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Back Carved in Stone Save as PDF
Chapters (52)
  1. Half Title Page
  2. Books by Elizabeth Camden
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright Page
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. Historical Note
  48. Questions for Discussion
  49. Coming 2022
  50. About the Author
  51. Back Ads
  52. Back Cover

“At least when Mick was around, things weren’t so bad,” Liam finally said. “Mick was always kind of funny and could talk Crocket out of a bad mood, but Ma couldn’t stand up to either one of them. She let me grow up in that house even though she knew the truth.”

Liam looked around, gesturing to the elegant furnishings and vaulted ceiling of the spacious bedroom. “And now I’ve wandered into all this. Money and power and a cozy life. How am I supposed to sleep at night, knowing my mother is still in that grubby row house with a leaky roof? I love her, but I’m mad at her too. I want to buy her a decent house, give her the key, and then walk out of her life forever. The thought of seeing her again and pretending that everything is forgiven is more than I can stand, and I hate, hate, hate feeling this way.”

Patrick thought carefully before responding. Liam wouldn’t be normal if he wasn’t struggling with anger and betrayal in light of everything that had happened to him.

“It’s not a sin to be angry. It’s how you respond to it that matters,” he said. “Liam, you just learned the truth three weeks ago. Take some time to come to grips with things before you cut your mother out of your life. She had to live with the same monster who terrorized you. Buy her a house if it will make you feel better—I can help with the legal part of that—but quit beating yourself up because you’re angry. You’ve got a right to be mad, but I want you to know that God was with you through it all, even when you couldn’t see him. And he’s here now, so don’t do anything stupid like vowing to cut your mother out of your life because she had human failings, okay?”

Liam gave a short, bitter laugh, but when he spoke again, there was a note of humor in his voice. “How come you always know the right things to say?”

“It’s a gift,” Patrick said casually. “You should listen to me more often.”

Liam scrubbed a hand across his face as though to banish the old memories, and a spark of energy lit his eyes. “Yeah, okay. Let’s head downstairs and figure out how we’re going to claw my ten percent back from Oscar Blackstone.”

Patrick nodded but silently prayed Liam had heard his counsel, because the sort of bitterness he’d expressed this morning could rise up to strangle a man if he didn’t learn to master it.

28

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