by Debby Lee
Could it be?
Her heart lurched to a stop. Seemed to stop beating for a few seconds. Then beat again to the rhythm of his name.
“Irving!”
It took only three leaping steps to be in his arms. He embraced her so tightly her breaths came in gasps. She couldn’t seem to get enough air into her lungs.
“You’re alive, and you’re here,” she managed to sob. Irving held her close, and she nearly melted like an iceberg in the summer sun.
“Yes, I’m here. I was a Japanese POW for a few months. It was brutal, but I had it so much easier than most of the men held captive.”
“It must have been awful.” Stella noted the angry red scar running across his forehead, the sunken cheeks, and his pale complexion. “How did you find me?”
“Well, first thing when I arrived in San Francisco, I called my folks and let them know I was all right. Then I tried to place several calls to the base here, but there was always a long line of soldiers behind me who wanted to use the phone too. They weren’t very patient. I did leave one message, but apparently it didn’t make its way to you. I’m sorry.”
He tucked a stray strand of her hair under her scarf. “As soon as my plane landed, I checked at the hospital with your friend Colleen,” he said. “She told me you and your family moved back into your childhood home, and how happy that had made you.”
“Yes, it’s made my folks very happy.” Stella laughed. She could hardly believe the man she loved had come back to her. So much had happened in his absence, she wanted to tell him everything, but decided to let him speak first.
“I went to your home and spoke with your parents. Your mother recognized me right off. She introduced me to your father. He said you might be strolling along the beach. So, here I am.”
“I’m so glad you’re home safe, that you came to find me.” Stella leaned her head against his chest. She was surprised to feel his ribs through the sleeves of her coat. A shudder swept over her, imagining what he’d been through.
He smiled. “I have a few things to give you.” He pulled a dirty, worn quilt square from his pocket. She recognized it as the one missing from the quilt block. She pulled the block from his Bible, and they held the pieces together. The forces of evil had tried unsuccessfully to keep them apart, but God had been merciful and allowed them to come together once again. It was a blessing and a gift Stella vowed to be thankful for, forever.
“And I wanted to give you this.” He pulled a small box from his pocket and got down on one knee. “Stella McGovern, will you marry me?”
Tears of joy streamed down Stella’s cheeks. “Yes, Irving, I will marry you.”
Irving jumped up with more vigor than she thought possible from a POW survivor. He twirled her around. Then he grimaced, groaned, and quickly lowered her back to earth.
“I kinda need to take it easy until I get my strength back.”
She laughed.
“I have one last thing for you,” he said. “If I may?”
“What?” Stella asked. A quiet moment elapsed.
“This.” Irving took her in his arms, and under the new moonlight he laid a tender kiss on her lips.
Across the country, soldiers were coming home from the war. They reminded her of worn, ragged remnants of scrap material. Frayed edges, hanging threads, a mishmash of odd shapes and sizes, but within the tatters there was something of worth, something hauntingly beautiful, something with amazing potential. And sure enough, over time, and with constant care and the help of God, those tattered pieces, those men and women of the Greatest Generation, would bring wisdom, courage, and hope to a world in need of all three.
Debby Lee was raised in the cozy little town of Toledo, Washington. She has been writing since she was a small child, and has written several novels, but never for-gets home. The Northwest Christian Writers Association and Romance Writers of America are two organizations that Debby enjoys being a part of. As a self-professed nature lover and an avid listener of 1960s folk music, Debby can’t help but feel like a hippie child who wasn’t born soon enough to attend Woodstock. She wishes she could run barefoot all year long, but often does anyway in the grass and on the beaches in her hamlet that is the cold and rainy southwest Washington. During football season, Debby cheers on the Seattle Seahawks along with legions of other devoted fans. She’s also filled with wanderlust and dreams of visiting Denmark, Italy, and Morocco someday. Debby loves connecting with her readers through her website at www.booksbydebbylee.com.
New Romance Collections from Barbour
Homefront Heroines – Four Young Women Dream of Victory and Love During WWII
Paperback / 978-1-64352-254-8 / $14.99 (Coming January 2020!)
The Mail-Order Standoff – Four Grooms Are Stymied When Brides Get Cold Feet
Paperback / 978-1-64352-244-9 / $14.99 (Coming February 2020!)
Colonial Fort Brides – Four Stories of Love on the Edge of the Frontier
Paperback / 978-1-64352-311-8 / $14.99 (Coming March 2020!)
A Teacher’s Heart – Four Historical Stories of Learning to Love
Paperback / 978-1-64352-428-3 / $14.99 (Coming April 2020!)