Read Online Turner's Rainbow 2 - The Rainbow Promise by Lisa Gregory - Free Book Online Page A

glowed with color, and her eyes danced. She practically vibrated with suppressed excitement. He started to smile. "What is it?"
    "What?" Sarah returned innocently.
    The smile gained a definite hold on Luke's mouth. He enjoyed looking at Sarah like this, all pink and bubbling. "Something's afoot. What is it?"
    "I don't know why you'd think that."
    "Those children you just hid inside the house, for one thing. They obviously don't belong to the man in the barn. Who are they? Why are they here?"
    Sarah chuckled. "I'm not going to tell you yet. You have another visitor, too. Why don't you come inside?"
    Luke couldn't imagine who could engender such eagerness in Sarah, but he followed her into the house without another word. When she smiled at him like that, he would have followed her anywhere.
    When they stepped inside, Sarah took his hand and whisked him through the dining room into the front hall, where he had a full view of the staircase. A woman was coming down the stairs, and she froze in mid-motion when she saw him. She said nothing, simply looked at him, and it was a moment before Luke could say anything, either—or even move.
    "Julie?" The word came out softly, wonderingly. It couldn't really be her. It had been so long.
    She nodded. She looked almost scared. Luke was so different from the sixteen-year-old boy Julia remembered. His frame was still wiry, but he had fleshed out. He was a man now. Still handsome enough to sing birds out of the trees—maybe even better looking—but not the same. His face was older, with lines of experience that hadn't been there before, but, curiously, it was not harder. The old pugnacious look and the wary, defiant air were gone. His stance was open and at ease, and his face was almost peaceful. I don't know you . Tears formed in Julia's eyes, and she wasn't sure whether she was happy for Luke or sad for herself.
    Luke moved, breaking the tableau. "Julie!" He broke into a grin and hurried toward her, his arms extended. There was no mistaking the elation in his voice, the intermingled joy and amazement. "Julie!"
    Julia giggled and flung herself into his arms. He squeezed her to him and whirled around, lifting her up off the floor. Julia held on tightly, closing her eyes, shutting out the rest of the world for that brief instant of love and safety. "Oh, Luke."
    Julia's tears started in earnest then. Luke set her down and stepped back, holding her at arm's length to look at her. "I can't believe it! It's really you! I never thought I'd—" He pulled her back for another hug, laughing. "Oh, Julie!"
    She could do nothing but laugh and cry and hold him and try to look at him, all at once. He hugged her so hard it hurt. He looked over her head at Sarah. "Did you know about this?"
    Sarah smiling mistily, shook her head, "Not until this afternoon."
    "Julie, what's happened? What are you doing here? Oh, hell! Forget that. Just let me look at you. Are you all right? Are you sick or anything?"
    "No. I'm fine, really. Just a little tired."
    "I can't believe—it's been so long."
    "Eleven years."
    "Eleven years. You're still beautiful."
    "Then you're still a liar." Julia smiled up at him, wiping the tears from her cheeks. But, Sarah thought, with that glow on Julia's face as she gazed at Luke, she did look beautiful, despite her tiredness and lack of care.
    "God, I'm glad you're here."
    "My children are with me," She turned to where Bonnie and Vance stood, staring wide-eyed at the scene before them. "Bonnie, Vance, come here. Meet your Uncle Luke."
    "Your children," Luke stared at them. Of course, he'd known she had children, had to have had since she'd been pregnant when she left home. But somehow the idea had never had much reality. "Hello, there." Luke squatted down on their level. "I'm your uncle." They nodded silently, not sure what to say to this man. "I'm pleased to meet you."
    "Children," their mother said meaningfully.
    "Pleased to meet you," they chorused, and Luke grinned.
    "I see she's got