A/N: I apologize to you, my readers, for taking so long to get this chapter out to you. Life has been crazy-busy lately, and the writing for this one has taken a lot of research. Also, since Mitch and Amy's honeymoon covers just over a week, the chapter became quite long, so I have split it into three parts and by days. With that being said, I give you Part 1, soon to be followed by Parts 2 and 3.

CAUTION: Before you read Part 1, I just want to alert my readers that if you might be triggered by PTSD or child abuse, you may want to read Tuesday with caution or not read the last half of the day at all, though it is an important scene between Mitch and Amy.

DISCLAIMER: As Nashville is rich with history, many of the references refer to real events, places or people associated with them. A few specifics regarding places, dialogue or some actions of a character may have been created for the purposes of fictionalization.

Chapter 40: Nashville, Here We Come! Pt 1

MONDAY

Mitch and Amy awoke in each other's arms the next morning. It was a little harder to get out of bed than anticipated. That seemed to be a happy side-effect for newlyweds. But they managed to pull themselves away from each other long enough to get dressed, fix a quick bacon and eggs breakfast to sustain their day's travel, zip up suitcases, visit Maverick and Sapphire one more time, and catch the shuttle that showed up promptly at nine to take them to the airport. Were they really on their way? So much of it seemed like a dream these last few days, but yes, they were actually finally beginning their life together!

Arrival at the airport and getting through security went smoothly. They spotted a place where they could have lunch not too far from their boarding area. It was still a little early to eat, so they pulled out books to read while they waited. Their hands were always clasped together, and the aura they emanated said 'in love' to everyone that noticed this attractive and charming couple who seemed to only have eyes for each other. However, Mitch did always notice when a child was in the area, and he would immediately make eye contact and silly faces connection with them, much to their delight!

After boarding, they opened the itinerary Lisa had given them. There was a note enclosed letting them know that most of the family had chipped in to defray some of their honeymoon expenses, quite a substantial amount. They truly had the best families and felt so blessed!

As they looked over the itinerary, Amy shared a little more with Mitch about the place they'd be staying. As she'd discussed the plans with Lisa and Lou, she'd requested staying at a Bed & Breakfast to save on expenses so they could take in more sites and activities, so after looking at several online, she chose the Timothy Demonbreun House, a Nashville mansion on the Registry of Historic Places and the original home of the 'Father of Nashville,' for whom the house was named. It was centrally located to most of the activities and sites they had planned and only fifteen minutes from the airport. It featured a free, home-cooked, made-to-order breakfast with fresh eggs from chickens on the property so that would save them on time and being able to start each day with a good meal. There was a pool, jacuzzi, spa, pool table, gazebo, and the whole place looked to be cozy and a home away from home, rich with history.

Their flight was smooth except for a little turbulence they hit going over the Rockies. They spent the time getting a little more familiar with the plans for their week together, reading magazines or the books they'd brought, enjoying the scenery out the window, briefly napping, and with the snack break, the flight didn't seem long at all. Perhaps it was because they were together, and that was all that mattered right now. Upon arrival at the airport, it didn't take long to pick up their luggage and rental car, and they were on their way to their B & B. Never having been there, they were grateful for GPS. When they pulled in, they were greeted by the owner, a very friendly man named Rich, who also happened to be the chef and a descendent of Timothy Demonbreun. They would discover throughout the rest of the week that he knew a wealth of information about the area. There looked to be about three other couples staying there, and it had a real family atmosphere and a very peaceful backyard. Mitch and Amy felt sure they were going to enjoy their time there.

As they settled into their room, they discovered the bed was a normal length bed, however, it was king-size, so Mitch would be able to sleep diagonally if needed, and it felt very comfortable. Each bedroom had its own fireplace so they would be able to alleviate any chill that might be in the air while there. With suitcases unpacked and things put away for the week, they showered and changed into clean clothes, comfortable but a little dressier for their first outing. Then they face-timed with Lyndy.

"Hi, Sweetheart!"

"Hi, Mama! Is Daddy with you?"

"He surely is! He's listening in. How was the rest of your weekend and your day at school?" Amy asked.

"It's been really fun! I got to spend time with Georgie, Quinn, Jeff and Uncle Shane yesterday. We had some really good leftovers from Friday and had wedding cupcakes for dessert! Auntie Lou froze some of them for you to have when you get back. We rode horses and played games, and Uncle Shane says he'll try to come back again before long and will bring Chloe with him. And today at school, I played tag and jumped rope, and played on the swings with Cody! I got an A on my spelling test! GG helped me study for it. And Lisa said I can have a playdate with Rebecca this weekend!" Lyndy went on non-stop, overflowing with excitement as she recapped her last two days.

They were both grinning listening to her and noted that Cody came up again. And they were glad for the friend she'd made in Rebecca, the daughter of a man that worked for Lisa at Fairfield.

"Sweetie, we are so glad you are enjoying your time with family! And that's great about your spelling test! We just wanted you to know we got to Nashville okay. We are about to go out for dinner, so we'll talk to you later in the week. We miss you! You be good for GG, Lisa and Auntie Lou!" Mitch said.

"I miss you, too, Mama and Daddy! But I'm doing fine. I'll be good and look forward to seeing you when you get back next week!" Lyndy said sounding so grown-up, and it didn't go unnoticed by either of them that she'd called Mitch 'Daddy' with such ease.

"Bye, Sweetheart! We'll talk again soon! We love you!" Amy said as they hung up.

When they got off, Mitch also texted his parents to let them know they'd arrived safely, and he added, "And Mom and Dad, thank you so much for the card and funds you left to help us out. As always, you are so thoughtful, and you guys mean the world to us!"

They had tickets to catch the live show at 'Mondays at 3rd & Lindsley' with The Time Jumpers where some of Nashville's tip-top musicians and vocalists get together and perform with spontaneity. No 'in-the-moment' performance is ever the same. Rich suggested a good place, if they liked chicken, that was just a few blocks south of them where they could go for dinner called Hattie B's Hot Chicken, and they'd only be about ten minutes from their evening destination to make the 8pm show. Rich mentioned that the restaurant was so popular, the wait could be long, but since they were leaving soon, they should beat the rush. He was right. It was bustling, but being there early, they were served in about fifteen minutes, and the food was delicious. They'd chosen the perfect spice level for their chicken, and for sides, they chose the Pimento Mac & Cheese that was very creamy, and though they'd not heard of eating black-eyed peas, they gave the Black-Eyed Pea Salad a try and loved it! The dessert choice was a hard one between Banana Pudding and Peach Cobbler, but they went with the pudding and a Root Beer Float and shared them. They got to 3rd & Lindsley in plenty of time, and it was a wonderful evening and the perfect introduction to their first impression of Nashville with good food, great music and musicians!

They returned to the mansion late and found a note under their door attached to a menu with choices for their breakfast. Rich wrote, "No worries about being up at a certain time. Just slip your menu choices back under the door with the approximate time you'd like to dine, and I'll have it ready for you." They really knew they were going to enjoy staying at the TDH. Where else would you get service like that?!

The plans for Tuesday were to take in several of the downtown sites that were all within walking distance of each other. After all the travel and the late night, Mitch and Amy decided they wouldn't try to head out until a little before lunchtime the next day, and they quickly got ready for bed and snuggled in together as they fell asleep in each other's arms, diagonally on the bed.

TUESDAY

Tuesday morning, Mitch and Amy slept in late, but awoke to the tantalizing smell of a sizzling bacon and egg breakfast in the air. It caused their tummies to grumble. They'd requested a 9am breakfast, so they threw on some sweats and t-shirts, brushed their hair and teeth and headed down to eat. As they started to choose a table, another couple had opted for a later breakfast as well. They introduced themselves as Jacques and Antoinette Cormier from Lyon, France, and they invited Mitch and Amy to sit with them. They had a very nice visit and learned Jacques and Antoinette were also there on their honeymoon and would be leaving on Thursday to head back home.

After they finished eating and bid the Cormiers 'good-day,' they dressed and decided to explore the grounds around the house. There was a hanging swing on the porch, a pool table in one of the rooms, a nice pool and jacuzzi, and a beautiful floral garden with a gazebo. And, they found the famous chickens that provided fresh eggs for the morning breakfasts at TDH.

Before they left home, Mitch had downloaded a copy of the Bible onto his phone, and he suggested they take a little time to sit in the pleasant gazebo and read a bit. They continued in John 2. As they reached the last half of the chapter and read about Jesus driving the money changers out of the Temple, Amy commented, "Though I've never really learned much about Jesus, he was really a strong person to stand up to these guys. The few pictures I've ever seen, he was in a long, flowing robe and had children around him. I would have never pictured him deliberately making a whip and wielding it to drive the money changers out. It makes me think of how I feel when I know someone is mistreating an animal or Lyndy. I guess there may be a good kind of anger?"

"I think you're right. I seem to recall a passage about 'Be angry, and don't sin. Don't let the sun go down on your wrath.'* I've heard the good anger called righteous indignation. I think it's when we are angry at things that also make God angry. And the last part of that passage…I guess, if and when, we ever are angry at each other, God wants us to resolve it before we go to sleep. Seems like a good rule of thumb for us to agree to, don't you think?"

Amy snuggled up to him and looked into his eyes as she replied, "I think that sounds like a very wise rule of thumb. However, it's hard for me to imagine ever being angry at you right now. Though I'm sure, in reality, there will come that time for both of us. I just want us to always be honest with each other and work through it."

"Agreed!" Mitch replied as he reached down to envelope her lips in a warm, caressing kiss that sent the butterflies a flight in Amy's stomach.

They went back up to their room to change into clothes for the day, and headed downtown, which was only a short, ten-minute drive. After finding a place to park the car, their first stop was Ryman Auditorium. It was over 130 years old. It was built by Thomas Ryman, a wealthy riverboat captain who was later converted to Christ, and he built the building originally as a church in 1892. Booker T. Washington spoke from its stage. Shortly before 1920, a young, pioneering woman named Lula Naff began to work there, and the board of directors recognized her as Manager. She began to lease the facility as an independent talent agent, bringing in such soon-to-be historical icons as Katharine Hepburn, Charlie Chaplin and Harry Houdini. In 1943, she brought the Grand Ole Opry to Ryman where it remained until the audiences began to outgrow it, and in 1974, its last Grand Ole Opry show took place. It sat empty for nearly 20 years, and demolition was considered until some locals began a 'save the Ryman' movement, and in 1989, Gaylord Entertainment Company purchased it and began renovations. It reopened in 1994 and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2001. Currently, it was a venue to many performers and considered the 'Mother Church of Country Music.' Mitch and Amy had a wonderful hour or so learning about its extensive music history.

Their next stop was the Johnny Cash Museum only three or four blocks away. It took them about an hour to tour the museum. It was fascinating seeing all the Johnny Cash artifacts and memorabilia. By the time they finished, they were getting pretty hungry, so they went next door to enjoy delicious BBQ ribs for lunch at the Johnny Cash Bar & BBQ. It was a very spirited place with a live band playing.

Next on their itinerary was the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. It was a quick five-block walk. There was so much history and so much to see. They could have spent all day, but they decided to limit their time to a couple of hours, as they still wanted to see the capitol building, which was about a twelve-block walk. As they got closer to the capitol grounds, it was quite an impressive sight with a huge green lawn leading up to the building sitting atop a beautiful, manicured grass-covered hill. A passerby snapped a picture for them as they headed up the walkway. Upon arrival, they were able to catch one of the forty-five-minute guided tours.

It had been a full several hours of absorbing scads of Tennessee and Nashville history. They were ready to head back hoping for a relaxing evening in. They'd seen a Panera Bread restaurant on the walk to the Capitol and wanted to check it out. As they passed back by an arcade they'd walked by earlier, they were engrossed in conversation and didn't pay much attention to a group of kids hanging out.

'Pop, pop, pop, bang, whoosh, whizzzz!'

Mitch automatically went on high alert and enveloped Amy with his body as he rolled them to the ground near a parked car next to them striving to give Amy as soft of a landing as possible. The adrenaline was flowing as Mitch flashed back to his time in Afghanistan. And Amy was suddenly transported to that fateful day that Ty had shielded her from the bullet intended for the wolf. As the noise died out, Mitch began to get his bearings and checked to make sure they were both okay. Amy had tears in her eyes as she tried to grasp what was happening. It started to dawn on Mitch that the kids had set off some firecrackers.

"Amy, are you hurt? Are you ok? It was firecrackers. Those crazy kids were being really stupid!"

Amy tried to regain her composure enough to let Mitch know she was alright, "Yes, I, I think I'm alright. Just a little shaken up," she replied trembling as she tried to raise herself up to a sitting position.

Their lovely afternoon had been interrupted by memories they'd both thought had been put behind them, ones they certainly didn't want to have to relive. Needless to say, they were both shaken. They pulled themselves up off the ground, dusted themselves off, and picked up their hats that had come off in the fall, then continued walking back holding onto each other. The kids didn't even seem to be aware of what their actions had caused. They continued to laugh and talk loudly. With how Mitch was feeling, and with Amy there, he decided it was best not to confront the kids, but if they saw a police officer before they got back to their car, they certainly would report what had happened. After the unexpected incident and having had a big lunch, they decided to simply get take-out salads from Panera on the way back to their car. They did happen to come upon an officer and were able to relate the incident to him. He assured them he'd see if the kids were still there and give them a strong talking-to!

Once they got back to where they were parked, Mitch helped Amy into the car and climbed into the driver's seat. They looked at each other and immediately went into the other's arms, holding on close for a few minutes. Mitch ran his hand over Amy's head trying to comfort her as he held her.

"You ok, Sweetheart?" Mitch asked as he drew back a little.

"I will be eventually," Amy replied.

"Ready to go?" Mitch asked.

Amy nodded her head. They didn't talk much on the way back. Both were absorbed in their own thoughts as they tried to overcome what had just happened to them emotionally and physically.

When they arrived back at TDH, they immediately headed to their room, not really in the mood to interact with any of the other guests. Mitch suggested Amy shower first while he set up their salads. He discovered Rich had left complimentary chilled wine and glasses on the table for two in their room. When Amy came back into the room, she was in one of the luxurious white robes that came as part of their package and had her hair wrapped in a towel. The sight of her in this casual, yet intimate attire began to lift his heart from the day's unexpected incident. Mitch took his turn in the shower while Amy combed through her hair. She discovered some candles and holders in a drawer and set them on the table lighting them just as she heard Mitch about to enter the room. When he came in bare-chested with only a towel wrapped around his waist, she lightly gasped as the beauty of this man before her continued to take her breath away. Though she knew they still needed to talk about what had happened, her heart, too, lightened a bit, knowing that they could face anything, as long as they were together. They automatically gravitated to each other in a hug that stirred desire yet consoled each other from the trauma that had befallen their afternoon. After a couple of minutes of drawing strength from each other and the warmth of the closeness of their bodies together, Mitch stepped back slightly and took Amy's hand to lead her to the table and pulled out her chair to seat her. He sat down beside her, and taking her hand in both of his, he bowed his head to pray…

"Our dear Father, we know that in Your all-knowing, You knew what we would experience this afternoon. It took us by surprise, and it was difficult, but we also know that You can bring good from bad. Please be with us as we share now in this food You have blessed us with, and the opportunity You have provided for a quite evening together. Please guide us as we share our hearts, and may this experience only draw us ever closer together. In Jesus' name. Amen."

Amy looked up with glistening eyes as Mitch kissed her hand, and before he could completely let go, she lovingly clasped one of his hands into both of hers pulling it up to her cheek, and said, "Thank you, Mitch, for the lovely prayer and for protecting me this afternoon," at which point her voice quivered with emotion. Mitch could sense she was about to cry and drew her close. She got control of her voice, leaned back, and continued, "When you grabbed me and took us to the ground, it transported me back to the day that Ty did a similar thing when he saw the wolf heading toward us. I thought I was past re-living that moment, but it came back as clear as day…the shots ringing out, the blow to my shoulder, feeling the impact of Ty's body over me, the shock I could tell I was going into as I was losing blood on the way to the hospital, and not even knowing that Ty had been injured, too."

The compassion and understanding in Mitch's eyes penetrated Amy's heart. She relinquished her own thoughts as they turned away from herself to Mitch, realizing he had also flashed back. She took his face in her hands looking him in the eyes and said with concern, "Sweetheart, it triggered you, too, didn't it?"

Mitch reached up, laying his hands over hers, and with a raspy voice and tears welling up in his eyes, he almost whispered, "Yes, Amy, I was back in Afghanistan."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I talked some about it with a therapist when I returned, but it's still never gone away completely. I know talking more about it could help. It's just so hard. And I'm not sure if it's fair to you for me to share it. I don't want you to have the images in your mind that I have."

"Darling, if it could help you, I'm willing to risk that. After all, I'd only be imagining them and not really seeing them as you did," Amy assured him.

Her answer gave Mitch the confidence he needed, so he took a deep breath, and slowly, he began to recount his story to Amy.

"Since I've never really talked about this with you in any detail, I guess I should start at the beginning. I mentioned to you that I did a few years of college before the military. I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to complete my major in, so I decided to enlist, as I was feeling like I wanted to do my part to aid in the fight against those that wreaked havoc on America. I spent twelve weeks in Basic Training at Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. Then I spent seven weeks more training at Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry in Edmonton, Alberta. You get pretty tight with some of the guys you go through that with. My platoon deployed shortly after that to Kandahar, where we spent quite a lot of time in the Panjwai district there. During my tour, I worked my way up to the rank of Sergeant. We were there when the insurgency resurged.

I told you after our wedding night that we were on patrol and came under fire. It was a hot, bone-dry afternoon. Right as the firing started, a mine blew up close to me and hit me with shrapnel just as I threw myself over a buddy to keep him from getting injured. When I did, I took a hit in my back just below my shoulder blade from a sniper bullet. The fire was really heavy, and I knew we needed a better vantage point, so I managed to help my buddy take cover, and I got to a nearby hill to lay down fire for the rest of the platoon to help the wounded, and for all but two of us, to make it out of danger. It's hard to believe that, as heavy as the fire was, we only lost two, but they were guys I was close to, particularly one of them. He was a young husband and father. The other was our Lieutenant. You don't let yourself feel much while combat is going on. It all starts to come back after it's over. Oftentimes, it's when you least expect it. And still, occasionally, I have flashbacks during my sleep. I guess it's good that you know now, just in case it ever happens so you aren't alarmed."

Amy held his hand, listening quietly and attentively, allowing Mitch to talk as much as he would. When he paused, she expressed, "It's really hard to imagine what you went through over there. I assume you must have had to constantly be on guard?"

Mitch nodded as he continued to recall, "For the most part, your body is in a constant state of tension…on alert. Even in down times, unexpected things can happen, so you can never totally let your guard down. Another thing that was really hard was seeing some of the things the kids went through, and then especially the absolute heartbreak and danger in trying to distinguish if a kid was just a kid, or if he was a child soldier who might try to kill you or could be hiding a suicide bomb that would do as much damage as possible. It was especially hard when that would happen in a school. There was also a lot of sexual abuse that happened to many of the children and women. I think all the horrible things I saw with the kids is partly why I have such a soft spot in my heart for children. You wanted to be able to bring all of them home with you. I think having witnessed that particularly shook my faith for a long time." Mitch paused in serious thought for a moment, then went on, "With what recently happened with the way the U.S. administration handled the withdrawal, it makes it even harder, wondering what we actually accomplished, and was it worth all the blood treasure spent only to be re-taken by the Taliban? We know that many of the people who helped us there are now needlessly dead because of how badly handled it was, and they had to have felt terribly betrayed. Several of the guys I was over there with are having a really hard time with that. I guess all we can say is that we had a job to do, and we did it. We fought for each other."

Amy waited to see if he was finished. When he was quiet for several moments, she said, "Mitch, I'm glad you told me. It helps me understand so much more. It makes me a bit ashamed of how little I've really thought about how much sacrifice was going on. It's so easy to just live in our own little world when we are so far removed from the horrors of war. Thank you for being so open with me. And I'm here if there is more you feel the desire to talk about at any time. I love you so very much!"

"Thank you for listening and just being here. I'm so grateful we find it so easy to talk with each other about the hard things. It feels like talking to you has helped me. But what about you? You also flashed back."

Amy thought for just a moment and answered, "You know, Mitch, we've both had our share of trauma. But even though this afternoon brought the most recent memories flooding back, you've always put me so at ease that I feel like I've talked with you openly throughout this past year about so many of the difficult times, even experienced some of them with you by my side, so I'm feeling better now. You have been such a rock for me working through things in an even deeper way than I'd been able to before you walked back into my life. You've always seemed to know exactly what I needed at the time. I'm really starting to believe God knew we needed each other, and that He had a hand in it all."

Mitch didn't think he could love this beautiful creation any more than he already did, but he smiled at this revelation from Amy and said, "I'm becoming more and more certain that He did." He leaned in to gently kiss her, then said, "You know, I feel like we can actually eat and enjoy our meal now. It's a good thing we chose salads so that we didn't have to worry about them staying hot," he grinned.

They both dug in with new-found energy and some pleasant conversation followed. The wine left them feeling more relaxed. They finished their meal, cleaned up, and allowed both their thoughts to return to the initial feelings they'd had upon seeing each other return from their showers. With that vision in his mind, Mitch turned to Amy with a glint in his eye and teased, "Mrs. Cutty, may I help you out of that robe?"

How was it that this man so easily made her blush? As Mitch started to untie her sash, he was delighted to see the revealing, silk teddy that lay underneath. With haste, he took Amy into his arms, and they relished in each other as they expressed their love.

A/N: * Ephesians 4:26 from the World English Bible (WEB); name is trademarked, and version is Public Domain.

In the telling of Mitch and Amy's stay at the Timothy Demonbreun House, I occasionally took some writer liberties in specifics to the property.

One of the main research sources I used in building Mitch's back-story for his time in the military and Afghanistan was "In Their Own Words" that can be looked up on the internet.

Links to the sites/places/sources included in this chapter and photos will be posted on the following three Facebook groups: Kevin McGarry Fan Page Home of #McGarries and SuspendersUnbuttoned Podcast; Nathan Grant Fanfiction! Home of Sunday Night Serge; and The Heartie Analyzers: All things Kevin McGarry, KEVLA and WCTH.