Sorrow’S Gift: The Ramone Series

By Echo Ardour

As Star grieves the loss of a friend, contemplates her future and battles with an unknown enemy her world is turned upside down when a young boy in need of a mother and his nanny arrive at her door as compliments of the grave. Sorrows Gift is a story of healing, unknown possibilities and intrigue, all wrapped up in the hand of a God who always knows what is best!

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Oct 21, 2013
• ISBN: 9781491823484

Echo Ardour

Echo, a preacher’s daughter and the oldest of nine siblings, was raised in a family where God provided their daily needs. She resides in Nebraska, termed as her land flowing with milk and honey. Echo’s friends, family, and church serve as her motivation to provide the world with a glimpse of God’s mercy, unconditional love and total healing.

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© 2013 by Echo Ardour. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 10/17/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4918-2346-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-2347-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-2348-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013917977

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Introduction

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Acknowledgements

Sorrows are the best educator. A man can see further through a tear than a telescope.

Bruce Lee

Introduction

The sun had gone down hours ago, yet sleep had not found him. His thoughts were racing, his mind was overwhelmed with the danger of his next mission. The corporal’s statement that they might not come back alive this time. They had dangerous enemies… Well, he knew that, had always known that. But this time things were different. He never thought life would end this way. Always hoped he would have been lucky enough to make better choices than his parents and have an actual family; beautiful wife, a cute daughter and handsome boys, but unfortunately it probably wouldn’t end that way.

Growing up he had always been a sucker for the romance movies with a girl, all smooch and tear eyed, and deep down he had always been a supporter of the happier-ever-after phenomena that so many believed in. However, being an adult had taught him life isn’t as pretty as Hollywood or the intriguing authors paint it to be. Sometimes mistakes can’t be undone and forgiveness never comes. Hopefully he was wrong, but only one knew if his hopes had a foundation and that was God.

As a child he hadn’t believed in a God, and as a teen he had still struggled with his new found faith. Then she had dumped him… all because he wasn’t letting God guide his future. Now he understood her feelings. Now he understood her hopes and dreams, and now he wished he had listened to her. But as life would have it, not every dream over the clouds turns into a rainbow. Sometimes it turns into a tornado. A pretty good description of his life after his first loves breakup.

A conclusion to his scattered stampede of memories and regrets: the reality was he did believe in God now and if he wasn’t to make it through the next mission he had to have a plan and God had to be in the center of it… He just hoped he and God were on the same page. It was time to pray and make sure things would have a happy ending.

Dear Lord,

I know I am not perfect and I don’t know one Christian who is. I am ever grateful for your mercy and forgiveness; your love that is unending and always unconditional. I know I haven’t been a serious follower long, but I do trust you with my life, decisions and the only member of my blood that I have left or rather that I am in contact with; Ryan. Lord, he was a gift from you through a mistake. He was the Solomon in my life and I have done my best to love him, teach him about you and be a good example since his birth.

His mother would have wanted it that way. I want it that way. My job is asking demands of me that have always been there, but recently have become all too real. There is a very strong likelihood that I won’t come back alive, that this will be my last breath. A breath and heartbeat given for my country, home and those I love. I can’t bring myself to find peace until I know what to do about Ryan, about Star and about my own heart. Lord, please bring me peace. Bring me a guarantee that my son will be taken care of and grow up to be someone I would respect, support and adore. You gave him to me. Now I give him back to you for your glory.

Please give me a sound peace of wisdom. Show me who to turn to and how to deal with this and to know that you are with Ryan. With me no matter what happens. If death is to come than I will see him on the other side. Lord, thank you for your goodness, your grace and your love, for your patience with me in this life. Help me to follow you to my last dying breath! I do love you Lord, thank you for your death, your resurrection and your blood, shed for me. I don’t ever want to take it for granted again. I love you Jesus! Amen!

Now for the next step. Where are those documents, the life insurance policy, the investments, and the will? Those have to be included in this task. Rummaging through the piles on his desk, he tried not to make noise that would wake Ryan up. Staring at them he thought, who I can trust with my son’s life? Who do I love that much? . . . Star! That was it! Star would be there for him, even if he was dead! Lord, how do I write this so she will take me seriously? Help me Jesus! Grabbing a pen and paper, he began jotting down words as if it was a prepackaged plan, prepared by some master genius.

Dear Star . . . ,

Chapter One

Sunlight on her face woke Star up. Warmth drifted into her bones and skin. She lay there basking in the dancing streams of light running through the room. It was Friday and she had taken the weekend off from work. She needed a break from yelling kids, rebellious teens, heartbroken mothers and abusive dads. Her boss understood. One of her tough cases had ended with termination of parental rights and prison time. She needed to detox and clear her mind.

So, she was taking Boston, her little sister of thirteen and James, her little brother of sixteen camping and fishing at a nearby park. Boston had kept her up until nearly midnight making sure she had packed everything they might need. James had every lure and tool you could think of for catching fish. It was destined to be a fabulous trip! Rolling over and snuggling deeper, her thoughts drifted toward the childhood times she had gone camping.

The time they had gone camping as a youth group, Jon had thrown her into the river and she had slapped him with a fish. Those were the days of adventures and dreams. A deep longing tugged at her heart, for Jon to have come home, for things to have been different, for her dreams to have come true, but nothing had gone like she thought it would. Two months ago she had received word of Jon’s death. He had died valiantly serving his country, a marine not to be treaded on. The funeral had been beautiful, the officers in dress uniform, the honorable last salute, the roses on the casket, the words so conclusive. His family had been proud of him and made it clear that he was missed a lot.

She and Jon had been good friends even after the break-up. They had been closer than exes. As a matter of fact, the last letter he had written her said he still cared and wanted things to be different when he came home, if he came home . . . But then his commander had written her and informed her of his death. He had said a package would be coming, but she hadn’t received it yet. Also, something about official business she was supposed to take care of. She really didn’t know what the commander had been talking about. Amidst the tears and sorrow that her dreams were crashing around her, she hadn’t really cared. But now, she was becoming curious about this whole affair.

She missed him a lot and hoped he and God had a long talk before it ended, but if not she guessed she would find out when eternity came calling. Until then she had a life to live! She couldn’t silently mourn forever . . . Maybe this weekend with Boston and James would be that moving on point. Maybe they could help her make it through the sorrow.

A shrill noise broke the silent thoughts. The doorbell was ringing. Grabbing her bathrobe Star ran for the door, hoping it was the catalog order for the kitchen that was a week late arriving. Opening the door her smile froze. A cop was standing there. Great, she thought, one