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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

Out of all the misery, a laugh escaped. “I’d like to see you try.”

Wyatt elbowed Adler. “You’d better do it now when he’s weak from getting shot, because—hooey!—look at those arms.”

“Yeah. What did they feed you in the Rangers? Better than the slop we get at the airfield.”

Healing warmth flowed through his heart and lungs and veins. “I want to hear. Tell me. Tell me your stories.”

ch-fig1

46

TULLAHOMA
THURSDAY, JULY 20, 1944

Leah savored Clay’s handwriting as she walked down Jackson Street in the balmy summer evening. Since Rita Sue was watching Helen, Leah’s hands were free to hold the precious stationery.

If only she could have seen the reunion of the Paxton brothers! Clay’s letter overflowed with the joy of reconciliation.

On the final page he said he’d be returning stateside for more training—although he didn’t say what sort.

In his letters, he’d only told her a few details about what had happened in France—that he’d scaled the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc on D-day and had taken a bullet through the chest the next morning.

Leah pressed her hand over the scar on her chest, over a year old now. How much worse for Clay to have taken a bullet.

But something strange stood out to her. Not once since D-day had he mentioned his recurring dream, even though she’d asked about it. Had it failed to come to pass?

Then the last paragraph—how it destroyed her heart each time she read it: “I’m looking forward to seeing you and to meeting Little Miss Helen. We have a lot to talk about, you and I.”

Any other wife would thrill to the thought of sweet words murmured in her ear. But Leah knew they had to talk about lawyers and papers and alimony and other horrible things.

Leah kissed the letter and folded it. She could stop the divorce with three little words—I love you. Part of her wanted to say them, shout them, and free them from her heart.

If he knew she’d fallen in love with him, he’d feel obligated to stay married to her, honorable man that he was.

As much as she wanted him to stay, she didn’t want him to stay out of obligation and honor. Manipulating him with her feelings would be as selfish as declaring herself to her sisters would have been.

Loving Clay meant releasing him, and loving God meant trusting him to provide.

Leah tucked the letter in her purse and entered the Coffee Children’s Home for the board meeting. Children ran out from the dining room to greet her. She hugged them all, then sent them back to finish their homework.