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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

“Keep . . . ? No. I already decided to give her up. I know it’s the right thing to do.”

“This is better. Think about it. I told you about my dream, how I know I’m going to die soon.”

“Clay—”

“Hear me out. Please.” He couldn’t stop pacing. “That dream frees us to marry. Frees us.”

“You shouldn’t talk like that.”

Clay had to make her see. “While I’m alive, you’ll receive an allotment as my wife. It isn’t much, but it’s enough to support you and the baby. You won’t have to work. You won’t have to find someone to watch the baby.”

Leah pressed both hands to her cheeks and lowered her chin, shaking her head. But she didn’t cover her ears.

Clay took a step closer. “When I die, you’ll receive my GI life insurance. Ten thousand dollars. That’s—”

“No!” She jerked her head up. “Ten thou—Clay, that should go to your family.”

He grinned. “Don’t you see? Marry me, and you’ll be my family, you and the baby. That much money will keep you going five, six years. By then she’ll be in school and you can work. Or you can marry again, of course. You’re set for life.”

She clutched the blanket in a tight roll across her lap, her lips pressed together. “What if you live?”

“I won’t.”

“What if you do?” She raised stricken eyes to him. “I believe you about the dream, but what if you are wrong? What if you live—and I hope you do, I really do. What then? You’d be burdened with a wife you didn’t love.”

And she’d be burdened with a husband she didn’t love.

Clay groaned and clamped one hand around the back of his neck. He wasn’t going to survive, but he had to pacify her. “All right then. If I survive—but I know I won’t—then we’ll get divorced. I—I’ll say I met someone else and cheated on you, so you can divorce me. I’ll still provide for you.”

“How can you say that?” Sparks flashed in those brown eyes. “How can you treat marriage so lightly? Marriage is a sacred bond, a promise before God and man.”

This was going horribly wrong. He stared at the ceiling and sighed. “I’m not. I promise I’m not. But I know that isn’t going to happen. I know beyond a doubt that I’m going to die.”

“I don’t like it at all. It’s an awful reason to get married.”

“Is it?” He lowered his gaze to her. “One of the reasons God created marriage was to care for mothers and children. That’s what I want to do. I want to care for you and your baby. I want you to raise that baby yourself as you should.”