Read Online A Treasure Worth Keeping by Kathryn Springer - Free Book Online

he’d ever walk again. He had a wife and twelve-year-old daughter. And a devastated twin brother.
    “No one in the family is a believer, Evie,” Patrick had told her. “They don’t know how to comfort each other or how to be comforted. Instead of coming together, the family is splintering apart.”
    Evie had added them to her prayers even though she’d struggled with the circumstances. Another parent had chosen a dangerous profession and now a family had to suffer the consequences of that decision.
    She’d had no idea the man she’d been lifting up in prayer for the past three months had been Jacob Cutter. And the child she’d asked God to comfort wasn’t a nameless, faceless little girl. It was Faith. And the twin brother, Sam.
    As daylight filtered through the sheer curtains, Evie gave up on sleep. She sat up in bed and wrapped her arms around her knees.
    Lord, now I know why you brought me here. And why Sam asked me to tutor Faith. Give me wisdom to know how to encourage her. I wasn’t much older than Faith when Mom died. I know what it’s like to have your whole world turned upside down and not understand why.
    Reveal yourself to them. Show them that even though the situation might seem hopeless, they can find hope in you.
    Patrick had told her that none of the Cutter family were believers, but Evie had confidence God was at work. His timing was always perfect and there had to be a reason why Patrick’s fishing trip and her arrival in Cooper’s Landing had corresponded with Faith and Sam’s trip.
    Evie remembered Sam’s expression when Faith had mentioned her dad. For a split second, the bleakness in Sam’s eyes had reflected all the pain and anger and helplessness he felt.
    Strengthen Sam, too, Lord.

     
    Evie was closing up the shop for the day when a van pulled in and a stocky young man jumped out of the driver’s seat, intercepting her on her way to the cottage.
    Evie hadn’t had many customers over the course of the day. If only his timing would have been better! When Patrick called, she wanted to be able to tell him she was single-handedly reducing the store’s inventory. “I’m sorry. We’re closed.”
    “Are you Evie McBride? Patrick’s daughter?”
    Evie paused. “Yes.”
    “I’m Seth. Seth Lansky? The computer tech? Mr. McBride hired me to install a new software program.”
    Computer tech? Evie’s gaze traveled over the man’s husky frame. In a flannel-lined plaid shirt and heavy boots, he looked more like pictures she’d seen of the legendary Paul Bunyan than someone who spent his days at a keyboard.
    “Dad didn’t mention you were coming over.” Not that it was unusual for her dad to forget something. The day before he’d left, she’d caught him wandering around the house looking for his glasses. They’d been tucked in the front pocket of his shirt the whole time.
    “I couldn’t tell him the exact day I’d be stopping by,” Seth explained. “Emergency calls get priority.”
    That sounded legitimate. Evie glanced over his shoulder at the vehicle parked in the driveway. It didn’t have a logo painted on it but that didn’t mean anything. Sleepy little Cooper’s Landing wasn’t exactly on the cutting edge when it came to business practices. The local post office and Ruby’s Beauty Salon operated out of the same building.
    “I was just about to leave for a few hours.”
    Seth scratched a ragged thumbnail against the stubble on his chin. “If I don’t take a look at it now, I’m not sure when I can come back around. Mr. McBride seemed pretty anxious to get it taken care of. Shouldn’t take very long.”
    Evie glanced at her watch. Four-fifteen. She was already late for her meeting with Faith.
    “I suppose it’s all right.”
    “Great.” Seth flashed an engaging smile and followed her inside. Evie led the way past the kitchen to the room her dad had converted into an office when he’d moved in.
    “Here you—” Evie turned the doorknob and frowned. It was