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Back The Land Beneath Us Save as PDF
Chapters (62)
  1. Cover
  2. Endorsements
  3. Books by Sarah Sundin
  4. Title Page
  5. Copyright Page
  6. Presidential Radio Broadcast
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. Epilogue
  58. Acknowledgments
  59. Discussion Questions
  60. About the Author
  61. Back Ads
  62. Back Cover

Her brown eyes rounded. “I—I won’t.”

Clay fingered the pages of the book. “I used to want to be a physician.”

“Oh, but then you were drafted.”

If only he’d been drafted earlier. “The Army didn’t kill that dream. My brothers did.”

“Your brothers?”

Clay drew a long breath and rolled his shoulders. “Half brothers. I worked for my daddy for two years after high school to earn my tuition money. I was accepted into the University of Texas, premed, but my brother stole my savings.”

Leah gasped. “Your brother? But why?”

Why had he brought this up? He’d never even told Gene this story. Clay shifted in his chair. “Back in ’41, my brother Adler’s fiancée died in a fall. It was an accident, but Adler blamed our oldest brother, Wyatt, and tried to kill him.”

“Oh no. How awful.”

Clay rubbed a page between his fingers. “I tackled Adler so Wyatt could escape. Reckon Wyatt feared for his life and wanted money to get away. So he took mine, every penny of it.”

“He never paid you back?”

“Haven’t seen hide nor hair of him since. Haven’t wanted to.”

Leah frowned at the medical guide. “And you couldn’t afford college.”

“Worse. I had to keep working at Paxton Trucking. Adler ran away that night too, and Daddy needed my help.”

“He ran away too? Because of his girlfriend?”

“Because of—” Clay almost said, “Because of mine,” but Leah was too young and innocent for that sordid tale. “Because he took out his anger on me in the worst possible way. He’ll never come home again, and that’s for the best.”

Leah’s gaze grew distant. “I can see why you haven’t been able to forgive them.”

Clay’s chin jerked back. “I’ve forgiven them.”

“You have?”

“Of course. I forgave them long ago.”

“I’m glad.” She raised a twitchy smile, then glanced over her shoulder and stood. “I should return to work.”

“Yeah.” Clay’s stomach lurched. Of course he’d forgiven them. He’d prayed that prayer more than once in the last two years.

Leah grasped the handle of her cart. “No matter what happened in my life, I could always find one good thing to enjoy—a beautiful word, a sunset, a song. I’m glad you’ve found your good thing.” With a serene smile, she patted the medical book and went her way.

Clay flipped the book shut. Why did he suddenly feel like the lost puppy?

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3

TULLAHOMA
MONDAY, JUNE 21, 1943

The saleslady whisked the pile of dresses and suits from over the top of Leah’s dressing room door. “I’ll take these to the cash register, hon.”

“Decadent,” Leah said.

“Decadent?” Darlene Bishop’s laugh floated over the door. “You only bought four outfits today, including the dress you’re wearing home. With the suit you bought last week, that’s only five.”