Page 110 - The Last Gift

to stay, it was theirs, and if Matthew didn’t leave
she would call the sheriff. He raised his hand to
hit her and, suddenly, there was Jacob.

Not knowing immediately who he was, she
was stunned to think a total stranger would stand
up for her. When he said it was his land, she felt
a sudden surge of gratitude to this man who had
already shown such kindness by allowing them to
stay in the house.

When she realized who he was, and he
spoke her name, 18 years of emotion flooded
through her. For that whole time she had hoped
and dreamed of his coming home and of her
falling into his arms, but he had squelched her
impulse to hug him and shown he detested her
and the memory of her.

Rachel’s thoughts returned to the present.

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