Past & Present Collide

Past
& Present

Collide

Amanda Kay

Cop
yright ©

Amanda Kay, Author

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by means mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior permission from the Author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events or persons, living or dead are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names or featured names are assumed to be the property of their respective owners and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used. Except for review purposes, the reproduction of this book in whole or in part, mechanically or electronically, constitutes a copyright violation.

Published in the United States of American in June 2014; Copyright 2014 by Amanda Kay.

The right of the Authors Name to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by them in accordance with The Copyright, Designs and Patent Act of 1988.

Self-published by Amanda Kay

Cover art by Amanda Kay & Createspace; stock photos
(dollarphotoclub.com)

Copyright 2014 ©

Kindle Edition

Language: English

Dedicated:

To my soul mate and best friend who chose to serve his country by joining

The United States Navy. Matthew I love you with all my heart and you are truly my hero.

Book Note:

This book is being republished after being taken off the market and completely reedited.

My family encouraged me to do this saying they loved this story.

So I present Kylie and Derek.

Contents

Acknowledgements

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Acknowledgements

Can I just thank everyone and be done?

No there are so many people. First to the readers this book is for you. I hope you fall in love with Kylie and
Derek, when I wrote them a couple years ago I loved them, but I knew the book needed improvement. I hope I have achieved that now.

To my PA Jen for being by my side always, and supporting me so much, I truly wouldn’t be able to do this without you.

To my Street Team: Amanda’s Fairies every single one of you rocks. Your support and unending devotion is amazing, my mind is blown every day by all of you.

To my family, my husband especially; thank you for your love and support. Every day with you and our kids is blessing.

To the bloggers, thank you for all that you do for us indie authors and authors in general without your dedication we wouldn’t be able to truly live out our dreams.

Prologue

1942

Kaylie sat at her dining room table in the brand new home her and her fiancé David had just bought. She stared at her engagement ring. They were supposed to get married Christmas Day 1941, but a week after the bombing of Pearl Harbor he had been selected to go over to Germany. She was now three days shy of her eighteenth birthday and he had been gone for two months with no letters. Finally she was staring at a letter from him. She had been secretly glad their wedding had been postponed, but she could never tell him that.  She was so young she wanted to experience so much, but her mother had told her she was making the right choice. David was a good man, and getting married and starting a family would be the best thing for her. Although, she wasn’t as confident about that little notion from her mother as she should have been. She slowly pealed the envelope open bracing herself for his words, words she hadn’t seen or heard for two months now.

My Dearest Kaylie,

I know I haven’t written since I left for war and for that I am truly sorry my love. This is the first chance I have gotten. I miss you so much
Kaylie and I am so sorry we had to postpone our wedding. I have been told my company won’t be over here much longer as we have almost fulfilled the needs for us. This means we can get married very soon my dearest. Nothing in this world would make me happier then to marry you as soon possible. I will write again soon and I hope I get to hear from you.

All My Love,

David

She decided he was at least owed a letter so she went to their wooden hutch and opened the drawer where she kept her stationary and pens. Returning to the table she thought long and hard about her letter. This would be tough
, but she had to tell him she was happy for the postponement because it gave her time to think, time she desperately needed.

My Dearest David,

I received your letter today and I was both overjoyed and confused. I love you with all my heart
, but I am glad we were able to have this time apart it has given me some time to think about us and our future. I love you that I am sure of, but I worry that marriage might not be the right thing for us at this moment. I have been told so many things the last few months that my head has been very clouded with mixed thoughts and emotions. I am using this time to sort through it all so that we can begin our lives together hopefully when you get back, but please be patient with me as I figure out not only my head but my heart as well. You have always been there for me and I want to be there for you too, but I need time to just sort through the mess. This by no means is a goodbye letter it is a please keep writing and forgive me as I process things while you are away.

Please be careful over there I wouldn’t want to receive news that you have been hurt as that would devastate me, because despite my confusion I still love you very much. I promise I will have everything figured out by the time you return from the war.

I am asking for a little patience. I believe you are very capable of giving me that. Take care my love and I will see you soon.

Yours,

Kaylie

As she walked the letter to the mailbox at the end of the long drive she thought long and hard about whether or not she should send it. She decided that he needed to know that she had a lot of mixed feeling
s but that she would keep her promise and figure out why she was having them and a way to sort through them so that they could begin a future when he returned, with that she closed the mailbox and proceeded back up the drive to the porch. She sat in the porch swing and stared at their initials
K&D forever
, carved into the swing back it made her smile. David had carved their initials two days before he had received his orders for Germany, and it was always something that brought her comfort despite her confusion, this was their home and he was her rock. Why she was having uneasy feelings now bothered her, but getting married now seemed like a hard step.

ONE MONTH LATER

Kaylie once again sat at her dining room table staring at a letter from David. Things were very different this time though. She was leaving heading for a big city she was all packed this was just one more thing to do write a goodbye letter. She first wanted to read David’s words and braced herself to make the tough decision to go through with leaving. She wanted to explore the country and the world she didn’t want to fall into this getting married at eighteen and having a family by nineteen. Sure it was the way of the times, but it wasn’t her way. She was bound and determined to live her life.

My Dearest Kaylie,

I understand the confusion you have been feeling, I know there has been a lot of pressure on you to do this. I hope you figure things out and that I am your ultimate choice. I don’t want to lose you, but I am also willing to wait till you are ready. Please know I am sorry if you ever felt pressured by me to get married I only wanted to make you happy
. I hope I still get that chance. I really don’t know what else I can say, so I will just say this I love you Kaylie don’t ever forget that.

David

She felt the tears well up in hers eyes she loved David she really did, but she had to do this for her. She hoped he would understand and that maybe one day they would find their way back to each other, but deep down she knew this would be their end. She grabbed her pen and began what would be her final letter to her love David.

Dearest David,

Please know that these next words won’t be easy for me at all. I have indeed had enough time to sort through the mess
, and I now know that I can’t do this. I love you I truly do, and if one day we find our way back to each other it would be the most amazing reunion I could imagine. For now though I need to spread my wings and grow. I won’t tell you where I am going, because I know you would try to find me. Know this is not easy for me, because I do love you so, but I have to live my life and I know I can’t marry you. Please forgive me for any heartache I may have caused you in this process. I love you always.

Goodbye,

Kaylie

With tears now falling freely onto the letter she silently slipped off her engagement ring and placed it on the letter standing to grab her things and leaving through the door looking back one last time at her former life. Wiping her eyes she shut the door and headed towards the bus station only a few blocks away.