Clean Inspirational Romance: Escape to Paradise (Inspirational Happy Sweet First Love Second Chance Romance) (Contemporary New Adult Love Inspired Holiday Short Stories) (21 page)

Suddenly, a car stopped outside of the house. Jill was laughing out loud before shouting ‘Mr. Roberts’ many times. They had invited him to stay some days with them since he was the person who literally changed their lives. After the incident, he took them in for a couple months before Connie was able to take care of herself. He was also the one that advised her to give Mark a chance, and move on with her life. He reminded her that she also had a child that needed a proper father figure.

After their marriage, Connie invited him home many times throughout the year. They spent their holidays together and Jill was always happy to see him.

As Roy had failed to inherit the company and was now in prison, Mr. Roberts and his colleagues took over, as per the will. They arranged for an endowment for Connie, to help her start over. She wasn’t able to work now, with a child on the way and another one growing up, but she politely declined his money. So, he went and opened a bank account in Jill’s name, and deposited the money there instead. He said that ‘if you can’t take the money for yourself, then take it for your daughter’. Moved by his generosity, she promised Mr. Roberts that he would always have a family in California.

Today, he was visiting for Jill’s birthday. She was turning 10 and Connie didn’t want him to miss this big event. After the TV story on Roy ended, Connie stood up and moved on their back yard where Mr. Roberts was waiting for them. He was sitting in a chair placed near a round table, and was playing with Jill.

Before long, Mark joined them with a big cake in his hands. Everyone started singing the birthday song to Jill, who was radiating with joy from the birthday candles and the pale light of the moon. Connie couldn’t help but let a tear fall from her eyes. It wasn’t a tear of sadness, or pain, but a tear signaling a new chance in life—in their life.
I turned the world upside down twice for this little angel
, she thought while on the same time crossing her hands over her swollen belly.

Her life was so full of joy. Her face was wet with tears of happiness as her daughter blew out the candles on her cake.

THE END

Bonus Story 6 of 10

A Long Way from Home

It was the second time that Brian had had to relocate to a different fort since the war started. This time, it wasn’t because they wanted to get more men closer to the front lines, but because Brian and his companions were ordered to man a fort in the back, close to a settlement in the west. Many privates, Brian being one of them, thought these orders to be an act of cowardice from their commanding officers, but since it was an order from the upper echelons of the army, there was nothing plain soldiers like them could do.

Even so, no matter how long their way was until they arrived at the designated fort, or how many days they had to stay outside and sleep on the damp grass, Brian was somehow relieved that he didn’t constantly have to be afraid for his life. However, many of his companions did not understand this tactical decision. And so, the quarrels started.

Every day, especially before dinner, when the soldiers were at their hungriest, men would start fighting, yelling at each other about things that were of no importance. The corporal would stop these fights and punish anyone who took part in one, but that didn’t seem to settle things.

Brian couldn’t stop thinking about their journey so far, about how far away from home he was. Every morning he would raise his head up and stare at the horizon, watching the sun climb up to the sky.

The dawn of another long day on the road arrived. I’d better get ready; better now than when the corporal makes his rounds.
After standing up, he stretched his hands above his head and stared to the east. He located two small farms close to each other.
We must be getting closer. Counting those two, it must have been at least ten farms since yesterday.

He shrugged and turned his back to the bright sunlight. Still dizzy from the rough sleep on the ground, he faltered all the way to his things. Corporal Jones saw him limping and moved closer to him. “On your feet, soldier. Is there something wrong with your leg?”

The first thing that Brian did was salute the commanding officer. “No, sir! Everything is fine, sir!” He shouted every word on the top of his lungs.

“You don’t have to shout, Private Campbell. Everyone here is exhausted and we have half a day’s walk ahead of us before arriving at the fort. I wouldn’t like seeing you get injured, that’s all.”

As soon as he completed his sentence, the corporal moved away and proceeded into waking up every soldier who wasn’t already up and ready.
He’s right. I wouldn’t like someone barking at me so early in the morning too. But he probably would have punished me if I didn’t do it right.

With another shrug, he started gathering his things. Since soldiers never carried many things with them, except their uniform, some underwear, a gun, and some supplies they needed to survive on the road, it was fairly easy for Brian to pack his things up and be ready in less than ten minutes. In the dizziness of the early morning sun, though, he didn’t quite catch what the corporal said to him.

Half a day’s walk to the fort? Thank heavens, we’re finally there.

The sun was hanging above their heads, burning their foreheads no matter where they were standing. For once, Brian was thankful that their uniform included a small hat. Not that it did make a difference, but at least it was enough to keep them going. Crossing a tight pass between two mountains, Brian had started to believe that he misheard the Corporal’s words this morning.

We’re walking for some time now, but no sign of the big fort, or the thriving town. Where in the world did they build that thing?
Brian kept swearing in his head, thirsty and hungry; but it didn’t seem to matter. Their corporal seemed determined to make them perish from exhaustion, if not from hunger or thirst.

Located in the middle of their company, Brian first heard his companions cheer and then saw the sight himself—a thriving city in the middle of nowhere, with a reigning fort in front of it. A burst of air came howling from his lungs, making him shout along the rest of the soldiers. At last, they had arrived at their destination.

His steps became lighter, and hunger and thirst both vanished from his head. With the city on his sight, nothing else really mattered now. Brian was almost running, his feet spreading to catch up with the rest of the company.

“Quick. I can see a saloon.”

“At last, soft beds!”

“Oh my God, can you smell the food?”

You could feel their impatience, their nervous eyes looking at each other, afraid that the town was just a mirage in middle of a desert; they wanted to see each other’s reactions to make it feel even more real.

There were also some men that even teared up after seeing the town for the first time.
Different reactions, from different people. It figures.
Brian later found out that he was among those men with the watered eyes.

The last couple miles flew by them. The exhaustion of the last two weeks was just a bad dream to them now. The closer they got to the town, the better they felt. The noises of town life were traveling to their ears from everywhere around; merchants calling for people to buy their merchandise, bursts of laughter outside of the saloon, and even people fighting with each other.

It was refreshingly familiar, a small town like that thriving in the middle of war. At the same time, it was more than enough to remind Brian of his home. The vast meadows under the midsummer sun, gold-coated like a dream coming true. This memory was enough for him to slow down and walk the enthusiasm off.
Remember Brian, the war is not over yet. This is only another home away from home.

By the time they arrived outside the fort gates, the soldiers had returned to their previous state. Misery, exhaustion, hunger; you could almost taste it in the air around them. Even so, the corporal made them stand in lines—four perfectly aligned lines. It was a rather unusual request from Corporal Jones to make them do something like that, but at the same time it seemed like the appropriate thing to do.
It’s not like we want people to see that the Union army is a bunch of uncivilized brutes, I suppose.

The heavy wooden doors started slowly to open, only to reveal an old, well-preserved building behind them. Masonry walls circled the perimeter, and in the middle of it all, a small group of men in uniforms awaited them.
These must be our caretakers.

The group of men moved closer to the company and quickly checked for injuries. Furthermore, they even offered to take the heavy bags they carried off their hands. None of Brian’s companions agreed. They had grown so accustomed to carrying these bags that carelessly giving them to someone else seemed wrong.

“If it isn’t Corporal Jones. It’s a great honor to meet you,” an officer addressed Jones in a very friendly manner.

“Sergeant Daniels.” Corporal saluted the higher-ranking officer, causing a sudden wave of movement throughout the company. When a higher-ranking officer appeared, every private had to salute him too.

The officer, an older man, grinned. The lines on his face made him look more like a grandfather watching his grandchild play than a strict sergeant ready to lead a company to battle.

“At ease, soldiers. It’s my honor that you managed to come all this way so fast just because I asked.”

Brian dropped his hand and walked inside the fort, side-by-side with the sergeant. Soon after, the company started following them close behind. Everyone was secretly wishing for the sergeant to give them the day off, but the man seemed lost in his own thoughts too much to give the order. It was only after they were deep into the fort that the sergeant turned around and saw them following closely behind.

“For mercy’s sake, what is wrong with you? Is something the matter? Why are you still here?” He waited for someone to reply to him, but no one seemed to dare.

Suddenly, the corporal spoke. “I believe they await your orders, sir.”

The white-haired man threw his head back and laughed. “Now I see. You await orders. You have the day off soldiers,” he announced, his words fading under the loud cheering. “However, tomorrow morning I want everyone ready by dawn. You’re not here to slack off.” Right then, he turned his back and went on.

The company was cheering way after the two officers left. By the time the cheering was over, all of them were hungry and Brian had come up with an idea to raise their spirits.

“Let’s go to the saloon,” he said.

It was a long time since Brian, and probably the rest of his companions, had wandered among civilians. Something in their calmness, in the way they didn’t seem to care if their town was in danger, unsettled him. Among other things, the side-looks that some gave to them was proof enough that things were different now than before the war. Fortunately, someone was clever enough to build the saloon close to the fort.

Only a five minute walk from the fort, it seemed only natural for the people inside to welcome them. It was a spacious, two story building, with a wooden stage in the back of the room, and a black piano on top. It was still too early for the dancers to entertain the tenants, but Brian didn’t care for that. All that he needed was a bottle of beer and some time to shake off the exhaustion.

He knew that their excursion would be a short one since every last one of them was still tired from the half-day march. However, as soon as everyone found a seat, their good spirits returned. The bartender, a woman in a black, fairly-revealing dress, had given specific orders for the dancers to start getting ready. Her gleaming eyes, and the very specific curves of her body, seemed to excite most of the men in the room.

Oh my...maybe getting them so close to women, so soon, was not a good idea after all.
However, most of the men looked reserved enough to just sit down and enjoy their cold drinks.
That’s my boys for you.
He grinned and swept the room with his eyes whilst waiting for the bartender to take his order.

A woman in her early thirties approached him from behind, probably wanting to help him with his order. She said, “What will you have, honey?”

“Don’t worry. I’m fine waiting here. Go take the order from the guys over there. They seem to need it more than I do.”

The woman grinned at him and approached the other guys.

Honey...it has been a long time since someone called me honey.
He shook his head grinning, and returned his eyes to the bar. There, he saw her. While turning his head, he caught a glimpse of her beauty and couldn’t resist. Even his mind fell silent before her sight.
What in the world…?
His mouth was slightly open; the only thing he could do now was to follow her moves with his eyes.

She was walking down the stairs slightly clumsily, her brown hair tangled from her hasty preparation. However, it didn’t matter to him.
A home away from home? I don’t think so. But, how I should approach her?

*****

Dancing Through the Night

Brian couldn’t fall asleep last night. At first, he blamed the mattress. It seemed like ages had passed since the last time he slept on a soft bed, his head resting on a feather pillow. He felt very comfortable but in an awkward kind of way. He didn’t know quite why.

After a while, he started blaming the dry weather; he had got so used of the dampness and the wide open plains nowadays, that the room seemed small, and out of air. He had to take a walk outside, in the middle of the night, just to be able to regain some of his composure. But that wasn’t it either.

It must be her. Her body, her eyes, her whole appearance. I can’t get her out of my head!
Every time Brian changed side on the bed, his chest felt heavy, and his heart was skipping fast. He hadn’t felt like that in a long time, but at the same time he wasn’t able to truly identify his feelings towards her.
What if it’s just my body reacting to the presence of a good-looking woman? But, would that keep me awake the whole night?

His thoughts started getting tangled, his consciousness messing with his sleepless mind. Soon, her image got distorted in his mind, turning her figure into a peculiar dance of light and darkness, dream and reality.

The dancer’s body, in his dreams, resembled a candle flame dancing in the rhythm of the howling wind. Brian couldn’t help but get lured to that flame, like a moth, not caring if he would get burned after embracing her. The only thing that mattered to him now was to dance with her, dance like there was nothing else in the world keeping them apart.

“Wake up Private Campbell!” Corporal Jones was standing tall next to Brian’s bed, his voice tense and really loud.

Brian got on his feet as fast as he could, saluting him on the way. “Sir, yes sir!” It took him some moments to understand why the corporal had woken him up so suddenly. It seemed that it was already morning, and he was still asleep.

“Why aren’t you ready yet, private? Didn’t Sergeant Daniels ordered you to be ready at dawn? Well, it’s morning outside and you’re still asleep!” He made sure to shout out that last word.

“I’m sorry, sir! You’re right, sir! It won’t happen again, sir!”

Corporal Jones couldn’t help but grin at the struggling man. Jones was a man softened by war. It had turned him from a strict and unforgiving man to a compassionate and thoughtful one. The first impression that most people usually got from him was of a tense man, one that could easily intimidate someone just by looking at him. His thick mustache and his brown, short hair had started to turn gray, even though the Corporal was probably younger than Brian. However, once a man got to know him, he found out that Jones was kinder that most of his commanding officers.