by Linda West
Brad had been a full time commercial pilot, with no real place to call home. But as fate would have it he had reunited with his high school love, Summer Landers, and they had married and made Kissing Bridge their home. Mrs. Anderson couldn’t have been happier about it. Plus he had recently survived a harrowing plane accident where he nearly died.
It had been a wonderful but difficult time, but in the last few months she had never seen him happier.
Summer Landers was now her daughter in law and she and Brad had recently bought a beautiful house on the mountain and were planning a family.
Jason, her youngest son, had recently returned home after years of service in the military and gotten engaged to a lovely young woman named Dodi, who worked in the Landers Bakery. Together the boys had started their own airplane service that catered to Kissing Bridge. She couldn’t be more overjoyed that her boys were both back home and happy.
Suddenly a light lit in her eyes as she remembered something. “Oh, Jason, I received a letter for you. I think it’s a return card from the wedding invitations. It’s from NY City. Do you know people there?”
Jason Anderson’s gray eyes grew pensive. He looked at his mom and brother with the matching Anderson gray eyes and considered it. “Can’t say I do, mom. That’s strange.”
“Well, here. Let me get it for you and maybe you can solve the mystery!”
Within moments she was back with a white envelope addressed to Jason. She handed it to him then went over to the counter to chop up the basil for the sauce.
Jason opened it up. It was a letter from his old friend Dayton Lowry.
“Wow, well, that’s a surprise!” Jason exclaimed. “I’d lost track of him and had all my other letters returned.”
“Who’s that?” his brother inquired.
“It’s my war buddy, Dayton Lowry. He’s a full blow hero. Got a purple heart for running back into a mind field to save five men. You probably saw him all over TV. Actually stopped another hundred from sure death as well.”
Brad nodded. “I think I have seen him. Young good looking guy, too. Impressive.”
Jason shook his head. “Yes and no. I heard he was having a hard time. They’ve been tooting him around on all the news channels as an American hero but he hasn’t been the same since the war. I heard he’s been in counseling for PTSD.”
Brad looked sympathetic. He would never know. He had lived a charmed life of an international pilot while his brother had gone into the armed services. “I’ll say a prayer for him, bro. What’s he got to say?”
“Says congratulations. I’m thinking of coming.”
Jason arched a brow. “Maybe Earl has an extra room at the Inn? That would be perfect for Dayton. I’m going to call him right now.”
Momma Anderson’s Authentic Tuscan Italian Long Simmering Sunday Sauce
• 2 lb. 80/20 ground beef
• 4 - 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 12 oz. water
• 2 - 24 oz. jar tomato puree
• 12 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ cup Olive Oil
• 2 cut carrots
• 2 onions chopped fine
• Full head of basil chopped
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• Pinch of dried oregano
• Pinch of onion powder
• Pinch of garlic powder
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Suggestions for guests to bring to add to the pot: Sausage, Meatballs, Chicken
• In a large stockpot, sauté garlic until soft and fragrant in 2 tbsp. of olive oil, about 2 minutes.
• Throw your meat in with the garlic and brown until meat has been thoroughly cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Pour in the tomato paste, tomato puree, and seasoning, including the fresh basil. Stir to mix well. With the 6 oz. can from the tomato paste, fill that with water and pour it in the stockpot as well.
• Let mixture simmer, uncovered, for 3 or more hours (the longer the better, but minimum 2 hours), stirring occasionally.
• Serve hot over fresh pasta.
Chapter 5
Dayton Lowry sat in his one room apartment in his only chair, staring out the window, as was usual during the day.
He was a strapping, nice looking young man with dark brown hair, and deep soulful brown eyes that had used to sparkle when he was happy. No one would have known that seeing him as he was now, though.
He couldn’t remember what that felt like anymore.
He had long since ceased to take care of himself or his apartment.
Just didn’t matter.
He had grown his hair long and his beard nearly reached his chest.
He rarely went out but when he did, people crossed the street like he might hurt them.
He always laughed at that.
But he understood why they crossed the street.
He was an unknown.
Unstable entity.
Unsafe.
Get away.
He had learned as a young child to spot guys just like him, and run the other way.
Dayton had had a tough upbringing, but his natural effusive personality had won him friends, despite his reticence to let anyone in too close. He kept up a good mask so no one would have ever guessed the life he had endured.
Now he couldn’t even pretend anymore.
The war had left him a different man. Stronger, wiser but sadly even more broken.
A hero the President had called him as he pinned on his purple heart.
Dayton almost laughed.
Hero.
More like survivor.
He had survived, he had helped many others survive, but there had been the multitudes he couldn’t help.
The memories of the cries of pain and the suffering moans of the dying still pierced his mind, shutting out any happiness he might have otherwise found.
In fact, each wonderful thing that happened in his life only seemed to magnify the pain in comparison. He had become a recluse after he’d left the Marines and his days were spent just the same.
Coffee,
staring out the window,
stomach growls, it’s dinner,
time to eat.
Bed.
Oh, got to feed War Hero.
He had a dog now. A stray that had been abandoned and Dayton had found eating out of his garbage can in the alley.
Dayton had finally started to throw it scraps of his dinner instead but the dog stayed distant.
Finally one day the dog just showed up at his backdoor and stayed.
Dayton called him ‘War Hero’ because he had one eye poked out and a broken tail that jutted out like an L permanently. Half his fur was burned off. He wasn’t pretty, but they understood each other.
Dayton was only twenty-two and his life was already over. His only friend was a stray dog and the pain from his hip wound wasn’t getting any better.
He pulled out some pain pills and popped a couple with a glass of water.
He looked at the bottle.
Day after day.
Just waiting for the night to come so he could lie back down and not think about the horrors he had seen. At least when he slept the devils and the evils went away. Except when the nightmares came.
The phone rang and he saw Jason Anderson’s name come up.
He smiled for the first time in months.
Jason Anderson had been the one man Dayton felt comfortable with.
His hometown values were the same as Dayton’s and his soft reserved nature had allowed Dayton to open up to him.
Over time they had become best friends.
Unlike Jason’s wonderful family, Dayton had joined the marines to escape his abusive upbringing.
His mom had died when he was young and with the loss of her he had lost his only protector against his alcoholic raging father. He had endured daily beatings from his father until the day he had run away and joined the arm
ed forces to escape his life.
Dayton picked up the cell phone.
“Jason. How are you, man?” It was the first time in a long while he’d spoken to another person.
“Better when I see you! Dayton, I got you a room at the local inn that you’re going to love. The wedding is next month and I could sure use my best man to make it here early to help me out.”
Dayton stammered. “Best man?”
Jason softened at the sad tone in his friend’s voice.
He still wasn’t the same even a year after being home.
Jason had hoped the busy city of his hometown might help him heal where people could not. It seemed it was not so.
“Look, Dayton. It’s beautiful here. The only time Kissing Bridge is prettier than summer is maybe Christmas. I was hoping you’d come stay a while and help an old friend get through the last of his pre marriage jitters.”
There was a long silence.
Jason waited for a long while but Dayton didn’t reply.
Jason lowered his voice and said, “Please come, Dayton. It would mean a lot to me.”
Dayton squeezed his eyes tight.
Feelings of trepidation ran through him and he could feel another panic attack coming on. He mopped the sweat off his brow and reached for a pill case in his pocket.
He took out two pills and washed them down with water.
“Dayton, you there?”
Dayton stared at the pill case. He dumped out the whole bottle full into his hand and looked at them, contemplating.
It would be so quick and easy.
So painless.
No more pain, no more tears, just peaceful. Just dead.
He looked at the pictures of him smiling on his walls, getting honors and medals from the President and other dignitaries.
The photos only mocked him now. Some hero, he couldn’t even get out of his room.
“Dayton,” Jason said. “I love you man. Come down here and I promise things will be better. Miracles happen at Kissing Bridge. You deserve a miracle, buddy.”
The tears flowed down Dayton’s face as he looked at the pills in his hand.
Miracle.
He hadn’t seen any miracle save all those men in Afghanistan.
He hadn’t seen any miracle save his mother, or the small child from being beaten. No evidence in miracles.
Still he knew there was a God.
Maybe.
After.
He poured the pills back into the bottle and threw them across the room. He watched as the container hit the wall and all the little blue pills spilled out of the bottle and down the wall and across the floor.
He watched as they all rolled in separate directions…
“Dayton…are you there man.”
Jason heard him breathing hard on the other line. He looked at Brad with a worried look and shook his head.
He tried one more time.
“You saved so many people,” Jason said. “Maybe it’s time to try and save yourself.”
Dayton was shaking now.
Travel.
Go somewhere new.
Leave the safety of his one room.
He didn’t think he could do it.
It was too much.
People might talk to him.
He might break down in the middle of the flight and freak out like the PTSD broken vet he was.
But somehow something in him moved.
Was it hope?
Did he still carry some vestige of faith even after all he’d seen?
That was laughable.
Still, he felt his heart open just a bit and then, before he knew what he was doing, he spoke.
“Yes.” He whispered. “I’ll come. Just don’t tell anyone who I am, please. I just want to be your friend Dayton from NY.”
Chapter 6
Brad and Summer sat at a long pine table looking out over the bright sunny morning through the picture window of the Eagle’s Peak Lodge Inn Restaurant.
Brad was spooning down potatoes with his feta and broccoli omelet as if he’d never eaten before. Elle came over to refill their coffee cups.
Summer smiled at her. “Thanks, Elle! Gosh, the Inn makes the best coffee on Kissing Bridge.”
Elle smiled at Brad’s face in his plate. “Looks like my grandpa’s food isn’t so bad either.”
She and Summer shared a conspiratorial laugh.
To think that it had been young Elle, going by Murielle then, and that fateful Christmas mistletoe kiss, that had changed the course of her and Brad’s life.
Back then Murielle had been a plump, awkward little girl with a mop of crazy red curls. Now she was 19 she had blossomed into a great beauty.
Summer surveyed her like a model scout - long legs, sea green eyes, lovely red hair, and a sprinkle of freckles. Oh, the modeling world would just eat her up.
But Elle had no love of fame of fortune. She knew that family was all that mattered. All that had ever mattered.
After losing her parents, everything had changed in her life. Grandpa Earl had always told her that God had saved her for a reason, and that was to be his shining example.
Elle had become just that.
She was a delight to everyone she met.
You would never have guessed the tragedy she had endured behind her easygoing personality. Before you fell under her mesmerizing green eyes you would most likely have fallen under the spell of her infectious laughter.
Joy just seemed to bubble out of Elle.
Her epic smile and easy laugh made her one of the most likeable people on Kissing Bride.
And goodness knows there are a lot of nice people on Kissing Bridge Mountain!
Still, Elle had that extra something that just made people feel good to be around her.
Summer noticed that Elle’s smile didn’t quite make it up to her eyes today. Something was wrong.
“So, besides your Grandpa working you to the bone here, what’s new with you, Elle?”
Elle’s green eyes clouded over, but she quickly shrugged it off and patted her hands absently on her apron, then retied the bow a couple times. “Nothing, really.”
Summer knew it really was something, really. “How’s that darling beau of yours?
Elle bit her lip and her face told the entire story. “I have to go make some more cornbread. You guys enjoy your breakfast.”
With that she hurried away into the kitchen.
Summer looked after her with concern.
Just then Jason and Dodi came down the stairs into the main dining room. Dodi was stunning in a light blue dress that set off her china doll eyes perfectly. Her engagement ring sparkled off the morning light as
she waved to them. Jason took her hand and led her over to Brad and Summer’s table.
He pulled up a couple chairs next to them. Jason and Dodi were obviously very much in love. Just the way he looked at her with those famous Anderson gray eyes told it all! Summer was so happy that Dodi would soon be her sister in law.
“Hi guys!” Jason said. “We just finished setting up the room for Dayton. Dodi picked the nicest flowers for him too!”
Jason squeezed her affectionately. She beamed back at him.
“I’m so excited he’s coming in for the wedding!” he said.
Brad pushed his plate away and smiled broadly. “That’s great news, bro! I’ve never met a real war hero before. The purple heart – how many people did he save to get that again?”
Jason’s face clouded over and his grin faded. “Probably best not to bring it up. He’s been having a hard time.”
Dodi’s hand reached out and she took Jason’s tenderly. “I’m so glad he’s coming here, darling. You came back and healed, so did I. Maybe Kissing Bridge Mountain is just what he needs.”
Jason beamed and then grabbed his bride to be and gave her a big smooch. “Maybe you’re just what I need!”
Dodi giggled and they stared at each other.
Brad turned to Summer. “Were we this bad?”
>
She laughed. “Worse.”
Brad smiled back. “It’s true. I’m a big wuss when it comes to you, Mrs. Anderson.”
Summer tickled him. “Super, because I just adore wusses!”
They all had a good laugh.
“Hmm,” Jason said. “It smells so good in here, I’m getting really hungry.”
Summer noticed that Elle had not been out in the dining room for a while. “I’ll go check on Elle.”
Summer found Elle in the kitchen, making the dough for the corn bread. Ingredients were littered around her but nothing was in the bowl. Elle was just staring at it.
Summer grabbed an extra apron and tied it on. “Looks like you could use a little help.”
“Yeah,” Elle said, snapping out of her daze. “Corrine wasn’t feeling well so I’m covering for both of us.”
Summer started putting the flour, sugar and corn in the bowl from the recipe.
Elle was unusually quiet.
“You wanna talk?” Summer asked.
Elle threw in a cup of milk to the batter and the tears slid down her face. She turned her sad green eyes up at Summer. “Todd broke up with me. He’s in love with someone else.”
Summer threw the spatula down with a whack. “What?”
Elle nodded. “It’s true. He left yesterday with her for college orientation. It’s over.”
Summer hugged her tight.
Elle was only 19! That was too young to have your heart broken.
“Look, Elle,” Summer said. “I’m not going to say anything bad about Todd. You’ve been together years and I thought you were going to get married. But, you, Elle, you are amazing! You’re a light in the darkness of this world! If Todd left then Todd isn’t the one. He’s not your guy. Your guy… your guy will never leave you! You have a great guy coming for you is what this all means.”
Elle hugged her back.
It felt good to hug someone.
“I loved him, Summer,” she said. “I feel broken. I don’t want someone else. I always lose the people I love.”
Summer held onto her tight. “I know, sweetheart. I know.”
Summer’s family had been through losses of their own throughout the years. But Summer knew if the Lander’s curse could be broken, anything was possible.
Elle continued to cry softly. She was so thankful to let out her feelings instead of keeping up the false happy front she had worn like a mask since the breakup.
