Beyond the Shadow of War Read Online Free Page B

smiling. “You must not even try. Promise me.”
    He feigned a pout, removing her fingers from his lips. “That bad?”
    “Horrible.” She snorted. “Afschuwelijk! ”
    “God bless you.”
    “What?”
    “You sneezed. I said ‘God bless you.’”
    “But I didn’t sneeze.”
    “Yes, you did. You said, ‘achoo-lik’ or something like that.”
    Her laughter filled the space between. When she tried to compose herself with a deep breath, she lost it all over again.
    He folded his arms across his chest. “Okay, go ahead. Have your fun. I can take it.”
    She dabbed at her eyes, trying to find her composure. “It never ceases to amaze me how tears can show up at the best of times as well as the worst of times. It makes no sense.”
    He said nothing, just stared at her.
    She elbowed him. “Go ahead. I’m sure you have some clever retort just dying to spring from your lips.”
    He leaned toward her, his arms still folded. “No. But I admit I love to hear you laugh.”
    “Don’t be silly. Hans used to say I laughed like a chicken‌—‌all clucks and snorts and honks.”
    “I bet he loved the sound of it as much as I do.”
    Her smile started to fade. But just a little. “I don’t know. I suppose. Maybe.”
    “Sure he did.” Danny drew her close to his side. “Anya, I want you to promise me something.”
    “Promise what?”
    “We’re going to see a lot of bomb damage‌—‌”
    She started to turn toward the window again, but he gently nudged her chin back toward him.
    “Listen to me. I must be some kind of idiot, suggesting we take our honeymoon in London. It never occurred to me that the damage from the Blitz would remind you of home and the war, when all I wanted was a chance for us to get away and have some fun.”
    “Danny, it’s‌—‌”
    “So what I want you to promise me is this. Look beyond the war’s remnants. When you see sights like those out the window, remember that it’s over . No more bombs will fall on us. In Holland and England and all the other countries damaged in the war, it’s time to rebuild and make a fresh start. That doesn’t mean we forget everything that happened or those we lost during the war.
    “But right now,” he laced his fingers with hers again, “let’s try to block out everything. Even if just while we’re here. Let’s look beyond it and just be thankful we have each other. Can we do that?” He noted a flicker of the sadness in her eyes as she nodded, then watched it ease away with the hint of a smile.
    “Promise me?”
    “Yes. I’ll try very hard.”
    “Is that a promise?”
    “I promise.”
    With a quick glance at the elderly woman across from them, Danny turned and gave his wife a resounding kiss. “There. That seals the deal. Veekend farkan or no veekend farkan!”
    Anya groaned a laugh. “No, you promised!”
    “Newlyweds?” the woman across from them asked.
    “Yes, ma’am,” Danny said. “Married this morning.”
    “And isn’t that lovely?” She tilted her head as she studied them. “I wish you both the best. My husband and I have been married for over fifty-six years.”
    Danny blew a whistle. “That’s a long time. What’s your secret?”
    “Very simple, I think. You have to make sure you marry the right person, of course. But I can see you’ve already done that.” Her eyes twinkled as she continued. “Then you get up every morning and ask the good Lord to give you one thing you can do that day to show your love for her, and her for you. Even in the tough times, you’ll find it makes all the difference.”
    “Good advice, don’t you think, Anya?”
    “Yes, I should think that’s very good advice. Thank you.”
    “You are most welcome.”
    “Anything else?” Danny asked.
    She smiled. “Oh, I expect you’ll figure it out along the way. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I believe this is my stop.”
    As the train came slowed to a stop, Danny stood and helped her collect her things. She glanced back once more before