Remember Fate

by Ginny Sterling

  He would never be perfect—but he would never stop trying to be the best man, husband, or partner for Lucy. If things didn’t work out between them—he still wanted her as a friend in his life, something he never wanted with Annabelle. There were so many differences, more than he ever expected to find.

  Each one a treasure.

  Each one a miracle.

  Working on the bomb, Jamie realized that he’d easily moved on from Annabelle. He couldn’t imagine life without Lucy. They needed to talk because he didn’t want to go to Alaska without her. If she didn’t want to get married, he wasn’t so sure he would be able to pick up the pieces. Losing Lucy would break him in a way he didn’t know if he could handle.

  When Watson said that Jamie was getting turned down for his marriage proposal, he sat there for a moment because he was lightheaded with dread and doubt. Could he be so wrong with his instincts? If this was another way to shape his life, could he be strong enough to handle it?

  “I’ll be down in a minute, Watson,” Jamie said, extending a hand towards Lucy where she was waiting. He saw the other man shake his head before giving a sharp command to Paladin, his K-9 dog. The dog got in line right beside Watson and trailed out like nothing had ever happened.

  Jamie would not forget today as long as he lived.

  He turned to Lucy in the room's privacy and reached for her hands instinctively. He wanted to hug her, tell her to hear him out, and reassure her that he would not mess things up again—but instead stood there silently. He was done apologizing for who he was on the inside and was confident that whatever her reaction to his ill-timed proposal was—they could deal with it.

  Together.

  Lucy couldn’t believe that Jamie was so completely amazing that he literally just disarmed a bomb in front of her, saving her life. He’d told her he loved her, called her his fiancée, and dismantled a freakin’ bomb.

  James Bond - eat your heart out!

  ‘Cause Jameson Post was the ‘end-all/be-all’ of mankind and he wanted to marry her? Wasn’t that all of her hopes and dreams rolled into one big handsome package, just standing there holding her hand quietly?

  “I know you said we need to talk privately but we can…” Jamie began and Lucy interrupted right away, unable to contain herself.

  “You are utterly incredible,” she whispered reverently, stunned. “Did you see yourself? I’ve never seen someone so smart, so capable… oh!”

  Jamie grabbed her by the upper shoulders and yanked her against him, kissing her in a way that jolted her straight down to her toes. His lips were aggressively tender, possessing her as if it was a burst of sheer emotions and adrenaline escaping him.

  Uncontrollable.

  Lucy broke the kiss, gasping for air. She stared up into his beloved face and saw that he’d truly been terrified. She’d known deep down inside that he’d been scared for her—but this was something more. He’d lacked confidence that he could have kept his word to her. He’d vowed to keep her safe and things had been that close. He looked shaken, humbled, and lost—making the urge to reassure him almost more than she could bear.

  “Jamie,” she whispered tenderly, caressing his beloved face. “I knew you would save me. I was scared – but for you.”

  “Lucy, I meant what I said,” Jamie began, his eyes watching hers. “I know this is so fast and I’m not a perfect man but when I saw how scared you were—I knew I would spend my whole life trying to protect you and love you.”

  “You don’t have to rush into another engagement.”

  “I don’t feel like I’m rushing. This feels so right between us. I can’t imagine anyone else I would rather have at my side as my partner and best friend. I love you—I love who we are together.”

  “And the position in Alaska?”

  “It’s another post and we could be there for a few years—but I want you there with me. If you don’t want to go, we’ll find another way to make this work but I am never giving up on you.”

  “It’s fate that we are here together and that we met again,” he admitted, running his hand up her arm to rest on top of where her hand sat on his cheek. The way he caressed her, made her shiver with happiness. He tenderly folded his fingers with hers and pulled them towards his mouth, kissing her knuckles.

  “We’ve always been friends—and always will be.”

  “But?”

  “We just needed to make the jump,” she said tenderly, “and I think that happened when you first kissed me in the cave. I couldn’t believe it. Our paths keep crossing for a reason.”

  “You have been everything to me and bring me such joy that I can’t imagine not having you at my side.”

  “What’s that?”

  “The wiring I just clipped from the bomb,” Jamie stepped back and got down on one knee, looking so hopeful and so full of love. He pulled out a piece of wire from his pocket, putting the two ends together and twisting them to form a circle.

  “I don’t have a ring yet, but I will get you the prettiest ring I can find, but this somehow feels so appropriate. Lucy Reyes you absolutely blow me away—would you do me the greatest honor and become my wife?”

  “I loved you as a girl, loved you when you were hurting after Annabelle, and I will love you until the end of time. You are so much stronger than you’ll ever realize and amaze me at every turn. It would honor me to become your wife,” she breathed, watching him slip the thin piece of rubber-encased wiring over her ring finger and then kissing it tenderly. His hands trembled almost as much as her knees were.

  He glanced up, his eyes bright with emotion and face illuminated with the most brilliant smile. Getting to his feet, he kissed her tenderly, his hands cupping her neck gently, sweeping her hair off her shoulder in a caress.

  “I want you to be sure of this and we can have a…”

  “I’m sure.”

  “Are you sure? What about your job?”

  “Mike, my camera guy, said something that really hit home—‘the evening news is safe’. I’m willing to bet there is a station wherever you are going. If not, I can find something else, start a website, or maybe work on a bulletin for local families of other soldiers who are hopelessly in love with the man of their dreams.”

  “I love you.”

  “And I love you. Let’s elope. I don’t want a big wedding or some fancy ring. I’m apparently fond of detonator wires,” she teased playfully, and then stepped into his arms to hug him.

  “Our wait is over and it’s time for our lives to begin.”

  “We could get a flight into Las Vegas on the way to Alaska and our future—together.”

  “Perfect.”

  Epilogue

  July 2018

  Anchorage, Alaska

  Jamie grabbed the bag of cedar wood chips and began to add them to the fire that was already blazing hot in the grill, smiling at the surrounding conversation. He was truly blessed and hadn’t realized how much of an impact that such changes in his life would create when he first found out about Annabelle… but incredibly thankful for it.

  His heart was full in a way he’d never imagined it could be.

  “Jamie! Stop honey - or the fire will never go out tonight,” she exclaimed happily, bringing him another soda. He absolutely adored her smile and the love behind it, never looking back or doubting his future. He wrapped an arm around her expanding waist and lay a hand on her stomach where their child was growing.

  “Have I told you how much I love you?”

  “Not yet today,” she breathed, her eyes darkening, and Jamie smiled at the obvious fib on her lips, knowing they were both thinking about their time together this morning before everyone arrived at their home for the party.

  “I think we both know better than that.”

  “Maybe I just wanted to hear it again?”

  “Maybe I just wanted to say it again,” he countered, nuzzling her neck playfully and whispering the words in her ear. He’d vowed to himself to be completely transparent at how much he cared fo
r her so she had no regrets or felt the urge to look elsewhere. He secretly feared that because of his previous relationship, even though Lucy was so different. He still couldn’t believe how easy things were between them. He couldn’t help it but was glad it was all in his distant past—and relieved they could talk about it when he worried.

  His future was right here in his arms.

  “Post! We want to grill the burgers, not make charcoal pucks of them,” Jamie heard and smiled at the good-natured ribbing from his friends. His ‘brothers’ had all made the trip for them to have a July 4th cookout and spend their vacation together. There had been a chain email sent around to everyone in their squad, both past and present, to pick a location yearly and have a reunion. This was the first year, and it stunned him they’d all agreed to come to Alaska.

  Jamie had been here for almost a year and so much had happened in that time. He had married Lucy in a small roadside church in Las Vegas and they spent the night in a suite on the Strip in an effort to make their impromptu wedding as romantic as possible. He’d passed his K9 training and his Malamute was never far from his side, both at work and at home.

  Lucy still wore the little green circuit strip in a round locket around her neck, claiming that her first ring would always be precious to her. He’d replaced it as fast as possible with a simple, oval diamond solitaire that reminded him of her. Classy, iconic, strong, and breathtaking.

  “You need some help, boy?” John Griffin, his former CPO and friend, clapped him on the back and winked at his pregnant wife Lily. Jamie had the good graces to flush, since he’d been the one to dub his CPO with the moniker, ‘ol’ man Griff’ in Afghanistan.

  “Correction, sir—that’s my man,” Lucy quipped lightly, kissing Jamie on the nose. “Have fun with your friends and I’ll go pick Lily’s brain with all my baby questions. She’s two months farther along and I want to see what to expect.”

  John and Lily had made the long trip from Texas because they didn’t know what next year would bring. Lily was almost seven months pregnant with her child—Lucy was barely five months along.

  John had said in a candid (but private) separate email that neither knew what having a baby would be like and to them, it was easier to plan a trip now than later. Lily was having problems with swollen ankles. John suggested that traveling now might be a lot easier to handle than later with a newborn child. That was something they all had in common—they were all nervous about what kind of parents they would be. Change was in the air once again.

  “I didn’t realize you’d heard that was me.”

  “It’s ‘cause I didn’t care and thought it was funny.”

  “Is that why I had to run all the time?”

  “Nawww… that would be petty, wouldn’t it?” John grinned and Jamie laughed at his expression. He knew then that was exactly why he’d had to do laps several times one week and now realized when his CPO had known. There was something else there in his expression—a friendship and respect.

  Jamie looked around at the other smiling faces and realized that Lucy fit right in with his extended family. Wilkes, Minter, Cooper, Houghton, Watson, Luka, Hody, and Tobin were all here for this trip. The only one that hadn’t come was Captain Logan. Griffin had invited him and he’d been unable to get away. He wasn’t close to the captain—not like Griffin was—and frankly, the man’s aloof attitude had a way of unnerving him… but then again, so had his CPO.

  This group was growing by leaps and bounds—and would soon have children milling about. He hoped that Lucy and Lily’s pregnancies would inspire some others to do the same, so their children could all grow together and always have someone to rely on or reach out to. Looking at Lucy in the distance over John’s shoulder, she blew him a kiss that he quickly returned and blushed. John’s eyebrow raised questioningly, smirking.

  “That was for your wife, right?”

  “It sure wasn’t for you,” Jamie grinned and then snapped to attention, tucking in his Hawaiian shirt into his blue jean shorts. “Sir.”

  “At ease, you dork.”

  Both men laughed easily and tipped their soda cans in a mock salute.

  They’d all had problems, issues, or things that made them who they were—but they were his brothers. They were his friends—this most trusted group of strange misfits, outrageous personalities, and tremendous hearts.

  They were his family.

  Afterword

  Thank you for taking the time to read Remember Fate. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review. Doesn’t have to be much, just a simple rating and a few kind words work wonders. Your thoughts, opinions and feedback are much appreciated.

  Sincerely,

  Ginny

  About the Author

  Ginny Sterling is a Texas transplant living in Kentucky. She spends her free time (Ha!) writing, quilting, and spending time with her husband and two children. Ginny can be reached on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or via email at GinnySterlingBooks@gmail.com

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  Also by Ginny Sterling

  Discover Disaster City - a brand new series sure to have you hanging onto your seat… and clutching your heart!

  Lawfully Gifted

  CPO John Griffin’s story - the book that launched the series Healing Hearts

  Dear John…

  For teacher Lily Hogan, those words would come to mean so much. She knew that giving back to the community brought joy into people’s lives. When her fourth-grade class writes letters to the military overseas in Afghanistan, she takes up her own pen and leads her students by example – writing a letter to an unknown soldier.

  CPO John Griffin and his K-9 dog, Radar, have been through so much together over the last several years. Sniffing out bombs, searching the hills and mentoring his team, he feels so alone and unsure of his future- until a letter reminds him that there’s more to life in this world he’s protecting. Simple words, a kind gesture and feeling that he isn’t forgotten out there in the desert, compels him to write back. Before long, he finds himself looking forward to the care packages and letters from his pen-pal halfway across the world.

  With every letter and every word, they begin to develop a friendship and wonder what the other person is truly like? Major life changes are scary enough as it is - but is it possible to fall in love with someone before you’ve even laid eyes upon them? Can the magic of the season bring the sweetest gift of all?

  Remember Courage

  Coming soon!

  Dylan Luka has a job he loves. Seeing different parts of the world and hanging out with his best friends are the biggest perks of his career. Everything has always come easy to the handsome soldier armed with a devastating smile, but when he’s diagnosed with a medical condition, he struggles with maintaining the discipline he needs to survive. Winning over the lovely barista that has enchanted him is another matter altogether!

  Eva Morrison cannot believe the gall of the man before her. He thinks if he flirts with her; she will fall immediately for his magnetic appeal all while serving him a hot cup of coffee. When his repeated attempts to ask her out fail, will a silent cry for help shatter the wall surrounding her determined resolve? Can she fight the chemistry between them—or will she have enough courage and patience to capture his heart?

  Remember Love

  Get your copy of Remember Love

  Ava Richardson is a new mother with a child she never expected. When a nightmare event rips her from a fairytale life, she’s devastated and frightened to move on. What she never expected was to find solace in a pen-pal, pouring out her feelings to a stranger halfway across the world.

  Colin Wilkes is a weary, reckless soldier in Afghanistan. Saddled with guilt at causing his best friend to lose his leg, he awaits whatever fate he has coming. Unexpectedly receiving an email from a strange woman looking for anything to help her get through the day- he can’t help but feel intrigued and sympathetic to her pleas.

  When C
olin finds himself suddenly back in the States and face to face with his mysterious pen-pal, can a friendship that began over the internet solidify into something more? Can one shattered soul help mend another? Can they be saved by remembering just how to love someone?

  Remember Joy

  Remember Joy this holiday season!

  Cora Dillion thrives on control. After being abandoned and homeless on the streets, it had taken everything in her to climb back to a life she recognized. A self-proclaimed workaholic, she remains focused to prevent anyone from disrupting the existence she’s built for herself. When she receives a flurry of emails from a soldier, she realizes that the man pouring out his soul could be dangerous to her structured world… and her heart.

  Mike Cooper lived for the moment. Reckless and arrogant- that was the image he presented to his buddies in the barracks. Deep down inside, he needed a friend to keep him focused and was desperately afraid of the nightmarish world he existed in. Envious of the relationships around him, Mike puts his very heart on the line hoping that Cora will be the one to snatch it up.

  Will Cora realize that Mike could be the very man she needs to come out of her shell? Can both of their hearts find strength in each other’s weaknesses? Will the spirit of the season remind them both how to remember joy?