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Chapters (64)
  1. Cover
  2. PRAISE FOR JANICE CANTORE
  3. Map of Rogue’s Hollow
  4. Dedication
  5. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  6. Epigraph
  7. PROLOGUE
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. 50
  58. 51
  59. 52
  60. 53
  61. EPILOGUE
  62. 1
  63. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  64. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

“No, but he’s never happy. I texted my mom. She’s coming to stay with me until he gets back.”

“Good,” Oliver said as he frowned after the truck. What was up with Garrett Cooper?

15

Oliver’s next meeting with Don Cherry was tempered by the fact that it was likely going to be his last. Federal authorities were ready to move him, and it could happen any day.

“How do you feel about the move?” Oliver asked as they settled into their routine of conversation before Bible study.

He held his hands out, palms up. “What’s to feel? It’s gonna happen. I have to remember that the Lord goes with me wherever I go, no matter what.”

“Glad to hear you say that.” Oliver was happy with the transformation he’d seen in Don Cherry. It was genuine—the man read his Bible, prayed, but most of all his demeanor was convincing. The hard, menacing man Oliver had met months ago was different. He was polite and respectful to all law enforcement personnel. More than one had mentioned to Oliver that they didn’t mind Cherry at all; they liked having him around because he was easy to deal with and never gave them trouble. That was what true faith was supposed to do: transform people.

“Thank you, padre, for all that you’ve done for me.”

“I can’t take all the credit—you know that—but you can thank me by keeping up with your studies and letting me know what’s next on your journey.”

“I will. I have something I’ve never had before. Peace. I know I’ll be okay, no matter what.”

“Amen.”

Oliver opened his Bible for their last Bible study, thankful that he’d been privileged to walk this journey with Don Cherry.

–––

Tess checked the clock as she walked into her house. A quarter to six. She’d wanted to make it home earlier, but like always, something popped up at the station that delayed her.

One week into the cleanup, and one of the guys on the crew had been fired when he was discovered looting. One of the burned-out houses had a shed that survived, and the man pried open the lock and removed some small tools. Bender caught him while doing an impromptu drive-by. The man was fired and cited because there was no room in the jail to keep him, but the incident made Tess regret she hadn’t forced the issue of background checks for the temp crew. But the manual labor was necessary because of the topography of the Hollow, bordered as it was by steep mountains on one side and the Rogue River on the other. She’d been guardedly happy that Mayor Horning stepped up and designated funds for it.