Reunited in Walnut River by RaeAnne Thayne

Author:RaeAnne Thayne
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781488080777
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2008-08-06T14:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

Anna’s stomach suddenly clenched with nerves and she wasn’t at all sure she wanted to take the letter from Peter’s outstretched hand.

What would her father have written in a letter that he couldn’t have told her to her face?

Did she really want to know?

The three of them froze in an awkward tableau and the moment dragged out, longer and longer. Finally she drew in a breath and took it from him, though she was still reluctant to open it.

Her name was written on the front in her father’s sloping, elegant script. By the weight of the envelope, she guessed it was maybe two or three pages long. No more than that, but it felt oddly heavy, almost burdensome.

She had the strangest premonition that once she read what her father had written in the letter, her life would never be the same. This was one of those before-and-after moments—everything after would be different than it was right at this instant.

She had no idea why she was so certain—maybe the gravity in Peter’s eyes.

“Do you know what it’s about?” she asked, though she thought she knew the answer.

His mouth tightened and he nodded. “I haven’t read it but he included another letter to me explaining what was in it. I think it’s safe to say what he has to tell you is…unexpected.”

She nodded but still couldn’t bring herself to open it.

“We can wait while you read it,” Peter said after another moment. “You might have questions. Scratch that. You will have questions. I can’t answer many of them but I’ll do what I can.”

Finally she knew she couldn’t sit much longer, putting off the inevitable. She carefully slid a finger under the flap of the sealed envelope and pulled out the sheets of paper.

The lines of her father’s handwriting turned wobbly and blurred for a moment. She blinked quickly, horrified that she might cry in front of her brother.

She thought she had come to terms with his death—and the distance between them the last few years. Though she did her best to contain it, a single tear slid past her defenses. She swiped at it, hoping Peter didn’t see. But to her surprise, a moment later, he sat next to her on the sofa and Bethany sat on her other side.

“Take your time,” Bethany murmured, with a comforting arm around her shoulder. She didn’t know what might be in the letter but she was suddenly enormously grateful for their presence and the strength she drew from having them near.

They had taken time from their wedding preparations to be here for her, she realized with some wonder.

She drew in another shaky breath and smoothed a hand down the paper.

“My dearest Anna,” her father’s letter began.

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