And the Greatest of These Is Love: A Contemporary Christian Romance Novel Read Online Free Page B

she’d walked into his office six years before — full of energy and determination to make a real difference, and she hadn’t changed an ounce since then. The kids were lucky to have her — for now anyway. With that depressing thought and a sigh, he turned back to his paperwork.
     
    This is it . Half-confident, half-shaking in his Oxfords, Andrew approached Bill’s office for the second time in an hour. He knew in his gut that the next few minutes would change the rest of his life.
    “So?” he asked, sticking his head inside the office as if he was just wondering what time lunch would be.
    Bill looked up, serious drilled into every wrinkle on his face. A second, and he let out a long breath. “Why don’t you come on in?”
    Andrew obeyed, trying to contain his racing heart.
    “Can you get corroboration on this?” Bill asked, indicating the papers before him.
    “Done.”
    “So, you’re telling me the DA’s been accepting money under the table to let thugs off, and this is the first anyone’s heard of it?”
    This breath was easier. “Well, I really think some people in his office have known for some time now, but they’re all too scared to talk.”
    “I can imagine. Justice and criminals after you? Doesn’t sound like a place I’d want to be.” Bill sat silently, reviewing the papers as if they might explode at any moment if he didn’t get them memorized.
    “So, what do you think?” Andrew finally asked, unable to contain the excitement.
    “I think Mr. Woodruff is about to find himself sitting at the opposite table.”
    Andrew smiled but tamped it down. “So, you’re going with the story?”
    “Yes, I’m going with the story — front page tomorrow’s edition.”
    Containing the amazing joy was nearly impossible. This was actually happening. He was performing his duty in the much exalted fourth estate, and it felt great.
    Bill tamped the pages together. “I’m assuming this is in the computer already?”
    “Yes it is.”
    His boss nodded. “Okay. Well, while I have you here.” Bill reached through the stack on the desk. “I have another story I want you to tackle.”
    “Name it,” Andrew said, smelling blood. He was beginning to like that smell.
    “I got a call this morning from an old friend, Jerry Richardson, out at the Youth Center in Collins.”
    “Collins?” That swept a bit of the excitement away from him.
    “Yeah, he’s run the place for years, but… well, they’ve hit a real brick wall with their financing — lost a couple of major grants, that sort of thing. Anyway, he asked me if maybe I’d run a piece about the place, kind of to remind people they’re still there.”
    “Sounds like a human interest piece to me,” Andrew said, wanting at all costs to stay out of Collins. Guys like him didn’t go to places like Collins. “Why don’t you give it to Jane?”
    “No, I want my top reporter on this,” Bill said seriously.
    It wasn’t hard to hide his excitement at the comment under the urgent need to get out of doing this story. “You know, Bill, I’m going to be really busy once this DA thing hits, I don’t know if I’ll have time.”
    “That piece doesn’t go out until tomorrow. I want you to go to the Center today. Jerry says they don’t have even one day to waste. Besides, one little piece today, and after that you can concentrate on Woodruff.”
    Andrew tried to think of a plausible excuse out of this situation. His beat had always been the courthouses and city hall — not Collins. “I do have other stories I can work on...”
    “I’m sure you do, but they can wait. This one can’t.”
     
    While the children napped on their blankets, Gabi finished the fifth application. It was for $10,000. More money than she had ever seen at one time in her life, but even if they got it, it wouldn’t fix the situation. Still, she prayed over it just the same.
     
    Driving slowly through the streets that were littered with trash and bottles, Andrew’s eyes darted