by Debby Giusti
“Your career is just as important as mine, Kelly. I would never stand in your way for promotion, which means you’ll have to accept future assignments no matter where they might take you or how far apart we might be.”
Did Phil want to say goodbye? Then she looked into his eyes and read something completely different in his gaze.
He stepped closer. “As far as I’m concerned, we can work through the separations.”
Letting out the breath she had been holding, Kelly reached for his hand and wove her fingers through his. “Although I love the military and what I do, it’s a job, Phil.”
Her cheeks burned. Hopefully she wasn’t saying too much, but the issue of both of them being in the military needed to be addressed so they could move forward. Although many couples made their marriages work when both spouses were in uniform, Kelly didn’t want the long-term separations that seemed inevitable when two careers were on the line.
“A man and woman need to weigh what’s best for them as a couple, and…” She hesitated. “If they marry, they need to consider any children they might have. My mom was never there for me. I don’t want that for my kids.”
His brow furrowed. “But…but what about your career?”
“We’ll deal with that when the time comes. If you get reassigned and the army isn’t willing to assign me to the same post, then we’ll have to make a decision about whether I stay in the service.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Just to let you know where I stand, family always comes first.”
A wide smile covered his face. “I like the sound of that.”
Kelly tilted her head. “The sound of what?”
“Family.” He drew her closer and kissed her forehead. Then, pulling back ever so slightly, he gazed into her eyes. “I’m probably jumping the gun, but how do you feel about a trip to New Orleans? I’ve never been back since my dad was thrown in jail.”
“And I’ve never been at all.”
“So—” Phil raised his brow.
Kelly smiled. “In my opinion, spring will be a perfect time to see New Orleans.”
He rubbed his hand along her cheek. “Should we ask Chaplain Sanchez to save a date for us here in either April or May?”
Without saying anything specific, they had decided everything. A spring wedding and a honeymoon in New Orleans.
“I do,” she whispered, practicing her line.
He leaned closer. “What’s that?”
“I do love you, Jean Philippe Thibodeaux.”
“Not as much as I love you, Kelly McQueen.”
“Laissez les bon temps rouler.” She laughed with joy. “Let the good times roll.”
Phil’s eyes held the promise of the wonderful life they would share together. “Every day will be a good day if I’m with you.”
Stepping even closer to her handsome Cajun, Kelly molded into his arms and lifted her lips to his. God had healed their broken pasts and given them a future full of love. Phil’s kiss was long and lingering, and Kelly knew without a shadow of a doubt she wanted to be wrapped in his love for the rest of her life.
Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoy The Captain’s Mission, book two in my Military Investigations series. The story deals with the importance of family and especially the role fathers play in their children’s lives. In my writing, I often explore how hurts in the past hold us back in the present and keep us from being free to embrace the future.
U.S. Army CID Special Agent Kelly McQueen and Captain Phil Thibodeaux have a lot to uncover about their pasts. Working together as they investigate a training accident at Fort Rickman, Georgia, Kelly and Phil learn about love and acceptance and the healing power of God’s forgiveness.
I hope you’ve experienced God’s healing, whether physical, emotional or spiritual. If you’re still troubled by unresolved problems, turn to the Lord in your need and ask Him to lift the burdens from your heart.
I always enjoy hearing from my readers. Write to me c/o Love Inspired, 233 Broadway, Suite 1001, New York, NY 10279. Visit me online at www.DebbyGiusti.com, blog with me at www.seekerville.blogspot.com and join my Prayer Team at www.crossmyheartprayerteam.blogspot.com. Watch for the next exciting book in my series, coming soon to a bookstore near you.
Wishing you abundant blessings,
Questions for Discussion
Why did Phil not want to get involved with Kelly at the beginning of the story? How did his feelings toward his own mother influence his relationship with Kelly?
Why was the teacup collection important to Kelly?
Military communities often welcome newcomers and say goodbye to those who are moving to new duty stations at monthly social gatherings called Hail and Farewells. How do you greet the newly arrived in your neighborhood, church or work environment? Do you say goodbye in a special way?
Compare and contrast Kelly’s mother with Phil’s. Which woman seemed to be a more loving mother?
Compare the two fathers. What type of father will Phil be when he and Kelly have children?
Do you understand Kelly’s hesitancy to return to Magnolia Gardens? Has fear ever kept you from reaching out to others?
Disappointments and pain in the past can keep us from living fully in the present. How was that revealed in this story?
Why was Kelly relieved when she saw the new resident in her mother’s old room at Magnolia Gardens? How would you feel in that situation?
When a military service member dies, a survival assistance officer is assigned to help the spouse and family. What happens in your community or church when someone dies? In what way do you reach out to those who are grieving?
Scripture assures us that with God all things work for good. How is that revealed in Kelly’s life?
How does Officer Simpson’s statement, “The apple never falls far from the tree,” affect Phil and Kelly? Do you think the cliché holds true? What about in Kyle’s case?
What do you think will happen to Kyle?
Who reached out to Phil when he was young and how did their influence impact his life?
Can a lone voice of reason sway people in a positive way? How did Phil bring the crowd to their senses at the campsite?
What did you learn from this story?
ISBN: 978-1-4592-1487-3
THE CAPTAIN’S MISSION
Copyright © 2011 by Deborah W. Giusti
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Love Inspired Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This edition published by arrangement with Love Inspired Books.
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* Magnolia Medical
† Military Investigations