"Mitch saved me."

"He found me."

"What if they hurt him?" Gisela stumbled from her mutti's grasp.

"Where are you going?"

"Stay here." She took a few steps away, then turned to rea.s.sure herself it truly was Mutti.

"Gisela, you can't."

"I love him. I have to."

She left Mutti on the street and hobbled along the side of the building, then stopped a moment to pick up a chunk of concrete, then peeked around the corner.

Mitch had dropped one of the bricks but continued to clutch the other.

The glare in the soldier's eyes left no doubt as to their intentions. They didn't believe Mitch was an ally.

Or else they didn't care.

One of the fairer men stood closest to her, his back to her. He wasn't much taller than she was.

Gisela licked her lips and focused.

She steadied herself on her right foot. Like Samson and his final fit of strength, she prayed for power, pushed off with her throbbing foot and, with everything in her, hefted the concrete.

Mitch leaned against the building's rough brick wall, wondering when the Russians would finish their job. The methods he used before to prove he was an ally had failed. Of course they would. This had nothing to do with nationality. He had spoiled their fun.

A loud thud came from Mitch's right. One of the smaller soldiers fell.

Mitch raised his arm and chucked the remaining brick as far and as hard as possible. Then he took off like a rabbit before a hawk. He rounded the corner to the street side of the building. Frau Cramer spun, panic in her eyes. Gisela limped in front of him.

Mitch grabbed them and dragged them down the street, away from the Russians as fast as possible. Between Frau Cramer's age and Gisela's limp, they didn't gain the speed he would have liked. He was grateful they didn't stop to ask questions but trusted enough to follow where he led.

He didn't think, just moved his legs forward.

He prepared himself for a bullet in the back.

He didn't even twist around until they were about to turn the corner onto Frau Mueller's street.

No soldiers pursued them. No Russians bit at their heels.

Only a crazy man would slow down, though.

In no time they climbed the back steps of Frau Mueller's home, slid through the doorway, secured the bolt, and pushed the desk back into place.

His precious Gisela was bruised, her hands bloodied, her shirt torn. "Are you hurt? Did they . . . ?" He couldn't speak the words.

"Nein. Nein. You came just in time."

With G.o.d's help, he had saved her.

Gisela sat on the edge of the desk against the door and pulled her blouse tighter around her with her blood-caked fingers. That Mitch had seen her with her shirt open began to sink in. She stared at the floor.

He stepped in front of her and lifted her chin. "Let me look at you. Are you sure they didn't hurt you?"

She dared to peer into his warm eyes. Instead of the disgust and revilement she expected to find, she only saw compa.s.sion and tenderness. And love.

"I'm fine. Are you hurt?"

"Not a scratch."

"Mutti?"

Her mutti sat beside her on the worn desk. "I went out to look for you. I don't remember what happened, but I ended up with a b.u.mp on my head. An older woman took good care of me and my injury is healed. So many times I wanted to find you, but there were things I had a hard time remembering. But I could never forget you, my darling."

Gisela couldn't stop her tears. Mutti had been restored to her. G.o.d had brought her back. She clung to her.

"Oh, Gisela, I wondered if I would ever find you. Now I know we will be fine. Vater will come home and life will be sweet once more."

"I thought you were dead." In a way, G.o.d had brought Mutti back to life.

"The Lord spared me. He spared us. We owe so much to this man." She gestured toward Mitch.

He held Gisela's hand and squeezed it. His mere presence brought her comfort. "You owe me nothing. I love your daughter and would do anything for her."

Mutti glared at Mitch. "And what do you plan to do about this?"

"I plan to make your daughter my wife. For real."

Her stomach tripped, though the words had little chance to settle in before footfalls flew up the steps and Frau Mueller appeared, red-faced and panting.

"Frieda, is that you?" Frau Mueller embraced Mutti and the two friends laughed and cried. "I have a little broth on the stove in the cellar. Let me fix you a bite to eat. Then we want to hear about your adventures. You will stay with me until your husband comes back."

Two little girls clattered up the stairs. "Oma, Oma!" They attached themselves to Mutti, one on each leg. "Come see the horses Jorgen has carved for us."

"And who is this Jorgen?"

Annelies tugged on Mutti's arm. "He's my friend."

Mutti turned to Gisela. "Her friend?"

"A boy soldier I rescued. When this is over, we will reunite him with his family. Right now it's too dangerous for him on the streets."

"And those crazy sisters? Are they here?"

"Ja, until I can contact their niece in Dsseldorf. Go on down with the girls. Mitch and I will be there in a bit. Don't start the story until then."

The welcoming party left Mitch and Gisela alone in the back hall. A sudden shyness overtook her, and she limped down the hall to sit on the bottom stair.

Mitch took a seat beside her. "Did you hurt your foot?"

"I'm fine. Thanks to you, I'm fine." She swallowed hard. The ending would have been much different if he hadn't appeared when he had. "You saved me."

She dared to hold his hand. "Do you think less of me? Because of what they tried to do? Do you hate me?"

"Never." He clutched her in a sideways hug. "You weren't at fault. Nothing could make me think less of you."

Warm relief flooded her. "G.o.d brought you to me at just the right time."

"Yes, He did."

Mitch touched her bruised cheek, his fingertips just brushing her skin. She shivered even as heat raced through her body. Catching his hand, she kissed the inside of his palm.

A small sigh escaped his lips. "You ought to be a cricket bowler, the way you threw that brick."

"I wonder if the New York Yankees would draft a girl."

"I would want you on my team. When I told your mum that I wanted to marry you, I meant it. And I am willing to raise the girls if Ella doesn't return." He leaned in as if to kiss her, then pulled back. "With my whole heart, I want to kiss you."

"You may."

"Are you sure? After your ordeal . . . ?"

She nodded. His peck on her lips was short and sweet.

He wanted to marry her. And care for Annelies and Renate. Every bit of the horror and suffering faded away. Her timidity fled and she returned his affection with ardor, pulling him close, wanting him always. To be one with him.

He pulled away, breathless. "I love you, Gisela, with everything I am. Please tell me we have a future. I will follow you to the ends of the earth."

Could you sink to the depths and soar to the heights in one day? She studied his face, his dimpled cheeks, his crinkled eyes. Even the bright California sun paled in comparison to her pa.s.sion for this incredible man. He filled a void in her, made her feel clean and whole. If she had to go through this ordeal again just to get to this ending, she would. "I love you too, Mitch. You don't need to follow me. I'll stay with you forever."

She knew their love would last far longer than the faded daisy pressed in her Bible.

EPILOGUE.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

October 1946 Gisela pulled her lightweight jacket around her as the sea breeze whipped across the tarmac, tangling her green silk skirt around her legs. She craned her neck to look into the blue sky. The buzz of the plane's engines grew ever louder as it approached its landing.

She stood on her tiptoes, as if she might be able to reach up and pluck it from the sky. It took eons to circle the airport, tipping its wings in one direction, then the other, finally straightening.

"Is the plane here yet?" Annelies mimicked Gisela and stretched.

Renate copied them both. "I want to see too."

"It's coming, it's coming." If only the plane would contain Ella. It had taken some doing, but several weeks ago they received word of Ella's and Opa's deaths. She wiped away her stray tears.

She returned her attention to the aircraft mere feet from the runway.

When its wheels touched the ground, they sent up a puff of dust. Gisela had all she could do to keep from dancing in circles. She silently urged the ground crew to hurry and wheel the stairs to the doorway.

Mutti held her shoulder to restrain her from climbing over the fence to the runway. "He will come soon enough. All of your jumping around will only tire you out and make you warm."

Gisela aged another ten years before the cabin door opened and the pa.s.sengers began to disembark.

Her breath caught in her throat when he appeared at the head of the stairs. He was more handsome than she had remembered.

She waved. Even from this distance, his smile shone, his dimples deep. He took the steps two by two and raced across the airfield.

"Oh, Mitch." She fell into his arms.

He picked her up and swung her in circles. "Yee haw!"

She laughed. "What was that for?"

"Isn't that what you Americans say?"

"No, we say this." She kissed him on the lips, hard, not caring if Mutti saw them.

"I'm so glad you got out of Berlin."

"It's good to be home. You finally came." The past year of separation while both of them had waited for permission to come to the States had been excruciating.

Mitch leaned in to whisper in her ear. His breath tickled her neck and started a funny fluttering in her stomach. "I have three surprises for you."

"Isn't you being here enough excitement for now?"

"Look." He stepped out of the way and pointed to the airplane.

At the top of the stairs came a wonderfully familiar silhouette.

"Vater! Mitch, you brought Vater home to me." She hugged Mitch's neck.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Hand in hand they raced across the tarmac.

She fell into Vater's arms, but only for a minute. He released his hold as Mutti joined them, tears racing down her cheeks. The three of them clung to each other.

"We thought you were still waiting for approval from the emba.s.sy."