By His Hand: Truly Yours Digital Edition Read Online Free PDF Page A

these taste just like Gram’s.”
    Sondra smiled. “I know. They’re her recipe. She taught me how to make them for Kenny while we were dating.” She looked Victoria in the eye. “I loved your brother very much.”
    Victoria gawked at the woman sitting across the table from her. Tears welled in Victoria’s eyes. Why had she waited so long to come here? She knew why. Fear. Fear of her daddy disowning her just as he had Kenny. Fear of not being able to make it on her own.
    And what did all that fear get me?
The last weeks of Kenny’s life—missed. The first two years of Matt’s life—missed. A real relationship with her sister-in-law—missed.
Forgive me, Lord. I should have trusted in You. Bless my relationship with Sondra and Matt now
.
    Victoria wiped the tears from her eyes. “I’m sorry I missed all this time with you.”
    Sondra touched the top of Victoria’s hand. “It’s all right. We can start now. I’m glad you’re here.” She leaned back in her chair. “Seeing you brings a wave of sweet memories to my mind. I still miss Kenny at times.”
    “What about Dylan?”
    “I love Dylan completely. Kenny was a part of my life. He still is in the form of his son. My life and heart are committed to Dylan, but I still remember and love your brother.” Sondra stopped. “Kenny would approve of Dylan.”
    Victoria nodded. “I believe you’re right. He seems to be a wonderful man.”
    Sondra smiled. “Okay, now that that’s cleared, how long are you going to visit? Victoria, we want you to stay as long as you can …” She touched the top of Victoria’s hand. “But I don’t want to make things hard on you. If your dad wants you home, don’t worry about hurting my feelings. I understand …”
    “You don’t have to worry about that.”
    Sondra’s eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t?”
    Victoria shook her head and tried to conjure the courage to tell Sondra the truth.
Just spit it out
. “Sondra … well … it appears I can stay as long as you’ll have me, or at least until I can get a job and an apartment.”
    “What?”
    Victoria twisted her napkin between her fingers. The stunned expression on Sondra’s face did not make telling the truth any easier. Victoria had lived her entire existence in an abundance of wealth. Admitting her state of destitution proved far more difficult than she had imagined.
Get on with it
. “It seems my daddy hasn’t always managed his affairs in completely legal ways.”
    Victoria’s tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. She took a long drink of tea. She couldn’t taste it; she only felt the cool liquid flow down the back of her throat. No matter how many gulps she took, she still felt parched.
    “Just tell me. You’ll feel better once it’s out.”
    Victoria set the glass on the table. “You’re right.” She swallowed. “It seems Daddy embezzled a good deal of money from his company. He claims to be innocent, yet he and Mom flew to who knows where to get away from the law.”
    She closed her eyes. She couldn’t look at Sondra. “Everything belongs to the government until Daddy goes to court. What I have with me is all I own in the world.” Her bottom lip quivered. “I have to make it alone. I don’t have any money. Now I’ve hit a man’s special car. I pray my insurance will take care of it.”
    Victoria felt Sondra’s arms wrap around her. “I want you to stay with us for as long as you need. I don’t want you to even think of going anywhere else. You are welcome here.”
    Fresh tears streamed down Victoria’s face. The day had been entirely too emotional. The long drive only aided her exhaustion and feelings of helplessness. Victoria hugged her sister-in-law in return. “Thank you, Sondra. I wish I had come years ago. I wish I could turn back time.”
    “The past has passed. We have today and all of the tomorrows the Lord gives us.”
    “That’s true …”
    A man cleared his throat behind her. Victoria wiped her eyes with a napkin as