Loved by a Soldier: A Military Romance Collection

by Alison Mello

  “She will not be disappointed, and congratulations,” she says as she takes his card.

  “Thank you.”

  Gates waits for her to complete the sale and thinks about possible disappointment. The only one who might be disappointed will be him if she says no. He will definitely need God’s help. The saleslady hands his card back, and the small blue box that holds his future. Gates walks back to his car. Once he’s in the driver’s seat he closes his eyes, smiles at what he is planning, and thanks Jesus for the courage to do so.

  “Lord, Jesus, thank You for blessing me with the courage to buy her this ring and for the ability to doing so. I’m not one hundred percent sure when I’ll ask her, but as You know I will need Your help with that. Thank You.”

  By the time he gets home snow starts to fall from the darkening sky. By the way it’s sticking to the ground, it might be a bad one. They are calling for eight inches, but sometimes weathermen are off a little. It might be more.

  Gates pulls into his driveway and rushes inside from the cold. He thinks about starting a fire, but that seems romantic and will only make him want Trinity here for the first fire of the season. Instead, he turns the heat to about seventy degrees and takes a shower. It feels weird not seeing Sheeba prancing around. It’s going to take a little getting used to, not having either of them here with him.

  As he showers, he’s again amazed at how fast they have fallen for each other. Because of that and with everything else that has happened, he truly believes she is the one he’s always heard was made for him. For him. He smiles when he thinks about that. Once he’s settled he calls her, eager to hear her voice again.

  “Jeez, I feel like a teenager,” he murmurs and grins as he waits for her to answer.

  “Hey there,” Trinity greets him. “I guess you made it home safely.”

  “I did, and I miss you already. It doesn’t seem the same without you here. The house feels empty.”

  “I miss you, too.”

  “Are you excited, though? About being there, I mean.”

  “Yeah, I am, and Sheeba seems to like it here too. I’m not sure, though, because she keeps walking around being nosy and getting into everything.”

  Gates laughs. “She’s only checking the new place out is all. She’ll get used to it. You both will. That’s what dogs do.”

  They talk some more about putting her things away, about the weatherman saying there could be more snow in a couple of days, and how she needs to start looking for a job.

  “I guess since I have my laptop back I can put in some applications online if I find something I like. Plus, I can make sure my resume is updated. If not, I’ll have to touch it up some.”

  “That’s a good idea. I’m not sure what I will do tomorrow. I haven’t really thought too much about it to be honest.”

  “You could always come over here and see me.”

  “Well, yeah, that’s a given.” They laugh at that.

  Trinity ends the call, saying “I’m going to fix something to eat then shower, but I will call you back before I go to bed. Before I leave, though, I was thinking a little while ago that I have never really had a roommate. Not counting Derrick and when I stayed with you. This is a first for me and it’ll be a learning experience, but in a good way. I think Gloria and I will be great living together.”

  “Yeah, you’ll get close in no time, honey.”

  “I miss and love you.”

  “I miss and love you, too.”

  He lays his phone on the table and stares at the blank television. He doesn’t even want to turn it on. Turning his head, he sees his Bible sitting on the other side of the room and goes to pick it up.

  Now is as good a time as any to get into Gods word. Picking up his neglected Bible, he sits back and rests on the couch with a lamp on behind him. Having never seriously gotten into the Word before now he isn’t sure where to start.

  Opening it before him he lets his heart guide him and decides to read from the book of Revelation. He had always heard that was the most intense book about the coming of Christ and what would happen when He returns. He doesn’t know why, but for some reason that feels like the perfect place to begin.

  Later that evening he talks with Trinity again. They both are in bed, in separate houses, reading to each other from the Bible. He tells her he read from Revelation earlier and she is impressed.

  It isn’t the same as being at his kitchen table reading together, but it’s still special to both of them. They decide to start a regular schedule at night before bed, starting with Matthew and reading the Gospels first, then maybe skipping back to the Old Testament. When they are finished reading for the night, Gates tells her he is thinking about looking online to see what kind of Bible classes he can take. He’s interested in learning what he can to help him on his journey.

  She also suggests he talk to the pastor, saying he can probably guide him in the right direction.

  They say goodnight and after hanging up, individually say their prayers. They don’t know what God’s plan is, but they are more than willing to keep moving forward together to find out.

  ***

  The next morning the ground is covered with close to a foot of snow. Gates has a hard time getting to Trinity’s house, but he has no intention of staying home and away from her. Shortly after his arrival, she talks him into going outside to build a snowman.

  “Ohhh, you just wait! I’ll get you back for that!” Trinity screams at him as he laughs and ducks when she throws a snowball at him in return, but she misses by several feet. She tries chasing him, but has difficulty, especially with Sheeba jumping around wanting to play at the same time. They got four inches more than what was called for, but they don’t mind. They are having a good time anyway. Inside, Gloria is making some hot cocoa as they act like kids. It’s a beautiful day for them all.

  “The cocoa is ready!” Gloria yells through the small kitchen window. “Please, take off your boots before tramping snow through the kitchen.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” they yell back, laughing like they are talking to their mother. They shake the snow off their boots before removing them and place them inside the foyer. Gates yells and squirms when he suddenly feels a handful of snow slide down the back of his shirt.

  “I told you I would get you,” Trinity laughs and scurries away to hide behind Gloria.

  “Don’t get me involved in your games,” Gloria tells the two of them. “Drink your cocoa before it gets cold.”

  Trinity and Gates eye each other with grins on their faces as they sit at the table to enjoy the cocoa. Seconds later, their feet are touching and playing beneath the table. Gloria sees them, but doesn’t say a word as she smiles at the evident love each has for the other.

  Chapter 18

  Trinity

  Another week flies by and Trinity feels like things are beginning to feel normal in her life again. It’s been years since she felt as good as she has lately. That she isn’t afraid or stressed out is tremendously good for her, and having real friends is truly a blessing. She and Gloria are quickly getting close and she’s beginning to feel like a part of Gloria’s family. The things she is most grateful for are the deep relationships she has with God and Gates. She knows without a doubt she is madly in love with Gates, and every second she is able to spend with him she treasures

  During the previous week, Trinity spent some time with Gloria enjoying deep conversations. Some were about Gloria’s journey into faith and some about her life beforehand. Trinity shared some precious memories of her past as well, but left out the most painful ones. She would rather they stay behind her.

  When she wakes Saturday morning, she is happy to see that most of the snow has melted. She feels she can safely go out and get a few errands done once she gets dressed. First things first…she says her prayers, takes Sheeba out then makes her usual cup of coffee. Sheeba lies on the floor chewing her long-knotted rope as Trinity sips her coffee and watches the news. She doesn’t pay too much attention to
it, though. She doesn’t like all of the negativity. She looks at the clock to see what time it is because she wants to talk to Gates before she gets in the shower and heads out. She decides to take the chance and call anyhow. If he doesn’t answer she will leave a message. He answers on the second ring.

  “Good morning, beautiful,” he greets her with a husky voice.

  “Good morning; I guess I woke you.”

  “Yeah, but it’s okay. I need to get up. I didn’t go to sleep until late and didn’t set my alarm last night.”

  “Oh, okay. I slept like a baby,” she told him.

  “Lucky you.”

  She giggles and asks, “What are your plans for the day?”

  “After I do a workout, I plan on getting online and looking for some classes to take. I am really interested in getting deep into the Bible and learning as much as I can. I might even look up the Bible college in Lynchburg and see what they offer.”

  The fact that he’s serious about his faith in Christ excites her and without realizing it her grin covers her entire face. Sheeba gets on the couch with her and Trinity rubs the top of her head as she talks with Gates.

  “That’s fantastic! I’m very proud of you for doing that. I’m excited for you, too. Let me know what you find.”

  “I will. If it doesn’t take up too much time I’m thinking about putting an ad in the paper for some handyman work, too. I’ve taken it easy for a few months and I don’t need the money, but it wouldn’t hurt to be doing something a few days a week.”

  “Well, you go on with your bad self,” she jokes.

  “What will you be doing today?”

  “Once I get ready I’m going to go to Bedford and put in a resume at a few places, but more specifically at the newspaper. I really want to get back into photography. I should probably look more online, too. I might find something there as far as magazines go. If I’m not gone too long and the roads are safe enough, I might go to Roanoke and do the same. I’m not sure yet on that one, though. I know it’s Saturday, but I figure why wait. I don’t want to sit around. I want to get out and be productive for a change, then come home and relax with you.”

  “Please be careful. I know a lot of the snow has melted, but there are probably still some icy patches on the road. It’s still pretty cold out, and the side roads won’t be as well maintained as the main roads.”

  “I will, I promise.”

  “Well, I guess I should get out from beneath these covers if I’m going to get anything done. I’ll see you when you get here later, then you can tell me all about your day.”

  “Yes, I’ll definitely do that, and I’ll bring pizza so we can eat and I can give you a kiss.”

  “Now that sounds like a great idea. I love the way you think, and the pizza sounds good too.”

  She laughs. “Good luck on your search, and I’ll talk with you later.”

  ***

  It’s colder than she thought it would be as she sits shivering in her car, waiting for it to heat up. Trinity thinks she should get the defroster checked because it doesn’t seem to be clearing the windshield fast enough. She also decides that the next car she buys will have seat warmers in it. She never has liked the cold, one thing she definitely won’t miss about Connecticut. The winters there are horrid.

  She forgot that even in the south it can still get bitterly cold. It takes at least five minutes before the heat begins blowing from the vents and brings some relief. She’ll have to remember to wait inside next time as it heats up. Maybe her next car will be one she can start without having to go outside. That thought brings a smile to her face.

  She listens to an old CD she found among her things as she was unpacking. It takes her down memory lane a bit, before things got bad in her life. She feels things are certainly improving as she drives down the curvy, empty road on her way to Bedford, excited about the day ahead and being productive. She wrote out a list of things to do while she is out, and by the end of the day, she’ll be relaxing on the couch with Gates. She might take Sheeba with her, too.

  While daydreaming about Gates, she neglects to pay full attention to a curve she approaches and is caught off guard when her tires hit a thick patch of ice. Within a matter of seconds her car careens off the road into a large field on her right, turning over repeatedly, knocking her unconscious and bleeding.

  The day isn’t close to how she wanted it to be. She hangs upside down from her seatbelt, the tires spinning above, glass from shattered windows covering her, and her own blood trickling down the side of her face as gasoline leaks onto the frozen ground.

  She is unaware of everything around her. She doesn’t hear the man screaming at her as he gets closer, asking if she is okay, or the man’s wife talking to the 911 operator on her cell phone.

  ***

  Gates

  Gates glances over at the clock and can see that it’s almost four o’clock. He is getting worried about Trinity. It has been close to seven hours since they last talked and he really figures she would be on her way over by now or at least have called him. The pizza is the least of his concerns; though he desires her kiss, he longs to hear her voice even more with every growing moment. Finally, after deciding he can’t wait any longer he picks up the phone to call her. He doesn’t want to interrupt her in case she got lucky and is in the middle of a job interview or something else important, but feels the need to check on her. He knows the roads are still icy and dangerous. Before he has the chance to push a single button on the phone it vibrates in his hand. Unfortunately, it isn’t her.

  “Hello.”

  “Gates, this is Gloria.”

  “Hey, Gloria.”

  “I’m sorry to be the one to have to tell you this, but I have some bad news. Trinity was in a terrible accident this morning and she’s in the hospital.”

  His heart immediately clenches with an iron fist and he bolts upright from the sofa. “What? Where? In Bedford or Roanoke? Is she okay?”

  “I’m not sure of all the details. The hospital in Bedford just called me and I’m getting ready to go over there now. If you want me to stop and get you I will.”

  “That’s okay, I can’t wait. I’ll be out of here in seconds. Thank you for letting me know. I’ll see you there.”

  Not realizing it, he hangs up on Gloria. He has his shoes and coat on and is out the door within minutes. He revs up his Jeep and even though he doesn’t want to take the time to do it, he has no choice but to scrape the thin sheet of ice that’s on the windshield. Part of him is thankful, though, because it reminds him to be careful.

  Because it is quickly growing dark, the possibility of hitting ice, and knowing his mind is distracted, it takes him longer to get to the hospital than he anticipated, but eventually he arrives safely. He parks and rushes into the emergency department asking for her and if she has been admitted.

  “Are you a family member, sir?” the young blonde nurse with horn-rimmed glasses asks.

  “No, but I might as well be. I’m her boyfriend.”

  “And I’m her roommate,” he hears Gloria say as she walks in behind him.

  When she steps up beside him they quickly hug and wait to see if they are going to be able to see her. The nurse looks at them with compassion. She can tell from their expressions they are in panic mode and need to be able to see her.

  “She was admitted to a room earlier today and normally only family is supposed to be allowed in.”

  “She’s only been living here a few months. She doesn’t have family around here. We are all she has and she doesn’t know it yet, but I’m going to ask her to marry me,” Gates says. Gloria looks at him in surprise and rubs his back, but doesn’t say anything. When the nurse sees the desperation in their eyes she sighs, purses her lips, and tells them what little she can.

  “I understand your situation and I’m sorry. I will tell you that she’s going to be okay, although she was banged up pretty bad.”

  “Can you tell me anything? How bad is she hurt?” Gates asks.


  “When she came in she was unconscious. She has a concussion, and her left leg is broken below the knee. She has been put on some pain medicine to help her cope with it. You two go ahead. She’s in room number four zero four.”

  “Thank you,” they tell her as they quickly turn to find the elevator.

  Together they walk into Trinity’s room, holding their breaths and with nerves about to go over the edge. She’s asleep, probably from the drugs they administered, so they sit by her bed waiting and hoping. They see her leg is in a cast and she has stitches on the side of her head. Hopefully, there won’t be a scar.

  Gates is fidgety and his heart is pounding. He prays and is thankful she isn’t hurt more than she is. For some reason, he thinks about when she gets out if she will say yes to marrying him. Seeing her lying there and knowing she could have died makes him decide to ask her sooner than he planned. If he had thought to grab the ring he could have asked her here at the hospital when she wakes up. He knows he will have to go home later to get some things and come back, so he will have to remember to get it then.

  Gates and Gloria sit and wait as patiently as they can and the time seems to drag like they have never known it to before. Finally, after what feels like forever, Trinity moans and moves her head slightly. Gates bolts out of his chair and gently takes her hand in his, speaking softly to her. “Trinity…sweetheart, it’s Gates.”

  Trinity opens her eyes and even though she’s dazed from the effects of the drugs, trauma, and confusion, she knows who is talking to her, who is holding her hand, and she smiles weakly.

  “Hey,” she mumbles, “I’m so sorry.” As soon as she speaks, tears fill her eyes and leave tracks down her cheeks.