Rachel Van Dyken Read Online Free Page A

God into the air.
    They played for an hour before Mara informed David it was time for his nap.
    “I’m not a child you know.” He yawned . “And I’ll have you know , I’m not even tired.”
    Mara rais ed a quizzical brow and crossed her arms.
    “Oh , fine… don’t get your britches in a bunch.”
    She walked to the door and turned down the light . “I’ll wake you for supper . T ry to rest for a while okay?”
    “Rest. Hmph . I’ll rest when I’m dead.”
    Rolling her eyes, Mara shut the door behind her .
    ****
    David watched as the door clicked shut. The room felt heavier without her bubbly presence. Groaning, he turned on his side to get more comfortable. Light crept through the green drapes onto his bed. Everything around him had a way of reminding him of his sickness — of the time lost. It was near impossible for him to go an hour without feeling guilty over what happened so long ago.
    Would he have even sent a letter to Blaine had it not been for Mara? The new , changed man inside of him said otherwise ; the old bitterness seemed to have been from another lifetime. Yet it was still there. He could still feel his heart skip a beat just like the day when Blaine left him.
    For years he had hoped Blaine would return to him. As time passed, his bitterness and anger increased, until he reached the point of not wanting to acknowledge Blaine’s existence any longer. It was too painful to remember. The same way it had always been too painful to remember Emily.
    Mara had helped him work through his mourning. He had never truly mourned the loss of his wife, but blamed God for taking her. Nor had he ever dealt with the grief of losing a son soon afterwards. He had been walking in a thick fog of depression for years, until Mara.
    Swallowing the lump in his throat, he continued to watch the dust particles float through the air. Soon, it would be Christmas, and he would have a mere three months left. Three months to fix what happened so long ago. Odd how time restraints had a way of making one think about time wasted. Every breath, every day, every moment was precious now. He smiled, even a bite of pie was enough to make him grin for weeks. He had taken life for granted for so long , and now he wanted to make up for it.
    If Blaine would let him – but it all depended on Blaine receiving his telegram. Would Blaine even respond? Or care to visit? The hours spent praying over that very thing sometimes kept David awake at night.
    It was an old man’s dying wish. To see his son one last time. To ask for forgiveness—to save him from a similar fate.
    Bitterness and anger have a way of destroying a man’s soul. Man was not meant to walk around with burdens only almighty God can take away. As the Good Book sa id , “The battle belongs to the Lord.” David just hoped Blaine wasn’t spending his days fighting his own inner battles. Did he even know about the saving grace of God? Was he aware of Christ’s forgiveness and love? Did he remember what his mama had taught him so long ago about the love of God?
    Regretfully, David knew the boy hadn’t heard any of it from him .
    Closing his eyes, David sent up a quick prayer for God’s provision. “Bring him home, Lord. Bring him home.”

Chapter Three
    “Is something bothering you, Captain Graham ?” Miss Bell inquired politely. The date was more miserabl e than he had anticipated. She was clearly disappointed that Blaine was even less talkative than he had been after the flight earlier that morning. And it was a true assessment.
    The news about his estranged father had knocked him even deeper into silent self-reflection, and he wasn’t very good company even on the best of days.
    “You’ve hardly said two words to me the whole evening.” Her dark brown eyes scoured his face for signs of life. “I mean, I knew you weren’t much of a talker, but I thought maybe, in a different setting…”
    “I’m sorry, Miss Bell. I know I’m not a lively escort. ” He