Redeeming-Love-By-Francine-Rivers

R E D E E M I N G L O V E
of it. He knew what he bought was counterfeit. He knew because he had
had the real thing with Tess.
Angel’s words came flooding back, hard and cold. “I know what I am,
mister, but you call yourself his brother.”
When he gave up looking for gold and came back here to his land, he
thought he had hit rock bottom. He had been wrong. He swore to himself
he would make it up to Michael. He would leave Miriam Altman alone so
that when the time came and Angel left him again, there would be a decent
girl waiting for him.
He tried to sleep and couldn’t. He couldn’t get Miriam out of his head.
He would close his eyes and see her dark, smiling eyes. Giving up, he put
another log on the fire and took his wedding picture off the mantel. He
stared at Tessie’s face again. Although it was still precious to him, it roused
no deep emotion, not as it had a year ago.
A year ago, he hadn’t thought the pain would ever go away. But then, a
year ago, he thought he would never fall in love again.
“Amanda!” Miriam cried out, racing down the hillside. “Come quick! It’s
Ruthie!”
Angel ran toward her. “What’s happened?”
“She’s up a tree, and I can’t get her down. Help me!”
Angel raised her skirts and ran up the hill after Miriam. She was breathless
when they reached the gnarled old oak. Heart in her throat, Angel
looked up at the child perched twenty feet above on a thick branch. “Oh!
How did you get up there, you little mouse?”
Ruthie waved down at her.
“Ruthie!” Angel cried out in alarm. “Hold on! Don’t you budge! We’ll get
you down.”
“I tried to climb, and I couldn’t,” Miriam said. “You give it a try.”
“Me? I’ve never climbed a tree in my life!”
“Mandy, are you going to help me down?” Ruthie called down.
“You’d better hurry,” Miriam said, pushing at her. “There’s no time to
lose.” She bent and cupped her hands.
326