Table of Contents

NO GREATER LOVE

Copyright

Dedication

Prologue

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

Epilogue

Note from the author

Acknowledgments
NO GREATER LOVE

"No Greater Love" Series

Book 1

AN INSPIRATIONAL ROMANCE

by LINDA MARIE KELLY
Copyright

NO GREATER LOVE

No Greater Love Series

Book I

Whippoorwill Lodge Enterprises LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted by any means – electronic, mechanical, photographic (photocopying), recording, or otherwise – without prior permission in writing from the author.

This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places of business, and events are works of imagination. Locations are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual events is coincidental.

The views expressed in this novel are those of the author and not necessarily that of any organizations or individuals mentioned.

Scriptures paraphrased from the Holy Bible

Product of the United States of America

ISBN 978-0-9887124-0-9
Dedication

This book is dedicated to all American men and women who are now serving, or have served, in our armed forces since the beginning of this great country and to their families who have endured hardships here at home.

We are especially grateful to those who served and came home gravely injured and for those who made the ultimate sacrifice so we might live free. We must never forget that the price our soldiers have paid for freedom is so great it cannot be calculated.
Prologue

The troops were coming home.

Would their return be too late for Scott and Emily?

It took every ounce of Emily's willpower to hold back the sobs that were threatening to erupt from her body. A single tear escaped down her cheek catching the corner of her forced smile. She didn't want Scott to remember their last embrace as a moment of heartbreak and grief. Emily wanted this to be a happy, carefree parting as if Scott would walk back in the front door tonight as usual, instead of being in a crowded plane headed toward the horrors of war.

Scott breathed Emily's scent deep within his lungs, holding her tight against him, wanting to burn the feeling of her body – every beautiful curve – into his mind to carry with him into battle. He knew that this might be the last time he would ever hold Emily and was certain that she was thinking the same thoughts.

Over the past few weeks they had cried together, talked about the "what ifs", and made plans for a future for their children that might not include Scott. Now it was time for what could be their last goodbye.

Emily could hear the strong beating of Scott's heart as her head lay upon his chest. What sweet music. Would death steal that sound from her life? If that happened, surely her heart would break from the pain. How could she go on without him?

As if in slow motion, Scott tipped her head back and pulled her lips to his, covering them with sweet, passionate kisses. "Darling," Scott whispered, "I never dreamed that love could be this wonderful. I'll never stop loving you. I'll carry you with me every moment in my heart. We must be brave for each other. Goodbye my precious Emily." Releasing her, Scott scooped up his bag and walked away.

1st Lieutenant Scott Pearson had proudly served his country for over twelve years as a U.S. Marine. He had planned to make the Marines a lifetime career until Emily started having continuous nightmares of Scott being killed in action. Night after night she would wake up screaming, covered in a cold sweat.

Nothing seemed to help, so Scott had not re-enlisted when his last tour was finished, opting instead for a short enlistment in the Marine Reserves which would lead to full time retirement from the military.

With Scott away with his new unit one week-end a month, they had begun a new life in the civilian world almost eleven months ago.

"How could this have happened? I thought everything was arranged so I would never put Emily through this kind of parting again."

Scott's mind was painfully tormenting him as he took each step away from the woman he loved. His legs felt as if they were weighted down with lead. At the end of the gangway, he forced a smile back on his face and turned to wave; then he was gone from her sight and Emily was alone – so very alone – in the crowded airport.

Emily stood with her face pressed to the window glass wishing she could see through the plane to the very seat where Scott was arranging himself for the long flight.

"This can't be happening. Scott was to receive a full discharge in just a few weeks. Please God, let this be a dream!"

As Emily watched Scott's plane taxi onto the runway and rise into the air, she knew this nightmare was real and not a dream from which she would awake.
Chapter 1

Scott sat bent over his desk at Southwest Community Bank studying the final mortgage paperwork his assistant had handed him earlier in the day. His six-foot two-inch frame screamed to get up and move around; just a few more hours and he could head home to his family and some good outdoor exercise.

An old elm had fallen at the edge of their property during the last storm; Scott was gradually chopping and stacking the wood for use in the coming fall and winter. He and Emily were looking forward to some romantic winter nights stretched out in front of their old stone fireplace, watching the flames dance and listening to the wood crackle as it transformed into glowing ashes of warmth.

Last year when Scott had told his parents he was leaving the Marine Corp for civilian life, they were thrilled and asked him to manage their new branch, which was under construction near the edge of Black Mountain, North Carolina which is located in the beautiful Black Mountains, a part of the Blue Ridge Mountain Range in the Southern Appalachians.

Scott had spent his childhood at Black Mountain, and his parents offered to give him the old farm house where he had grown up, just outside of town.

After talking over his parents' generous offer with Emily, he had gladly accepted.

Scott had loved the time he served in the Marines and, in a way, was sad to leave the service; but it was time to establish a new life. Moving back home had certainly taken the edge off their major lifestyle change.

The large, two-story, white farm house had inviting green shutters and a wide porch that ran across the front and down its sides. The house sat in the middle of eighty acres of trees and lovely meadows nestled between beautiful mountains. A winding gravel road led up to the front door.

A short distance from the house was a rustic old barn still standing straight despite its age. The hayloft was filled with memories of happy hours spent with his childhood playmates.

A small spring bubbled from the side of the hill behind the house, and the shallow, crystal clear water gurgled over a rocky bottom as it meandered through the yard on its journey to the larger creek that bordered the property.

Scott and his four-year old son, Steven, loved to spend hours floating homemade boats down its length. Seven months old Jessica was too little to participate, but she would sit squealing for joy on her mother's lap as she watched her big brother splash through the water to catch his boat. By the end of the summer, she would be old enough to sit and play in the stream, just as Scott had played with his parents many years before.

Life was wonderful. Although an only child, Scott had never been a loner. With his quick smile and outgoing personality he made friends easily. Many of his boyhood companions had remained in the area, and he knew just about everyone in the small community.

Scott was glad to be working at Southwest. His father, John Pearson, was the owner and president of the main bank in Asheville, North Carolina. His parents now had three branches in surrounding towns.

Scott's dad was a successful, self-made man. He and Scott's mom, Rebecca, had worked hard, long hours for fifteen years building an insurance business which they had sold to buy a struggling bank. With their expertise in customer service, they had quickly turned the bank around.

The completion of the branch bank at Black Mountain had coincided with his homecoming. The timing could not have been better for Scott or for his parents, who were excited about both their expanding business and the opportunity to have their son working with them.

His Marine training served him well, making him more than qualified for the position of branch manager, or officially, "Vice-President in Charge". The fact that he was well known and liked in the community was an added benefit for the bank.

As Scott sat staring out his office window, he thought about their excursion the day before. Scott had driven his little family the ten miles to his parents for Sunday dinner. The kids loved their grandparents and looked forward to going over to visit.

While Scott was stationed at Camp Lejeune near Jacksonville, North Carolina, it had been a long drive to his folks; yet the distance had been short enough that they had made the trip about every six weeks. Scott was pleased that they had been able to do so as he wanted his children to grow up knowing both sets of their grandparents. Now the situation was completely reversed, and they were planning trips back to Camp Lejeune on a regular basis to visit Emily's parents.

Yesterday, after finishing dinner, his dad had asked him to take a walk and discuss plans for the future. "Son, I couldn't be more proud of the job you are doing at the bank; you are a natural. Now that you've been there for over nine months, I would like to know how you like the work. I need an honest answer Scott."

"You sound pretty serious, Dad. I like my job and the work's rewarding," Scott replied. "Why are you asking?"

"Well, your mom and I had planned to retire in about ten years; now, with you working in the business, we are seriously considering turning everything over to you much sooner. We know that you can handle the job, and we would be free to travel and also spend more time with the grandkids. We were wondering if we could set a goal for three years and work toward it." Scott's dad paused and then said, "It is a lot of responsibility and will cut into your family life a little more, but I think it will be manageable and will mean a big increase in salary. What do you say?"

"Dad, I think it is a great idea for you and Mom to enjoy life more, and I'm sure that I can handle the extra work. Let me talk it over with Emily, but I think she'll approve," Scott responded. "Give me a couple of days to make a final decision. And, Dad, I'm so grateful to you and Mom for all that you've done for us and for your confidence in me."

"It has been our pleasure, Son. Now, I have one more question," John said. "I know I've mentioned this before, but I think it is important; have you and Emily given any thought of joining one of the local churches? Now that you're in business, it's going to seem strange to people if you don't."

The question of joining a church had always been a bone of contention between Scott and his dad. Scott had been raised in church; he knew the Ten Commandments and was taught to be a moral person who stood up for good and not evil. He was grateful for his Christian up-bringing and believed that a Christian foundation was what made the United States of America such a strong country. Still, he had questions he had never been able to answer about religion, and he disliked the way that many people he knew, including his parents, appeared to go to church just for what they could get out of it. It didn't seem to Scott that a church should be a place to make social or business points.

"Maybe I'm being too judgmental – and it would help business," Scott rationalized to himself.

"Alright, Dad, I'll see what Emily says. But I'm not ready to make you any promises on this matter of church membership."

"If you will consider it, that's all I ask," John said, placing his arms around Scott's broad shoulders.

* * * * *

It had been late when Scott, Emily, and the kids arrived home from his parents the previous night, and this morning he had been in a hurry to get to his office; he had not had the promised talk with Emily but would do so after work today.

Scott snapped his mind back to his task. He signed the paperwork and gave it to his assistant to process. As he leaned back in his chair, his eyes fell on his mail, which he had picked up on the way to work.

The top envelope was from the Marines; he wondered what kind of paperwork they needed for him to fill out now. They had seemed to require tons of information following his transition from full-time service into a one-year term with the Marine Reserves. With less than three months left of that year, he speculated they probably needed more paperwork for his final discharge from military life.

He decided to take a moment to open the envelope before starting a new project. As he scanned its contents, a feeling of shock enveloped him. He carefully read the letter again. There must be a mistake. This couldn't be happening.

Scott, being a man of action, reached for the phone and dialed the number at the top of the letter. It would be simple enough to get this corrected.

After a couple of rings a voice answered, "Marine Corp, Special Deployment."

Scott explained the letter he had received informing him that he was being recalled into active duty, and asked the clerk to double check to see if a mistake had been made. After all, the troops were coming home, and Scott explained that his discharge was only eleven weeks away.

"I'm sure if you received a letter, Lieutenant Pearson, you're to be deployed. I really don't need to check it."

Scott realized that he needed to go farther up the chain of command to correct the error. Knowing how upset Emily would be, he was reluctant to tell her that he was going to war again if it was only a mistake. Quickly he dialed his father-in-law, General Samuel Ward, to explain what had happened.

"Sir," Scott spoke into the phone, "I'm not asking you to dishonor your or my position by trying to get me out of my duty; I just want to make sure there hasn't been a mistake. I really think this letter has got to be some kind of snafu on someone's part. We're already pulling our troops out of the Middle East. Can you get to the bottom of it? I really don't want to have to tell Emily I'm going back into the line of fire. She'll go ballistic."

"I understand, Scott," Sam replied in his clipped manner, "I appreciate your caution when it comes to Emily. I would hate to see her nightmares return and this could certainly cause her to launch into one of her panic attacks. Let me make a couple of calls, and I'll get back to you ASAP."

As Scott hung up the phone, a feeling of despair came over him; not because he was reluctant to serve his country but because he did not know how he would break the news, if true, to Emily. She was very happy in their new life and felt secure with him working so close to home.

The nightmares she had been having of him being killed in action stopped the night he had taken off his uniform and had become a weekend warrior on U.S. soil.

How he loved his sweet, sweet Emily. He had fallen for her at first sight. Fellow officers had warned him away from the charming girl because of her "bull dog" general of a father, but nothing could keep him from dating her.

She was a long legged, five-foot ten-inch beauty with reddish brown hair, flashing green eyes, a smile for everyone, bundles of energy and a sharp mind that Scott found challenging.

Their whirlwind courtship had been short for fear of giving in to their desire for each other, which would have landed them in trouble with her parents. Scott did not want to cross a general so had worked hard at keeping his passion under control.

He would never forget the night he had asked General Ward for Emily's hand. He hadn't faced an event in combat that he had found as frightening, and Scott doubted that he ever would.

Scott still had trouble calling his father-in-law "Sam" or "Samuel". He was just more comfortable with "Sir".

Sam and Helen, Emily's mom, had been heavy hearted to see Scott leave the Marines, but they approved of his decision for the sake of the health of their youngest child and only daughter.

As Scott waited for a call back from his father-in-law, he reflected on how much Emily was like her mom. They were both devoted wives and mothers and extremely sensitive to everyone in need around them.

Emily was always searching for a hankie; she would cry when happy or sad. Scott had even found her crying during an old re-run on television because she was glad that Lassie had made it home.

Her compassionate heart seemed to draw others in need to her. She had sat up many nights at the base consoling the wives of Marines killed in action. She felt their pain and always seemed to have the right words to bring comfort.

Emily also spent hours volunteering at the veterans' hospital working with soldiers who had been badly wounded in the line of duty. It was a service of love that both Emily and Scott felt deeply about.

Some of the men Emily encountered at the hospital knew Scott because they had either served in his platoon or had been rescued by them.

An hour later his phone rang. Scott picked it up and heard his father-in-law say, "Scott, there's no mistake. I wish it was an error, but you've been called back into active duty, and it's not something I can undo."

"Your country needs your special skills and devotion, Scott. You have six weeks before you have to report to duty. You'd better get your affairs in order." Then Sam spoke softly and very much out of character, "Let Helen and I know what we can do to help you, and good luck telling Emily."

After hanging up from General Ward, Scott called his dad and gave him the bad news. At first his dad sounded upset, but he quickly regained his cheerful tone, which helped Scott get through the conversation.

"It's okay. Don't worry about anything at the bank; we can manage until you get back home, Son. This is going to be hard on Emily. How is she taking it?" John asked.

"Dad, I haven't told her yet; I just found out. Normally she would have been the first person I would have told, but I called you first to ask a favor. Can you and Mom come over and stay with Steven and Jessica for three or four days? I want to take Emily away to break the news to her so she can have time to adjust before she has to deal with the kids. I don't want her upset at me, which would upset the children and make it even worse for her."

"Sure thing, Scott, I'll call your mom right now and let her know," John replied. "We'll be there about an hour after closing."

John and Rebecca lived about twenty minutes west of Black Mountain. Scott knew his parents would be pushing themselves for John to drive home from the main bank in Asheville, pack, and the two of them drive over to the old homestead, all within an hour of closing.

With his parents making arrangements to come and stay with the children, Scott phoned the beach town where he and Emily had spent their amazing honeymoon. He was fortunate that not only was a house available, but he was able to rent the very beach front cottage where, on their wedding night, they had made love for the first time.

Booking the cottage, he grabbed a map to determine how far they could drive that evening, and reserved a room for the night along their route to the sea.

Finally, he phoned Emily's mom. Helen answered, "Scott, Sam just this minute told me what has happened. What can we do to help?"

"I wanted to warn you that Emily doesn't know yet," he said. "I didn't want you to call and say something before I get a chance to tell her myself. I'm taking her away for a long weekend and I'll tell her then. My parents are going to take care of the kids while we are gone."

"Oh, Scott, I know how upset Emily will be," Helen spoke forlornly. "She's been so happy since you left the service. She was just telling me the other day how safe she feels now. But remember, Scott, Emily is from a long line of soldiers. You can count on her to adjust and be strong for you and the children. She knows what it means to be married to a Marine."

Since the resort was only forty minutes from the base, Helen volunteered to deliver snacks and picnic items to the cottage early the next morning. "I've got an errand to run in the area anyway," she said.

Scott knew Helen would probably be making a special trip and would stock the cottage with much more than they needed, but he realized it would make her feel like she was helping, so he gratefully accepted her offer.

Hanging up the phone, Scott looked at the clock. There was still an hour before the bank closed and he could head home – one short hour to plan what to say to Emily.
Chapter 2

Being the child of a general, Emily was used to military life. Her brother, James, who was fifteen years older than she; was a Marine Chaplain serving in California. David, who was seven years her senior, had been a member of the "Special Forces" group with the Marines, and he now served in the Pentagon.

She was used to living on one base or another; each resembling a small, tight-knit town where everyone knew everyone else and it was almost impossible to keep a secret. Because of this, she was having no trouble adjusting to Black Mountain. However, she did enjoy the privacy their new home offered; it was wonderful to be close to town, yet surrounded by trees and meadows that seemed to wrap her family in a protective cocoon of happiness. She treasured this new life where she knew her husband could drop by their home for his lunch break, as the branch bank sat on the edge of town, just a few miles away.

Emily hummed contently to herself as she rocked Jessica. It was feeding time and Emily always held the baby as she nursed her bottle. She did not want to miss out on the closeness with Jessica that she had shared with baby Steven, whom she had been able to breast feed.

Through the new glass double doors, Emily could see Steven in the backyard playing on the swing set his dad and grandpa had built for him the previous fall. They had designed the area to allow the children to step from the family room right out into their playground, which was surrounded by a fence to keep them from exploring the creek or getting out of Emily's sight.

Emily and Scott also hoped the fence would discourage the black bears, which were abundant in the area, from wandering too close to their children.

Puller, their black retriever puppy, had not only been purchased for the family's enjoyment but as an alarm in case bears were in the vicinity. Steven never went into his play area without Puller by his side.

It was a sunny spring day. The dogwoods and redbuds were blooming on the hillsides and birds were flying to and fro scouting for nesting sites to start their new families. Emily loved the spring and waited eagerly each year for the first tulips to poke their heads up through the ground.

The beauty surrounding her in their valley was breathtaking. Emily's thoughts strayed back to last year as she lay entwined with Scott in the hammock on their porch; the music from a chorus of frogs had perfectly complimented the after-glow of their lovemaking.

The frogs' melody was a strange – yet calming – sound which she'd never heard on base. It had seemed to Emily that the frogs were singing just to welcome her and Scott to their valley and into civilian life.

She was feeling great again and had lost the extra weight from her pregnancy. Jessica was sleeping through the nights, so Emily was getting plenty of rest.

As she sang softly to Jessica, her eyes surveyed the room coming to rest on their wedding picture sitting on the table next to her. Growing up on base, Emily had attended innumerable military weddings and, since a child, had envisioned herself walking down the aisle on her dad's arm toward the man who would someday fulfill all her desires and dreams of love.

She and her little girlfriends would pretend to walk through an arch of crossed sabers – which were in fact just sticks they had begged her friend's little brothers to hold up for them. Once, they had swiped a cake from her mom's kitchen to use at their make believe wedding and tried to cut it with one of their pretend sabers. She had been in hot water with her mom when it became time to serve dessert to their guest, but now it was a cherished memory the entire family would tease her about. What fun they had enjoyed playing bride.

She had truly felt like a fairytale princess as her dreams came true at their beautiful military wedding on her twenty-fourth birthday, the 20th of April, six years earlier.

Scott was so handsome in his dress uniform; as she gazed at their wedding portrait his hazel eyes seemed to be looking out of the picture right at her. He was always smiling and filled with laughter.

She was wearing a traditional floor length gown of white brocade satin. The princess neckline showed off her long neck and pretty shoulders – with just a little cleavage showing to entice her groom. On her head was a fingertip length veil of thin illusion. She had worn the veil over her face so that her old-fashioned husband could have the thrill of folding it back to capture his kiss, branding them as man and wife forever.

Honeymooning on the ocean at Topsail Beach, they had shared almost two weeks of solitude learning the pleasures of love, exploring each other's bodies and getting over the shyness of feeling like everyone was looking at them and somehow knowing they were newlyweds.

They had discussed their big dreams before they were married, but since their courtship had been a short one, they had discovered a lot of stories to share of each other's childhoods, skeletons in the family closets, and first crushes; the list went on and on.

It had been such a special time; they had walked in the surf, picnicked atop a blanket on the sandy beach and sat side by side watching ships move slowly on the horizon.

The last evening they had stayed up all night making love and talking, ending their honeymoon walking hand in hand with the surf breaking over their ankles as they watched the sun rise over the ocean and onto their new lives as man and wife.

Emily loved everything about Scott. He was responsive to her needs, a magnificent lover, and a man who took his rightful place as head of the household, while always including her in decisions.

As a soldier Scott had shown bravery and devotion to his country. Not once had he taken advantage of having a "General" father-in-law who could have pulled rank to give him special treatment. After marrying Emily, he had even turned down several promotions; not only because he was comfortable with his current rank, but so there would be no suggestion that his advance was due to his father-in-law's position.

Because of Scott's special training in communications, hand to hand combat, explosives and his ability to speak fluent Arabic and Farsi, he was often picked for dangerous missions. That meant he had to lead the men under his command into perilous situations, as together they risked their own lives to save soldiers pinned down by enemy fire or rescued downed pilots from the jaws of certain death.

When Emily could not get in touch with Scott, she knew he was in harm's way. She would walk the floor, barely sleeping at night until he called to tell her he had returned safely to his base.

Scott was also a wonderful father; he never seemed to tire of playing with the children and always let Steven tag along beside him so the little boy could feel like he was helping with the outdoor chores. He did not seem to mind that by doing so it would sometimes take three times longer to get a job done

However, Scott was no push-over; he believed in discipline and their children were well behaved. Scott and Emily were both puzzled when they would witness rude, unmannerly children in public who seemed to be completely out of control. When had American parents become so foolish that they could not tell the difference between child abuse and well needed – moderate but firm – discipline?

Neither Emily nor Scott would ever beat their children; but children need firm rules and consequences if they break them. A light smack on the bottom was enough to get the kid's attention and was rarely needed.

Steven, and even little Jessica, knew the meaning of "No", yet anyone could see that they were not mistreated but well loved by both of their parents.

Emily carefully stood up from the rocker, moving slowly over to the day crib to lay Jessica down for her nap. She stood there a minute just watching the baby.

"What a beautiful little girl you are, Jessica. I don't think I can ever get enough of just looking at you while you sleep."

After covering her with a light blanket, Emily went to retrieve Steven so he could have his nap and be ready to play again when his dad arrived home.

Once the kids were tucked into bed tonight, she would have Scott all to herself. She had purchased a new negligee and was planning a romantic, candlelit evening.

With both kids down for their afternoon naps, she went about finishing her evening preparations for dinner and then made herself beautiful for Scott.

* * * * *

Emily looked at the clock again; Scott was running a little late this evening. Usually he would have been home twenty minutes ago.

Looking out the front window, she saw their car start up the winding drive. "Kids," she called, "Daddy's home."

Steven let out a cheer and even Jessica, tucked in her mother's arms, seemed to know what was happening as they all rushed to the front porch to welcome Scott home.

As Scott climbed up the front steps, Steven jumped into his dad's arms. "Daddy, Daddy, Puller and I are ready to play. Let's go!"

"Just a minute little guy; give me time to hug your mom and Jessica, then I have a surprise for all of you," Scott said as he climbed onto the porch with Steven held lovingly in his arms.

"What kind of a surprise?" Steven demanded.

"Your Grandma and Grandpa Pearson are on the way over to spend a few nights with you while your mommy and I go on a little trip," Scott replied, watching his wife's face light up with joy.

"Wow, can Grandpa stay in my room with me?" Steven asked.

"I think Grandma might be too lonely in the guest bedroom without Grandpa, but you will have plenty of time to play with him. Come on; let's go inside so I can give your mom a few hints about her surprise trip."

* * * * *

Emily was excited as she packed a bag for the unexpected getaway. She was so glad she had purchased the new negligee for tonight. She placed the candles which she had planned to use here at home in her make-up bag to take along; they should add to the romantic mood.

This was the first time since Jessica was born that the two of them had been alone overnight. Scott was not telling her where they were going, only that they would drive to a spot where he had made reservations for the night and head out again in the morning to their final destination. Not until tomorrow would Emily find out exactly where Scott was taking her.

* * * * *

Scott's mind was troubled as he packed his own bag. He would not tell Emily why they were going on the trip; he wanted her alone when he told her about his recall.

"Daddy, Mommy, there's a red car coming. I think it's Grandma and Grandpa," Steven called up the stairs. "Can I go outside and see them?"

"Wait for us, Son," Scott called as he scooped Jessica off their bed and headed down the stairs.

Chapter 3

Scott and Emily drove for over an hour before stopping for a light supper and then continued on to their inn at Rockingham.

Scott seemed preoccupied and exhausted, so Emily decided she would save her candles and new negligee for the next evening. After showering, they nestled together on the bed to watch a movie, falling asleep well before their usual bedtime.

The next morning they got up early and had a leisurely breakfast on the road. They laughed together as they realized that most of their conversation was about the kids: "I wonder if Jessica slept all night?" "Do you think the kids are missing us too much?" "Did we remember to tell the folks that Steven likes orange juice with his cereal in the morning?"

"To hear us talk you would think that your parents had never raised a child before," Emily chuckled. "I'll promise to stop worrying about the kids for the rest of the trip if you will, too!"

"It's a deal! I just want to think about my lovely wife for the next few days. Come on," Scott said as he held Emily's chair, "your chariot awaits to carry you to your hideaway."

Emily was delighted when Scott turned the car into Topsail Beach where they had spent so many happy days on their honeymoon.

"Emily, I was able to reserve the very cottage we stayed in before. Get ready for three days and nights of dining, dancing, walks on the beach, picnics and breathtaking love-making. It is a good thing we got a good night's sleep last night," Scott kidded. "I plan to keep you very busy."

After checking in and unpacking, Emily fixed a picnic lunch from the supplies that her mother had delivered, making a mental note to get her mom a little gift as a "thank you".

They changed into shorts and went for a long walk on the beach. It was a beautiful day with a warm breeze blowing in off the ocean. They had the beach mostly to themselves because it was still too early for the main wave of tourist.

They gathered some seashells to take home and then built a sandcastle. Scott propped the camera on a sand mound, setting it to automatically take pictures of Emily and him playing like a couple of kids.

Later they dressed for a formal evening of dining and dancing at a nearby supper club. Scott was delighted to find out that a band specializing in the rock and roll songs of the 50's was playing at the club.

Scott thought it would have been wonderful to have been young back when rock and roll was popular. He realized he was a very old-fashioned guy for someone who was only in his thirties. He preferred the swing, fox trot, waltz and Cha Cha to what young people called dancing today. He and Emily had taken ballroom dancing lessons and truly enjoyed swirling around the dance floor, perfectly synchronized to each other.

They selected a meal of fresh seafood, one of the many advantages of living so near the ocean. After dancing for several hours, they decided they could handle some dessert.

Their waiter brought them a large brownie smothered in ice cream, caramel, cherries and whipped topping. They sat with their heads together eating from the same dish, feeling like a couple of teenagers at a sock-hop.

The last song of the evening was a slow dance. Scott held Emily unusually tight as they swayed to the music. The song was about the sorrow of parting from one's true love, and the words were tearing at Scott's heart for he knew what he would be telling Emily as the sun rose over the ocean.

Returning to their cottage, Emily excused herself to put on her new negligee. When she came out of the bathroom Scott had lit the candles and soft music was playing on the radio.

"Wow," Scott whistled. "You look fabulous! I really like that new gown. Come here and let me hold you."

"My gorgeous wife; I would like to make this night like the last night we spent on our honeymoon," Scott spoke softly. "Let's make love and later watch the sun come up."

"Oh, let's do Scott," Emily replied. "I bet the memories will be even better the second time around." She went into his arms and they danced through the cozy cottage, much as they had done six years earlier.

As they waltzed to the beat of the music, Scott whispered sweet nothings to Emily and tenderly nibbled on her ear. When the song ended, he swept her into his arms and carried her to the waiting bed.

Emily felt so alive and excited. It seemed that Scott had awakened every nerve in her body. He was such a thoughtful lover, waiting till she had soared to heavenly heights of passion before satisfying his own needs.

They lay breathless. Entwined together, they felt the beating of their hearts and enjoyed the feel of their naked skin against each other.

Scott was thinking about how soft Emily felt and about how much she matched his desires. Emily was thinking about how strong Scott was and how safe she felt lying in his arms.

They continued to cuddle while they talked about everything that had happened in their lives since they met and the changes in their lives since their wedding.

After an hour of reminiscing, they put on their robes and raided the refrigerator. Fixing a light snack, they settled on the sofa and watched an old movie.

At the end of the movie, they dressed warmly and headed out to greet the new day. The sky was just beginning to show signs of color. The waves made soothing music as they washed onto the beach, and sea gulls began their flights over the water as the sun peeked over the horizon. Brilliant colors flooded the sky, and the reflection of the new sun made a path across the water that seemed to stop right at their feet.

Sitting on the beach between Scott's legs, Emily leaned her head back against his chest. "Oh, Scott, it's so beautiful," Emily exclaimed. "How can I ever thank you for planning this wonderful time together?"

Scott's heart was aching for he knew he could wait no longer. It was time for him to give Emily the news that would destroy her moment of joy.

"Emily," Scott's voice quivered as he spoke her name. "I had a special reason for bringing you here besides reliving old times and creating these wonderful new memories that will always be ours. Something has happened that I didn't foresee, and I wanted us to have time alone to make plans and for you to get over the shock."

"Scott, what's wrong?" Emily questioned as she turned to look into his eyes.

"I received a letter in the mail yesterday from the Marine Corp; I've been called back into active duty, and I have six short weeks before I report. I'm headed for the war zone."

Mirroring Scotts thoughts when he had first read the letter, Emily cried, "No, it's not possible! There must be some mistake. You have been out for almost a year and your final discharge papers are to arrive soon. Besides, they're already bringing the troops home. We need to call Daddy! I know that he can get this straightened out."

"Emily, I knew that would be the first thing you suggested," Scott told her. "I've already talked to your dad. He made some phone calls and there is no mistake; I have to go!"

Emily collapsed into Scott's arms. Her body shook violently from the power of her tears. Scott did the only thing he could think to do; he held her tight, pushed back her hair to kiss her face, whispered encouragements, told her what little information he had about his recall and tried unsuccessfully to fight his own tears. He would have given anything to not have had this happen to his Emily. They sat on the beach holding each other for a very long time.
Chapter 4

After they had finally come in from the beach, they spent hours talking about what problems the upcoming months might bring. Neither of them felt like sleeping.

"Dad has an assistant that will be taking care of the branch while I'm gone. He said that she's very qualified but does not want the responsibility fulltime. Dad explained the situation to her, and she agreed to take over until I get back. He promised her he would come down to the branch at least one day a week and phone her daily," Scott told Emily. "I really appreciate the extra work that dad is willing to do for me."

"Your parents have been so good to us over the years," Emily said. "I'm so glad that they live close, and I know that they'll help me with the kids while you're gone. I'm going to stay as busy as possible so that the time will seem to go by faster until you're home again."

"Emily," Scott said hesitantly, "We need to make some plans about your and the children's future if I don't make it back."

"I refuse to even think about it," Emily exclaimed heatedly. "You will come back!"

"I will do everything in my power to make sure that I return to you," Scott answered. "But this is war. With your military background, you know that if they've called me back at this late date in the war, they need my special skills and I'm looking at some very dangerous missions. No matter how prepared I am; no matter how well trained or careful I am; I can be killed in action. We have to talk about this," he pleaded.

Emily stood with her back to Scott, staring blindly out the window at the ocean, looking beyond the waves breaking onto the sand. She knew Scott was right. With her experience in helping the widows of soldiers killed in action, she also knew that it was unfair to Scott for her to refuse to make plans in case of his death. Refusing to talk about it would only put extra stress on him. It was time for her to pull on all her reserve strength and attack the situation face-on, like a good military wife.

Turning to face the man she loved more than life itself, she said in a soft, shaky voice, "Scott, you're right! We do need to make plans; a lot has changed in our lives since the last time you saw action. I need to have a clear vision of how you want things handled. Let's go out, get a quick lunch, and pick up some writing material."

"I want us to sit down and write up three lists; one for what needs to be done before you go, one for what needs to be done while you're gone, and one for what you would like to have done if you don't return," Emily said with tears streaming down her face.

Scott breathed a sigh of relief. The crisis of acceptance on Emily's part was over, and it felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Walking to Emily he placed his arms around her and dried her cheeks.

"That's my girl. I knew I could count on you to help all of us through this," Scott said. "I'm starved; let's get going."

The rest of their trip seemed to fly by quickly. They spent most of their time making the detailed lists that Emily had suggested.

She broke down and cried many times as they made plans for Scott's possible death. When she did this, Scott would take her in his arms and hold her until she could stop crying and then they would start planning again.

Scott cried with her a few times at the reality of what he would miss if he was killed. He would not see his children grow up or be able to enjoy the little things in life with Emily that everyone takes for granted.

Would he ever see his baby girl walk – and who would give her away at her wedding if he didn't return? Who would play ball with Steven and who would teach him about being a man of character, strength and loyalty – things Scott had looked forward to instilling in his son?

Would he get to grow old with his wife? Would he get to stand beside her as they gazed at their first grandchild? For Scott, the hardest realization was that if he was killed in action, he wouldn't be able to hold Emily, and comfort her, when she received the news that he was gone.

He thought of the millions of wives, mothers and sweethearts who had received word that their loved one had died in the service of this great country over the past two hundred plus years.

Freedom had a terrible cost; deep down Scott believed that everyone in the country was thankful for their freedom. He wanted to believe that all the soldiers that had died in the past, and would die in the future, did not do so in vain.

He wanted desperately to live a full life with his family. He didn't want to die, but he was willing to give up his life for freedom.

If the two were not working on their lists, they did everything to drown out the upcoming event – making love, walking hand in hand, dancing, and laughing together. They tried to slow up their world, but before it seemed possible, it was time to pack and leave.

When they left Topsail Beach, they drove north up the coast to the base. Scott was able to get more details about his deployment, and Emily had some much needed time alone with her mother.

When Emily and her mom joined Scott and her father for lunch at the officers club, Scott knew that they both had been crying, but neither he nor the general mentioned the redness of their wives' eyes.

Right after lunch, Scott and Emily headed home. Now they must spend as much time as possible with their children as a family.
Chapter 5

After seeing Scott of at the gate, Emily returned to the airport parking lot where she collapsed into the driver's seat of their car. With her head against the steering wheel, the tears she had been holding back finally escaped. She was glad she was alone and didn't have to be brave for anyone anymore – not for Scott and not for the children. She could finally let her emotions take over and she cried heavy, heart wrenching tears that shook her body uncontrollably until she was exhausted.

When she was able to control her grief, she started the car up and drove without any conscious thought to where she was going; however, she was not surprised when she found herself at a familiar roadside park on a secluded ocean beach. It was where she had come each time she had seen Scott off on an overseas mission.

As she climbed out of the car, she looked up into the eastern sky. Somewhere beyond her vision, Scott was in a plane racing at over 200 miles an hour away from her and the children – racing to an unknown future.

Emily slipped off her shoes and walked barefoot along the ocean's edge, loving the feel of the sun-warmed sand between her toes. The waves washed around her ankles as the seagulls darted in and out of the water, unaware of the problems of the world.

Watching the carefree birds she wondered, "Does anyone care what the families of soldiers are going through? Do they even have an inkling of the hardships or anguish of being separated from your loved one...knowing that they might die? Most of them are probably like the seagulls, going on with their lives not giving us a thought!"

Then Emily gave herself a mental shake, "I must think about how fortunate we are."

She knew that a large percentage of the families of soldiers did not have the financial wealth that she and Scott enjoyed. In fact, many soldiers from the Marine Reserves unit Scott had been serving in had lost their homes when mortgage payments could not be made. A couple of years ago, the unit had been deployed overseas for such a long time that their jobs had been filled by others; without their civilian paychecks the families could barely scrape by. Mothers had trouble putting food on the table and only the help of welfare programs kept them going.

She knew that Scott did not have to worry about his job. His dad would have it waiting for him when he returned home. They had money in the bank, so she would be able to stay home with the children. Both of their parents would help with the care of Steven and Jessica and with any emergencies that came up. And, thanks to Scott's parents, they didn't even have a home mortgage to worry about.

Yes, Emily knew that she was lucky but right now it was hard to feel that way when Scott had just been torn from her side by the invisible arms of duty. She was tired, lonely, and scared.

She looked back in the direction she had come and realized she had wandered a couple of miles down the beach. She sat down to rest before starting back to the car. It really was a beautiful day and the cool ocean breeze felt wonderful against her skin.

"I have to get myself straightened out so I can go back to the kids," Emily thought. "They must not see my fear." She knew that to do otherwise would be letting Scott down, and under no circumstance did she want to do that.

She decided to give herself the luxury of a few more minutes of solitude. She relived her last minutes with Scott – the wonderful feeling of being held in his arms – and she thought about their trip to the ocean six weeks earlier.

Emily was so thankful that she had a husband that was so thoughtful of her needs. Having those few days to make plans had made Scott's last weeks at home more productive and had given them invaluable memories to cling to in the months ahead.

In the weeks that had followed their retreat, they had checked each item off the "Things to Do before I Leave" list, one by one.

The first week Scott had spent half days at the bank training his replacement. John had completely taken over the training after that so Scott could be with Emily and the kids.

The bank had sent out a newsletter to all its customers, and Scott's friends, telling them that Scott would be away for eighteen months to serve his country. It had included a picture of Scott in his dress uniform and had asked for prayers for his safety and the safety of his unit waiting for him on the front lines.

Scott and Emily spent the precious days before his departure as a family, like they had planned. The four of them went to the zoo, played in the stream behind the house, picnicked in the meadow and took naps together in the afternoon sun.

Steven had loved the trip through the heavily forested mountains on a train powered by an old steam engine. Several times they had driven to the beach and built gigantic sandcastles with the kids.

Both sets of grandparents had taken turns staying with the children each week so Scott and Emily could have some time alone. They would find something for just the two of them to do; they had played golf, gone to the theater; shopped for items Scott needed to take with him and went dining and dancing. One day they had driven to DuPont State Park, one of the most beautiful parks in the country, and spent hours hiking on the trails, playing in the mountain streams and waterfalls, and enjoying each other's company with the magnificent scenery as a backdrop.

They had taken hundreds of pictures and hours of videos, filming everything they possibly could. Scott reading the kids bedtime stories – Scott drying the children off after their baths – Scott tucking them in at night – Scott giving Steven a "horsey" ride in the living room with Jessica watching with wide eyes and squealing with joy as she waited for her turn – and on and on.

Emily realized that it was the everyday events that the kids would miss the most. She planned to have a special time each evening to watch different videos of Scott so that the kids could talk about their dad. Little Jessica wasn't really talking yet but she could now say "Da, Da", at least that is what it sounded like to them.

"I've got to keep Scott real to Jessica," Emily thought. "She is so little, and I don't want her to think of her daddy as a stranger when he comes home."

"Scott is going to miss out on so many of Jessica's "firsts," Emily moaned to herself. "Her first steps, her first words and the first Christmas she will be old enough to enjoy – it's up to me to get the little but important events on tape and send them to him."

Emily had decided that each day she would set aside a time to help the kids draw and color pictures to send their dad and to help them write out little love notes for him. She planned to mail Scott a package of the children's notes once a week and write him a letter journaling the day's events every single night.

She knew that mail was not always reliable on the front lines; Scott might go for weeks without a letter and then receive several at once. Nevertheless, she was going to do everything she could to make sure he had something at each "mail call".

Emily stood up and dusted the sand off her skirt. She threw a kiss into the air toward the spot she imagined held the plane that was placing miles and miles between her and the man she loved. Holding her sandals in her hand, she headed back to the car and the challenges of life with Scott half a world away.

* * * * *

Scott was tired. It had been a long day of goodbyes. So far the flight had been smooth and uneventful. As he leaned back in his seat to try and get some sleep, his mind kept going back to the farewell with Emily.

He had said goodbye to the children at their Grandparents Ward's home. Samuel and Helen had watched the children so that Emily and he could be alone at the airport. He calculated that by now she would be back to her parents putting the children to bed. He was almost certain that she would cry herself to sleep tonight.

Scott knew that he must put the concerns for his family to the back of his mind by the time the plane landed. When he stepped onto foreign soil, he would be at war and his very life depended on his clear thinking.

Chapter 6

Scott had been gone for almost two months, and Emily's life was starting to settle into a routine without him.

It had been a very hard adjustment for Steven. He would mope around with his ball and bat or sit and stare at the toy boat he and his dad had played with. He would ask Emily again and again, "Mom, how many more days till daddy can come home?"

Yesterday she had put the baby to bed and told Steven they were going to have a special time for just the two of them. She arranged a little tray with cookies and lemonade, and they had sat on a blanket on the front porch.

"Steven, I know you miss your daddy; we all miss him, but I have something very special to tell you. You remember how your dad told you before he left that he needed you to be very brave and take care of little Jessica and me? Well, a few days ago I got a letter from your daddy and he wanted me to remind you of that and to tell you how important his work is for our country."

Emily took a little package that was wrapped in teddy bear paper from her apron pocket and handed it to Steven. "Steven, this is a special gift for you from your daddy – open it," she encouraged.

In the package Steven found a little billfold much likes his dad's. Inside was a picture of Scott standing outside his barrack; it was inscribed:

"To my brave little son,

Love, Dad."

"My very own billfold and picture of daddy to carry in my pocket," Steven whooped with glee. "Mommy, let's go show Jessica."

"Not so fast young man; you mustn't wake her up yet," Emily said, capturing him as he jumped up to run to Jessica's room. "I just got her to sleep! She needs her nap so she can play with you later."

"Steven, your picture and billfold came with a letter from your dad. I'm going to read it to you, but you can't have it to play with. I'm going to save it to give to you when you are all grown up," Emily stated as she began to read Scott's letter to his little boy.

Dear Son,

I love you very much and want you to know that the drawings and notes you are sending make me very happy.

Your mom told me that you are spending a lot of time wishing that I was there to play with you. I would like to be playing with you, too, Son, but I have a very important job to do.

Since I can't be there right now, I have a special favor to ask of you. Whenever you miss me, would you give your Mom and Jessica an extra special hug and tell them it's from me, because I know that they are missing me, too. You can be my special hug ambassador!

At this point Emily stopped reading to explain to her little son just what an ambassador was.

I placed a new picture of me inside your billfold so you can always carry it with you. Do you remember the one I have of you in my billfold?

Ask your mom to add one of her and Jessica and be sure to put in one of the pictures of all of us together.

Always remember that I love you.

Daddy xxxoooxxx

Steven jumped up and ran to Emily, giving her a big hug. "That hug is from daddy, Mom. I am his special hug person," he exclaimed.

* * * * *

Since yesterday, Emily and Jessica had received a great many hugs. Steven was very proud of his billfold and couldn't wait till he could show it to his Grandpa John.

John would be coming for dinner tonight. With Scott gone, John came to work at the local branch once a week and always came by the house after closing to spend time with the children and her.

Around two that afternoon Emily heard Steven yelling, "Here comes grandpa! Here comes grandpa! Quick, Mommy, get Jessica so she can go out with me to see grandpa."

John had finished early and had come to take Jessica and Steven on a walk.

Steven gave his grandpa an extra big hug and said, "That hugs from Daddy, grandpa. He asked me to be his special hug person."

"Well, that is one of the best hugs I have ever had. Your Dad sure picked himself the right little man for the job," John said. "Just wait till I tell your grandma; she will have trouble waiting till she gets here to get her hug from your Daddy."

"When is Grandma coming over, Grandpa?" Steven asked.

"She'll be here Thursday morning bright and early," John said. "She is bringing some new crayons and coloring books for you."

As John played with the kids, Emily put the finishing touches on supper and set the table. She reflected on how great Scott's parents were to her and the children.

Rebecca drove over about every six days to stay with Steven and Jessica so that Emily could go shopping unhindered and have a little time to be by herself. Rebecca spaced her trips between weekend visits, and visits from John, to help make the time seem to go faster for everyone.

John and Rebecca loved their grandchildren and let Emily know that it was no hardship on their part to be spending extra time with them. Emily could tell that they missed Scott as well and figured that playing with his kids helped fill the emptiness in their hearts left by their son's absence.

* * * * *

The first stop Emily made Thursday morning was at her hairdresser. She was having a hard time this morning not feeling sorry for herself. As she walked in the door, she was delighted to see Melinda Weaver sitting in the waiting room.

"Hi, Emily, how is everything going?" Melinda asked in her friendly voice. They visited about their kids and the latest information from Scott.

Emily had first met Melinda here at the beauty shop when she and Scott had moved to town. Since then, they had run into Melinda and her husband, William, a few times at community events and festivals.

The Weavers had two well-behaved little boys ages three and five. They had moved to North Carolina when William had been transferred here two years earlier to head up the Black River Parks System.

They were such a nice family and Scott and Emily had intended to invite them over to get better acquainted, but time had gotten away from them. Emily figured a visit would just have to wait now till Scott got home.

"Emily, since your mother-in-law is here with your kids and my neighbor is watching Taylor and Jeffery, let's meet for lunch over at The Wild Woods," Melinda suggested.

Emily thought for just a second how Rebecca was constantly telling her to take more time and not hurry back. She knew the kids were being well loved and having a great time with their grandmother.

Lunch with Melinda's cheerful laughter and comments would certainly lift her spirits. Emily figured she could get most of her shopping out of the way before lunch and finish with the grocery store just before going home.

"I think that is a great idea," Emily said as Melinda headed back for her hair appointment, "See you there at noon."

* * * * *

Lunch turned out to be just what Emily needed. She and Melinda laughed till there were tears in their eyes as they shared some of the shenanigans their kids had pulled.

Towards the end of the hour Melinda said, "Emily, William and I want you to know that we really appreciate what Scott and our soldiers are doing for this country. We can also see and appreciate how much of a sacrifice all their families are making."

"We have Scott and all the soldiers on our prayer list at church. We never go a day without remembering them and their families to God."

"Melinda, that is really sweet," Emily said. "Sometimes I wonder if God is really listening, but it can't hurt for you to pray".

"Emily, God is listening and he cares," Melinda said. "In fact, we have a group of ladies who are studying the power of prayer on Tuesday afternoons. We provide a nursery for the children; why don't you come and join us? I think you would feel a lot better about God listening to you if you joined our study."

"Oh, I don't know. I've not been in much of a mood to want to be around any new people; I'll think about it," Emily replied.

"Call me if you decide to go," Melinda said, "and I want you to know that William and I would be glad to pick you and the kids up any Sunday morning for church services."

Emily thanked Melinda for the invitation and for the lunch date as they both went on their busy ways.

While Emily drove toward the grocery store, she thought of the "Things to Do While I Am Gone" list that she and Scott had made when they learned he had been called back into the service. At the top of the list Scott had written, "Find a church home and start attending".

Scott's dad had asked them to join a local church. Emily was not against going to church; she had attended Sunday School at the base as a child, and she believed in God. However, she was not looking forward to attending a service with so many people she did not know, although Scott probably knew just about everyone who would be in attendance.

She supposed that it would be a good way for her to become better acquainted with his childhood friends, but she was not in any hurry to do so. Besides, this weekend she was taking the kids to see her parents and would be gone for about five days.

Emily was thankful that Melinda had not been pushy about her attending church with them. With that thought, she switched her mind to what she needed at the store.

Chapter 7

Scott was stationed with many officers he already knew from his years of service in the Marines. He had also made some new friends; one of those was Lieutenant Brian Brooks, his roommate since he had arrived back on foreign soil. Scott had liked Brian from the moment he had met him.

When Scott arrived at the war zone after his long flight from the states, he was exhausted. All he had wanted to do was find a place to sleep for a week, but first he had to report for duty, be assigned to quarters, grab a bite to eat and then finally be able to rest.

Three hours later he crawled between his sheets where he tossed and turned on the hard, narrow bed – wishing for his comfortable mattress back home and the coziness of his wife lying beside him. At first, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to get to sleep because pictures of Emily and the kids kept playing across his mind, but fortunately his body's desperate need for rest took over, and he finally drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

He was awakened when his door burst open and in walked a tall slender man in uniform, whistling loudly and tossing his bullet proof vest onto a chair. The soldier was startled when Scott set up in the bed across the room from his own.

"Good grief!" the soldier exclaimed. "You scared me out of my skin. Glad I didn't have my weapon handy. Sorry I woke you; I didn't know you were in here. Guess I've gotten used to having this room to myself. I'm Lieutenant Brian Brooks. Looks like you must be my new roommate."

"Lieutenant Scott Pearson", Scott responded when he could finally get a word in.

Brian had a strong handshake and, Scott was sure, an even stronger sense of confidence. His presence seemed to fill the room with his cheerful, friendly charisma, and the man had a smile that could magnetize your eyes to his.

"What time is it?" Scott asked, running his hand through his hair.

"1900 hours," Brian replied after glancing at his watch.

"I've been sleeping ten hours and I'm still tired," Scott remarked.

They visited about the base, what was happening with combat and the withdrawal of the troops, what to expect from the commanding officers, and other military related subjects.

Personal information would have to come later as there was time. Both Scott and Brian would be heading out into the field for days at a time for the remainder of their tours of duty and would go for weeks without seeing each other, unless they were sharing the same mission.

After a quick shower Scott headed for the officers mess. The little he had eaten on arriving was long gone, and he was starved.

* * * * *

In the months that followed his arrival, everyday events became mundane. Only the fighting required a challenge to his mind and physical condition. During the hours he was off duty, there was little to occupy him or the other soldiers.

Thanks to satellite television, they could watch live news broadcasts from America when they got back in from a mission. Listening to the news stories from the reporters embedded with the men, they usually wondered if there was another war going on somewhere else, because the reports on many of the broadcast rarely reflected what they were going through. They also noticed how the reporting was so negative; Scott had seen so many positive things happen which never seemed to make the news.

He had initiated several long conversations with the reporter, Alex Boyd, who often tagged along with his or Brian's units. He seemed like a nice enough guy. Alex had told him that he sent in the positive reports, especially ones that would be human interest stories, but they rarely got aired.

"It would seem that they don't want the good news," Alex explained. "Sometimes I wonder if they are trying to slant information to their political way of thinking."

"When I studied journalism in college, I had big ideas about exposing the truth and making a difference in the world. Somehow it has gotten down to doing the job asked or not getting a paycheck – so much for a young man's idealism."

* * * * *

It had been four long, hot months of sand blowing in his face, of sweat soaking his uniform and bullet proof vest; four lonely months without holding Emily or the kids in his arms, and there were many more months to go. Scott reflected on how much he missed his family as he tried to cool off in the shade of the armored personnel carrier during a break in the action.

He had been in battles in the desert in previous years so he knew what extra hardships the heat, and other unfriendly natural elements, could inflict on his men on top of the hardship of fighting for their very lives.

The temperature could soar to 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. Dust storms would send sand tearing into the men and equipment at over fifty miles per hour, and the winds sent clouds of sand so high that flying was almost impossible. Scott dreaded such storms as it meant rescues from the air, if they got into trouble, were highly unlikely. During this extremely dry season, the dust created from moving men and equipment could be easily seen by their enemy, making stealth almost impossible.

He was looking forward to the winter months and wished time would pass faster. Not only would he be that much closer to getting home, but the relentless desert heat would be letting up; he and the soldiers under his charge would not tire so quickly.

Scott believed that the new warfare was harder on today's soldiers because there were no distinctive front lines. The enemy was everywhere; even hidden among the innocent people of the country who welcomed the chance for personal freedom, which he and his men were providing.

They had to be on constant alert as they were safe nowhere, not even in the designated base area; although, such areas would certainly be the place they were best protected. This steady diet of danger added tremendously to their stress.

As a Lieutenant, Scott had thirty-seven men under his command. They were mostly very young, averaging twenty-three years of age. It made him feel like an old man at thirty-four. He took his responsibility seriously. He knew that if he made a bad decision, it could cost his men their lives.

Since returning to the battlefield, Scott had lost three men under his command. It was a miracle that it hadn't been more. The fact that their deaths had not been due to any of his decisions did not make the loss any easier on their loved ones. Three more families now had a hole in their lives that could never be filled – a pain so terrible it would never completely go away. He hated writing the letters home to the families to tell them how their sons, husbands, fathers or sweethearts had died in the line of duty.

Without exception, all of the men that had been lost had fought bravely and skillfully. Yet, as he had explained to Emily, there were times when no matter how careful they were the enemy was still able to kill them.

"Freedom had a very high cost," Scott reflected. "The whole world owes the United States soldier, and their families, a great debt for fighting for freedom when and wherever needed."

He knew that if he listened to the news media, he would think that their sacrifices were not appreciated and often not even thought of. Scott had to believe that most Americans were behind them; for without that belief it would be difficult to do his duty. If for no other reason though, Scott would fight to ensure that his wife and children would stay free.

Over the years Scott had witnessed some of the terrible conditions that many women and children lived in around the world. In some countries he had witnessed how women were treated with less respect than the family livestock in America.

American soldiers had even found torture chambers where women and young girls were raped. Perhaps it was easier to be against a war if one didn't have to know what the enemy was like.

Whenever Scott witnessed or heard about another terrible injustice, he would wonder, "Where was the outcry of the free nations? Did they not really care about women who could be killed for burning a meal or simply because their husband had tired of them – women who were only chattel? Where was the condemnation toward countries where women were not even allowed to learn how to read or write?"

"Children were being sold into slavery; boys were being used for old men's pleasure, and the enemy had even beheaded babies in retaliation against the local population for working with the American soldiers. It was not a pretty picture. It certainly was not a picture the media was uncovering in depth for the American people."

He realized that we each have to make the decision whether or not to do the right thing. Scott and his men had made their choice and were not only fighting to keep their homeland safe but to make life a little better in this foreign country for those too weak to fight for themselves.

He took a drink from his canteen and again wiped the sweat from his brow. He had to get the men loaded up and on their way.

* * * * *

After particularly fierce battles, especially ones where some of their friends were killed, Scott watched his men closely for signs of mental instability. The stress and horrors experienced so often on the battle front caused some men to break and harm themselves or others; Scott wanted to guard against such a tragedy.

The stress was also hard for him to deal with; many nights he would dream of recent battles:

"Incoming, incoming," Scott screamed. "Get down! Watch our backs; don't let them sneak up on us from the rear!"

"Gerald, call in for an air strike. Tell them to follow up with a chopper to get us out of here. Let them know our cover has been blown, but we have rescued the airmen. Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!"

The men were busy firing and reloading; several men screamed when bullets ripped into their bodies. The medic scrambled to stop the bleeding.

The heat was unbearable. Sweat was running down the men's faces into their eyes. That, with the hard blowing sand, was making it difficult to aim at their moving target.

Suddenly they heard a plane overhead and then the missiles hit the ground only a few hundred yards from their position taking out over half the combatants that were firing at them.

Like music from Heaven, they heard the sound of the helicopter blades as it flew in to hover behind them. The flight crew was risking their lives to fly in such weather.

Machine guns from the chopper sprayed the surrounding area as Scott's men picked up the wounded and ran for the beautiful bird that was their only chance to get out alive.

As they ran, one of the men was hit by a rain of bullets which left his left arm dangling. Blood sprayed everywhere as Scott grabbed the wounded soldier and flung him up into the chopper where the medics immediately started working to save his life.

Scott turned to check the area one last time and saw that one of his men had fallen twelve feet back.

The enemy was regrouping and more shots were shrieking toward them. As the gunners in the chopper continued to lay down fire, Scott turned and ran for the fallen soldier.

The man was unconscious. Scott threw down his now empty weapon and slung the young man over his shoulder in a fireman's carry position. Staying as low as he could, he ran a zigzagging path back to the chopper.

Just as it rose higher from the ground, hands reached down from the open door lifting them both inside. The chopper banked, heading fast out of the range of the enemy's guns.

The medics worked frantically, ripping clothing off the soldier he had just rescued so they could tend his wounds.

Scott bent over the young man and thought, "God help him," as he saw what he had not noticed in the heat of battle; both of the young soldier's legs had been blown to pieces, and part of his lower body was missing.

One dream Scott had quite often was about a time he and his men had been assigned to a check point leading into the airbase where the troops were gathering to be flown home.

It was their job to stop all vehicles and establish that no insurgents were sneaking into the base. It was a very difficult job due to the language barrier; he was the only man in his unit who spoke Arabic. The others had to be extremely careful trying to interpret the native's actions, due to the necessity of extending the citizens of the country all the proper respect due them.

A seemingly harmless car had driven up to the check point containing a family with several small children hanging out the windows. It was unusual for a family to have any business at the base so two of his soldiers approached the car with caution.

When they were within a few feet of the vehicle, it had blown to pieces. The soldiers had not had a chance. The two brave and selfless men had been flown home in body bags.

Another dream was of a young man who had died following a fire fight. They had won the battle and were leaving the area. An enemy insurgent, who appeared to be dead, was lying face down along the road, covered with blood.

Most of the platoon had passed when the enemy had rolled onto his side and, using a weapon he had concealed under his body, emptied the gun into the back of a soldier at the end of the line; Scott had held the young man in his arms as he died.

He would wake from his dreams drenched in sweat and short of breath. To get back to sleep, he would think of special times with Emily and the children, in order to purge his mind of the terror of war.

* * * * *

Scott found plenty of time to write home to friends and family. He did not want to fill his letters with gloom and certainly would never write about the horrors he experienced almost daily, so he mostly reminisced about times they had spent together in the past.

When he wrote Emily, Steven, and Jessica he would mention something special they had done together as a family, which he knew Steven could remember.

He always asked the kids to be especially good for their mother and told them how much he enjoyed their colorings and latest videos.

He sent back many hugs and kisses like the ones he received from them in their drawings – XXOOXXOOXX.

When Scott had taken Emily away to tell her of his deployment, they had agreed that he should write his thoughts down for the children, and send them to Emily; he had started writing the series of letters to be given to the children when they reached different milestones in their lives, in case he was killed in action.

When Emily received them, she was to place them in their lockbox at the bank and then withdraw them at the appropriate times – first day of school, first Boy Scout meeting, first driving permits, first dates, weddings, going into the service, the loss of someone they loved – such as their grandparents – and so forth.

Scott hoped to be able to hand the letters to the children himself. If not, they would at least know how much they had been loved by their father, and he hoped the letters would help fill the hole of his absence and let the children feel like they knew him.

He sat down in the quiet of his room and started a new letter.

Dearest Emily,

How I long to feel your warm and beautiful body in my arms again..."

Chapter 8

Emily marveled at how fast time was going as she looked out the window at the barren trees. Fall had been so beautiful in their little valley. Now there was a chill in the air, and winter was getting a firm foothold.

"Mommy, Mommy," Steven shouted. "Come and get Jessica. She is in my stuff again. I don't want her playing with my toy trucks!"

In the weeks since Jessica had started walking around the house, her speed and agility had improved so fast that Emily had a hard time keeping up with her.

Jessica loved her little brother and she wanted to be everywhere he was and do everything that he was doing. Steven did a good job of playing with her for the most part, but he drew the line when it came to the toy trucks that both of his granddads had been collecting for him.

"I don't want baby slobber on my trucks, Mom," Steven would patiently explain. "It might hurt the paint jobs, and I promised Grandpa John and Grandpa Sam that I would take good care of them! I want them to look good when I show them to Daddy."

No matter how hard she tried, Emily could not convince Steven that baby Jessica's slobber would not hurt his trucks anymore then it hurt his skin when she gave him kisses. He just wasn't buying it.

Emily hurried to Steven's room to retrieve Jessica and give Steven a little time to play by himself. Ever since he had gotten the letter from his dad asking him to be in charge of hugs, he had been a real little trooper. He was such a big help with Jessica, but Emily did not want to over burden him with watching the baby. Steven needed time to be a little boy with no responsibilities.

As Emily walked down the stairs with her daughter in her arms, the phone rang.

"Hi, Emily, this is Melinda. How have you been?" Melinda's sunny voice came scampering along the phone line, making Emily smile. They visited for a few minutes catching up on their lives since they had last seen each other.

The last time they had spoken, Melinda had invited Emily and the kids to spend Thanksgiving with them, but Emily had already promised her parents that they would spend several days at the base.

"Emily, I wanted to get my invitation in early for Christmas. What are your plans?" Melinda asked.

"Well, Mom and Dad are coming Christmas morning and bringing my older brother, James, and his wife, Betty, with them."

"James is so much older than me that he was gone to West Point before I was five. He and Betty plan to stay with us several days after my parents go back to the base," Emily explained. "I'm really looking forward to getting to know him better."

"And, of course, John and Rebecca will be spending Christmas with us. I just don't know how I could get along without them."

"Everyone but my brother, David, will be here. He is spending Christmas with his fiancée and her family."

"It sounds like you have a wonderful holiday planned," Melinda said. "Christmas is such a special time. If it wasn't for Christmas, I wonder if families who live miles apart would ever take time to visit."

"I suppose you have a big meal planned," Melinda added.

"Yes," Emily said. "We are going to have a traditional Christmas dinner and then let the kids open their presents from their grandparents. They will open the presents from Scott and me when they first get up. I wanted to stretch it out; they get so many gifts that they get overwhelmed if they open them non-stop."

"What are your plans?" Emily asked Melinda.

"Well, that's why I'm calling. We're driving to William's folks for Christmas day, but we'll be in town on Christmas Eve. If you are free, how about you and the kids coming with us to our church for the Christmas Pageant? We would pick you up, of course, and deliver you back home."

"There is a nursery for Jessica, and I think that Steven would enjoy the play. There's going to be some live baby animals in it, and they have a little petting zoo planned for the kids following the service," Melinda said.

Emily had become so comfortable staying home and not getting out; she liked sticking with her routine and spending her free time daydreaming about Scott.

She hated to leave the house for fear that she might miss one of the longed-for calls she received from Scott when he returned from a mission. He could not call her from the field and had to wait for the few opportunities when he reported back to headquarters, and then they would talk several times a day. The sound of his voice gave her such comfort.

But in the back of her mind, the memory of her promise to Scott to find a church and start attending popped to the forefront, and she did hate to turn Melinda down again.

"That sounds great," Emily heard herself saying, as if someone else had taken over her thoughts and words.

They made their plans, and Melinda promised she would call back the day before the pageant to make any necessary last minute changes.

As Emily hung up the phone, she thought, "Well, if I like this church, maybe that can be another item on our list I can scratch off before Scott gets home."
Chapter 9

The last couple of weeks before Christmas went by in a whirlwind. Emily enjoyed the last minute shopping for the small items she needed to add to the many things she had already purchased.

She and the kids had packed Scott's Christmas package and mailed it weeks before to ensure that he would receive it in time. They had placed a big – "Do Not Open Till Christmas" – sticker on the outside.

Jessica didn't really know what was going on, but she seemed to sense that the package was for Scott as she kept saying "Da Da" over and over again. Steven really enjoyed helping put everything together – wrapping the little presents, enclosing his best Christmas colorings and tasting the Christmas goodies.

He had taken a big bite out of one of the sugar cookies before placing it inside the package for his dad. Emily had left it because she knew it would give Scott pleasure to see his son's teeth marks on one of his cookies. She had filmed segments of the baking, decorating and packing process and then enclosed the tape before securely sealing the large box.

When Rebecca had come over to watch the kids, Emily had taken Steven to the post office to mail the Christmas package to his dad. Steven was so excited when he helped lift it up to the postman.

When the package was on its way, they had gone shopping so Steven could pick out gifts for Jessica and his grandparents. Before heading home, they stopped for some fries and a milk shake. It had been a wonderful outing. As always, Emily found herself wishing that Scott had been there to share this special time with his son.

* * * * *

Tonight was Christmas Eve. Emily had everything ready for their families to arrive the next morning. Gifts were wrapped, cookies and pies were waiting in the pantry and salads were prepared and cooling in the refrigerator next to the large turkey that was defrosting for its trip into the oven, bright and early Christmas morning.

She looked around at their decorated home. It looked so beautiful. Rebecca and John had come over and helped her hang greenery and lights from the porch roof. The living room had a large tree sitting in the picture window. Steven had helped his grandpa John place their favorite ornaments on it. There was holly and mistletoe hanging from the ceiling in the entry hall and cedar branches on the fireplace mantel where stockings had been hung – including one for Scott which had little gifts tucked into it for him to open when he made it home. She had taken pictures of all the decorations and sent them to Scott.

How she wished he was here to enjoy the holiday with everyone. She wondered if he would have the day to rest or if he would have to be fighting on Christmas.

Emily walked into the den and marked another day off on the calendar. She was one day closer to having Scott home again. She held to that thought as she climbed the stairs to get dressed for the Christmas program before waking the kids from their naps.

* * * * *

Melinda and William picked them up in plenty of time to get to the church and find a front row seat so the kids could see the animals in the play without peeking around heads.

They had left Jessica playing in the nursery. Jeffrey, Taylor and Steven were so excited that they could barely sit still.

Emily felt a spirit of love moving over the congregation. The pastor welcomed everyone, a hymn was sung, and suddenly the play was unfolding before their eyes.

The children squealed and laughed with joy as they saw the baby animals used in the manger scene. There were little sheep, goats, a dog, donkey, and even a small calf.

As Emily watched the play and listened to the words from the Bible, a strange feeling came over her. She felt that she was hearing about the Baby Jesus coming to earth to save men from their sins for the very first time.

As the service ended, the pastor spoke some Bible verses in his own words. Emily had heard these verses many times but had not given much thought to their true meaning.

"God loved the world so much that He sent His only Son to earth so that anyone who believed He was God's son should not die, but have eternal life." John 3:16.

Emily knew God had sent His Son; she had learned that in Sunday School as a small child. The next two verses the pastor shared made her gasp with realization, because before that moment, she had never truly understood what they were explaining.

"Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved from eternal death." Romans 10:13.

"If you will declare with your mouth the Lord Jesus and you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved." Romans 10:9.

Emily knew in that instant that she had never called on the name of the Lord. She had just taken for granted that since Jesus Christ came to save the world – she was therefore saved.

The pastor had just shown from God's word how easy it was to become His child. He explained that it mattered not how good you were, whether you were a member of a church, how much you could give in money, nor how many good works you did – you must call on the name of the Lord Jesus – for God has stated there is no other name by which you can be saved.

As the pastor asked if anyone wished to come and confess before men the Lord Jesus Christ, Emily stepped forward to take his hand, and with tears in her eyes and joy in her heart she accepted the love of Christ into her life.

Melinda and William were so happy for her. When they arrived back at the Pearson's home they came in for some refreshments. Jessica was placed sound asleep into her bed, while the three boys tried to guess what was in each package under the tree.

"I thought this was going to be the worst Christmas of my life," Emily said. "Instead, it has turned out to be the most wonderful. Thank you for taking us to church with you."

"It was our pleasure, and what a marvelous Christmas gift you have received in finding the Lord," Melinda said. "We're proud to have you as a friend and are looking forward to really getting to know Scott when he gets home."

"Guys, I can hardly wait to tell Scott what has happened to me tonight, but just now I had the most alarming thought; I don't know if Scott has ever asked the Lord into his heart. We never talked about it. We both were raised up in church, and if he has been saved, he must have assumed that I was too. What if he hasn't asked Christ into his life and he is killed in the fighting? He would not go to Heaven!"

"Emily," William said, "I was at a funeral service once where the family was so upset because they didn't know if their father was in Heaven.

The pastor pointed out that only God knew the man's heart; that it was possible he had learned of God's saving grace at a younger age and had believed that Jesus was God's son and asked for forgiveness of his sins but had not shared it with his family.

He told them they should live with the hope that their father had indeed accepted Christ as his Savior so that someday they would be reunited; for once a person becomes a Child of God there is nothing that can pluck them out of God's hand."

"Now that you know the Lord as your personal friend," Melinda added, "you can take your concerns about Scott directly to God in the name of Jesus. God wants us to bring our needs to him; talk to God just like he was right here in the room with you – because he is. The Holy Spirit now lives in your soul."

"Emily, there are so many verses in the Bible that tells us God will answer our prayers, and there are verses that tell us how to pray. I will write some of them down for you so you can have the comfort of reading them yourself."

"We've all been praying for Scott's safety and now we'll also pray that if he doesn't know Jesus, he'll somehow hear God's message and, just like you, invite Christ into his life."

After the Weavers had gathered up their sleepy boys and left, Emily put Steven to bed. As she knelt down by his bedside to hear his prayers she added a new prayer of her own for her precious Scott. It was her first prayer as a new believer; a prayer that was the start of a profound personal time spent with God – a relationship which Emily would deepen over the years to come.

She was anxious to read the scriptures again as a Child of God. She crawled into bed and fell to sleep reading the Bible, something she had never done before.
Chapter 10

As the sun rose over the mountains, Emily awoke from the best night's rest she had enjoyed since Scott had left for war.

Putting on her robe, she hurried to the kitchen and placed the big turkey in the oven. She then headed back upstairs to dress before the kids woke up, ready to open their packages.

Just as she finished making her bed, Steven walked into the room with Jessica in tow. "Mommy, please hurry! We want to go downstairs and see if Santa Clause came to our house last night!" Steven exclaimed.

Emily filmed the children opening their gifts so she could send the precious moments to their dad. Instead of her usual depressed spirit about missing him, she had a new joy in her heart. Oh, she still missed Scott terribly, but the worst fear was gone; for now she wasn't facing the future alone – God was supporting her every step – making her spirit light.

* * * * *

The house was full of laughter and love. Everyone had arrived safely and on time bearing bundles of gifts. Brightly wrapped presents now crowded out from under the Christmas tree to overflow into the living room.

Little Jessica was making up with everyone. Steven had been too young to remember his uncle James the last time he had been back, and he was thrilled to have someone new to show his toys to who would listen to him tell story after story.

As Emily observed Steven, she marveled at how much he was like his father in both looks and actions.

While the men visited and played with the children, the women worked beside each other in the cheery farm kitchen putting the finishing touches on Christmas dinner.

The wonderful aroma's drifting from the kitchen was making everyone hungry. When the family was finally seated around the festive dining room table, James asked the blessing on the food and, in closing, he asked God to be with Scott and keep him safe. As James finished his prayer, the small voice of Steven echoed the "Amen" making everyone smile.

"Please pass the turkey, Uncle James," Steven requested and the bountiful supply of food started around the table.

At the end of the day, John and Rebecca said their farewells and headed home. Sam and Helen left early the next afternoon, leaving James and Betty to spend time alone with Emily and the children.

The following morning the sun came up on a brilliant blue and cloudless sky. After breakfast everyone bundled up and went outside for a walk. Steven was excited as he pointed out things of interest to his uncle, who especially loved the stream and the old barn.

James had spent his entire life living on one military base or another and had never known such freedom as walking in woods that were considered your own.

Betty had grown up on a small farm in the Missouri Ozarks, and she loved every minute of their walk. She and James had been planning their future retirement, and they were considering moving back to North Carolina and buying a place in the country. By the look on her husband's face, as he enjoyed the beauty of the Smokey Mountains, she was sure that the little farm she dreamed of sharing with her grandchildren would become a reality.

As Betty walked ahead with Steven, James fell back and took Jessica from Emily's arms. "Let me carry her for a while," he requested. "As little as she is, I am sure she still gets heavy."

Jessica was happy to go to her new friend and admirer.

"Sis, I'm so glad that we've had these few days to get to know each other. You were still just a little girl when I left home. You have been on my mind, and in my prayers, so much lately that Betty and I decided we had to come for a visit."

"I'm so pleased that you did," Emily said. "I was afraid that this was going to be such a terrible Christmas to get through without Scott. You have filled up the holiday for Steven and all of us. I thank you for giving up time with your own children to be here."

"This is such a beautiful and serene place, Emily," James remarked. "You must feel very close to God here."

"I do now; on Christmas Eve I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior. I'll never be the same again! You are talking and walking with a new Emily. The old frightened and doubting Emily no longer lives in this body."

James stopped walking and turned to stare at her. "Oh, my goodness, Emily, I never dreamed that you hadn't been saved as a child. No wonder you've been on my mind and in my prayers! I just assumed that since you went to Sunday School and church as a child...like I did...that you've known the Lord for years. I'm so happy for you and I want you to know, baby sister, you have just revealed something very important to me," James said hugging Emily against him and twirling her off her feet as Jessica, who was held firmly in his other arm, squealed for joy at the fun.

"What in the world could I have revealed to you?" Emily asked when he finally placed her back on her feet.

"I have spent my entire adult life witnessing to others about the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and not once have I asked my brother...or you...or my own parents...if they know Christ as their personal Savior," Scott replied. "I'm going to remedy that immediately. I'll have a talk with Mom and Dad when Betty and I get back to the base, and I'll call our brother David as soon as I get home."

"Oh, James, that is wonderful. Would you also pray with me about Scott? He and I have never talked about salvation. I don't even know if my own husband is right with the Lord, but I intend to find out. I've already written him a letter, which I'll mail tomorrow, but I'm hoping that he will find time to call this week so I can tell him sooner," Emily said.

"Scott told me his dad asked him to find a church and start attending; however, from what Scott said, I think it was for business reasons. I doubt that salvation came up in the conversation so I don't know where his parents stand with the Lord either," Emily shared.

"Sis, I will pray earnestly for Scott, and I'll add John and Rebecca to my prayer list. Perhaps an opportunity will come up to speak with Scott's dad tomorrow; he said he was coming over to the bank and invited me to come in and have lunch with him."

"You and I can be prayer partners in praying for our families. What a blessing my baby sister has turned out to be."

Emily smiled at the compliment as they hurried to catch up with Betty and Steven.

* * * * *

The next day over lunch James was able to ask John about his relationship with the Lord. Emily had given him permission to share her good news with Scott's dad and her concerns for her husband.

"James, I never talk about my salvation. But, yes, both Rebecca and I are born again Christians. This conversation has made me realize it's been a big mistake to not share my faith in Christ. I should have been shouting from the rooftops of His great love," John told James. "Now I have to carry the burden that my only child could possibly die without the Lord because I considered my relationships with God a private matter."

"John, I also have failed my family. Like you, I assumed that if they went to church and heard the gospel they, of course, would know how to pray and ask Jesus into their heart. Emily's experience has opened my eyes, and you can believe that I'm not going to waste any more time before I talk with my brother and parents about this," James said. "We can't change the past, but with God's help we can make a difference from this moment on."

"I'll talk with Rebecca tonight about our conversation," John remarked. "My example of keeping quiet about my faith is probably why she is doing the same."

"I know I need to rededicate my life to the Lord. Will you pray with me right now that my life will become a light for God and that Scott will come to know the Lord quickly, if he doesn't already?"

There, in the restaurant, unashamed, the two men bowed their heads and prayed out their hearts to God.

* * * * *

Later that afternoon John arrived back at Emily's and Scott's house to play with his grandchildren, as they enjoyed their many new Christmas toys. He was a very happy man.

"James, God sure didn't waste any time in letting me keep my word about wanting to become a light to the world in sharing His love. This afternoon an old friend of mine came into the bank and asked me if Rebecca and I would consider working with a group of Christian couples who raise money to send Bibles to our troops all over the world. They also raise money to send children of our military to church camp each summer." John revealed.

"I bet I know what your answer was," James replied.

* * * * *

John, James and Betty spent the afternoon and early evening visiting with Emily and the children.

Around seven, John headed home to Rebecca, while James and Betty retired to their room to pack their bags for an early start back to the base and then home the next morning.

Although Scott had been deeply missed, a wonderful and blest Christmas had been enjoyed in the little valley.

Chapter 11

Scott had not been able to call home until the second week of January. He and his troops had been on a dangerous mission from which all had safely returned. When he finally was able to use the phone, his voice sounded like sweet music to Emily.

After Scott had talked to each of the children, Emily and he shared words of love and encouragement with each other. Scott told her that there was a possibility that he might be able to come home on a two-week leave the last week of February.

Emily was so overcome with joy at the news that she almost forgot to ask Scott the question she had been waiting to ask him since Christmas Eve.

"Scott, did you get my letter telling you that I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior?" Emily asked.

"Yes, I did, Emily, but I am not sure what you meant. You went to church for years as a child; I know you have always believed in God," Scott replied.

"Scott this is different. I now have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and I want to know if you've ever asked the Lord into your heart?"

"Emily, I just don't understand. We can talk about it if I get to come home on leave," Scott said, changing the subject.

Emily knew better than to press her husband on the matter and left it in God's hands. She was learning to be patient and wait upon the Lord; it was something that was not always easy to do.

* * * * *

Emily and the children enjoyed their new church. William and Melinda picked them up each Sunday morning although Emily insisted that she could manage the short drive on her own. The kids enjoyed being together, and Melinda and Emily were becoming close friends.

Emily joined Melinda's Bible study group, and the Word of God was opening before her like a roadmap.

Church was also turning out to be a blessing for the children. They enjoyed playing with other kids at the church; it was good for them to get away from their mother on occasion.

Steven started learning Bible verses, which he recited on a video to his dad. He sang "Jesus Loves Me" so his dad could see Jessica clapping her little hands to the music, as she had learned to do in the church nursery, and he faithfully brought his coloring assignment home from church each week and mailed it to his dad.

Emily felt hopeful that their little ones could have a part in opening Scott's heart to the Lord.

* * * * *

Emily was grateful that time had again sped by, and Scott was now on his way home for leave. She and the kids were standing in the airport, at the appropriate gate, waiting for his plane to land.

As Scott walked through the gangplank door, Emily's heart seemed to skip a beat for the sheer joy of looking upon the face of her beloved husband. He looked a little thinner, but he was as handsome as ever.

As Scott caught sight of his family, his face beamed with light and a smile spread from dimple to dimple.

At the same time that Scott spied them, Steven caught a glimpse of his dad and he was off and running, crying out, "Daddy, Daddy, here I am!"

Scott caught his little son up in his arms and hugging him tight, he made his way to his wife and baby daughter. As they embraced each other, crying in joy, they were oblivious to the others in the airport.

They did not see the tears streaming down from many an eye at the sight of a brave soldier coming home to his family.

* * * * *

Scott only had two weeks before he must return to overseas duty. They did not waste a moment of the precious hours.

They spent time with his parents and the children, and stayed up late every night to have time alone. Emily shared her new found faith with Scott, and he listened and asked questions.

Scott's tenderness as they made love seemed even greater than before. Emily again blossomed in the safety of being held in his arms.

He attended Sunday worship with his family and listened to the message from God's word of the need for salvation, but Scott just didn't feel like the words were for him. He could not explain his thinking to Emily, but he noticed a big change in his wife. She had a radiance and joy for life that surpassed any that he had seen in her before. It was obvious she was still concerned for his safety, but he was thankful her terrible fear and nightmares were gone.

* * * * *

When the dreaded day came to once again leave, Scott's entire family had come to see him off; Emily's parents were also at the airport. Even James had flown back from California so that he could share God's plan of salvation with his brother-in-law.

Minutes before Scott boarded his plane, he took Emily to the side and promised, "Sweetheart, I can see how important your new relationship to the Lord is in your life; I would like to have what you have found. Keep praying and I promise you that I'll keep my heart and mind open to any call God might have for me."

Emily's heart soared at Scott's words and she praised God for starting to work in his life. She was confident that he would find the saving grace offered by the blood of Jesus.

Scott and Emily stayed together for a few more precious minutes, embracing and whispering private words of love until it was time to rejoin the others.

Cameras were snapping in every direction Scott turned. He said goodbye to his parents and then held the baby and Steven in his arms. "Be good for your mommy until I get back home, and keep sending me all your videos and drawings in the mail. I love you guys so much!" Scott told his treasured children and handed them into the arms of their waiting grandparents. Scott hugged and kissed Emily one last time, and then boarded the plane.

The family watched the plane soar into the heavens, each one sending their prayers along with Scott.

* * * * *

John and Rebecca headed home because John had to work the next day. The children were content playing with her parents and their Uncle James, so Emily went to the chapel on the base to pour her heart out to God, then she drove to her beach; the place she always went to be alone when Scott left on a mission.

As she parked the car and started walking, she realized that this time was different; this time she did not feel alone. She felt God's presence walking down the beach with her, helping her with her burdens.

The seagulls still flew overhead, the ocean breeze still blew her hair around her face, and the sand still gave way under her feet as she scrambled to keep the cold March water from washing over her shoes. Emily realized her surroundings had not changed; it was she herself that was different.

This time, as Emily looked up into the eastern sky, she gave Scott over to God's will. Emily knew that being a Christian did not protect you from sorrow but when the sorrows and the hardships came, you could depend on God to bring you through.
Chapter 12

Easter was early this year and fast approaching. Steven had a speaking part in the children's Easter program at church and he practiced it faithfully. William had already volunteered to film the play for Emily so she could relax and enjoy Steven's performance.

Emily had taken the children shopping for some new spring clothes. She had purchased a pretty new dress for herself which she knew Scott would love. She was still marking off the days until he could come home to stay. She realized that she was going to appreciate her husband so much more, having done without him again.

She and her church family continued to petition God for Scott's salvation and safety, and Emily didn't forget to praise God that he had been able to make it home on leave.

Scott had only been gone a few weeks and life was already falling into the old routine.

* * * * *

When Scott arrived back on the front from leave, he had a few days at headquarters to rest and to be briefed on what actions had taken place while he was gone; then he led his men on five short missions away from the base.

Returning from the last of those assignments, he found that his roommate, Brian, was in from his mission and the two of them enjoyed catching up on personal news.

Brian and he had become best friends and often worked together on joint missions with their men. They trusted each other and both placed the same value on protecting the lives of the men under their command, to the best of their abilities.

Scott told Brian about his leave; how the kids had grown; showed him new snapshots of the entire family and told him how beautiful his wife had looked when he stepped off the plane.

Brian and he had become so close that he shared Emily's new found faith in the Lord. He told Brian that he had promised to keep an open mind on the subject and to spend time studying from the Bible Emily had sent with him. In the days to come, Scott often asked Brian's opinion on scriptures he was reading.

Brian considered himself a confirmed bachelor but when Scott got off on the subject of his kids and wife, Brian felt that he was probably missing out on one of the greatest joys in life.

Over the months since they had become roommates, Scott had shown him all the home videos Emily had sent. He had listened to Scott as he read parts of Emily's letters out loud, and he had enjoyed all the kids' artwork that Scott had posted all over the walls of their barrack room. He felt like he knew Scott's family personally.

If he stayed around Scott very long, he was going to have to reconsider his life choices and start looking for a bride.

While Scott was at headquarters, he took advantage of the opportunity to call home and visit with Emily many times each day. Hearing her voice was a luxury that he would not have once he went back out into the field.

* * * * *

Easter Sunday arrived and Scott and Brian learned they would not have the day off. They were handed new orders and were to go out together with a small number of their men on a secret assignment.

As they went outside, some of Scott's men were walking by. "Lieutenant Pearson, we're on the way to Easter services; we would feel honored if you and Lieutenant Brooks would join us."

The men had not yet been told of the upcoming mission. Scott and Brian wanted them to enjoy the Easter service, a special lunch the cooks had prepared for the holiday, and to have time to call their loved ones before they were told of the new mission and ordered to pack-up, in order to leave that evening under the cover of darkness.

"Sure, I would be pleased to attend; how about you Brian? Want to come along?" Scott asked.

"Why not," replied Brian. "I don't have anything else to do for a couple hours, and I might even enjoy the singing."

They all walked together to the service. After a prayer and a few hymns, the chaplain began his sermon...

Men, we are gathered here this Easter Sunday to worship the one true God. A God that loved us so much He was willing to send His only son to die for our sins. God's Word tells us in John 15:13, 'A man can have no greater love than this that he lay down his life for his friends.' That is the kind of love the Lord Jesus has for you.

I know you men understand that kind of love because many of the friends you were serving with have willingly given their lives for their country, and each of you are willing to do the same. Some of you will even give up your very lives for your fellow Marines.

If you were to die today, how sure are you that you would go to be with God in Heaven? Are you thirty percent...fifty percent...seventy-five percent...or are you one-hundred percent sure that you will enter the gates of that beautiful city?

We are all sinners. We are told that right here in the Bible. None of us deserve to go to Heaven. Because of our sins, we deserve to live on eternally in Hell, separated from our loving God.

Christ died to pay the penalty for your sins. He arose again on the third day and now sits at the right hand of the Heavenly Father. Christ paid the price so that you could have eternal life in Heaven; instead of eternal suffering in Hell.

If you would like to be one-hundred percent sure that you would be with God if your life is taken, you can have that confidence this very minute. Just pray and ask Jesus to come into your heart and save you from your sins. It is so simple.

Your prayer could sound something like this: "Heavenly Father, I know that I'm a sinner, and I don't deserve to be in your presence. I confess my sins to you. I believe that Jesus is your Son and that He died for my sins and rose again. I want to give my life to you. In Christ Jesus' name, I pray. Amen"

If you prayed that prayer, won't you come and confess before men that Jesus Christ is your Lord?"

Scott felt like he had been hit by lightning. This is what Emily had been talking about. He practically ran up the aisle to take the preacher's hand. "Sir," Scott said to the chaplain, "I just prayed that prayer and I want the whole world to know that I'm now a Child of the King!"

As Scott knelt at the altar, he was aware that other men were coming forward to confess their faith in Christ Jesus. As he rose to his feet, his eyes met the eyes of his friend. Scott had not realized that Brian had been kneeling beside him, having also given his life to Christ on this beautiful Easter morning.

Before Scott and Brian left the worship service, they were each handed a little pocket size New Testament to carry with them. Scott had been given one when he first returned to service, but he had misplaced it somewhere. It had not seemed important then, but now Scott clung to the little Bible. It was small enough to take with him on this mission, and he could continue to study God Word on his own.

As Scott oversaw the mission preparations of his men, he kept wishing there was some way to call Emily and tell her of his new found faith. Emily would be so happy; but this mission was top secret, and they had been ordered to make no contact with the outside world once briefed.

He would write a long letter to her while he was gone and have it ready to mail the minute he returned.

* * * * *

It had been a grueling two-week mission; they had been very successful and had arrived back at their rendezvous spot ahead of schedule.

Scott had instructed his men to relax against the walls of some old buildings in the little town square where they were waiting for Brian's unit to catch up with them.

The sun was warm, although it would get blistering hot as the weeks progressed toward summer, and it was good to sit down in the shade and rest.

Scott set apart from the men and read his New Testament. He looked at the back page of the book where he had signed his name on Easter Sunday – only two weeks ago.

He thought about all the prayers that had gone up to God on his behalf from Emily, his family, and people from her church. He was so thankful that God had answered those prayers, and he now prayed constantly for others he came in contact with to come to know God. He prayed they would learn of the saving grace of the blood shed by the Lord Jesus Christ, and that they would experience the wonderful peace from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which he now enjoyed.

He had started an evening Bible study for any of his men that wished to participate, after they secreted themselves for a night's rest. Several of his soldiers were well-versed in the Word of God and had volunteered to lead the discussions.

Scott's backpack rested within easy reach against the building next to him. It contained a long letter to Emily telling her about his salvation experience and about what he was learning from the daily Bible studies.

As the men waited, a group of children gathered around them. The kids loved American chewing gum, and the men always carried plenty of extra to share. Scott supposed the kids would've liked candy bars even more, but it was impossible to carry them in the desert heat.

He looked up from his Bible to watch the men playing with the kids. A little boy who was crying and walking slowly up to the soldiers caught his attention – something wasn't right.

Scott saw the frightened boy look back over his shoulder several times; what was the boy afraid of? Then Scott saw a man standing in the middle of a group of local people across the street from where the little boy kept glancing. The man was laughing and pointing at something in his hand.

Scott looked back at the boy and noticed that he had on a coat that was much too heavy for this warm day. He also noticed that the skinny legs and face of the little boy didn't match the "filled out" look of the jacket. The boy was hiding something, and suddenly Scott knew what was about to happen and what the man was holding in his hand.

Since Scott was sitting a distance away from his soldiers, he didn't think the enemy with the demolition device had seen him.

If he called out a warning, he was sure that the man would not delay in hitting the button and seven or eight of his men were sure to be killed in the explosion. Brian and his unit should arrive any second, and if they did, even more could be killed.

Scott placed his Bible on his backpack. Standing slowly he carefully worked his way among the small crowd until he was closer to the child. As he watched the man holding death in his hand, he saw him turn his back to the street and speak to someone behind him. This was Scott's chance.

"God help me save my men and this little boy," Scott uttered in prayer as he sprang to the child's side. Grabbing the small boy in his arms, Scott rushed down the street hoping that no one would notice where the child had disappeared to.

He would try to get the child out of sight, and out of range, before the enemy turned back around. He would then hide him until he could use his skills with explosives to disarm the bomb strapped under the little guy's coat.

But it was not to be. Scott heard an angry cry come from the direction of the insurgent, and he knew there was no chance for him or the boy; he had not gotten far enough away.

Scott's last thoughts were of Emily and his children. "Emily, I am so sorry. I wanted so badly to come home to you and our children. Oh, how I love you!"

Scott never felt a thing. One second he was running for his life, and the next second he and the child had entered the Kingdom of God; together they walked down the golden streets of Heaven.

When the enemy first cried out, he had been spotted by one of Scott's men and had been shot, but not before his finger hit the button sending Scott and the little boy into eternity.

As the sound and shock wave of the explosion ripped through the little town, Brian's unit arrived on the scene and helped secure the area.

As Brian bent down to what was left of his dear friend, he could see that Scott's body was damaged so badly that he was unrecognizable. Brian was having trouble getting his breath; he had to use all his will power and training to control himself as he had to stay calm for the men.

His thoughts went to Scott's wife. With Scott talking about her so much, Brian had come to feel like he knew her and his heart broke for Emily.

She was going to have to bear the unbearable pain of losing her beloved husband; the pain so many military wives have borne before. Emily would not even have the peace of viewing Scott's body. She would be saying goodbye to a flag draped coffin and a memory.

Brian's thoughts were interrupted as one of Scott's men walked up to him. He recognized him as the soldier that had invited them to the Easter Sunday service.

"Lieutenant Brooks, this is Lieutenant Pearson's backpack and Bible; I thought you would want to take charge of them."

"Sir," the man added, "Lieutenant Pearson just laid his life down to save us. He would have been completely out of the line of danger if he had stayed where he was. I'll never forget what he has done for me today."

"Young man, because of your invitation for us to attend Easter services with you, Scott is now with our Heavenly Father. I'll never forget what you have done for Scott and for me," Brian humbly replied.

Scott's men lovingly placed his torn body into a body bag, and along with Brian's unit, were transported back to their base.

* * * * *

Back at his room, Brian looked through his friends backpack and found the letter to Emily. It was long and signed:

"Your loving husband, a Child of the King."

Brian read enough of the letter to see that Scott had poured his heart out to Emily about his salvation experience. There was also letters to Steven and Jessica. Brian immediately took the letters to the chaplain; he wanted to make sure that these special letters traveled home with Scott's body. Somehow he knew that it would help Emily to receive them before she buried her husband.

Brian was aware that Scott had written another letter to be delivered to Emily by her father, if he did not make it home, but that letter had been written before Scott had been saved; Brian was sure that Scott would want Emily to get this latest letter as soon as possible.

Scott's New Testament would also make the trip home with his body.
Chapter 13

Emily and Melinda sat on the front porch on a lovely Sunday afternoon, relaxing after finishing the delicious lunch Emily had prepared for them to enjoy upon returning from church.

The weather was warm for this early in the spring, so the boys were playing in the back yard throwing sticks for Puller to retrieve as Jessica laughed at their antics from the safety of her swing. William was keeping an eye on the children from the kitchen where he was finishing the dishes so the women could relax and visit.

Emily and Melinda had become such close friends that Emily wondered how she had gotten along without Melinda to share her feminine thoughts with; there are just things that men don't understand!

"Emily," Melinda said, "It looks like you have company coming."

Emily looked in the direction of their winding road. A military car was making its way slowly up their drive. Emily's face went completely white and she fell to her knees.

"Emily," Melinda exclaimed. "What in the world is the matter? Are you alright?"

"No! No! No!" Emily screamed. "It can't be. There's been a terrible mistake. That car is coming to the wrong house!"

As the car came to a stop, two young Marines climbed out. Melinda then realized what was happening before her eyes; Emily was about to be told that Scott had been killed in action.

Emily had lived on a military base for so many years that she had known the minute she saw the car what news it was bringing. She had been there when other wives had received word of their husbands' death; it's an experience you never forget.

But this couldn't be happening to her. It had to be a mistake. After all her dad was a General; he would make sure that he was the one to tell her if anything happened to Scott.

The two young Marines walked up the sidewalk looking very sad and clearly dreading what they were about to tell this young wife.

"Mrs. Pearson," one of the Marines said to Emily. "We regret to tell you that your husband, 1st Lieutenant Scott Pearson, was killed this morning in the line of duty. He died saving the lives of many of his men."

Emily didn't hear anything else. She fainted onto the floor of the porch.

Melinda's heart ached for Emily but she knew that she had to act fast, before any of the children found Emily unconscious.

"Young man," Melinda said to the closest Marine, "Would you please carry her to her room? It's the first door on the right at the top of the stairs. I must tell my husband what has happened so he can take the children to our home until their grandparents can arrive."

Melinda ran to the kitchen to tell William the tragic news, and then packed a small bag of clothes for Jessica and Steven, as William loaded all the kids into the van.

Steven was so excited to be going over to play at Jeffrey's and Taylor's that he didn't even notice his mom was not there to see him off.

As William drove away with the children, Melinda rushed to Emily's side where she still lay unconscious – her body's way of escaping the terrible information she had just received. Melinda did not try to wake her; instead, she reached for the bedside phone to call the local doctor. He lived nearby and said he would be there within minutes.

Once she knew the doctor was on his way, Melinda phoned their pastor and asked him to come over. She would leave it to him to call Emily's and Scott's parents.

* * * * *

Scott's parents arrived thirty minutes later. They had been having a late lunch with good friends when they received the call. The friends had driven them and their vehicle over to make sure they arrived safely. Neither John nor Rebecca was in any condition to drive.

When they arrived, their faces were tear-stained and they looked like their hearts were breaking. Putting aside their own grief the best they could, they hurried to their daughter-in-law's side and enclosed her in their loving arms. They knew they were holding and comforting Emily as Scott would want them to do, and somehow that knowledge eased their pain a little.

Together they shared their sorrow and cried out their grief, "Why God, why did you allow Scott to die?"

Melinda was glad that she had been able to reach their pastor. He did his best to comfort the family.

She had also called their church prayer chain leader. Prayers were going up for Emily and her family all over the small community, and the request was being passed along by loving Christians all across the world.

When General Ward and Helen had been reached, the General was beside himself. He thought he had made careful enough preparation that if Scott was killed he was to be called first. He wanted to be the one to break the news, gently, to his daughter.

It was too late to worry about that now. He knew that it was not the fault of the young men who had delivered the message and, since he didn't want to make their job more difficult than it already was, he would not mention the oversight to anyone.

Before heading to Black Mountain, he and Helen phoned James. "James, we have bad news," Samuel said to his son. "Scott was killed in action this morning; Emily has just been told. David is here visiting and will drive us over to their home as soon as I hang up."

"Dad, I am so sorry for Emily. I will give her a call as soon as I contact the airlines. I think I can land at Charlotte sometime tonight or early in the morning. I'll have Emily tell you when to expect me," James said. "Dad, do you know if Scott ever accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior? Emily wanted that so badly."

"It breaks my heart to tell you this, but I don't think so, James. If he had, I'm sure Emily would have told me," Samuel replied. "She's going to need each of us, and her faith in the Lord, to get her through this."

"Son, I'm so glad you are coming to be with us," Samuel added just before he hung up the phone. Picking up the keys to their car, he handed them to David.

* * * * *

After Emily told James of her salvation at Christmas, James had a long conversation with all of his family about their relationship with Christ.

To his great joy, his brother David had accepted the Lord as his Savior following their talk. The rest of the family, except for Scott, had indeed already accepted Christ, but they had each re-dedicated their lives to spreading the gospel. No longer would they be a family that kept their faith to themselves.

James reflected on how much peace this knowledge had brought to his life. He grieved that Emily was not able to have the comfort of knowing that Scott was born into the family of God. James knew that besides the tremendous pain of losing her husband, Emily would always grieve that she would never see Scott again in Heaven.

* * * * *

The day that followed was a blur to Emily. She cried most of the time. It hurt so bad that she thought she would stop breathing from the pain.

Emily knew that Scott would want her to be strong for the children, but just now she couldn't do it, and she relied on her family and Melinda to take care of Steven and Jessica.

She pulled herself together enough to tell little Steven that his daddy had been killed in action – that his daddy was a hero and had saved the lives of many of his men.

Both sets of grandparents, David, and James helped her with Steven as he grieved and wanted to see his daddy. Emily was so thankful to God for the support of her loving family.

Because Jessica was so small, she would be spared the deep grief the rest of the family was experiencing.

Emily knew that God loved her; that it was not God's fault that Scott had died. In the months and years to come, she was sure that her faith in God would help her through this terrible loss, but for the moment she was having trouble allowing the painful truth of Scott's death into her soul.

The phone had been ringing all day. Her parents and Scott's were taking all the calls to save Emily the added stress.

She was resting in her room when her dad came to the bedroom door and said, "Emily, there is a call that I think you should take. It's from one of Scott's friends at the front. He said it's urgent."

"Oh, Dad," Emily moaned. "I just don't think I'm up to talking to anyone yet."

"He said his name is Lieutenant Brian Brooks," her dad added. "He was patched through from my office phone. This young man is determined that he must speak with you. Did Scott ever mention his name?"

"Yes, Dad," Emily said sitting up and wiping her eyes. "He was Scott's best friend. Scott talked about him in almost all his letters and when he was home on leave; I guess I had better take the call."

Emily's dad left her alone as she reached for the bedside phone.

"Hello, this is Emily," she spoke into the phone. Her voice was soft, and it was obvious that she had been crying.

"Emily, this is Brian Brooks, a friend of your husband." Brian said.

"Yes, Brian, I recognized your name when dad told me you were on the phone. Scott spoke of you often."

"Emily, I am so sorry about Scott. I know that I can't take your pain away, but I have something very important to tell you," Brian said. "Scott wrote you a long letter over the past two weeks. I found it in his backpack, and I had the chaplain send it with Scott's body."

"I couldn't sleep last night. It was like a voice was saying to me, 'Scott would want Emily to know now. Don't make her wait for the letter to arrive with Scott's body to learn what happened', so I got permission to come to headquarters and call your dad. He said it was alright to talk to you."

"Emily", Brian's voice came across the thousands of miles, "Scott accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior on Easter Sunday, just hours before we left on a secret mission. Because of the mission, he didn't have any way to call you. He wrote you all about his experience, and he was going to mail the letter and call as soon as he possibly could."

"Oh, Brian, are you absolutely sure?" Emily asked.

"Emily, I'm positive. I was kneeling at the altar with him. We both accepted Christ during that Easter service," Brian assured Emily.

"Scott had told me about your salvation experience and how you and all his family were praying for him," Brian continued. "He told me how worried you were that he might die before he was saved from his sins. When we went to that service, God's Holy Spirit touched both of our hearts."

"Knowing that it was going to take at least five days for the letter to reach you, I couldn't let you suffer without knowing that Scott is waiting for you and the children in Heaven," Brian said, his voice breaking.

"Brian, thank you for all the trouble you must have gone through to talk with me," Emily cried, "and for realizing the joy that this information is going to bring to all of us that loved Scott so much...to know we will be with Scott again one day."

When Emily could stop crying, she asked, "Brian, would you write me and the children a letter telling us about the Easter service and anything you know about how Scott died?"

"Emily, I've never been much of a letter writer but, yes...I will. I feel like I know you and the kids as Scott shared so many details about you. I'll get your address from Scott's desk," Brian stated.

Emily thanked Brian again. Hanging up the phone she went to tell her family the wonderful news she had just received – to tell them that God had answered their prayers.

As she finished relating to the others what she had learned from Brian, she broke into sobs. Suddenly Steven's little arms were encircling her neck, giving her a big hug. "Mommy, that hug is from Daddy. He wants you to know he loves you very much."

Emily knew that in the long months of grief ahead, she would hold close to her heart that one day she would again be with her precious Scott. Somehow, with God's help, she would go on. She would be the mother to her children that Scott would want. She would work on completing each chore on the list they had made: "Things to Do If I Don't Return".
Epilogue

As Emily stood at Scott's gravesite with her small children, surrounded by her and Scott's loving family, she clutched Scott's New Testament to her heart.

The Bible had arrived with Scott's body. When Scott's dad opened it and saw that the group he and Rebecca belonged to had purchased it, he broke into tears of joy.

On the back page, Scott had signed his name and placed the date under the following words, which he had written:

"Today is the most wonderful day of my life because I confessed to God that I am a sinner; believing that Jesus died to pay the price for my sins and rose from the grave for my salvation – I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord.

I can now be the man God wants me to be – a light to the world and a Christian husband and father to the beautiful family God has given me.

Oh, what unspeakable joy is filling my soul!"

As the pastor and James conducted the graveside service, James read a few sentences from the letter sent back with Scott's body, which he had written to Emily after accepting Christ as his Savior:

If something were to happen to me before I can get home to you, I want you to remember that death for a Christian is not an ending but the beginning. I would be carried by God's angels into his presence.

As I have studied the Bible, a verse that has meant so much to me has been, He is not here, He has risen. Jesus promised He was going to prepare a place for us, so that where He is, there we will be also.

Oh, my dearest Emily, if I lose my life, I will be in Heaven waiting for all of you. Praise God, He answered your prayers.

Emily stepped forward and laid a single rose on Scott's coffin. As she did so, four jet fighters flew low overhead in the missing man formation in honor of their fallen comrade.

What a moving moment it was. When the jets were out of sight, James spoke again, "Dear friends, it is always a honor to see our pilots give this special tribute to a lost comrade, but this fly-over is especially touching today because our beloved Scott was personally responsible for saving the life of the pilot, Captain John Davis, who was flying the lead plane."

"His wife Dana and their children are here at the gravesite with us today to express their gratitude."

Using James' words as their cue, three small children stepped forward and placed a wreath beside Scott's coffin.

Emily looked down at her son, whose little hand she was holding, and saw he was lovingly clutching his billfold in his other hand – the billfold his daddy had given him. Knowing her dear child was suffering as much as she was almost more than Emily could stand; she prayed, begging God to help her little boy.

As military personnel stood at attention and saluted, others were requested to place their right hand over their hearts. Seven marines were given the command to fire three volleys. After the shots faded, the air was filled with the sweet, yet sad, sound of a bugler playing taps.

The Honor Guard then folded the American flag that was draping Scott's coffin and presented it to Emily. Three of the empty shell cases from the gun salute were presented to Scott's parents.

Emily was so proud of the life Scott had lived, of the love he had given to her and their children, and of the lives he had saved on the battlefield. But her heart was breaking, and she said yet another silent prayer to God to help her be strong through the months and years to come so she could carry out the plans that she and Scott had made such a short time ago.

As the service ended with every veteran in attendance giving Scott his final salute, her pastor's voice rang out – loud and clear – as he spoke the following scripture:

"A man can have no greater love than this that he lay down his life for his friends."

John 15:13

(To be continued in "Dare to Love Again")
Note from the author

Dear Readers,

This manuscript was shoved to the back of my desk drawer for many years because I felt that my knowledge of military life was not sufficient to allow it to be published. However, the novel never left my mind and I finally decided I must share it with others to show my appreciation of what our soldiers and their families are going through every single day.

I ask all military families – who are serving this country with their sacrifice of being without their loved one while he or she is serving, and when they do not make it home – to forgive me for any mistakes I have made in your jargon or customs.

I was fascinated as my husband, John, who is a veteran of the United States Army, helped me research military history. I learned how the beautiful and emotional "taps" came to be and found it interesting that the three volleys fired at a soldier's gravesite came from an old battlefield custom. Years ago, two warring sides would cease hostilities so they could clear their dead from the battlefield. Three volleys would be fired when the dead had been properly cared for and each side was ready to resume fighting.

Many of our soldiers have served one or more tours overseas and returned home; however, they still live under the stress of knowing that any day they may receive orders that it is time to resume the battle.

How much easier it would be on our soldiers if the battles they fight were no worse than the ones described in this book – but they are much more horrific. It would be wonderful if every military family today had the financial wealth and family support that Scott and Emily enjoyed – but they don't.

Our soldiers and their families need the prayers of every Christian in this country. Please do not let a day go by without petitioning God for their safety.

Besides expressing my concern for our soldiers, I also wanted to proclaim the love of God through the pages of this novel, praying that the message of salvation will encourage someone to reach out to our loving Heavenly Father and become a Child of the King.

For years I kept my faith to myself – not sharing it with anyone else. If you are a Christian, I pray that God will touch your heart and you will learn to share your personal relationship with Jesus Christ to every lost soul God places in your path.

I want to thank my wonderfully supportive husband and our beautiful, talented daughter, Melissa Niebuhr, for their help in writing "No Greater Love".

I hope you will enjoy the sequel, "Dare to Love Again".

To God be the glory,

Linda Marie Kelly

P.S. To the brave young men who fly their fighters over our Missouri Ozark ranch, training for combat, we salute you. When you scream by overhead, riding on the wings of your beautiful birds, you make our hearts race with excitement. Your skill and sacrifices make us proud to live in this great country; you were the original inspiration for this novel.

Acknowledgments

Proofreader: Verna (Mrs. George) Moss
