Silent Pursuit (19 page)

He grinned, blue eyes twinkling. “Yep. Why don't you pick out the ones you want to hang? And we'll save mine for last. I brought a special one.”

She cocked her head. “To celebrate our first Christmas together?”

A mysterious smile pulled at his lips. “Something like that. Now hang.” He handed her a miniature nativity, and she placed it gently on the tree. One by one they hung the ornaments, Gina stopping every once in a while to explain the significance of each fragile piece. Finally, they were all done.

Except for one.

 

Ian grasped the last ornament and handed it to her. She turned to hang it on the tree, and he saw her pause, heard her gasp, “Oh, Ian.” She pulled it to her for closer inspection. His stomach twisted in knots; he decided a mission in the middle of the desert facing down terrorists was less stressful than waiting on her reaction.

“Oh, my,” she breathed. “When did you have this done?” She spun the clear glass ornament in front of her eyes. But it wasn't the ornament itself, it was what lay on a purple cushion within. “It's gorgeous.”

“You're not mad I didn't let you pick it out?”

“No, of course not. When did you do this? How do I…” She held it out to him.

He took it and with a deft twist, popped off the glass top
and exposed the simple, single-karat diamond set in white gold. “On the flight to our last mission. I made a phone call to a friend of mine who's a jeweler. He had it waiting for me when I landed back home.” He took it from its resting place and got down on one knee.

Taking her left hand in his, he said, “I love you, Gina. I think you're amazing and I would be proud to have you as my wife. I know it's kind of fast so if you need some time to think about it, that's okay, but would you marry me?”

Gina felt as though the breath had been sucked from her lungs. Then with a wobbly smile, she placed a kiss on his lips. “Ian Masterson, you're the one that's amazing. You saved my life, and you make me laugh. I would be honored to be your wife.”

His lips settled on hers, and she kissed him back with all the love she had bursting in her heart. He pulled back and leaned his forehead against hers. “Merry Christmas, my love.” She grinned back. “Merry Christmas.”

Dear Reader,

I had so much fun leading Ian and Gina on a merry chase. I hope you enjoyed the ride along with them.
A Silent Pursuit
is mostly about Ian's love of Gina and his steadfast approach to showing her what a great guy he is. And the fact that he kept her alive helped seal the deal for her. To me integrity and honor are so important. As Christians, we are called by God to live our lives based on a higher standard than what the world calls for. It's not easy and of course we fail, but thank goodness for forgiveness and unlimited chances! And thank goodness we don't have a God that requires perfection. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't strive for it, to constantly be reaching for that goal of being like Christ, perfect in every way. Again, thanks for joining Gina and Ian on their pursuit of justice and love. I hope you liked the ending as much as I did!

You can find me online at www.lynetteeason.com and I love to hear from readers at [email protected].

God Bless!

Lynette Eason

1. Gina realized she was in danger and needed help. She'd put off asking the one person she knew could help her until it was almost too late. If we put a spiritual significance on that, the question is: Have you ever put off asking God for help until it's almost too late?
   
2. Ian comes to the rescue. He drops everything to do his best for Gina, promising he won't leave her. How does God do this for us?
   
3. What was your favorite scene in the book? Why?
   
4. Gina wasn't happy that she had to call Ian for help. She didn't understand why Mario would want her to do this or why Mario trusted him. But she swallowed her pride and did it. And it changed her life. Have you ever had to swallow your pride and do something you knew was right but you sure didn't want to do it? What was the result?
   
5. Ian didn't want to believe Mario was guilty of something illegal or wrong. He continued to believe his friend was innocent, giving him the benefit of the doubt. Gina wasn't so sure. Which person would you have been had you been in the same situation? Do you give someone the benefit of the doubt, or do you immediately judge them guilty? How do you think God responds?
   
6. Who was your favorite character in the book?
   
7. Both Ian and Gina are believers and pray for God to keep them safe. How do you see God moving in the story? In their lives?
   
8. Who would you call if you were in trouble? Why?
   
9. What do you like about Ian's character? What do you think about his decision to leave the unit? Was that the right thing to do? Why or why not?
   
10. What do you think you'd do if you were in Gina's shoes? Would you blindly trust someone who a friend or loved one urged you to? Have you ever had to? Explain.
    
11. Do you think the title fits the story? Why or why not?
    
12. Ian and Gina didn't have a whole lot of time in which to fall in love, and yet they did. Of course Ian loved Gina long before she loved him. My parents met in April 1965, got engaged six weeks later and married on July 16, 1965. They're still together forty-four years later. What do you think about whirlwind romances?
    
13. Were you surprised by the bad guy? If not, what gave him away? If so, who did you think it was?
    
14. What do you think of Gina's decision to sell the farm? Did she do the right thing?
    
15. What do you think of Ian's method of proposing marriage? Did you like it?