Scott kissed her lightly and pulled something from his coat pocket. It was a small black-velvet box.

  A smile played about her lips. “What’s this?”

  He handed it to her. “Happy Valentine’s Day, my Juliet.”

  She lifted the top of the plush box and knew immediately what it was. She knew what it meant.

  “Oh, Scott,” she said, removing the silver band and handing it to him to slip onto her finger.

  He put the ring on her right hand, and she gazed at the purity ring with tears pooling in her eyes. She had wanted to have one to wear ever since she had made a commitment to herself and to her future husband that she would never have sex again until her wedding night. A second virginity, Faith had called it. But she hadn’t been able to afford one at the time and hadn’t gotten around to getting one since having extra money to spare.

  He kissed her tenderly like always, lingering just long enough to make her feel cherished.

  “I don’t want you to feel worried that I’m going to act on the strong desires I have for you until the appropriate time. I take this very seriously, sweetheart, and I care about you too much to ever lead us down that path.”

  Tears spilled onto her cheeks, and he pulled her into a tender embrace. When he released her, he wiped her wet cheeks with his thumbs, smiled at her, and leaned forward, kissing her tenderly once again.

  “You are so special to me, Holly,” he said. “You always have been, but now--” He couldn’t finish and kissed her again before telling her good-night and letting himself out.

  Holly stayed up late that night, her fingers dancing over the computer keyboard. at times, but moving more thoughtfully at others. She worked for three hours straight, telling the story of a young woman in an abusive relationship. Pastor Bill had given her the idea during their last session. He had been encouraging her to keep a journal to record her thoughts about her past, her fears, and her current feelings about Scott.

  Scott was the easy one to write about, but journaling her painful childhood memories had not come easily. Pastor Bill knew about her love for writing and suggested she put her fears about getting into an abusive relationship into a character in one of her stories.

  When she quit for the night, her character had met someone that she had the feeling was going to rescue her from the bondage she had been in for so long. Holly prayed before she slept, fearing her nightmares may return after revisiting so many painful memories, but they did not.

  ***

  “This is a remarkable story,” Pastor Bill commented after reading the manuscript she had brought to show him. She had worked on it all week, feeling absolute joy for her character who had escaped her abusive boyfriend, developed a friendship with a new man in her life, and had fallen in love with the one who knew how to treat her right.

  “Thank you for suggesting the idea,” Holly replied. “Writing out my worst fears and realizing that Scott could never be like that helped. I know I’m not there yet, but I feel closer.”

  “I don’t know if you intended this or not, Holly, but while I was reading I couldn’t help but see the similarities between the abusive boyfriend and the way Satan operates in our lives, and between the hero and God.”

  She hadn’t thought of that and waited for him to explain further.

  “The abusive boyfriend is cunning and manipulative and controlling, then turns around and makes his girlfriend feel guilty and ashamed and in bondage. That’s basically how the enemy works in our lives, wouldn’t you say?”

  “Yes,” she replied.

  “But then you have this dashing hero coming to take her away from all that, making her feel free and alive and loved, just like God when we turn to Him.”

  “I didn’t write it that way intentionally, but you’re right. Satan lured me into the pleasure of sin with Ian, then immediately made me feel guilty about it, but kept luring me back in again and again. Then when I found out I was pregnant, he made me feel more ashamed and very nearly lured me into another sin, and I know I would have carried that guilt around with me for a long time too, possibly forever.” She swallowed hard and tears stung her eyes. “But God rescued me at the right time.”

  Pastor Bill got up from his chair and came around the desk, kneeling in front of her and laying his hand on hers.

  “And nothing or no one can ever take the freedom you have in Him away, Holly. You are His forever. And all He wants to do is bless you and love you and draw you close to His heart. You are His beautiful bride.”

  After meeting with the pastor, Holly went to Deb’s to pick up Sarah and Madeline and drove to Scott’s house to begin preparing dinner. This had become routine on Tuesdays over the last several weeks, but the feeling she got when she walked through the door still warmed her inside. It also scared her sometimes, but not tonight. Tonight she had only one thing on her mind.

  Scott arrived while she was tossing the salad. The Mexican dish had already been placed in the oven. Madeline and Sarah were playing in the living room with Madeline’s doll house.

  Scott came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He smelled like motor oil, but she didn’t care. The feeling of his light kiss on her neck sent shivers clear through her.

  She giggled. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I think you need a shower.”

  “I know,” he said, “but I couldn’t resist a quick squeeze first. I love coming home and having you here.”

  He left the kitchen and returned ten minutes later with damp hair and smelling much better. After dinner he complimented her as always and helped her clear the table then shooed her out to do the dishes himself.

  She went to play with the girls. When he came to join them, she put in a video for Madeline and Sarah to watch and asked if she could talk with him. They went to the dining room, that for now was like a little sitting room with an older couch along one wall since Scott didn’t have a fancy table to put in there.

  Handing him the story, she asked him to read it, explaining how Pastor Bill had suggested doing so might be helpful. Scott looked a bit uncomfortable during the first few pages, but he kept reading. She saw his face relax and a smile form when he got to the good part.

  “That’s a great story,” he said. “Was the first part painful for you to write?”

  “Yes, but not as difficult as I thought it would be. Putting my fears down on paper is easier than keeping them bottled up inside.”

  He started to reach for her, but she had something to say.

  “I wanted you to read it because I know you would never treat me that way. And I was only able to create the hero because of the way you are. I changed some of the details, but that’s you in there. That’s the way you make me feel, and you are rescuing me from my fears a little more each day.”

  He held her then, and kissed her, and she felt safe. On the drive home she thought more about what Pastor Bill had said about the difference between Satan’s evil ways and God’s love. She thanked Him for rescuing her from that spiritual bondage and for chiseling away her fears one day at a time.

  She went to bed early to catch up on her sleep. Scott took her out to dinner and a movie on Saturday, and they spent almost the entire day on Sunday together. Before she went to bed that night, she took her story from her night stand and read it once again. Thinking about her mom who had lived through such a relationship, she couldn’t help but wish her mother could find someone to treat her right. Realizing she had never prayed for that, she asked God to bring a hero into her mom’s life.

  Turning to the last page of her story, Holly wrote in the blank space at the bottom some words God laid on her heart at that moment:

  Mama, God has rescued me. He wants to rescue you too. He wants you to be His bride. Please don’t shut Him out of your heart forever. I love you. ~ Holly

  She folded the pages, found an envelope, and mailed the story along with the note on Monday morning.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  The house phone rang and Holly went to answer it, hesitating to whisper a quick prayer before picking up. All week she had been wondering if her mom might try to contact her after receiving the story and berate her like she had done the last time she had made any sort of contact. But she didn’t regret her actions. God had led her to reach out, to try once again even though she’d been pushed away in the past.

  “Hi, Holly. It’s Ashley.”

  Holly felt relieved. “Hi. What’s up?

  “Can I ask a favor?”

  “Sure.”

  “Could you fill in for me tomorrow at day care?”

  “I could do that.”

  “Great. I really appreciate it. Something just came up, or I would have asked you sooner.”

  “No problem,” she replied, secretly feeling thrilled at the idea of working tomorrow.

  She didn’t feel quite as thrilled on Friday morning when she had to get up at six-thirty to take a shower, get Sarah ready, and be at Deb’s by eight. Her schedule had been much more agreeable lately, and she had gotten into the habit of sleeping in until Sarah got up around nine.

  But once she arrived at Deb’s, all the cobwebs cleared out, and she enjoyed the day. She missed being there on a regular basis and made the most of her time with the children. At five she left to go to Scott’s and enjoyed a perfect evening with him and the girls. On Saturday morning she got up when Sarah did, ate breakfast, and then returned upstairs to get herself and Sarah dressed.

  At ten-thirty her phone rang and it was Ashley. She said she really needed to talk to her and asked if she could meet her for lunch. Holly asked her aunt if she could watch Sarah and then told Ashley she would meet her in an hour.

  When Holly entered the restaurant, Ashley waved from a corner booth beside the window. Holly slid into the seat and noticed Ashley’s red and puffy eyes.

  “What up, Ash?” she said, reaching for her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “What’s wrong?”

  Ashley held back tears. The waitress came over to take their orders. “We need a few minutes,” Holly said, then returned her attention to Ashley.

  “You know how I told you I had to meet with an old friend yesterday?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, that old friend is Austin’s father.”

  Holly didn’t know what to say. Ashley hadn’t talked about her old boyfriend much, just that their relationship was over and she had no desire to see him ever again. Holly wondered what had changed. Ashley began explaining before she had a chance to respond.

  “He called me on Thursday morning and said he wanted to see me. At first I told him no, but he said he knew where I was living, and he’d come over unless I agreed to meet him.”

  “How did he know where you live?”

  “He saw me at the bank on Wednesday and followed me to Deb’s.”

  “Is he dangerous?”

  Ashley appeared startled by her question. “No. Nothing like that.”

  Holly felt relieved. She didn’t feel strong enough to get in the middle of a messy relationship. “Then why do you look so scared?”

  “He doesn’t know about Austin.”

  “He doesn’t?”

  “I never told him. We broke up before I knew I was pregnant and then when I found out, I didn’t want us to get back together just because of that. I wanted him to come back on his own, you know?”

  “But he never did?”

  “No,” Ashley said.

  The waitress stopped by again.

  “I’ll take a bowl of soup and some water, please. Ash, do you want anything?”

  Ashley shook her head. Holly smiled apologetically at the waitress. “I think that’s all for now.”

  Once they were alone again, Holly tried to get the rest of the pieces to the puzzle sorted out. “Did you tell him about Austin yesterday?”

  “No. I thought he might already know, but he didn’t say anything about it. I thought about telling him, but I couldn’t say the words.”

  “Why did he want to see you?”

  “He wants to get back together.”

  Holly tried to place herself in the same position but had a difficult time doing so. Ian had known she was pregnant. She had sent him a letter saying she decided to keep Sarah and gave him the number where she could be reached, but she hadn’t heard a thing. She knew if he were to try and contact her now, she wouldn’t deny him the right to see his daughter if his motives were sincere, but she wouldn’t be interested in getting back together with him. She had moved on with her life.

  But she didn’t know how Ashley felt about her old boyfriend or why she had been reluctant to tell him about Austin. She said he wasn’t abusive, but she knew there were lots of other things that could make a relationship less than ideal.

  “Do you still love him?” she decided to ask.

  Ashley stirred some sugar into the fresh cup of coffee the waitress had just poured. “Yes,” she said softly.

  “Then I think you should tell him that and about Austin. No matter how you think he might react, you have to. Austin is his son, Ashley. If he doesn’t want his child, then you’re better off without him. But if he does--”

  Ashley looked at her and nodded. “I know. Thanks, Holly. I just needed someone to tell me that.”

  Ashley ordered a sandwich for herself when the waitress returned. By the time they were finished eating, Ashley had decided she would go see him tomorrow after church. Holly told her she would watch Austin for her if Deb couldn’t, but Ashley had another plan.

  “I’ll take Austin with me this time.”

  ***

  Holly rose from the couch in the family room for about the tenth time and paced around the room. It was getting dark out, and she hadn’t heard from Ashley yet. She had promised to call when she got back.

  Scott came over to the wood stove and put his arms around her. “She’ll call soon. Don’t worry, sweetheart.”

  Holly relaxed a bit and tried to remember that her friend was in God’s hands. Her phone rang, but it was Deb calling to see if she had heard from her. Holly went back to her pacing.

  Sarah asked her to color with her. That helped pass the time. Tamara called the house, and she ended up talking with her while coloring with Sarah. She had wedding plans to share. She had found the bridesmaids’ dresses and needed her measurements so she could pass that on to the dress shop. Tamara had asked her to be her maid of honor.

  Tamara hadn’t found a dress for herself yet. She’d seen one here in town the weekend before Valentine’s Day when she and Brian had come to meet with a photographer and the florist to reserve the second Saturday in July. “I really liked that one, but I wanted to look around a little more. We’ll be home in a few weeks, and I’ll probably go ahead and get that one unless I find something else before then.”

  “Hey, no making a decision without me,” Holly warned.

  Tamara laughed. “I miss you.”

  “I miss you too. Is that fiancé of yours treating you all right?”

  “Always. How about yours?”

  Holly smiled. That hadn’t become official for them yet, but she replied anyway. “Always.”

  Holly passed the phone to her uncle and listened to his end of the conversation. She always got misty-eyed when she heard him talking with Tamara, especially over the phone. He always told her he loved her before he passed the conversation to someone else. Holly had heard those words from him and Aunt Dana also, but there was a part of her heart that wished she could remember her own father telling her that. She could not.

  Ashley finally called and Holly went to the kitchen to take the call in private. The others knew what was going on, and she had asked them to pray, but she didn’t want to break Ashley’s confidence any more than that.

  “Hey, Ash. How did it go?”

  “Okay.”

  “Really? That sounds promising.”

  “He’s not mad. Shocked and a little--well, more than a little apprehensive, but he’s not totally against the idea of being a dad.”

  “That’s good.”

  “Yes, and that’s not all. You’re not going to believe this.”

  “What?”

  “Things were pretty tense at first. I think he wanted to bolt, but then we talked, and he started to relax a little and even held Austin for awhile. Then I told him about how I was going to church and stuff, and he got quiet. I thought ‘Okay this is it, he’s outta here now,’ but then he told me that he grew up going to church--to the one you and Scott go to. I had no idea. He stopped going after high school and has been living on his own terms, but he does know God. Isn’t that amazing?”

  Holly smiled. “That’s great, Ash. I’ll keep praying, and I really hope things work out for you.”

  Ashley let her go, and Holly shared a brief version with Scott and her aunt and uncle. She felt relieved for Ashley and hoped Austin’s father would want to be a part of things, but she knew only time would tell.

  That night lying in bed, Holly began to have some disturbing thoughts. Not for Ashley, but for herself. It wasn’t the first time she had considered the possibility of Melissa returning someday, wanting Scott back and to be a mother to Madeline again.

  She’d been gone for six years. Scott had never heard from her since the divorce as far as Holly knew, but what if she came back? What effect would that have on Scott? Would he want reconciliation with her after all this time?

  Those thoughts resurfaced often over the next few days. She wanted to talk to Scott about her fears, but she didn’t know how to bring up the subject, or if she wanted to know his response.

  On Thursday when she went to have dinner with Scott and spent the evening with him, he apparently noticed her melancholy mood.

  “What’s bothering you, babe?”

  Holly glanced up to see him staring at her with a concerned look.

  “You weren’t supposed to ask me that.”

  He smiled. “Hey, I’ve been pretending not to notice. But ever since Ashley’s call a few days ago, you haven’t been yourself. It’s more than just concern for her, isn’t it?”