Danny had given a lot of thought to what his father said and knew he was right. It wasn't fair that he keep Caroline in a relationship that neither of them was happy in.

Now that he was able to look back, he could see that he really should have broken up with her before he left for the Academy and let her have her life in New York. It was where she belonged, not on an air base in Hawaii.

She picked a bad time to come back though because Annie's birthday was that weekend and he knew her family planned a picnic at the beach near their house. It seemed as though both of their families would find any excuse to go to the beach because they still spent their Sunday afternoons there with a picnic lunch his mama and Annie's would put together.

Their fathers taught them all to swim in the Pacific and when they were old enough he tried to teach Sarah how to surf. She didn't take to it and he didn't have the time to practice the way he wanted and gave it up before he started senior year at Pearl High. It never occurred to him to take Caroline out after they began to see each other because he knew she wouldn't enjoy it.

What would Mama say? They were like oil and water because no matter how much someone tried to get the two to mix, they always separated.

He drove his old Chevy to the airport to pick her up as she'd told him to do and knew she wouldn't appreciate being greeted with such a relic. But it was all he had and it was his. He made sure to get there in plenty of time to meet her flight because he knew how much she hated to be kept waiting. And if he made her wait even two minutes, she wouldn't let him forget it for the few days she would be in Hawaii.

He decided only that morning not to wear his uniform to meet Caroline's plane because for the first time he admitted to himself that she just wasn't worth it and he wore civvies.

He parked his car and walked toward the departure gate. As he approached saw her plane touch down and it took a few minutes before it approached the gate and rolled to a stop. The engines idled for a few minutes longer before they slowly began to shut down. He watched as the baggage handler snaked his cart across the tarmac to the idle plane and as the luggage was off loaded, a long set of stairs was rolled out. As soon as they were locked in place, the door was opened and passengers began to deplane.

He should have figured that she'd be one of the last of the passengers off because she always liked to make an entrance no matter where she was. She stood at the top of the stairs and waited for a moment before Danny saw her reach for the handrail and descend.

She seemed so out of place as she walked toward him because she wore a suit. The skirt and jacket she had on was opposite to what most girls wore in Hawaii, who tended toward casual attire. But he knew she didn't care.

She also wore a frown and that too was out of place. She handed him her travel bag and without a word headed inside the airport to collect her suitcase. He held back a sigh and followed her. She was in fine form and he knew it would be useless to talk until she was damn good and ready.

It wasn't until she handed him her suitcase and walked out of the airport and toward his car that she spoke. "I hate this place."

"Then why in the hell are you here?" He frowned at her. Mama would have been horrified to hear him use such language with a woman but Caroline was more of a pill than usual and Danny didn't have the patience to deal with it.

"My parents didn't give me much of a choice." She said as they stopped next to his car and she sighed. "You didn't really drive this, did you?"

"It's all I've got Caroline, so it's this or you take a cab."

"You'd think that because you're a pilot now you'd have something more appropriate." She commented as Danny stowed her suitcase and travel bag in the trunk and opened the passenger door for her.

"I'm surprised you would remember that considering that you couldn't find the time to come to Colorado to see me graduate." He shot back.

"I already explained that I couldn't get away." And she sat down in time for him to close the door. He walked around to the driver's side and got in. He turned the key and the engine came to life.

"It was so important that you couldn't come back to see me get the wings I spent four years busting my tail for and earning my commission." His frown deepened as he put his foot on the gas pedal and drove out of the parking lot.

The ride back to Wheeler was quiet and he looked for an opportunity to talk to her but it didn't present itself. When Danny finally arrived at the air base, he stopped at the gate and presented his identification to the MP before he was waved through.

He drove toward base housing and found her parents residence. He stopped his car in front of the house and no sooner did he shut the engine down that Caroline got out of the car and walked toward the front door. As he got her suitcases from the trunk he saw the door open and her parents were there to greet her. She walked into the house without a word and her mother looked hurt.

Major Harris met him and took her bags out of his hands with a sigh. "Thank you for picking her up son. She doesn't care for it when her mother or I do."

"It's good to see you again Danny, or should I say Lieutenant?" Mrs. Harris smiled at him. "Roger and I were so pleased to hear that you graduated from the Academy."

"Thank you Ma'am." He smiled back.

"You could have knocked me over with a feather when your father told me that you'd been posted here." Major Harris commented with a smile of his own. "What were the odds?"

Danny grinned. "Impossible to one, Sir."

He turned serious. "Caroline wasn't too happy when you picked her up, I gather."

"It was a long flight and she's probably tired." Danny tried to be charitable.

"You're too kind about it Danny." Mrs. Harris sighed. "Caroline was very upset when her father was transferred here. She was hoping he was going to be transferred to Mitchell so she could have been closer to New York."

That explained her taking off for New York as quickly as she did. "Did she graduate from NYU? She never told me."

Major and Mrs. Harris looked at each other for a moment before he spoke. "Caroline left school after her freshman year Danny. She was more interested in her social life than getting a degree, so she got a job at one of the big department stores and moved into a flat with some of the girls she works with."

She hadn't told him that.

"I gather you didn't know." Mrs. Harris asked him.

Danny shook his head. "No Ma'am, she never told me."

"Her life is there now and her mother and I realize that. But if we didn't insist she come home once in awhile, we'd never see her." Major Harris added.

"She's never invited you back?"

Mrs. Harris shook her head and looked as though she wanted to cry. "Caroline is our only child and her father and I indulged her more than we should have. It's made her headstrong and stubborn."

"Em, we spoiled her and there's no need to gloss over the details." He looked at Danny. "The one thing we couldn't give her was a transfer to Mitchell and she's never forgiven me."

That explained a lot. "But you didn't have any control over that Sir."

"You understand that but there was nothing I could say to get her to understand."

Danny nodded. "Please tell her that if she can't reach me at my quarters this weekend, I'll probably be at my folks."

"We'll tell her son, thank you." Major Harris put his hand out and Danny took it and shook.

"It was nice to see you again." He told them.

"It was wonderful to see you again too Danny. Please give our best to your parents." Mrs. Harris smiled at him before she turned and walked into the house.

Major Harris put Caroline's suitcase and travel bag inside the front door before he closed it. "I'll walk you to your car."

They walked side by side and Danny wondered what it was the Major wanted to say.

"You've been really good to my girl and her mother and I appreciate it, even if she doesn't." He began. "But I've seen the way she treats you and it's not right."

"Sir?"

"Danny, she doesn't belong here any more than I would have belonged at Mitchell. She wasn't happy here, but Mrs. Harris and I have been. We're hoping that this will be my final post and once I retire we plan on staying here."

"I gather that she wasn't too happy about that."

"That's something that we'll deal with." He said. "What I'm trying to say son is that I think it would be best for you if you call things off with Caroline. Her mother and I have spoken quite often about this and we both agree that you should find someone who would be more suited to military life. It's been my observation that she hasn't made you very happy and we would like it very much if you could find someone who would."

He was being given permission to break up with her. "I've tried to make her happy and never understood why I couldn't."

"The plain fact is, she doesn't want to have anything to do with the military and if you were to think about marriage, she would expect you to leave the Air Force."

Danny nodded. "I always had that feeling even though she knew from the start what my plans were."

"I know. But you and she aren't children anymore and you just achieved something you've wanted since you were a boy. And I would be sorely disappointed, as I know your parents would be if you gave it up."

"Yes, Sir."

Major Harris put a hand on his shoulder. "I'll let you get home now. And please think about what I said."

"I will." He answered as the Major walked back to the house and Danny watched as he opened the front door and stepped into the house before he closed it behind him.

He stood next to his car for a moment and his respect for the Major grew. He didn't need to say the things he did but Danny knew that it was out of respect for his daughter's suitor that he was so frank.

He glanced at the closed door again before he got in his car. He sat in the quiet before he started the engine, put the car in gear and headed back to his quarters.