Redeeming-Love-By-Francine-Rivers

F R A N C I N E R I V E R S
“Anything happen around here while I was gone?” He could see Michael
had done some building and cleared another section of land.
“I got married.”
Paul stopped dead and stared at him. He swore. “You didn’t.” He realized
as soon as the words were uttered how bad they sounded. “Sorry, but I
haven’t seen a decent woman since we got here.” He saw an odd look on
Michael’s face and tried to make amends. “She must be something if you
married her.” Michael had always said he was waiting for just the right one.
Paul tried to be happy for him, but he wasn’t. He was jealous. All this
time he had been on the road home, looking forward to sitting in front of
the fire and talking to Michael, and now Michael had a wife. What rotten
luck.
He needed Michael’s advice. He needed his friendship. His brother-inlaw
had a way of listening and understanding things you didn’t even say. He
could bring a lightness to the heaviest times, a feeling that everything would
come out the way it was intended, and for good. Michael raised hope, and
God knew how much he needed hope right now. He expected to come back
and find everything the same.
Women had been chasing after Michael for as long as he could remember.
Why did one have to catch him now? “Married,” Paul muttered.
“Yes, married.”
“Congratulations.”
“Thanks. You sound real happy about it.”
Paul winced. “Ah, Michael. You know I’m selfish.” They walked again.
“How did you manage to find her, anyway?”
“Just lucky.”
“So tell me about her. What’s she like?”
Michael nodded his head toward the cabin. “Come and meet her.”
“Oh, no. Not like this,” Paul said. “One look at me and she’d be sure the
neighborhood went to seed. What’s her name anyway?”
“Amanda.”
“Amanda. Nice.” He grinned wickedly. “Is she pretty, Michael?”
“She’s beautiful.”
She could be the plainest of women, but if Michael loved her, he would
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