Healed by Love (Love in Bloom: The Bradens)

Author:Melissa Foster [Foster, Melissa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: World Literary Press
Published: 2015-06-11T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

TUESDAY MORNING FOUND Jewel lying on her bedroom floor surrounded by letters from Rick. He’d written to her twice a month the whole time he was overseas, and she’d kept every letter, every envelope. Last night she’d read them over and over again until she had practically memorized them. And now she was staring at them like they held the answers to her pain, when really she was just killing time before she had to leave for her mother’s house to take the kids to school. Nate had said her mother knew he’d sent Rick out on that final mission. Why hadn’t she told her? Jewel had spent the entire night trying to figure that out and trying to find a way to love Nate despite what she now knew, but she still ached like an open wound.

Her phone vibrated and she swiped at it, sending it skittering across the floor. She didn’t want to talk to anyone, and not only did she have to see off her siblings, but she had one of the busiest days of the season ahead of her at Chelsea’s. Every spring Chelsea had a one-day sale, and today was the day. The boutique would be slammed from the minute they opened until they locked the doors at night, and Jewel was expected to smile and be gracious to customers. She had no idea how she was going to pull that off.

She rolled onto her back and held one of Rick’s letters above her, reading through her tears. Dear Sparky—Rick had always called her that. It had started as a joke, calling her Sparkle as a takeoff from Jewel, and somehow the nickname had morphed into Sparky. I know you’re taking care of the babies, so I won’t even ask how you’re doing. Their younger siblings had been so young when Rick had begun taking care of them after their father died that he’d always thought of them as babies. Be sure to do stuff for yourself. Don’t wait as long as I did. I know you’ll pour yourself into them because you feel sorry for Mom, but she’s okay, Jewel. She can handle the kids. Go have fun. Do the things I missed out on. How many times had her mother told her the same thing? About as many times as I rolled my eyes and thought, yeah, right. She continued reading. Things here are good. It’s weird being so far away from home, but when things get tough, Nate pulls me through. I couldn’t get through some of the worst of it without him.

She tossed the letter to the floor and picked up another, skimming over her brother’s slanted handwriting. She set that one down and picked up another. Every letter, without exception, praised Nate in some way. He was strong; he was brave; he was smart.

Smart? He got you killed.

Nate said it was a routine mission. Safe. Was anything safe in war? What was the alternative? Was there one? Could he

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