Helsinki Sunrise Read Online Free PDF Page B

found a spot beside a large rock. Surrounded by towering birch, Adam knelt on the soft green floor. All the prayers he’d heard Mikko pray for his sister now weighed heavily on his heart.
    The plan he’d put in motion should work, but what if Eveliina surprised him and decided to leave after all?
     
    ****
     
    For nearly an hour, Eveliina paced the cottage. What could she do to make the missionary leave of his own accord?
    She sat on the patio outside the kitchen for a while, gazing across the lake one moment, staring through the glass wall into the dining room the next. Adam’s Bible still lay near the edge of the table where she’d moved it earlier to make space for the breakfast ingredients.
    With a huff, she rose and pattered through the kitchen, grabbing a handful of blueberries from the bowl as she passed the kitchen counter. Ten paces later she exited the other side of the cottage beside the sauna. Standing on that patio, she rested her elbows on the wooden railing like Adam had done the night before. The lake looked the same from that angle as it had from the kitchen patio. She glanced to her right. Looking through the glass wall into the dining room from this side of the house, her gaze once again landed squarely on Adam’s Bible. Like the lake, the view had not changed. The only difference was Adam’s backpack standing in the corner by the sauna door.
    Did he presume to move back inside the cottage? I don’t think so, Mr. Missionary.
    Eveliina repeated her sojourns on the twin decks, hopping between kitchen side and sauna side. With each crossing, she stuffed her mouth with blueberries. At this rate, she’d soon need more.
    The third time she traipsed through the cottage, Eveliina stopped and walked to the end of the dining room table. She ran her fingers over the leather cover of Adam’s Bible. Would it be prying if she opened it?
    Deciding the Bible was meant to be common property, Eveliina sat down and flipped through the highlighted and underlined pages. She raised her brows. Notes were scribbled on almost every available piece of white. Adam had certainly read his Bible from front to back—several times she was sure. There were too many notes for a single read.
    Remembering the stories her mother had taught her, Eveliina knew of one that might provide a solution. She turned to Genesis and flipped from chapter one to chapter two, until she found the heading: Adam and Eve. She felt the smile ease across her lips. This passage would surely shed light on how Eve had managed to manipulate her Adam.
    Finding no answer in chapter two, she turned the page to chapter three and continued to read, stopping at verse six. Could the answer be this easy? Was a little fruit all it took to turn God’s finest creation to apple crumble? Had the way to a man’s heart been through his stomach since the beginning of time?
    But she wasn’t interested in Adam’s heart—she wanted her space. And Eveliina was sure the temptation she had in mind would lead to Adam’s fall and subsequent departure.
    Unable to stop reading, she continued to the end of the chapter, amused by the blame game played. From the serpent, to Eve, to Adam, each had done their part to cause creation’s fall. If all were to blame, then surely all should be punished? The question lingered.
    Like the first woman, Eveliina made her choice, fully aware there could be dire consequences. But she couldn’t stop herself. Leaving the Bible open, she rose. Eveliina knew exactly what she had to do to send Adam packing.
     
    ****
     
    The smell reached Adam’s nostrils before he’d tied up the canoe at the jetty. As he stepped onto the kitchen patio, there it stood, in full view, cooling on the dining room table.
    Blueberry pie.
    Seemed Eveliina had decided to stay. And she’d declared war.
    So had Adam. He’d entered the arena, equipped and prepared to do battle for her soul. The smell of the baked blueberries teased his tongue. He could practically taste