by Leah Atwood
“Ellie.”
I laughed under my breath. Great. Now I’m hallucinating.
With my eyes still closed, I twirled a strand of my long hair around one finger.
“You’re doing that twirly thing with your hair again.”
“You know it. I always do that when I’m talking with you—even in my overly active imagination, apparently—and sooo wishing you were here.” My shoulders heaved with my deep sigh, and my eyes fluttered open.
“Is that a new sweater you’re wearing? I like it when you wear light blue, Sass. Brings out the color of your gorgeous hazel eyes.”
“Is that a fact?” I smiled and released the strand of hair. “Good thing, since I bought it with you…”
I wasn’t hallucinating. I’m not crazy!
My mind screamed, and my pulse pounded.
Ryan! A strangled cry crept into my throat. I moved my hand over my mouth and tears sprang into my eyes.
Inhaling a deep breath, I twisted around on the pew.
Chapter 31
~~♥~~
Nick stood at the back of the sanctuary.
My eyes widened, and my body trembled from twisted nerves combined with excitement.
“Nick?” I whispered, my voice raspy.
What’s going on here?
He gave me a nod and a reassuring smile. “I’ve brought someone to see you.”
Seconds later, with Nick’s support, Ryan hopped into view. And I do mean hopped. His right ankle was wrapped, and he wore a heavy snow boot on his left foot. A crutch was propped beneath his right arm, his left forearm rested in a sling. He wore jeans, a navy blue sweater, and a red down vest. He gave me a slightly crooked smile, that smile I loved so much. The smile I’d pictured in my mind so many times each day since he’d been gone.
“Thank you, Jesus!” My words caught on a sob that came from the deepest part of me.
Ryan shifted on the crutch and winced. His handsome face was miraculously untouched. God, in His infinite grace and mercy, had spared him from much more serious injuries that could have been devastating and life-threatening. I’ll love this man with everything in me. I want nothing more than to take care of him the rest of my life.
Jumping off the pew, tears streaming down both cheeks, I sprinted down the aisle. Reaching him, I threw my arms around Ryan’s neck, whispering his name over and over.
“You can’t even know how great you look to me right now,” he said.
“Oh, I think I have a good idea.” Smiling, I put my hands on either side of his face and feathered light kisses over his cheeks, his jaw, his nose, his forehead. Then I stopped and stared at him for a long moment, finding it difficult to believe he was truly home.
Seeing Nick over Ryan’s shoulder, I mouthed Thank you. With a silent nod and a salute, he turned and exited through the front door.
Ryan leaned against the wall. I felt his smile as his mouth met mine.
“I can’t believe you’re really here.” I gulped, and my nose began to run in a most unladylike way. I didn’t care, couldn’t care, couldn’t think of anything but how eternally grateful I’d be to the Lord for keeping my Ryan safe. Bringing Ryan back to me, to his parents and Nick, to all of us. For sparing his life.
I lightly pinched his cheeks. “You don’t know how many times I’ve thought about this moment. Dreamt about it. I thought you weren’t coming in until tomorrow. If you were going for the big surprise, you accomplished it.”
“I wasn’t supposed to come until tomorrow, but God had another plan.” Moving his good arm around me, pulling me as close as possible to him, Ryan buried his face in my neck.
I felt his tears dampening my skin, felt his shoulders shaking, and his thick lashes tickled my neck. As long as I’ve known him, I’ve only seen Ryan cry a couple of times—when his grandfather died and when we said good-bye at the airport before this last deployment.
“I’ve missed you so much. I love you, Ellie.”
“Oh, Ryan, I love you, too. So much.” My hands moved to his hair, and I ran my fingers through his thick, dark waves. “They didn’t cut your hair,” I murmured.
“I told them I had the most beautiful woman on the planet waiting for me back home, and she’d probably kill me if I had a buzz cut when I married her.”
“That doesn’t matter,” I said, half-laughing. “But thanks for thinking of me.” In my daze, I managed to pull a tissue from the pocket of my jeans, thankful I’d had the foresight to tuck one away. I dabbed the tissue over Ryan’s face and then used it to mop mine.
“They seemed to take pity on me and granted me that last wish, so to speak,” Ryan said. “Probably because they knew I was being shipped home. Or maybe they felt sorry for the groom who might not be as agile as he hoped to be on his honeymoon.”
Blushing down to my toes, laughing, I put my arms around him again as best I could around his sling. He leaned his forehead on mine. “God’s given me more days to spend with you, and I intend to take full advantage of the time He’s granted me.”
I nodded. “I’ve always loved you, Ryan. I always have, and I always will.”
His lips met mine again in a longer kiss, filled with the same want and need I’d experienced so intensely. “I was careful, Ellie,” he whispered as he angled his head in the opposite direction and kissed me again. “I want you to know that.”
“I know,” I whispered back. “You always are.” I smiled against his lips. “Most of the time.”
After another very lengthy kiss—one of the best ever, and that was saying something—Ryan pulled away. “I think we both need a tissue now,” he said. “As much as I’m enjoying this, baby, I need to sit down before I fall over and take you with me. That’s not something I want to do.”
“Oh, I’m sorry! I left you standing all this time. I’m so selfish. Please forgive me.”
He chuckled. “You are not selfish in any sense of the word.”
“Here. Let me help you.” I started to reach for him but stopped, faltering, giving him a helpless look. “Tell me what to do. When you broke your leg before, you wouldn’t allow me to help other than to read to you or beat you soundly at Monopoly.”
His grin emerged. “I still say you cheated.”
“Did not. Keep that up and I’ll push you down on that pew, injured or not.”
“Yeah, why don’t you try?” Ryan waggled his brows as if challenging me. “Hey, bro?”
“Here.” Nick stepped inside the front door of the church.
I stared at Nick. “Have you been standing outside in the cold this whole time?”
“Affirmative.” Nick’s lips looked almost blue, and he rocked back and forth and gave me a rather sheepish, half-frozen smile. “I didn’t want to interrupt the moment.”
“Nick’s going to take us back to our house,” Ryan told me.
Ten minutes later, Ryan sat on the sofa and glanced around our living room. “The place looks great. You’ve done a terrific job, baby. I can’t wait to get the grand tour.”
Nick smiled and headed for the front door. “My job is done. I’ll let myself out.”
“Nick.” I ran to him and hugged him close. “Thank you again for everything.”
“Always.” Nick kissed my cheek. “See you soon.”
I turned back to Ryan. “Can I get anything for you? Want some water? An egg sandwich with mayo and cheese? Christmas treats?”
“Just you,” he said with a tired smile. “Hurry up, please. My arms are already empty again.”
My pulse flew off the radar. I grabbed a tissue from a box on the kitchen counter and hurried back to the living room and gingerly seated myself next to Ryan. He moved his arm around me. After kicking off my shoes, I curled into him and snuggled as close as possible to his side.
Taking my hand, Ryan kissed each finger, one by one. “I like the light blue polish.” He raised his brows and grinned. “Do your toes match?”
“You’ll have to wait and see.”
“Ah, you’re playi
ng coy with me now?”
“No,” I said, laughing. “I just want you to have something to look forward to on the honeymoon.”
His gorgeous smile surfaced again and his eyes lit. “I don’t think that’ll be a problem.”
Finally, Ryan began to tell me as much as he could remember about the helicopter crash and the ensuing events.
“We all shared about the people waiting for us back home,” Ryan said. “It helped pass the time, but it served to remind us why we needed to stay strong and have faith we’d get out of our circumstances alive.”
“And then you shared your faith in Christ.” I squeezed Ryan’s hand. “I admire how bold you are.”
Ryan pressed his lips to my hair. “I didn’t have a choice, Sass. It’s like the Holy Spirit took over and gave me the words. You know I had trouble memorizing some of the Old Testament verses in Sunday school”—we shared a grin—“but the one that immediately popped into my mind was the one from Deuteronomy 20, verse 4: ‘for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’”
“How did the guys react?” I said.
“We all prayed, even the one team member who always gave me constant grief. He told me later he’d never forget those words. He said he’d never been to church, and he’s never heard anyone recite a Bible verse from memory.”
I shook my head. “Yet another reason to be thankful we’re sharing the Bibles with the Perchance to Dream kids.”
“Exactly,” Ryan said. “I’ll never forget those guys and what we shared together. We all know how blessed we are.”
He gave me a kiss and then shifted on the sofa. “It’s getting late, and I need to go soon, but I need to tell you about something else that happened.”
When I nodded, he continued. “Like I told you, the Army transported me to Frankfurt. Then the strangest thing happened. A lieutenant general I’d never met before and two guys walked over to where I waited in the holding area to board the plane at the airport. When he called me by name, I scrambled to my feet as best I could and saluted. Then the lieutenant general informed me the two men would be escorting me home.”
“Escorting you? What do you mean?”
Ryan smiled. “By private jet, believe it or not. Like I was an important bigwig or something.”
“You are to me,” I told him, giving him another kiss. I couldn’t get enough of his kisses. In some ways, I never wanted to let him go even though I knew I must. “My forever hero.”
“I figured I’d be stuck in the cargo hold or something. Not really,” Ryan said when I nudged his arm. “The lieutenant general assured me I was in the best hands possible to get me back to Cleveland before Christmas.”
I kissed Ryan’s cheek, and he leaned into it.
“Baby, I can’t tell you why, but I got the strong impression those guys came to Germany specifically to get me and bring me home. All they said was it takes teamwork, but they were determined to make sure I got home for the wedding.”
“Such a miracle,” I murmured. “I don’t know if Nick told you, but our story made the national news.” International, most likely. I still found it surreal.
I sat up straighter, still holding onto Ryan’s hand. “Who were these guys? Army, I’m assuming?”
Ryan shook his head. “They were in civilian dress, but they had military stamped all over them even without the uniforms.” I knew what he meant. Military men carry themselves, and conduct themselves, in a distinctive, authoritative manner that embodies confidence and commands respect. I could tell by their posture alone.
“I should have asked for their names, but I didn’t. I was so tired, Ellie. I’ve never been that exhausted. The one guy was seriously buff, and he did something awesome.”
I ran my thumb back and forth in a light, caressing motion over Ryan’s hand. “Tell me.”
“He bumped his fist with mine and said, ‘Everything according to His purpose.’ There wasn’t a doubt in my mind he was talking about God. I took it as a sign from the Lord that I’d be okay.”
I smiled, filled with deep contentment. “I know a little something about a sign from God. Let’s just say there was a little boy at The Soda Shoppe the other day who ordered a fried egg sandwich with mayo and American cheese.”
Ryan grinned. “See? He’s got very good taste. I’m not the only one who likes those sandwiches.”
“No, but I’d prayed to the Lord that He’d give me a sign to let me know you were…all right.” My voice caught on the last two words and a few tears fell onto my cheeks.
“Oh, baby. Don’t cry. I’m here.” Ryan bundled me in his arms. We sat that way for an extended moment, holding one another—clinging, really—our fingers laced together.
“The guys also prayed with me before we took off. They mentioned you, too, without asking your name.”
I wiped away my tears and pushed myself up straighter on the pew. “What do you know about the other guy?” I was so curious to know about Ryan’s rescuers. Who were they? Would we ever see them again?
“Hard to say where the fist-bumping guy was from, but he was about 6’ 4”.” The pilot was almost as tall, and I detected a bit of a drawl. If I had to guess, I’d say he’s from Texas or Louisiana. They were both great. We had some pretty bad turbulence, but the pilot handled it like a pro. I hardly felt a bump. I think I heard the other guy call him Louis.” Ryan scratched his head. “Or maybe Will. Sorry, I can’t remember. They seemed to know each other fairly well. They sat together in the cockpit and, although I heard them talking, they kept it down, probably for my benefit. I guess they figured I was tired and needed to sleep. I slept some, anyway.”
“Well, whoever they were, I’ll be grateful to them for the rest of my life for bringing my love back home. The way I see it, they were God’s messengers. Earthly Angels, in a sense.”
“Amen,” Ryan said.
Shortly after midnight, I drove Ryan back to his parents’ house.
“I’m going to ditch the crutch and the sling before the wedding. Promise,” he said as I helped him into the house.
“Ryan, I don’t care if you’re in a wheelchair. Or if you limp. All I ever want is you.”
“Not a problem. You’ve got me forever.” His smile filled all the places in my heart remaining to be filled. Healed them and made them whole again.
Chapter 32
~~♥~~
Sunday Afternoon, December 24
I heard someone grunt and then a knock on my office door. “Go away,” I mumbled.
With a small groan of protest, Ryan removed his lips from mine. We both turned as the office door opened.
Nick stood in the doorway. “Sorry to interrupt, but I knew you were both in here. I could see the steam seeping through the bottom of the door.”
Ryan dropped his arms from around my waist while I tried not to laugh. It wouldn’t be the first time Nick caught us in a passionate embrace.
“I’m glad you’re both here, actually. You need to see something.”
“This had better be good,” Ryan muttered under his breath.
“May I?” Nick gestured to my computer on the desk.
“Be our guest,” Ryan said.
Nick sat in front of the computer. “Come around and take a look at this.”
Hands joined, Ryan and I walked behind my desk and peered over Nick’s shoulder.
“A specific website for the two of you was set up during the time Ryan was missing.”
“What do you mean? What kind of website?” I looked at Ryan and lifted my shoulders. “This is the first I’ve heard of it.”
“It’s a site set up by some big sports advertising guru named Marcus Thompson in Boston. I did a little digging. His dad was a huge NBA star for the Celtics years ago.”
“Why would he do something like this?” Ryan voiced the same question I’d been pondering.
“Beats me, but he’s a guy with a lot of power and friends in high places. Went to Yale. He’s als
o heavily involved with a worldwide Christian missions organization.” Nick clicked on a page. “Here it is. The slogan here at the top of the website says it all.”
I moved my gaze to where he pointed. When God’s People Pray.
Releasing my hand, Ryan planted both palms on the desk and leaned close to Nick. “Sorry to invade your personal space, bro.”
“Not a problem. Invade away. It’s my honor.”
I smiled at their familiar, easy banter.
On the other side of Nick, I mirrored Ryan’s stance as the three of us read through the first page of the website. When I glanced over at Ryan, he seemed as surprised as me. “So, Mr. Thompson set up a website for people to pray for your safety?”
Ryan nodded. “That’s what it looks like. And to pray for you while I was gone.”
I moved my hand over my heart. “Ryan, can you believe this?”
“In some ways, no.” Ryan’s gaze met mine. “In other ways, yes.”
“Hang on,” Nick said. “People left messages and prayers for Ryan’s safe return and for your wedding.” He clicked on another page. “Here’s the visitor page and a list of names. As you can see, it’s a long list.” Nick began to read the names aloud as we looked over his shoulder.
“Wait. Stop scrolling a second.” I pointed to a name on the screen. “H.L. Joseph? She’s a new Christian romance writer. I read her first book last month, and it was really fun. Who else?”
Nick moved the cursor farther down the page. “People all over the country—Houston, Louisiana, New York, San Antonio, Boston. The list of names goes on for like five pages. I think the names are listed in the order they visited the page since they’re listed by date and not in alphabetical order.”
Nick looked at Ryan and then at me. “Any of these last names ring a bell?”
“No,” Ryan and I said simultaneously.
“Stop there a second.” Ryan smiled and nodded to the screen. “Beckett and Babs are on the list.”
“Seriously?” A small cry caught in my throat as I moved my hand over my mouth.
Nick frowned. “Didn’t Babs die a long time ago?”
