Read Online His Brother's Bride by Denise Hunter - Free Book Online

relationship, but he wanted it to be true regardless.
    â€œYou don’t mind then?” Hope lit the velvet brown of her eyes.
    His thoughts, scattered as a whirlwind, missed her meaning.
    â€œIf he calls me ‘Ma,’ I mean,” she said.
    He shook his head. “I think that’d be best.”
    She gave a short nod and picked up her sewing. Somehow, allowing her to be a real mother to his son made him wonder what it would be like if she became a real wife to him. His gut clenched. With a clamped jaw and a tenacious spirit, he tried to call up pictures of Ingrid. Pictures of their own wedding, of her standing over a hot griddle, of her reading by lantern light. Deep down, in the shadows of his mind, he admitted that these days, those pictures were fading from his memory. And he wondered what would take their place.
    â§
    That night before Emily snuggled up under her quilts, she pulled her diary from its drawer and sat back against her pillows.
    Dear Diary,
    What an eventful day this has been! Quite by happenstance, I found the map under a step on the porch. It is, unfortunately, damaged by water and weather, but it gives me the general idea of the gold’s hiding place which is more than I had before.
    Awhile ago, while I tucked Adam into bed, he called me “Ma” for the first time. My heart wanted to weep with joy. He is the child I always longed for, and though I didn’t carry him in my womb, he is every bit the child of my heart. It was distressing for Cade to hear his son call me “Ma,” but now, I think, he has decided it’s best.
    I’m hope this will bring our little family closer together. For right now, I don’t feel like we’re a family at all, but rather like three people sharing the same abode. I can’t help but think Adam feels this too. Perhaps with time, Cade’s heart will soften toward me, and we will be a real family at last.

Eight
    Dear Uncle Stewart,
    I have good news for you. I found the map that Quincy Manning hid. It was beneath the porch for all these years. Although it has significant water damage, I was able to tell the general direction to search for the gold. It looks as if they buried it in a cave. I have inquired of Cade about the caves on his property as much as I can, but I don’t want him to become suspicious. Because of the map’s condition, I’m not sure how many caves there are to search, but most of them appear to have numerous tunnels.
    Though the summer is well under way, I’m hopeful that I will meet your deadline. When I find the gold, I will notify you right away. Perhaps then Nana can come here, and you won’t be burdened with her care any longer. Please take good care of her for me and give her my love.
    Sincerely,
    Emily
    Emily stashed the letter in the envelope and sealed it. A dose of guilt trickled through her veins, and she knew Sunday’s sermon was the cause of it. Had Reverend Hill’s sermon on Potiphar’s wife been just for her? It had been awhile since she’d heard the story of Joseph and how Potiphar’s wife had tried to seduce him. Although Joseph had turned her away, she deceived her husband and told him Joseph had tried to seduce her. The sermon had focused on how God had blessed Joseph regardless of the evil done against him, but a different point poked Emily in the heart. She was deceiving her own husband just like Potiphar’s wife had.
    But this is different. I’m doing it for Nana’s sake. Potiphar’s wife was doing it for her own selfishness.
    It wasn’t as if Emily was after the gold herself. She wanted nothing to do with the stolen gold. She wanted only Nana’s safety.
    But I’m deceiving Cade.
    She couldn’t get around that no matter how hard she tried. Did the end justify the means? It was a question she wasn’t sure how to answer. She felt like the raccoon she’d seen two dogs chase up a tree this week. What choice