so sorry. My . . . my fiancé just came home from the Middle East. He’s in the Army—a staff sergeant. He was wounded right before Christmas.”
The woman’s stern expression softened. “I heard some people talking at a dinner last night about a soldier from here who’d been wounded. He’s lost his memory?”
“Yes, but we’re working on helping him to remember things,” Stella said, not knowing what else she could say. Did the whole town know of their dilemma? Even a stranger in her bookstore?
“You have my prayers,” the woman replied.
“Thank you,” Stella said. “When you said once was enough—about being married—what did you mean exactly?”
The woman shifted her bag full of books. “Don’t listen to me, honey. I didn’t want him to join the Army, but he insisted. He wanted to serve his country. And he did for ten years. But then he got wounded and . . . I lost him. That was over forty years ago. Vietnam.” She let out a wobbly breath. “What I mean is, I only had one love in my life and . . . I never found anyone else to match him.” She patted Stella on the arm. “You and your fellow are blessed. He made it home.”
“Thank you,” Stella said, “for shopping at The Book House and for . . . sharing your story with me. It means a lot. And so do your prayers.”
“I’m on it,” the woman said with a sad smile. “I can’t bring back my soldier, but I can certainly pray for you and yours.”
After she left, Patty said, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her in here before.”
“Me either,” Stella replied. “Maybe she’s new in town.”
“Maybe so. A bit opinionated, huh?”
“Yes, but she’s still grieving.” Stella stared out the window, her thoughts churning with worry. “I prayed the whole time Marsh was gone that he’d come home safe. And that prayer was answered. I shouldn’t ask for anything more.”
Patty gazed over at Stella with solemn brown eyes. “But you didn’t expect him to come home without the memory of you, right?”
Stella shook her head. “Never in a million years. It’s like talking to a stranger, but he’s still the only man for me.” She lifted her chin toward the door. “I don’t want to wind uplike that woman, old and alone. I want Marshall to want this too. What if he doesn’t?”
“I could tell you it will be okay,” Patty began, “but we both know I can’t predict the future. That’s in God’s hands.” She took Stella by the wrists. “But I will tell you that your faith is solid. Lean on that. Be patient and stay hopeful.”
“I will,” Stella said. “Each new day brings another challenge, and we’re making progress. But we’re also running out of time.”
“Why is that?”
“Patty, I’m beginning to think if Marsh doesn’t have his memory back by our wedding date, there might not be a wedding.”
Patty stood speechless for a minute. Then they heard the bell jingling on one of the double front doors of the old building. Patty turned around to see who it was, then whirled back to Stella.
“It’s my lunchtime,” she said, then made a beeline to the café.
Stella found the strength to put on a smile for their next customer and turned toward the front of the store.
Marshall stood just inside the door, his gaze roaming over the wooden bookshelves and the open café area. “So this is where you work?”
“Yes.” Stella was glad to see him but still unsure of how to handle him. “Do you remember any of this?”
He took another long look around. “I don’t know. It feels familiar.”
“I’ve been working here off and on since high school,” she explained. “I started part-time after school and on weekends,then full-time during summers home from college. Now that my aunt Glenda has retired, I’m the manager.”
Stepping closer, she said, “You used to meet me here and we’d go get a burger or take in a movie after work.”
“And I worked at my dad’s law office.”
Stella nodded. “Yes, you
The woman’s stern expression softened. “I heard some people talking at a dinner last night about a soldier from here who’d been wounded. He’s lost his memory?”
“Yes, but we’re working on helping him to remember things,” Stella said, not knowing what else she could say. Did the whole town know of their dilemma? Even a stranger in her bookstore?
“You have my prayers,” the woman replied.
“Thank you,” Stella said. “When you said once was enough—about being married—what did you mean exactly?”
The woman shifted her bag full of books. “Don’t listen to me, honey. I didn’t want him to join the Army, but he insisted. He wanted to serve his country. And he did for ten years. But then he got wounded and . . . I lost him. That was over forty years ago. Vietnam.” She let out a wobbly breath. “What I mean is, I only had one love in my life and . . . I never found anyone else to match him.” She patted Stella on the arm. “You and your fellow are blessed. He made it home.”
“Thank you,” Stella said, “for shopping at The Book House and for . . . sharing your story with me. It means a lot. And so do your prayers.”
“I’m on it,” the woman said with a sad smile. “I can’t bring back my soldier, but I can certainly pray for you and yours.”
After she left, Patty said, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her in here before.”
“Me either,” Stella replied. “Maybe she’s new in town.”
“Maybe so. A bit opinionated, huh?”
“Yes, but she’s still grieving.” Stella stared out the window, her thoughts churning with worry. “I prayed the whole time Marsh was gone that he’d come home safe. And that prayer was answered. I shouldn’t ask for anything more.”
Patty gazed over at Stella with solemn brown eyes. “But you didn’t expect him to come home without the memory of you, right?”
Stella shook her head. “Never in a million years. It’s like talking to a stranger, but he’s still the only man for me.” She lifted her chin toward the door. “I don’t want to wind uplike that woman, old and alone. I want Marshall to want this too. What if he doesn’t?”
“I could tell you it will be okay,” Patty began, “but we both know I can’t predict the future. That’s in God’s hands.” She took Stella by the wrists. “But I will tell you that your faith is solid. Lean on that. Be patient and stay hopeful.”
“I will,” Stella said. “Each new day brings another challenge, and we’re making progress. But we’re also running out of time.”
“Why is that?”
“Patty, I’m beginning to think if Marsh doesn’t have his memory back by our wedding date, there might not be a wedding.”
Patty stood speechless for a minute. Then they heard the bell jingling on one of the double front doors of the old building. Patty turned around to see who it was, then whirled back to Stella.
“It’s my lunchtime,” she said, then made a beeline to the café.
Stella found the strength to put on a smile for their next customer and turned toward the front of the store.
Marshall stood just inside the door, his gaze roaming over the wooden bookshelves and the open café area. “So this is where you work?”
“Yes.” Stella was glad to see him but still unsure of how to handle him. “Do you remember any of this?”
He took another long look around. “I don’t know. It feels familiar.”
“I’ve been working here off and on since high school,” she explained. “I started part-time after school and on weekends,then full-time during summers home from college. Now that my aunt Glenda has retired, I’m the manager.”
Stepping closer, she said, “You used to meet me here and we’d go get a burger or take in a movie after work.”
“And I worked at my dad’s law office.”
Stella nodded. “Yes, you
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