The Soldier's Holiday Vow

* (#u59c8b7f0-39c9-506e-b96b-e1ca54d79bc2)Precious Blessings

* (#u9dac2015-4dea-5d7d-95a9-4aeecf77a0ea)Every Kind of Heaven

* (#uafffeffb-a02b-59f8-814b-ea8dd6d05724)Everyday Blessings

* (#u24fcdce5-4565-5c7e-af61-7d925fe0fe76)A McKaslin Homecoming

A Holiday to Remember

* (#ue380b12f-7b49-54e5-97d2-d5ddf8b210af)Her Wedding Wish

* (#u7aaac075-5451-5657-81c6-7b04c54f1452)Her Perfect Man

Homefront Holiday

* (#u5a6de9cc-7497-5064-adfb-d79e1d0d832a)A Soldier for Keeps

* (#u003ca954-5abd-5e9f-869e-250f3090875c)Blind-Date Bride

† (#u9d15c270-c261-5711-ad69-286965fbd341)The Soldier’s Holiday Vow

Love Inspired Historical

* (#u1479c90d-b776-5d68-b5dd-33a62fb65198)Homespun Bride

* (#ud4fcd36d-0d50-5d52-bedf-8eb601c875a5)High Country Bride

* (#u20d9103d-5111-5666-ae78-6988a5b430eb)In a Mother’s Arms

“Finally a Family”

** (#u9f77fed6-ac4c-59ea-89e1-22bda8d1e186)Gingham Bride

JILLIAN HART

grew up on her family’s homestead, where she raised cattle, rode horses and scribbled stories in her spare time. After earning her English degree from Whitman College, she worked in travel and advertising before selling her first novel. When Jillian isn’t working on her next story, she can be found puttering in her rose garden, curled up with a good book and spending quiet evenings at home with her family.

JILLIAN HART

THE SOLDIER’S HOLIDAY VOW

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

—Hebrews 4:16

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Epilogue

Questions for Discussion

Chapter One

September Stevens fought despair. Not an easy thing to do. The cold damp earth surrounded her like a grave. The jagged, crumbling walls of the mine shaft lifted above her and drank up the faint starlight. She and little Crystal Toppins had been down here for a good twelve hours. Sunset came early, near to four-thirty this time of year. That meant enough time had passed for it to be nearly midnight. If the sky wasn’t partly overcast, typical for the Pacific Northwest in winter, the rising moon might have offered some relief from the suffocating dark and fear.

Maybe then it would have been easier to hold on to hope.

“They aren’t coming, are they?” The ten-year-old girl gulped down a sob. It was too dark in the belly of the shaft to see more than a shadow of the child lying on her back on the earthen floor. Terror made the girl’s voice thin and raw. “Are we going to d-die?”

“No, of course not.” September leaned back against the hard-packed dirt wall and stretched her legs out as far as they would go. She had to believe that was the truth, but privately, she wasn’t so sure. Crystal had been seriously hurt. September’s injuries weren’t as severe, but her left forearm had a compound fracture. With no antiseptic wipes, no sterile bandages and no first-aid kit—all of which were still packed safely in her saddle pack on her horse—she had done all she could.

She couldn’t let her fear win. The horses would have returned to the stable, although it was miles away down Bear Mountain. Comanche was well trained and fond of his molasses snacks. He would have gone straight home and that meant Colleen, her boss, knew they were missing. Search parties would have gone out immediately—probably ten hours ago or so.

“They know where we were headed, so everyone knows where to look,” she reasoned, putting as much reassurance as she could in her voice. Crystal’s condition could be fragile, and she had to give the girl strength. “They are coming. They will be here as soon as they can.”

“What if they can’t find us? What if they stop looking?”

“They won’t do that, sweetie.” September pressed her arm against the girl’s gently, comfortingly. “Do you think your mom would let that happen?”

“No.” Crystal had to almost be smiling. “Mom’s a little intense.”