Redeeming-Love-By-Francine-Rivers

F R A N C I N E R I V E R S
She showed no sign that his words had cut deeply. “He loves me.”
“He loves you all right,” he said, and his eyes swept her body up and
down in a telling way. “You know how that is.”
How could Michael love this man like a brother? She tried to see something
in him, some trace of kindness and humanity, but all she could see
was his cold hatred. “Are you always going to hate me for what you did,
Paul? Are you never going to forget?”
Paul shoved the mug away and scraped the chair back. His face was red,
his eyes blazing. “You’re blaming me for what happened? Did I drag you off
that wagon? Did I rape you? You’d like to think it was my fault, wouldn’t
you?” He went out the door.
Angel didn’t move from where she stood. She should have kept silent.
She knew she had no defense.
Michael stepped in briefly to kiss her good-bye. “I’ll come by Altmans’ on
my way home. Stay there, and we can ride home together.”
Ruthie ran to meet Angel as she came across the meadow. “Paul said we
could pick all his apples!” she said as she was scooped up and perched on
Angel’s hip. “Mama’s going to make applesauce. I love applesauce. Don’t
you?”
Miriam was in the doorway, looking pretty in a blue gingham dress and
white apron. She was smiling. “We’re being put to work,” she said and
hugged Angel.
They took a handcart and walked the mile to the apple tree. While they
picked the fruit, Miriam pointed out all the work Paul had done on his
place. “He has a good crop of pumpkins coming, and he had a good crop of
corn. We helped him shuck it a few days ago.”
When they returned to the Altmans’ cabin, they spent the rest of the
morning peeling and coring apples and cutting them in pieces to cook.
Elizabeth added spices as she stirred, and the sweet smell filled the cabin.
While the pot simmered, she made up a picnic basket and sent them off.
“The boys are already with your father, and I’ll have the cabin to myself for a
nap,” she said when Miriam asked if she would be all right.
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