Never Say Goodbye (20 page)

“I'll be back,” he whispered, his voice muffled in her hair.

And then, before she could respond, he gently ex
tricated himself from her arms and strode toward the building, leaving his fate in the hands of the Lord.

 

From the moment Scott disappeared inside the courthouse, time crawled for Jess. Five minutes felt like an hour. Ten minutes felt like a year. Twenty minutes felt like an eternity. After half an hour, she was so distraught that one of the officers brought her a bottle of water and urged her to sit down. But she refused both. Her throat was too tight to swallow, and she was too hyper to remain still. So she paced. And prayed. And kept her gaze fixed on the second-floor window.

After forty-five minutes, even the police were getting uneasy. There'd been no communication from the building, and a phone call to the judge's office had gone unanswered. Jess's nerves were ready to snap, and she was just about to demand that the police do something—
anything
—when at last the silence was broken.

By a single gunshot.

Jess's heart stopped, then lurched on, and she felt physically sick. Pandemonium broke out around her as the officer in charge snapped out orders and several uniformed men prepared to rush the building. But the frenzied activity came to a sudden stop when the police phone rang.

For a moment everyone froze. And then, at the second ring, the commanding officer reached for the receiver. He listened for a moment, then nodded. “Okay. Sit tight. Help is on the way.” He replaced the receiver and turned to the assembled group.

“Ruelas turned the gun on himself. Let's get a doctor up there on the double and move in. Johnson and Mitchell are okay.”

Jess heard the words. Processed them. And then she did something she'd never done before.

She fainted.

 

Jess heard the voice calling her name from a long way off. The voice she'd been afraid she would never hear again. And as her eyelids flickered open and she saw the face that matched the voice, she knew the nightmare was over. Scott was safe.

“She's coming around.”

At the sound of the unfamiliar voice, Jess transferred her gaze to a uniformed figure on her other side with a stethoscope around his neck. A paramedic. Only then did she realize that she was lying on the ground. “Did I faint?” she asked in surprise.

The worried frown on Scott's face eased and he squeezed her hand. “You've been out cold for ten minutes.”

“The vitals all seem to be okay,” the paramedic said. “How do you feel?”

Jess looked at Scott, and tears of relief flooded her eyes as she reached out to touch his weary face. “Grateful to have my husband back,” she replied in a choked voice.

Scott covered her hand with his own, and their gazes locked in silent communication that spoke more eloquently than words of the love that filled their hearts.

“We can take you in and have you checked out just to be safe,” the paramedic offered.

Jess's gaze never left Scott's. “I'm already safe,” she said softly.

And as Scott reached for the woman he loved and tenderly took her in his arms, his heart overflowed with joy. For he knew that at long last he had truly come home.

“Y
ou look beautiful. Don't touch a thing.”

Jess set the comb back on the counter and slowly turned to Scott. She had never seen him look more handsome—even on their
first
wedding day. His dove-gray suit sat well on his broad shoulders, and his silver-and-maroon tie looked elegant against his starched white shirt. The silver flecks in his hair added a distinguished touch, and the fine lines in his face that had appeared over the past few years spoke of character and caring rather than age.

But it was his eyes that set her heart racing. Because they were the eyes of a man deeply, irrevocably in love—who was making no attempt to hide his love as his gaze moved leisurely, appreciatively over his wife.

“I like the dress.”

Jess blushed and self-consciously smoothed a nonexistent wrinkle out of the sleeveless, knee-length ivory lace sheath that flattered her slender figure. Though it had been hastily purchased, it was clear
from Scott's expression that she'd made a good choice. “Thank you.” She reached for the boutonniere that lay next to her bouquet. “Do you need some help with this?”

“Absolutely.”

She stepped toward him and reached up to his lapel, all too aware of his almost tangible—and overpowering—virility. The distinctive, masculine scent of his aftershave filled her nostrils, and they were so close that his breath was a warm caress on her cheek. Suddenly she began to quiver. Not in fear, but in anticipation. For soon they would once again be man and wife in the fullest sense of the word.

It took her fumbling fingers several tries to secure the boutonniere, but at last it was firmly in place. She made a move to step back, but Scott grasped her upper arms and held her in place, forcing her to meet his eyes. His gaze searched hers, incisive, assessing. “Any second thoughts?” he asked.

She looked at him steadily and shook her head. “None.”

He studied her for a moment longer, as if to reassure himself, then lowered his head to claim her lips in a lingering kiss that was filled with passion and promise.

“No more of that until
after
you renew your vows,” a voice interrupted teasingly.

Scott and Jess turned to find Reverend Young in the doorway, and Scott grinned. “Then let's get this show on the road.”

The minister chuckled. “My sentiments exactly. I'll meet you in the gazebo.”

Scott retrieved Jess's bouquet, then reached for her hand and laced his fingers with hers. “Ready?”

She smiled, and when she spoke her voice was quiet but confident. “Yes.”

With an encouraging squeeze of her hand, Scott led her outside. And as they began their walk through the garden he had so lovingly created, she thought about her answer. Yes, she was ready. Ready to let go of the past. Ready to move forward, into the future, with the man she loved. Ready to touch the sky.

Scott, too, was ready. To start a new chapter of his life with the woman he cherished. And he was glad they'd chosen to begin this way. Though their marriage had never actually ended, he and Jess had felt that it needed an official new beginning. And they'd wanted to share this moment with the people who meant so much to them.

As they walked down the path toward the gazebo, he let his gaze travel over the group assembled by the lake. Karen and her family were there, and even from a distance he could tell that his sister, always a sucker for happy endings, was already misty-eyed. Seth had come as well, looking slightly uncomfortable—but remarkably distinguished—in a suit. And Mark was there, grinning from ear to ear, clearly elated that his sister had at last taken his advice. Even Jess's parents had come. It had been touch and go with her father until the last minute, but in the end his love for Jess had outweighed his feelings about her husband. Scott knew he still had fence-mending to do with Jess's father, but he took Frank's presence today as a hopeful sign.

When they reached the gazebo and stepped up to join Reverend Young, Scott glanced down at Jess. Their gazes met and held, and her eyes reflected what was in his heart—gratitude for this second chance at love, and absolute trust that the Lord who had brought them back together would continue to stand by them and give them the strength and courage to face whatever challenges might lie ahead. And in that moment of silent communion their hearts pledged what words would reconfirm in just a few moments.

Reverend Young began to speak, and as Scott transferred his gaze to the minister he was filled with a feeling of absolute peace and completeness. For he and Jess had now come full circle. They'd survived the dark, bleak winter of pain and separation and loss. Now they stood poised on the threshold of a new day, a new season, one filled with the promise of hope and joy and love.

And as he and Jess prepared to renew their vows before God and their families and friends, he suddenly recalled the words Seth had said to him the first time they met. And he knew that they were true.

Spring always comes.

Dear Reader,

As this book goes to press, my parents are celebrating their forty-eighth anniversary. What an accomplishment in a world where half of marriages end in divorce. And what a shining example of the enduring power of love! Through good times and bad, in sickness and in health, they have faced life together, always knowing that their love would see them through.

In comparison to their forty-eight-year union, my marriage is a mere child at twelve years. But I already have a sense of how tough it can be to keep that “for better, for worse” vow. So many things take a toll on marriage. Demanding careers that leave couples little time—or energy—for each other. Unexpected disappointments that change the direction of your life together. Well-laid plans that go awry. Hurts that only time and a change of heart can heal.

Fortunately, few marriages have to overcome the kind of tragedy that Jess and Scott face in
Never Say Goodbye
. Instead, most are simply worn down by the petty annoyances of daily life. And in a world of “I-have-to-take-care-of-myself-first” attitudes and values that change from situation to situation, there is little to encourage the stick-to-it-iveness that is the glue of marriage. It's easier to just give up when trials and tribulations replace romance and roses.

But what a loss that is. Because it's the enduring power of love that gives marriage its depth and dimension. For there is incredible peace and joy in knowing that whatever happens, you'll still be together. And that your love will burn with an unquenchable flame that is steady and sure and strong all the days of your life. Just as my parents' has for nearly half a century.

Happy anniversary, Mom and Dad. I love you. Always.