree. Doña Catalina would have been up with the help talking about how her mother and aunts would faint at the thought of a woman working outside the home. Denise would throw in her face how if she could control hundreds of acres of land she could get her nursing degree. Doña Catalina didn't say a word but Denise knew her father would get her with the horse wip later.
Denise woke up late one morning and was rushing around getting ready and as usual her sisters were fighting,Denise just rolled her eyes until the fight managed to come into her bed room,Denise tried ot get in the middle but all that got her was a busted lip "Daddy!" she shouted so he'd come get them out of her room. Colonel Branch was a large big man standing at about 6'7 feet tall. He had auburn hair and bright green eyes. He looked like a bear and he didn't need much to scare anyone. He stood at the door with his arms crossed when all three girls silenced themselves.
"Will you please get them out of here I am already late for work." Denise said,even though Beth was the youngest Denise was "daddy's little girl"
"Out. Now." He ordered and the two girls ran out, perhaps to go complain to their mother. Denise smiled.
"Thanks daddy." she said going to give her father a hug.
He hugged her back and let her get ready. Denise like always left in a hurry and rushed to get her shift started at the post hospital. She was sent to a room that had three girls surrounding a bed.
"Who's the patient?"she asked smiling,her southern drawl naturally coming out.
"My boyfriend!" Said the one with red hair.
"No! My boyfriend!" Yelled the blonde.
"He's mine!" Said the one with dark hair.
Denise just rolled her eyes "Out ladies"she said
"Ugh, stupid redneck bitch!" Said the blonde. Clearly with a northern accent. Now Doña Catalina would have died and turned in her grave had she heard that.
"Yep sure am." she said smiling smugly. The three glared at her before shutting the door behind them.
Denise just laughed and finally got a look at the patient,she was a man about twenty year old, blonde hair and bright blue eyes, Denise couldn't help but smile at him.
"Hi." She said in more seductive then sweet.
"Well I have died and gone to heaven." He said smiling, he was a little high from the morphine he was being given for the pain.
She blushed. He had a southern accent and was filled with southern charm. "Why, you're mighty kind."
"Well thank you ma'am." He said "Name's Frank Sherwood, Private First Class Fank Sherwood."
"Oh, well it's nice to meet you Private Sherwood." She said as she got everything she needed ready. "Shame I don't get to see such handsome soldiers around here a lot." She lied. The ultimate southern bell should be able to lie to anyone about anything with a beautiful smile on her face.
He laughed "You sure know how to make a guy feel special." He said as she started another IV.
"Oh don't make me blush Private." He was like all the others, so easy to win over.
Denise finished her job and smiled "It was nice to meet you PFC Sherwood."
"Hey," He sat up. "When will I see you again?"
"I'll be back in a few hours to check on you." She said.
"Good. I want only you to come see me." He winked.
She laughed and shook her head and left to make her other rounds. When it was time to check on him again she found yet another woman in his room.
"You are one popular man PFC Sherwood"she said.
He laughed. The woman who turned around smiled at her. "Hi, Ann-Taylor, I'm his fiance."
She smiled "Nice to meet you." She said but Denise couldn't help but feel a little sad for some reason.
That and the fact that three other girls where also claiming to be his girlfriend, and how he only wanted her to be his nurse.
She took his vitals "Okay, well visiting hours are over so he needs to get his rest."
"Oh, but I just got here! Please let me be with him just a few more minutes!" Ann-Taylor plead.
Denise smiled at her, "Ma'am, the other women also kept asking for extra time with him and I didn't give them time either, now leave."
"Other women?!" She snapped and looked at Frank.
Denise smiled. "Oh don't worry, those Yankee girls can never take him away from a southern bell like you."
She smiled and kissed Frank goodbye before leaving the room. Denise smiled at her before slamming the door on her. Ann-Taylor glared at her before Denise gave her a phony apologize.
Frank laughed, he was beginning to like that nurse.
"Sorry about that Private, I didn't mean to rat you out."
"It's fine"he laughed "The truth is I don't really want to marry her."
"Then why are you?" She asked sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Her and my mother are best friends, they set us up and one thing led to another and here we are."
Denise laughed. "You should meet Doña Catalina, she want's me to marry her second cousin's awful son just so they can do something with dividing the land or something."
He laughed "Is she your mother?" He asked.
"Yes, but I never really called her mother."
"Why not?"he asked sitting up, he liked talking to her.
She smiled. "You see she has this natural aura of respect, strength, and leadership. She is also very wealthy, and that's what everyone just calls her. Her family owns most of the lands outside the fort and she makes it known that she owns these lands. It's the only thing she has left from moving here." She found it strange telling this to someone she just meet.
"You seem so different from her." He said.
"Oh I am in every scenes of the word."
He laughed "You know, you are very pretty."
"Oh, now Private, you shouldn't say things you don't mean." She blushed. She knew he was right and wanted to see what else he thought of her.
"I do mean it." He said smiling "Prettiest girl on post."
"Stop that, you're gonna make me redder then the fireworks on the forth of July."
"Good." He teased.
Her eyes widened. "Now behave yourself solider, you have a very lovely future wife."
"Not if you'll do me the honor of going to dinner with me once I get out of here." He said.
Denise faked a shock face. "My I never heard of such a scandal!" Had it not been for Doña Catalina's honor she would have in a heartbeat.
He laughed "Can't blame a guy for trying."
She blushed. "Besides can't have myself falling for a solider who will run off and break my poor southern girl heart."
"I'd never do that." He said
She put on her sad face. "The fact that you're to be married already killed me." She said as she got up and got ready to head out.
"Now that's just not fair." He said. "I bet you've got Colonel Branch wrapped around that little finger of yours with that face."
"Oh, I am such a sweet and sensitive girl, my father only wants me protected is all. And how did you know Colonel Branch is my father?"
"I just assumed since your name tag says Denise Branch that he was your father." He replied
"Now look at you being the little detective."
He laughed. "Don't you have a job to do?" He teased.
She raised her eyebrow, "I do." She gathered her things. "Good-bye Private." She said leaving the room.
He couldn't help but smile, he did not understand how someone he just met could make his head spin and his heart race, but this girl did.