A family of swans crossed diagonally through the lake. She tracked their smooth progress as she gathered her courage. “I seem to remember once upon a time, before our lives were in danger, that you hoped to take me to dinner and catch up.” She forced her voice to sound light even though her heart raced. It hadn’t escaped her notice that their conversations had been strained ever since the hospital visit.
Luke met her eyes. He smiled wide for half a second until concern washed over his features. “Um. When you say go out to dinner...” He sighed. “I’m going to be straight with you, Gabriella. I’m determined to not rush you or push the friendship, but I’m also struggling.” He looked down at his shoes. “I’m a driven person—”
She laughed at the understatement. “No news to me, Luke.”
“So you know that once I’ve got my mind set on something, I have a hard time being patient. I don’t want to mess us up... I mean our friendship. I guess I’m asking if you mean just as friends catching up or—”
“I said I love you.” She blurted it out so fast she surprised herself.
He flinched, looked around as if she was speaking to someone else and jerked his gaze back to her.
She beamed, laughing. “I’m talking to you.”
“When?” His eyes clouded with confusion.
She hated to remember the way his head hit the asphalt, the way his fingers had slipped from her grasp when the paramedics took him away. Her throat squeezed tight. “When you saved my life. It overwhelmed me. I’d missed your friendship so much...except, in my heart I knew I loved you much more than a friend.”
“You said you loved me?”
It was as though he hadn’t heard another word she’d said. Gabriella nodded and finally lifted her chin so she could stare into his blue eyes.
His mouth dropped. “And I missed it?”
Gabriella grabbed his hands. His response, his reaction made the doubt she’d had earlier scatter. She stepped closer, making sure he couldn’t miss it this time. “I love you.”
His lips pressed onto hers before she could prepare herself. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. He pulled back half an inch. “I love you, too.”
Gabriella closed her eyes, soaking in the moment, and rested her head on his uninjured shoulder. She inhaled, and hints of pine and cedar with fresh citrus notes complemented the smells of the forest. He smelled like comfort, like...well, like Luke. And she never wanted to lose him again.
“I want you to know I’m all-in,” he said. “I didn’t want to scare you away, but I looked at some business opportunities in Oregon. Nothing for sure yet, but if I could get some work there we could see each other a little more during the school year.”
She beamed. “And I didn’t want to scare you, but I just accepted a teaching job here. I wanted to be closer to Aunt Freddie, but I’m all-in, too, Luke.”
His hands pushed her back slightly. He bent his right knee, pain briefly crossing his features. He switched legs and dipped to the ground on his left knee. Her breath caught as he reached for her hands. “Gabriella, I...I know in my heart you are the one, and if you know, too...will you, would you, be my wife?” His eyes widened. “I mean not right this minute, I don’t want to rush you, but if we both are committed—”
She laughed, moved her right hand from his grasp and caressed the side of his face, nodding wildly, her eyes suddenly blurry. “Yes,” she whispered. “Yes.”
Gabriella blinked. She didn’t want to cry. She wanted to remember every moment in crystal clear color for years to come. She stepped back. Her mouth dropped. “Luke...”
He stood and pulled her into his arms. “Yes?” he asked softly.
“I want to always remember this...” She felt her eyes widen as her words triggered a realization.
Luke’s arms stiffened and he inhaled sharply. “...to remember what God has done for us?”
She grinned. He understood her train of thought. She’d just figured out where her mom had hidden the coins. “Exactly.”
“Are you sure you want to find out if we’re right?” he asked.
Did she? She knew if she found the treasure, she’d likely find her father. Was she ready for that? Luke’s support around her never wavered, much like her Father in Heaven. And if she could remember that...remember she would always be loved by her Heavenly Father no matter what, then she knew her answer. “Yes. I’m ready. Besides, we can always put the boulders back where they were if we’re wrong.”
“Agreed.” He pulled out his phone. “I just need to make a phone call.”
* * *
His brother responded immediately to his phone call. The rumble of the machine confirmed David was on his way with one of the machines Luke leased for his construction crew. Luke squeezed Gabriella’s hand while the other hand held the shovel. “I think I need to buy this shovel from you, too,” he muttered.
Gabriella cocked her head. “Sentimental, is it? I’m pretty sure it was the reason you ended up getting shot...the first time.”
“Or the reason we were able to save the day. All how you look at things.” He winked.
She flashed her wide smile. “Yet another reason I love you. Always focused on the positive.”
His heart flipped. Would he ever get used to her saying those three little words? He pulled her closer and kissed her mouth.
At the sight of the skid-steer loader, he waved. His brother David filled the operating box, but a white pickup truck followed behind. “That’s probably Aria.”
Confident his brother had his sights set on Gabriella and him, they turned and walked in the direction of the boulders her mom had set up. Minutes later, Gabriella pointed to the third and fourth stones in the line of twelve. “Start in the middle,” she said. “It’s what I would do if I were Mom. And they are the biggest.”
David’s competent steering made short work of the boulders. He moved them about ten feet away from the river. Gabriella kept a sharp eye on the boulders. “I want to make sure we can put them back.”
Aria hopped out of the pickup truck at the same time David exited the loader. She removed three shovels from the bed and walked their way. After introductions were made, Luke pointed to the area of the missing boulders. “Let’s get digging. We have a treasure to find.”
The four of them stood in a circle and stuck their shovels into the dry dirt. It only took three feet until they hit thick clay. “It’s not looking good,” David mumbled.
Gabriella’s shoulders drooped, but she stuck her shovel in once more.
Dink!
Everyone froze, eyes wide, looking at each other. Gabriella pulled up the hunk of clay and pointed at a metallic box. Its green hue may have been from rust or... David leaned down and pulled on the top handle until it pulled away from its prison.
He set the box on top of the next boulder. Gabriella approached it cautiously. While it showed signs of aging, the green proved to be its original color.
David stepped away but gestured at it. “Looks like one of those ammo surplus boxes.”
Gabriella touched the metallic latch surrounding the hinge and pried it loose. Her long fingers reached for the top handle and lifted. The squeak of metal against metal grated his nerves. The top flung open.
Luke, David and Aria took a step closer—four heads peering inside. Stacks and stacks of gold coins inside plastic tubes lined up vertically inside the box. Only the sound of birds chirping in the trees remained as they gawked at the sight.
The top coins all shone inside their plastic casings, untarnished by the years spent in the ammo box underground. Surrounding the border of each coin were roughly a couple dozen stars, and the woman in profile resembled the Statue of Liberty without the pointy crown. What Luke’s dad would give to get his hands on these—legally, of course.
Gabriella r
eached for a small white card sandwiched between the tubes of coins and the side of the box. “I hadn’t noticed that before,” Luke commented.
She pulled it out. If found please return to U.S. Mint C/O U.S. Treasury Agent Frank Wilson.
Luke held his breath waiting for her response.
She clutched it to her chest and laughed. “I’m not Gabriella Mirabella, then. It doesn’t rhyme.”
“You know you can stay Gabriella Radcliffe, too,” he reminded her.
She stared at the script. “I know.” Her gaze slid to him. “But I think I like Gabriella McGuire the best.”
Luke’s chest rose, ready to burst with pride.
“What? Am I missing something?” David’s outcry burst his bubble. Oh yeah, he hadn’t filled his family in yet.
“Well, I was waiting until I got her a ring—”
Aria’s squeal clearly indicated that wasn’t necessary. Her outstretched arms embraced Gabriella. “Congratulations. I cannot wait for you to join this family. I mean, four boys at all the family gatherings. I’m telling you I’ve been waiting for another girl to join this family.”
“Does Mom know?”
“Not yet. I just popped the question.”
David reached a hand out and pulled Luke into a bear hug. “I think you’re going to like marriage, bro.” He patted him on the back. “Get in the habit of putting the toilet seat back down, and it’ll be smooth sailing.”
“David!” Aria slipped her hand through his elbow. “I think you and I should head back to the house and give these guys a moment. Your dad mentioned a messed-up safe room that could use our expertise.”
David allowed her to lead him toward the white truck. “Okay, I need to tell Mom Luke’s getting hitched.”
“You can’t tell Mom first,” Luke objected.
“Oh, I’m telling her,” David fired back.
Aria turned back and rolled her eyes for dramatic effect, then squeezed David’s arm. “Stop trying to ruin their romantic moment with your teasing and come with me.”
Gabriella laughed. “So that’s what it’s like to have brothers,” she mused. She peeked back inside the green ammo box and gawked. “Can you imagine how much this is worth?”
“Probably best if we didn’t think about it,” Luke said. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her softly. “Are you sure you’re doing okay?”
“Yes. It’s a tad overwhelming to think about meeting my father, but I’m hoping you’ll go with me?” The question and the pleading in her eyes struck him to the core.
“I’d do anything for you.” He needed her to know that, to rest on that.
She returned his kiss.
The sunshine glinted off the coins and reflected into his eyes. He squinted. “I will treasure this moment always.” Gabriella giggled, and it only inspired Luke. “We’ll look back on this in our golden years.”
She rolled her eyes and pulled away, sliding her hands down his arms until they rested in his palms. “You make me laugh, Luke McGuire. But let’s get one thing straight. If I groan or stop laughing at your jokes, it will never mean that I have stopped loving you.” Her breath shuddered and her hands shook in his grasp. “And I do love you...so much.”
Luke knew it, and he would never forget it. “And I love you, Gabriella. Knowing you has brought such a richness to my life, you have no idea.” And he meant it.
Gabriella’s head tilted back, and she let out a deep, contagious laugh he hoped he would hear for years to come. “Now that was good.”
Luke reveled in the victory, although he’d never admit to the accidental joke. They turned to the house and strolled hand in hand toward their future. Without a doubt, it would be a good one.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from TAILSPIN by Elizabeth Goddard
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Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoyed the adventure. I’m often inspired by stories in the news, both present and historical. Fellow writer Becky Avella told me about a mobster who had hidden in Idaho for years. My imagination ran wild. My questions and research led me to more fascinating news articles and potential scenarios for Gabriella to discover.
For me, this story is about forgiveness and God’s timing. How many times have I rushed to make something happen, as Luke did with Gabriella in college, only to be told no? Sometimes I assume the answer will be no forever. And like Moses, when God finally says it’s time, I don’t want to go. Fear and doubt have set in. Sometimes we need a nudge to pick up that staff when it’s time.
Until then, I hope—like Luke—to focus on whatever is good, whatever is right...
Blessings,
Heather Woodhaven
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Tailspin
by Elizabeth Goddard
ONE
The scuba-diving dry suit, along with the warm layers beneath, protected Sylvie Masters from the biting cold waters of the channel that carved its way through the Alaska Panhandle.
Breathe too fast, you could die. Hold your breath, you could die. Stay too long, you could die. Ascend too fast, tiny little bubbles of nitrogen on a death mission enter your bloodstream.
Her mother’s words, an effort to dissuade her from her love of scuba diving, gripped her mind as she searched for the missing plane in the depths. Her mother had worried about Sylvie’s diving, but in turn, Sylvie had reminded her that famous undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau had lived to be eighty-seven, his death unrelated to his underwater endeavors, and his sons were still alive except the one who died in a plane crash—a seaplane, no less!
Sylvie never imagined her words would be so prophetic. Never imagined that horrible phone call two months earlier, telling her that a seaplane with her mother on board had disappeared without a trace, and that her mother was missing and presumed dead.
A sea lion glided past, much too close for comfort, and Sylvie exhaled sharply, her pulse accelerating. The enormity of the creature this close left her in awe. The large mammal, intent on a search of his own, swam away, putting a comfortable distance between them.
Slowing her breathing, she flutter-kicked and moved on. The glint of painted metal, something completely unnatural to the environment, caught her attention. A wing thrusting from the sandy bottom? The final resting place for a plane a
nd passengers?
Her heart jumped, taking her breathing with it. Not good. At two atmospheres, or forty feet, this was a simple recreational dive. But she still needed to maintain slow, steady breaths. Two cardinal rules: never overbreathe and never hold your breath.
Inhale...
Exhale...
Her body was like a carbonated drink. The deeper the dive, the harder the shake. She only had to remember to open the bottle slowly, ascend at the proper rate with the right stops and then, upon surfacing, her body wouldn’t explode with nitrogen bubbles like a shaken can of soda opened too quickly. She wouldn’t get decompression sickness.
The bends.
As an instructor for a diving school in Seattle, and a volunteer member of a local dive rescue organization, Sylvie had ample experience and was trained to solo dive. Good thing, too. Chelsey, a friend at the school, had planned to come with her, but Chelsey’s sister was seriously injured in a car wreck the day before they were to leave, and she needed to be at her sister’s side. Sylvie didn’t blame her for that, but neither would she wait until Chelsey could join her for yet another search for her mother’s missing plane.
She’d already taken the vacation time. It was late September, and the water would soon get colder with winter. It was now or never. Besides, she wasn’t sure she wanted to drag anyone else with her on what could be a morbid discovery.
Six weeks ago the powers-that-be had given up on ever finding the plane, but Sylvie would never stop.
She pushed her thoughts back to the present and her task. More fish darted past, drawing her gaze from the metal for only a moment. She loved the water and all its inhabitants. Her mother had always told her she should have been born a dolphin or a whale, some sort of sea mammal. Just give Sylvie the ocean any day as long as she didn’t have to fly.
Because the cold water was clearer, she could see much farther than on a warm-water dive. She spotted the remnants of an old shipwreck, which had created an artificial reef for cold-water sea creatures. Brightly colored starfish and anemones in every shade of pink and green mesmerized her, reminding her of everything she loved about diving.
Code of Silence Page 18