She was a dream of the very best kind, and one from which he never wanted to awaken.

He had found in Molly the one his soul was meant to love.

Memories were easy to lose if they weren’t taken out and cherished from time to time.

He belonged to her. It was that simple and that complicated. He belonged to Molly and knew he always would.

He needed just one kiss to tide him over. One kiss to carry him across the ocean and back to civilian life.

He couldn’t think, let alone speak, with Molly held so close to his chest, his dreams surrounded by his arms.

He’d only intended to tease her, but found himself caught up in the heat of the kiss, in the pounding of his heart against hers, in the love for her that burned so fiercely in his blood he felt as though he might erupt in flames.

The sky filled with such brilliant, vibrant colors it was like seeing poppies and marigolds melting into a sea of purple violets.

EXCERPT #1
“Molly! What a surprise!” Harley John swung Molly off her feet into a wide circle, then kissed her cheek before he set her down.

Hoping none of her superiors had witnessed the display, Molly frowned at Harley John, but playfully swatted his shoulder before straightening her cap he’d knocked askew with his exuberant greeting. She gave him another hug, unable to keep from sharing her pleasure in seeing him. “Oh, Harley John! I’d hoped to see you, but had no idea where you’d be. Have you been here long?”

“No. We just arrived this morning. How long have you been here?” he asked.

“A few weeks. It’s so good to see you.” Molly gave him a studying glance, then grinned, concluding Harley John had changed since he’d been drafted. “You look wonderful. I take it being a soldier agrees with you.”

Harley John shrugged. “No more than anyone else here, but I get along well enough.”

“Bosh and nonsense. You look quite handsome and so grown up. If Sadie saw you, she’d likely swoon.”

He grinned at her and squeezed her hand. “I can tell you for a fact she nearly did when I saw her recently. She was taking a few days of rest at the home of a patient’s sister. Other than divine intervention, there is no way to understand how we happened upon one another. We’d both gone to pick some grapes and found each other in the vineyard. Can you believe it?”

Stunned by his story, Molly could only imagine what seeing Harley John had been like for Sadie. Her sister would have treasured every precious moment with him. “How is she? Is she well? Was she thrilled to see you? Tell me everything.”

“I will. Right after you meet my friend.” Harley John directed her over to where the good-looking soldier who’d elbowed him stood near the mess hall. “Molly, I’d like you to meet my good friend, Friday Fitzpatrick. Friday, this is Sadie’s sister Molly.”

Friday politely tipped his head to Molly and offered her a look she wasn’t certain how to interpret. It left her unsettled and anxious, but interested at the same time. She gave the man a half-smile before she pointed to a bench constructed by one of their engineers from a fallen tree. “Let’s sit there and visit, Harley John. I have a few minutes before I report for duty.”

Harley John guided Molly to the bench. Despite her intentions to ignore him, she twice glanced over her shoulder at Friday. The silly man remained exactly where they’d left him, as though his boots had been set in cement. The look on his face could only be described as dumbfounded.

She and Harley John sat and visited about family, France, and the war. She cast a glimpse over to where Friday continued to stand as stiff as a statue. “Tell me about your friend Friday.”

Harley John smirked at her, and she blushed.

“Normally he doesn’t look like such a dunce, but I think you left him awestruck,” Harley John said as he looked at his friend. “He’s from Oregon. His folks have a nut orchard south of Portland. He has four sisters, and he’s a fine fellow and a good friend. He intends to return to the orchard when the war ends, but you know it’s only a few hours by train between there and Pendleton.”

 

EXCERPT #2
Nervous and unsettled, Friday almost remained on the train rather than step off to greet Molly. He might have done exactly that if Harley John hadn’t given him a nudge forward and forced him to get off the passenger car.

Friday glowered over his shoulder at his friend as he moved down the steps to the platform.

“It’ll be fine, Fitz. Molly has been so wound up to see you, she probably won’t even care that you smell weird and are hopping with cooties,” Harley John taunted.

The glower deepened to a dark scowl as Friday removed his new hat and ran a hand over his head. Despite the fact that he was and had been cootie-free for months, he could still imagine them crawling all over him. It might take years before he got over the paranoia.

“I don’t stink any more than you do,” Friday tossed at Harley John as they made their way across the platform.

They’d both taken baths the previous evening, dressed with care in new uniforms, and polished their boots until they shined.

Despite their spiffy appearances, Friday felt anxiety getting the best of him. What if Molly didn’t like him after spending time with him in person? After all, they’d only seen each other that one day months ago just before all the fighting got underway. What if he saw her and realized all their letters and harmless flirting was just a way to pass the time? To give him something to think about other than the war?

Assailed by a barrage of questions to which he had no answers, he had no further time for introspection or doubts. They’d just stepped off the platform when two women waved to them.

Immediately, Friday recognized Molly. She looked even prettier than he’d remembered. The uniform she wore appeared fresh and crisp on her slender frame. Her beautiful brown hair was in the same soft style she’d fashioned it in last year. But it was her smile, full of welcome and affection, that made his heart begin to pound in his chest.

Whatever worries might have plagued him the past few days instantly disappeared as he and Harley John rushed over to Molly and Sadie. Before they reached the two women, Sadie launched herself into Harley John’s arms and he swung her around with such exuberance her hat ended up over one eye. She laughed, shoved the hat up, and covered her husband’s face with kisses without a care to propriety.

Friday took a step closer to Molly, uncertain if he should politely tip his hat, give her a hug, or kiss her like he’d dreamed of doing for the past seven months.

Molly quirked an eyebrow and grinned, as though in challenge. Friday forgot about everything except the amazing woman he’d waited so long to set his eyes on again. Before he could think better of it, he wrapped Molly in a tight hug, breathing in the lovely fragrance of her, marveling at how perfectly she fit into his arms. Despite his longing to kiss her, he didn’t intend for their first one to be in such a public place.

She was a dream of the very best kind, and one from which he never wanted to awaken. When she pulled away from him, he let her go, but noisily smacked both of her cheeks, making her blush.

“You’re a regular Frenchman now,” she teased and Friday relaxed. This was the Molly he knew so well from the letters they’d exchanged. The woman he’d fallen in love with months ago, the first time she’d looked his way.

 

EXCERPT #3
Dear Friday,

I did receive your most recent letters. Thank you for writing.

A hearty congratulations to you on your field promotion. That is grand. They don’t pass those out to everyone, you know. Thank you for serving with such bravery. Someday, if you want to talk about it, I’d like to hear what led to the promotion.

 For entirely selfish reasons, I’m so happy you are no longer in the private or citizen category!

I hope things are going as well as they can there. Your last letter reminded me of a haunting poem that was published a few years ago, written by a Canadian who died in service. Are you familiar with it? The one about poppies? If not, I shall endeavor to find a copy and share it with you because I don’t recall every line to write it from memory.

It’s wonderful your division held a memorial service. I hope it was a time of remembering with rejoicing your fallen comrades instead of recalling their losses with bitterness and sorrow.

I was sent to give another training. It was a one-day affair, thank goodness! The bumpy truck ride was sufficiently awful, but the driver seemed to think he would receive a medal for breaking a land speed record and hit the gas the moment I got in. I hung on for dear life the entire way there and back, but I’ll admit I laughed the whole trip. What fun!

A group of five officers stopped by on their way elsewhere the other day just to see some real American girls. We smiled and welcomed them. I hope they weren’t too disappointed. None of us have spared any of our precious time for pampering ourselves. There are days we’ve had to turn our blouses inside out when we haven’t had a chance for catching up on laundry, and I’m not sure I’d even properly combed my hair that morning. Gracious, I have no idea why I just shared that with you. Just pretend you didn’t read that, please.

Yesterday, two of us had just finished getting ready for the day when we had unwelcome visitors (some of those snooty look-down-their-nose types) stop by our barracks to speak with us about the morals of women in the military. Elizabeth and I should be perfectly ashamed of ourselves, but we climbed out the window and hightailed it to the mess hall, giggling as we ran across the camp. From there, we slipped undetected into the switchboard building and got to work.

I have never liked turnips. If you liked them before, I’m guessing you aren’t so keen on them now.

Be safe and know you are in my thoughts and prayers. Also, if you’ve had word from Harley John, please let me know. We’re all worried about him.

With fondest regard,

Molly

P.S. As I was about to seal the envelope, I received word from Sadie. Harley John is at the hospital with her. Full recovery expected! Hurrah!

 

EXCERPT #4
“Do you think Sadie’s sister would mind if I wrote to her? I’ve kinda been thinking about her since we saw her.”

Harley John raised an eyebrow. “I think that would be a fine idea. In fact, I’m pretty sure Molly would be happy to receive your letters.”

The day Harley John had introduced him to Molly Thorsen, Friday had felt as though something in his heart had shifted.

He knew he’d looked more like a fence post than a human with a functioning brain as he’d stood rooted to the ground while Molly had chatted with Harley John, but Friday had been so thunderstruck, he couldn’t have moved if a German had come running straight at him.

In all his life, he’d not once experienced such an immediate attraction to a female like he had with Molly. Through the years, there had never been a shortage of girls interested in Friday. He’d escorted any number of females to a variety of events in and around his hometown, but not a single one of them had ever made him want to settle down.

The moment Molly had smiled at him, he could practically envision the next fifty years of his life with her. He saw rocking chairs with sunset views, toys scattered across a wooden floor, and a home brimming with happiness.

Entranced with her, yet thoroughly disconcerted by his reaction to the woman who would one day be Harley John’s sister-in-law, Friday had tried to assure himself she lingered in his thoughts merely because of the war and the fact that he’d hardly been around any females for quite some time.

Despite how much he tried to convince himself that was the sole reason Molly was waltzing through his dreams, he knew it wasn’t true. He could have met Molly anywhere at any time and was sure his interest in her would have been equally as intense.

Although he knew so little about her other than the few stories Harley John had shared, he gathered a wealth of information from watching the way she had talked to his friend.

She was animated and caring, or so it had seemed as he’d observed her mannerisms. Harley John was relaxed around her, which said a lot right there. The two of them shared an affection, such as Friday held for his sisters, and it touched his heart to see the fondness between Molly and Harley John.

In addition to her sterling character, which Friday thought was beyond reproach, Molly was lovely. She wasn’t too tall or too short, but she was slim with a willowy figure. Her posture was perfect, and she appeared to take pride in the crisp uniform she wore.

Molly had lustrous seal-brown hair. Unlike the modern girls who had chopped their hair short and had it waved, she wore hers in a soft style, rolled back from her face with little tendrils that escaped and framed her cheeks.

Big soulful eyes in an intriguing shade more amber than brown were framed with dark lashes.

Molly had an almost serious, melancholy look about her with her upper lip resting slightly over the lower, but when she smiled, oh mercy! It transformed her features completely until her face nearly radiated joy. Friday would have given every penny he had to keep her smiling.

He’d so badly wanted to kiss the dimple in her left cheek that popped out when she smiled. He figured if he’d tried, Harley John would have popped him in the nose right after Molly slugged him a good one.

Regardless, he couldn’t stop thinking about her and didn’t want to. For now, though, the only thing he could do was write to her and hope she’d answer.

But before he endeavored to put pen to paper and contact her, he’d wanted Harley John’s approval. Harley John was as close to a male guardian as Molly had here in France. If his friend had said no, Friday would have respected his wishes no matter how much he wanted to get to know Molly better.

However, now that Harley John had encouraged him to write to her, Friday certainly intended to.