Francine Rivers by Redeeming Love

Author:Redeeming Love
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Of all base passions,

fear is most accurs’d.

SHAKESPEARE

Michael worried about Amanda’s growing attachment to the Altman family. John still talked about Oregon as though it were heaven, and spring was closing in fast. As soon as the weather stayed clear, John would be ready to move on. Michael knew he couldn’t count on John’s women holding him back. Good land was the only way to change his mind.

Young Miriam clearly adored Amanda like a sister, and Ruth was her constant shadow. Elizabeth thought her youngest’s attachment to Amanda was endearing, but Michael saw danger in it. Amanda was opening her heart a little more each day. What would happen to her if the Altmans pulled up stakes and left?

He straightened from digging around the stump and looked back toward the cabin. Amanda was toting two buckets from the creek. Elizabeth had a fire going and a big washpot over it, and Miriam was sorting through the basket of wash. Little Ruth skipped along beside Amanda, chattering gaily.

What she needs is a child of her own, Lord.

“She really took to her, didn’t she?” John said, resting on the pick handle and watching Ruthie and Amanda.

“Sure did.”

“Something worrying you, Michael?”

He slammed his boot onto the shovel and slung the dirt aside. “You head north with your family and you’re going to break my wife’s heart.”

“Not to mention Liza’s. She’s adopted your wife, if you hadn’t noticed.”

“There’s good land right here.”

“Not as good as in Oregon.”

“You’re not going to find what you’re looking for in Oregon or anyplace else.”

Michael talked to Amanda that night about selling off a portion of their own land to the Altmans. “I wanted to discuss it with you before mentioning it to him.”

“It won’t make any difference, will it? He spent the whole evening talking about Oregon. He can’t wait to leave.”

“He hasn’t seen the west end of the valley yet,” Michael said. “He may change his mind after that.”

Angel sat up, her heart twisting at the thought of Miriam and Ruth riding away to Oregon. “What’s the use? Once a man’s made up his mind about something, there’s nothing can change it.”

“John’s looking for good farmland.”

“John’s looking for the pot at the end of the rainbow!”

“So we’ll give it to him.” Michael sat up behind her and drew her back against him. “He wants the best for his family. The west end is the best we’ve got.”

“All he ever talks about is Oregon. Elizabeth doesn’t want to go. Neither does Miriam.”

“He thinks the Willamette Valley is Eden.”

Angel jerked out of his arms and stood up. “Then he should’ve gone there in the first place instead of stopping here.” She held herself in tightly and leaned against the wall, looking out at the cabin. It was dark, the lantern extinguished. The Altmans were all sleeping. “I wish they’d never come here. I wish I hadn’t met any of them.”

“They aren’t gone yet.”

She looked back at him, her face white in the moonlight. “Is Oregon that wonderful? Is it Eden like he thinks it is?”

“I don’t know, Tirzah.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.