by John R. Kess
Jay’s eyes remained forward.
Elly turned and whispered into his ear, “Your friends and family are here, but that still isn’t the surprise.”
Elly turned and walked over to join the others. She stood between Kelly and Celeste and gave them hugs. Director Frank Holtz and Agents Treft, Beckholm, and West stood in the back row.
Jay’s mind was spinning. He still had no idea what was going on.
General Earnshaw stepped forward and addressed the crowd. “Greetings. I am pleased to announce it is with special trust and confidence in the fidelity and abilities of Jason Tessier that I, General Nelson Earnshaw, appoint this Marine a sergeant in the United States Marine Corps.”
The general pinned the rank insignia onto Jay’s uniform, then saluted Jay, who returned the gesture. The general moved back behind the president, who stepped forward and spoke.
“Sergeant Tessier, for your actions against terrorists in Operation Enduring Freedom and for your bravery here on your home soil, on behalf of the United States Marine Corps, it is my honor to present you with the Silver Star for gallantry in action.”
The president carefully removed the medal from its black velvet case, holding it up for all to see, then pinned it onto Jay’s uniform. “Your selfless service to your country is a great honor to all. We are forever indebted to you. I’m proud to be in the presence of such a fine Marine.”
Both men saluted him, and Jay quickly returned the gesture.
The president smiled. “You’ve more than earned it. At ease, soldier.”
* * *
Jay pushed the yoke of his brand-new floatplane forward and dove toward the lake. He gently rolled the plane to the left and checked to make sure his landing area was clear, then circled back to start his approach.
Elly sat in the copilot seat next to him, wearing a headset and a smile. A year had passed since meeting the president, and three days earlier Jay and Elly exchanged vows at her lake home and were now Mr. and Mrs. Tessier. His present to her was that she could choose anywhere in the world she wanted to go for their honeymoon. She chose the woods of Montana. The floatplane had been her wedding present to him.
“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,” Jay said into his microphone. “This is your captain speaking. We are on approach for landing. Please return your tray tables to their upright position, turn off all electronics, and stow all shotguns, small children, and pop singers in the overhead compartment.”
Elly laughed and playfully hit Jay on the arm.
“Are you ready for a nice smooth landing?” Jay asked.
“I don’t know,” Elly said. “Last time was more exciting, seeing as the plane was on fire and the engine was dead. This is pretty lame.”
“I can kill the engine if that’d make you feel better?”
“No, that’s okay. I’ve had enough airplane excitement,” Elly said.
Jay smiled at her. “Just wait until the tour starts.”
“I am getting the super-deluxe tour package this time, right?” Elly asked.
“Yes, complete with toilet paper.”
“Good.”
Jay eased the plane down onto the water for a perfect landing. He taxied to a sandy beach and killed the engine. It was the same beach they had camped near while on the run. That morning it had been foggy, but now it was clear.
They tied up the floatplane and pitched their tent nearby. The sun was shining brightly as they ate lunch.
“Do you want to hear something cool?” Elly asked.
“Sure.”
“My name is Elly Tessier,” she said.
“Do you want to hear something cool?” Jay asked.
“Sure.”
“My wife’s name is Elly Tessier.”
Elly smiled as she hugged him, then kissed him.
“Jay, are you up for hiking today?”
“Always. Any place in particular you want to go?”
“There’s one place that’s been on my mind, but you can say no if you want.”
“Where?”
“Will you take me to the place Ben died?”
Jay thought about how, when he’d come home from Afghanistan a year ago, he wanted to go to the spot where Ben had died. He remembered how he reacted when he and Elly had stumbled upon the valley where it happened.
Jay stared out at the lake. Though he often thought about Ben, it had been awhile since he’d thought about the place Ben had died. He figured Elly was asking him to take her there for his benefit so he could say good-bye.
“I’ll take you there,” Jay said finally.
They left camp and hiked for two hours before finding the valley where the elk had run across Jay’s view. They stood on top of the massive, flat-topped rock, next to the group of dead pine trees. The valley below was filled with yellow and purple wildflowers beyond count, more than he’d ever seen.
“Isn’t it just beautiful?” Elly said.
“It is.” Jay said, putting his arm around her. “Come on.”
They held hands and walked down into the middle of the valley, surrounded by the tall grasses and flowers that extended in every direction. Part of Jay wanted to believe that Ben had prepared this view for them, as a wedding present, as it seemed too good to be a coincidence.
Jay pointed at the southwest corner of the valley lined with ash and aspen trees. “That’s where Ben died. They were walking through those trees toward the valley when it happened.”
Elly put her arm around him. “Are you okay?”
“I am, but I will always miss him.” Jay picked a yellow flower and put it behind Elly’s ear.
“I love you,” Elly said.
“I love you, too,” Jay said.
They kissed.
Jay turned his attention back to the trees where Ben died.
“What are you thinking about?” Elly turned to face Jay.
“How happy Ben would be for us if he were here.” Jay stared into Elly’s eyes.
“Do you remember when you told me you blamed yourself for his death?”
Jay nodded.
“A thought occurred to me,” Elly said. “If you had stayed home and started that guide business with him, we wouldn’t have met, and I might have died after I was kidnapped.”
“I guess I never thought about it that way.”
“Do you still feel responsible for him dying?”
“No. I’ve had time to think, and I know there are far too many things that are out of our control.”
“I wish I could have met him.”
“He would have had fun being in our wedding party,” Jay said. “I know he would really like you.”
“And I’m sure I would like him. Thanks for bringing me here.” Elly leaned in and rested her head against his chest.
They walked back to camp talking about System Override’s upcoming album release and Jay’s remaining three years as an active-duty Marine. They ate a late supper, grilling steaks on the campfire, then sat holding each other until darkness set in and the stars came out.
Elly stood and walked over to the other side of the fire. “Do you remember the last time we were here and I told you I didn’t want to leave?”
“Of course I do. Is that why you chose this place for our honeymoon?”
“It’s one of the reasons, but not the main reason.”
Jay sat up, noticing the growing smile on Elly’s face. He’d seen that smile many times, most recently when she’d surprised him with the new floatplane.
“And what would you say is the main reason?”
“This,” Elly said. She turned her back to him and walked to the shore just a few feet away. In quick motions she removed her shirt, shorts, and underwear. In the glow of the fire, the naked Elly Tessier playfully smiled back at her husband and then wasted no time running full speed into the lake as the darkness engulfed her.
Jay jumped up and hurdled the campfire as he ran to the shore and quickly deposited his clothes into a pile next to hers. He splashed into the dark
ness, following the sound of her laughter.
Thank you!
Thank you so much for reading Elly’s Ghost. I hope you enjoyed it. I love to hear from readers and your feedback is most welcome. Please feel free to review Elly’s Ghost at your favorite retailer, like me on Facebook, or contact me via the options below.
-John
About the Author
John R. Kess is a thriller and young adult author from Minneapolis Minnesota. Elly’s Ghost is his second novel. His first novel, titled “Finding Hannah” was published in May of 2012. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota.
For more info:
Website: http://www.johnrkess.com
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/JohnRKess
Twitter: http://twitter.com/JohnRKess @JohnRKess
Email: [email protected]
Dedication / Acknowledgements
To Bob. Thanks for always being there for me. I couldn’t ask for a better brother.
I’d like to give a very special thank you to my editor Pat Morris who has put up with me and my bad writing habits for many years. I want to thank the members of Writers Quest and members of my Loft writers group for their wonderful constructive feedback. I owe a big thank you to Alex for sharing his excellent aviation expertise and to Teresa for all of her wonderful legal help. Thank you to the numerous people who read my drafts and gave me feedback. You’ve all helped make me a better writer.
The cover art was designed by Chris Jenkinson @jenks_designer
Other Books by John R. Kess
Finding Hannah
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
About the Author
Dedication / Acknowledgements
Other Books by John R. Kess