Tracie Peterson Read Online Free PDF Page A

Seattle. He cast a quick sidelong glance at Rachel, amazed at the way her face seemed to radiate such joy and peace, even in the midst of telling a tale where she wasn’t allowed to have her own way.She seemed a reasonable and responsible young woman, so different from the women he’d known all of his life.
    “You know what your father would say to that,” Ruth said with a teasing smile.
    “Boy, do I ever,” Rachel replied, not sounding in the least bit angry. “‘Rachel Bennett,’ ” she said, lowering her voice to mimic her father, “‘what in the world would you want to do a fool thing like that for? Suckers are born every minute. Don’t want it said that any daughter of mine is a sucker.’”
    Rachel and Ruth chuckled, then Ruth added, “He just doesn’t want to see you hurt. He believes strongly that the war will be over soon.”
    “Don’t count on it,” David said more gruffly than he’d intended.
    Ruth stopped and looked at him oddly. “Why would you say that, David?”
    His voice revealed his bitterness. “I just wouldn’t count on it. Those dirty Japs aren’t going to give up until they’ve killed us all.”
    “David, I know you’ve been through a great deal,” Ruth said sympathetically, “but we don’t talk like that in our family.”
    From anyone else, David would have taken that as an invitation to fight. Instead, as he caught her expression and Rachel’s, he felt embarrassed. “I’m sorry, but with Pearl Harbor and all . . . well, never mind . . . I shouldn’t have talked like that in front of you ladies.”
    They turned at the next street corner, passing a group of children who were caught up in an evening game of tag. Their gleeful laughter and animated expressions proved to him that life indeed went on as usual. David envied their innocence. It was almost as if they had no idea that the world was at war. That people were suffering and dying.
    “I heard you comment about your arm,” Ruth said, changing the subject. “What do the doctors say about your recovery?”
    David shook his head. “They say there won’t be one. Not a real recovery, anyway.”
    “What do you mean?” Her question was one of concern, not intrusion.
    “The nerves are damaged. They can’t do anything for me. I’ve gone through several surgeries and more rehabilitation than I care to remember. This is about as good as it gets.”
    “And the pain?”
    He shrugged. “They have no way of knowing. They’re hopeful that the pain will fade in time. They’re hopeful new discoveries in medicine will help them to help me, but I don’t have their sense of optimism.”
    “Just remember, David, with God, all things are possible.”
    She sounded just like Kenny, so natural and at ease. Kenny would have told him the same thing if he’d been able to.
    Rachel reached over to touch David’s good arm. “We’ll keep praying for your recovery, and if not a full healing, then we’ll ask God to show you what His plans are for your life.”
    David looked into her face, almost mesmerized by the tiny puffs of steam coming from her lips as she spoke. “I don’t think God would even care to hear prayers about me,” he murmured.
    She smiled and it wove a spell over him that left David weak in the knees. “God cares, David.”
    That was it. That was all she said and yet David felt it was his undoing. A stir of emotions nearly brought tears to his eyes. Oh, Rachel , he thought, I wish that could be true, but God knows who I am and what I’ve done. He knows I deserve this and worse .
    “Well, here we are!” Ruth announced, pulling a key from her coat pocket.
    David looked up to see the orderly storefront. Overhead the sign read Akimoto Nursery. Confused, David looked to Ruth for some explanation while Rachel took up the key from her mother and unlocked the door.
    “I’ll go see to the greenhouses,” Rachel told her mother, not even noticing David’s discomfort. She gave him one more brief smile before entering