Read Online Bridge to Haven by Francine Rivers - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Francine Rivers
Tags: Fiction - General
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the bell tower chimed. The song ended. Joshua let her go. “I’d better get you home.”
Abra walked alongside him. The dismal expression he’d seen at the bridge was gone. She looked happy and relaxed, more like the kid she ought to be.
“Are you up to a hike on my next day off?”
“Sure.” She beamed a smile at him. “When will that be?”
“Sunday. And I’m talking about three miles uphill, not a walk around the block.” The truck sputtered and died twice before he got it started. “Are you up to it?”
“I don’t know.” She grinned. “Are you sure you don’t have to work on this piece of junk?”
He grinned back. “Never on a Sunday.”
Joshua knew Dad wouldn’t be home yet. He had said he was driving out to the MacPhersons’ to talk with Gil, who’d been struggling ever since he’d come home from the war. Sadie called every few weeks and asked Dad to come. He never said what it was about, other than Gil had been a medic and saw more than any man should.
Joshua took the mail from the box and headed up the steps, flipping through envelopes. The one at the bottom of the pile, addressed to him, felt like a kick in his stomach.
He set Dad’s mail on the kitchen table, his heart drumming a hard beat, and opened his letter. Refolding it, he slipped it back into the envelope. He looked around and then decided to tuck it into his Bible for safekeeping.
The roar of the Packard sounded. Joshua didn’t want to tell Dad, not yet. He wanted to pray about it and let it soak in first. He needed a little time before he broke the news. He felt like an elephant was sitting on his chest.
Summer suddenly looked a whole lot different from the way he’d envisioned it a couple hours ago while dancing with Abra.
Maybe God wanted to close that door.
CHAPTER 3
Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.
JOHN F. KENNEDY
A BRA WAS PLEASED when Joshua kept his promise and took her for a hike on Sunday afternoon. During the next few weeks, whenever he got off work early, he would pick her up and drive her to Bessie’s for fries and a shake. He told her to stop complaining about Penny and Priscilla and talk to him about books, or what classes she was going to take, or what she wanted to do when she grew up.
Most Sundays they hiked together. He pushed her to keep up, not stopping until she felt like she had a spear in her side and could barely breathe.
“Okay. We’ll stop here.”
She sat, feeling sticky with sweat. Joshua smiled and shrugged off his pack. “Next week, we’re going all the way to the top of the mountain.”
“Assuming I’ll ever take another hike with you.” She flopped onto her back, arms spread.
“A half mile and we’re there. The view will be worth it. I promise.”
“Tell me about it on your way back.” She sat up, opened her canteen, and would have emptied it if he hadn’t taken it away.
“A couple of swallows or you might get sick.” He opened his pack and handed her a sandwich. The peanut butter and jelly had melted into the bread. It tasted like heaven.
She took another couple of swallows of water and looked at him. “You haven’t said much today.”
“I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
“Such as?”
“Hike to the top of the mountain and we’ll talk about it.” His smile teased, but his eyes looked serious. He ate without speaking. He sat right next to her, but seemed to be a thousand miles away.
Abra finished her sandwich and stood. “Let’s go.” He looked up at her as though having second thoughts. “Come on. You said you wanted to make it to the top and show me the view. So let’s go.”
He stuffed the pieces of wax paper into his pack, shouldered it, and took the lead. Abra felt dread nibbling at her as she followed. A quarter of a mile and she was huffing again. Her legs ached. Her feet felt hot inside her red canvas sneakers. Gritting her teeth, she didn’t complain. She felt triumphant when she saw the top. Joshua shrugged off his
Abra walked alongside him. The dismal expression he’d seen at the bridge was gone. She looked happy and relaxed, more like the kid she ought to be.
“Are you up to a hike on my next day off?”
“Sure.” She beamed a smile at him. “When will that be?”
“Sunday. And I’m talking about three miles uphill, not a walk around the block.” The truck sputtered and died twice before he got it started. “Are you up to it?”
“I don’t know.” She grinned. “Are you sure you don’t have to work on this piece of junk?”
He grinned back. “Never on a Sunday.”
Joshua knew Dad wouldn’t be home yet. He had said he was driving out to the MacPhersons’ to talk with Gil, who’d been struggling ever since he’d come home from the war. Sadie called every few weeks and asked Dad to come. He never said what it was about, other than Gil had been a medic and saw more than any man should.
Joshua took the mail from the box and headed up the steps, flipping through envelopes. The one at the bottom of the pile, addressed to him, felt like a kick in his stomach.
He set Dad’s mail on the kitchen table, his heart drumming a hard beat, and opened his letter. Refolding it, he slipped it back into the envelope. He looked around and then decided to tuck it into his Bible for safekeeping.
The roar of the Packard sounded. Joshua didn’t want to tell Dad, not yet. He wanted to pray about it and let it soak in first. He needed a little time before he broke the news. He felt like an elephant was sitting on his chest.
Summer suddenly looked a whole lot different from the way he’d envisioned it a couple hours ago while dancing with Abra.
Maybe God wanted to close that door.
CHAPTER 3
Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.
JOHN F. KENNEDY
A BRA WAS PLEASED when Joshua kept his promise and took her for a hike on Sunday afternoon. During the next few weeks, whenever he got off work early, he would pick her up and drive her to Bessie’s for fries and a shake. He told her to stop complaining about Penny and Priscilla and talk to him about books, or what classes she was going to take, or what she wanted to do when she grew up.
Most Sundays they hiked together. He pushed her to keep up, not stopping until she felt like she had a spear in her side and could barely breathe.
“Okay. We’ll stop here.”
She sat, feeling sticky with sweat. Joshua smiled and shrugged off his pack. “Next week, we’re going all the way to the top of the mountain.”
“Assuming I’ll ever take another hike with you.” She flopped onto her back, arms spread.
“A half mile and we’re there. The view will be worth it. I promise.”
“Tell me about it on your way back.” She sat up, opened her canteen, and would have emptied it if he hadn’t taken it away.
“A couple of swallows or you might get sick.” He opened his pack and handed her a sandwich. The peanut butter and jelly had melted into the bread. It tasted like heaven.
She took another couple of swallows of water and looked at him. “You haven’t said much today.”
“I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
“Such as?”
“Hike to the top of the mountain and we’ll talk about it.” His smile teased, but his eyes looked serious. He ate without speaking. He sat right next to her, but seemed to be a thousand miles away.
Abra finished her sandwich and stood. “Let’s go.” He looked up at her as though having second thoughts. “Come on. You said you wanted to make it to the top and show me the view. So let’s go.”
He stuffed the pieces of wax paper into his pack, shouldered it, and took the lead. Abra felt dread nibbling at her as she followed. A quarter of a mile and she was huffing again. Her legs ached. Her feet felt hot inside her red canvas sneakers. Gritting her teeth, she didn’t complain. She felt triumphant when she saw the top. Joshua shrugged off his
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