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"That I was a fool for walking away froers into his hair

Monica smiled boldly at that and Chet swore he’d never seen a woman more beautiful He shouldn’t have come, and now that he was here, God help hi to leave

"I wish I could claim credit for that, but I can’t," she said softly "Dad told uess is that it was the liquor talking"

"Not this tiued "I haven’t had a drop all day"

"I can’t help you, Chet," she said sadly and raised her fingers as if to touch his face He meant to jerk away, but found he couldn’t As it never failed to do, her touch rippled through him like an electrical current Her softness had branded his life and his heart There was no escape He could run to the far ends of the world and every breath he drew, every beat of his heart would be for her

Capturing her wrist, he roughly drew her palm to his mouth where he planted a series of tender kisses

"Dear God, Monica," he said, hauling her into his arms He buried his face in the delicate curve of her neck and drew in several deep, uneven breaths "I can’t make myself leave you I tried God knows I tried"

The sheetto hi his face and her breath coainst hi on the crown of her head His eyes were tightly closed "We’ll get h I can’t help but feel you’re getting the bum end of this deal"

Chapter 19

"You’reup at Jeff ide, disbelieving eyes

"Yes, son, I’aze was leveled on Jody, his look expectant and filled with nervous anticipation

Her pulse had yet to right itself, and the dizziness from the frantic beat of her heart continued He was terribly thin, she noticed His cheeks were hollow and his eyes seemed to sink back into his head This was a nized as the one she’d loved

Jeff see at the two of them as if he couldn’t quite believe this moment was real

Timmy opened the screen door and Jeff walked inside the house, pausing in front of Jody

Her eyes begged hi and that he was as real as he seeood deal of stress and she feared that this was all a figination Some dream she’d wake from with a start When Jeff had first disappeared she’d repeatedly dreamed of a moment like this when they’d be reunited Then she’d ith a heavy heart and the loneliness would close in and s her

Her hand tree to touch hiainst his forearm He felt solid and real Warm and alive

Alive Jeff was alive

"Where were you?" she asked in a sobbing breath, pressing her hands to her throat "Why did you leave us? Why?" The questions crowded on top of each other, daue The only one to escape was the least important

"Do you mind if I sit down?" he asked, and Jody realized how terribly shaky he was "I’m a bit weak yet," Jeff explained

It was all Jody could do to nod

Timmy took Jeff by the hand and led him to the sofa "You don’t look likehis father "You’re too old"

"I feel like I’ his son He cupped Timmy’s face and his eyes filled with tears "Not a day passed that I didn’t think about and pray for you I carried the picture of you with h the months I swear it hat keptas I rememberedonto the cushion next to his father

Tre almost uncontrollably, Jody sat in the chair across fros too numb to continue to support her

"I was in a Russian prison," Jeff explained "It’s a miracle I was released"

"You were in Russia?" Jody repeated in a breathless whisper

"I’d gone to Germany on business and on a fluke decided to visit East Berlin I was curious about the other side of the wall, but doubted that I’d be able to h the border with an Aly easy to obtain fake identification"

"You went through all that trouble because you were curious about East Berlin?" Jody found the entire story unbelievable and a fer for some crazy need to look at life on the other side of the wall?

"I was young and stupid, so incredibly stupid," Jeff said, the regret weighing down his voice "My German was passable, and all I intended to do ander into a few shops and get a look around I was heading back to the border when I stuer They would have killed hi and so I intervened That proved to be a costly er dissipated He’d paid a terrible price for his curiosity, and consequently so had she and Ti and soon arrested," Jeff continued

"Why didn’t you contact the eony

"I wasn’t allowed And when they discovered I was an American with a false passport my fate was sealed I was a spy, and tried as one I wasn’t able to talk to an attorney, and the trial, such as it was, lasted all of twoto me, I was shipped off to a prison camp in Russia"