For All Eternity by June Foster
"Hey, if God could call a struggling unbeliever like me into His Kingdom, He can do the same for my father. Will you keep praying for him? For my whole family?"
"You know I will."
JD's pulse tripped. He had a new family now—his Christian brothers and sisters. God willing, he and Joella would be a family someday, too, with their own children. Not because they were gaining points on the Scale of Balance, but because of their love for each other.
What was he waiting for? He slipped his fingers in his jacket pocket and pulled out a black velvet box.
With leaves for a carpet, he knelt down and pulled out the marquee-cut, solitaire diamond ring. "Joella Crawford, I love you with all my heart. Only the Lord could've opened the door so that I might ask you this question. Will you marry me?"
Joella laughed. "Oh, JD. I … I want to be your wife more than anything."
The diamond slid nicely on her left ring-finger. "You've made me the happiest man alive." Joella had said yes. He reached for her hand as her diamond reflected the sun's light. "Shall we set a date?"
"As soon as possible. I can't wait much longer to become Mrs. JD Neilson."
Chapter Thirty-Two
Joella laced her arm in her father's and squeezed. Attired in a black tux and tie, he looked younger than ever.
He patted her hand. "I’m not sure who’s more excited, you or that groom of yours."
"He’s perfect for me, Dad. Only God could have allowed JD Neilson to become the man he is."
His warm smile calmed her unsteady pulse. "I'm a proud papa today, honey. It's a pleasure to walk you down the aisle."
From Dave's youth group, Brenda wore a wide grin and waved as she marched into the sanctuary with three other girls.
Tammy and Glorilyn, in pale blue organdie dresses, smiled at Joella before gliding through the double doors.
Finally Joella stepped through the arched doors and drifted down the aisle on her father's arm. Strains of Mendelssohn's Wedding March resonated throughout the sanctuary. In front, the multicolored stained-glass window above the altar portrayed Jesus healing a blind man.
Joella whispered and smiled up at her father. "That's what the Lord did for JD—allowed him to see."
Dad gazed at her, his eyes bright and glossy with unshed tears. "I love you, Pumpkin. You'll always be my little girl. I pray for God's blessing in your new life."
"I love you, too, Dad." She glanced from side to side at the people in the packed church, each pew adorned with arrangements of calla lilies and daisies. Twinkling silver bulbs on the walls and one hundred candles behind the pulpit coupled to light the room.
Joella breathed deeply taking in the aroma of honeysuckle and orange blossoms emanating from the garlands on the walls. She smoothed the bodice of her white strapless dress, the folds of lace over satin flowing to the carpet.
She lifted her eyes toward the altar. Pastor McNeely stood next to the gorgeous man who would be her husband. His black single-breasted tuxedo with a satin lapel and pocket matched Tannon's tux. "I love you," she mouthed.
*****
A vision of white floated through the arched double doors in the back of the church and down the aisle on her father's arm. JD's heart soared off towards the moon, until he willed it back. His life would change today, but he welcomed whatever journey God had for him.
Mr. Crawford kissed Joella's cheek and dropped down in the pew next to Mrs. Crawford.
If JD pinched himself, it probably wouldn't do any good. He could hardly believe that Joella stood by his side and would be his wife in a few moments. They turned to face Pastor McNeely.
For one crazy moment, another wedding came to mind, and he shuddered. He'd always regret his selfish motives. But God had forgiven him, and he could only pray Betty Ann had, too.
"Joella and JD, your presence here today is an act of God. It speaks of God's grace and the work of the Holy Spirit. It exemplifies Truth and a hunger for Him. Your walk on this earth is not comprised of two sets of footprints, but three. ‘Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. But a cord of three strands is not easily broken.' I admonish you to honor your wedding vows for the rest of your days. The entire congregation serves as witness."
JD's heart swelled with joy. He'd spend his life with Joella and all eternity with the Lord.
His soon-to-be wife gazed into his eyes. "You are the love of my life."
He grinned when he remembered how he'd met her and what he'd tell their children someday. "It all started when Mommy ran over Daddy with a bike."
"You are the sweetest, kindest, most unselfish guy I know. Thank you for your strength of character. Most of all, I am in awe of your choice to follow the Savior. I will love you all the days He gives us on this earth. I want to be the mother of your children and spend the rest of my life with you. I couldn't love you more, JD Neilson."
JD cleared his throat. "Joella, I loved you from the first moment I met you. I saw something different about you, a quality I couldn't define. Through your example and prayers, I found the God I'd sought all my life. You're the only woman who's ever stolen my heart. I want to be the father of your children and spend the rest of my life on this earth with you according to the number of days God gives us."
JD grasped her hand, and they turned to face the altar and Pastor McNeely. "And now, by the power vested in me by the state of California, I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."
JD lifted Joella's veil and captured his wife's lips with his own—the first of thousands of kisses, he prayed.
Turning to face the congregation, he caught his breath. Mom blew him a kiss from the second row on the groom's side. It meant the world to him.
Mr. and Mrs. Crawford smiled from their seats on the bride's side. Warmth radiated through his body. They'd received him into their lives as Joella's husband.
Pastor McNeely's voice rang out. "May I be the first to introduce Mr. and Mrs. JD Neilson."
Epilogue
JD punched the button inside the elevator for the twentieth floor and the bridal suite at the Sacramento Hyatt Regency for their overnight stay. He drew his wife into his arms and kissed her. His lips were still on hers when the bell dinged and the door slid open.
Joella floated out the elevator and turned right. Down the hall a set of large double doors displayed a sign with Suite H1.
"Wait a minute. I'm supposed to carry you over the threshold." He opened the door with the plastic key and scooped his bride up in his arms.
A king bed rested on one wall. On the opposite side, French doors opened to a veranda.
"It's a beautiful room." He followed his wife out on the balcony, the pool and gardens visible below. On the veranda, a potted ivy sat at one end and a palm tree on the other.
"I can't believe we're actually going to Europe for our honeymoon." Her eyes sparkled. "When I paid for the repairs on Ted's Vette, I never believed I'd get to go this soon."
"See what happens when you marry a guy with a savings account and investments. I'm a CPA, remember." He pulled her to him and whispered. "Joella, I'd do anything for you."
She purred. "You take my breath away."
JD slid his arm around her shoulders. "I love you, Mrs. Neilson."
"Hmm. I love you, too." Joella snuggled her arm around his waist. "Our wedding was perfect."
"I'm happy Mom convinced Dad to allow Glorilyn and Tannon to be in the wedding. I don't know how she did it. She's an amazing woman."
The scent of Joella's perfume swirled around him. He gazed down into her amber eyes as he fingered the gold band on his left hand. He leaned nearer. His lips traveled from her mouth to her neck. With hands on her shoulders, he gently nudged her backward toward the oversized bed.
The End
The Almond Tree story continues. Look for Book Two in the Almond Tree series early 2015.
Echoes From the Past
Dave Reyes, now senior pastor of New Life, discovers he has a six-year-old daughter. Will hi
Betty Ann Roberts Johnston returns to El Camino from Portland, Oregon after the death of her husband. When the deceased police officer cries out to her from the grave, will she trust in Dave's God or fall back on her childhood religion, the Exalted Brethren, for answers?
Other books by June Foster:
All available in paper and e-book on Amazon.com or wherever Christian books are sold on-line.
Give Us This Day
When Jess Colton walks away from his past, he leaves alcohol behind but replaces it with a food addiction, yet nothing Holly Harrison does will allow her to escape her mistakes. Can their romance survive hurdles from the past?
As We Forgive
Pastor Tim Garrett must learn to manage his angry outbursts, or he could lose it all - his job as a youth pastor and the woman he loves. Roxanne Ratner can't fall back on old habits of holding on to a guy. After she tempts Tim to sin, she seeks his forgiveness. Can God cool Tim's angry heart and teach Roxanne true beauty lies within?
Deliver Us
The fraternity co-ed who coaxed Jillian Coleman upstairs that night is no more than a blur in her memory, but the consequences will haunt her forever. Ten years later, Riley Mathis, now a Christian, can't tell Jillian he's the father of the child she aborted. The truth will destroy them.
Hometown Fourth of July
When Max Tate meets Lynn Marshall at the annual Fourth of July celebration in his hometown of Ft. Freedom, Washington, he believes she holds the key to discovering his birthmother and his roots. When his dreams are shattered, he walks away from his faith and the woman he loves. Only God can reveal Max's true identity so he is free to love her and celebrate another Fourth.
Ryan's Father
Ryan Reid is a first-grade teacher and a Christian with a heart for neglected kids, but a chance encounter during an earthquake with Sandy Arrington, a beautiful young nurse, rocks Ryan’s carefully guarded world and unearths the secret he has held deep in his heart—he’s gay. Though Sandy falls in love with him, Ryan’s forbidden affections lie elsewhere, and he must depend on the Lord to see him through a battle he'd always hoped he'd never face.
Red and the Wolf
Newspaper reporter Lilly Red Hood forgot her dinner date with handsome Hunter Woods, thanks to ADD she's endured since childhood. In Hunter's absence fellow reporter Wolf Skinner moves in with less than honorable intentions. When Lilly gets lost in the Alabama forest, which of these gentlemen will be her hero?
About the Author
June Foster has been a Christian for over forty years. After retiring from the public school system, she traveled with her husband in their RV. For a couple of years, she noticed a story lurking in her head. She could visualize the characters and the setting. One day, she told her daughter, Susan, the story. Susan's face brightened and remarked that her mom should write the story. This was the spark God used to set June on an amazing adventure. June now has seven Christian romance novels published and three more coming. She enjoys telling stories of characters who find victory in their lives through God and His word.