Tracie Peterson Read Online Free PDF Page B

when the father came back into her life four years later, they married and wanted their child back.”
    “I saw that too,” Justin admitted. “Sad case. The judge actually ruled that the mother had given the baby up under duress and that the adoptive parents had taken advantage of her state of mind. Things like that seem to be creeping up all over the country.”
    “Exactly. And it scares Tess to death.”
    “But it doesn’t scare you?” Justin asked softly.
    Brad knew it did. He had battled his fears and disappointments as best he could, trying hard to never burden Tess with them, but he wouldn’t hide them from Justin.
    “It does scare me. It scares me to think of growing attached to a baby, only to lose him or her years later from some strange trumped-up technicality. It scares me to watch Tess grow more disappointed and empty. I want to believe that God has a reason for all of this, but it sure doesn’t make much sense to me.”
    “God’s like that sometimes,” Justin said with a smile. “He just doesn’t seem to think it necessary to give us all the details of His plan.”
    Brad grinned. “If I thought I could coax it out of Him, I’d sure give it a try.”
    Justin smiled rather sadly. “Try just trusting Him for the outcome. I never thought I could say those words again and truly mean them—not after the accident. But God is good and He’s making my way better every day. He can do the same for you and Tess.”
    “I know He can. It’s just a matter of the details.”
    “Well, let me know if Tess changes her mind. Maybe once she considers the magnitude of this opportunity, she’ll want to give it a try.”
    Brad hoped she would but wasn’t about to count on it. “I’ll let you know.”
    Closing the door behind Justin, Brad leaned back against the heavy oak wood and stared down the hall. Could she be persuaded? Could Tess ever give up her dream of pregnancy now that the doctor had deemed them unable to conceive?
    She doesn’t understand , he thought and shook his head. She only knows how empty her own arms are, but she never thinks about my arms being just as empty .

CHAPTER 4
    “But I don’t understand why you’re so opposed to adoption,” Kim Cummings said as she sampled the coffee Tess had just poured. They had agreed to catch an early breakfast at Tess’s home and now the conversation had turned less favorable.
    With a glance toward the bedroom where Brad was still getting ready for work, Tess tried to gather her thoughts. “I know you’re happy with your choice. I think you should be. In fact, I’m happy for you.”
    “But?” the soft-spoken blonde prompted.
    “But I just don’t think I can go that direction. Not yet.”
    “Not until you’re as desperate as me?” Kim asked. She toyed with a bagel, cutting it into four pieces before attempting to smear it with cream cheese.
    “That’s not what I meant and you know it,” Tess replied. “I know you have no other choice. You can’t very well conceive after having a hysterectomy. But I remember how much you wanted your own baby.”
    “Yes, I did. And now I’m getting my own baby,” Kim said quite seriously. “Travis helped me to see that it’s all a matter of heart. If we take this child and love him or her as we would our own, then it will be our own. Blood accounts for very little when you really think about it.”
    “I don’t expect you or your husband to understand,” Tess said rather dejectedly. “I don’t expect anyone to.”
    “Oh, don’t sound so maudlin,” Kim chided. “We’ve been friends for too long for you to take that attitude with me. Just tell me what’s on your heart.”
    Tess poured a generous amount of cream into her coffee and considered her words carefully. “Kim, I don’t want to bring you down about this adoption. That wouldn’t make me a very good friend.” She attempted a smile, but the resultwas feeble. “I really am happy for you. I’m happy that this satisfies the longing