Forever by Your Side (Willamette Brides #3) - Tracie Peterson Page 0,63
his father, but now he wants no part of it. He’s angry at God.”
“You can’t be angry at God if you don’t believe in Him,” Faith declared. “I think your husband is just angry. He probably feels that God has let him down—hasn’t treated him fairly. God can work on his heart. You must pray for him.”
“We will pray for him too,” Connie said, remembering how angry Samson Sheridan had been when she and Tom tried to talk to him. Only love could quell anger. Perhaps the love she showed to Ruth would be a start. She smiled and rubbed her hands together. “I’m looking forward to helping you with the baby clothes. I helped sew a baby quilt just a few months back. I’m also very good at embroidering. Perhaps I could embroider some of your family’s basket patterns on the gowns.”
“You can do that?” Ruth asked in awe.
“I believe I can.” Connie gave her a smile. “I can do this for my new friend.”
“But they didn’t have a date for when this war would begin?” Tom asked as Connie explained what they’d learned at Ann’s house.
“No, but they felt it would be soon. Ann told me that if she heard when the men would next be at the river to receive guns and whiskey, she would tell me.”
Tom glanced toward the sky. It would soon be dark. He’d convinced Connie to take a walk with him, but there had been plenty of light then. “I think we should get back to the house.” He looked around. They were farther from the house than he’d intended.
Connie followed suit, scanning their surroundings. “Are you worried something will happen to us?”
“I can’t rule it out. It would be foolish to remain out here, just the two of us.” Without thought to what he was doing, he took Connie’s hand. “Come on.”
She looked at him oddly but said nothing. In fact, she was strangely silent until they reached her parents’ house. She was trembling by the time he let go of her hand.
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said. Connie crossed her arms over her chest, and he continued. “I know it won’t sit well with you, but I think you shouldn’t travel away from the house alone. In fact, I think we should probably start carrying a gun with us when we go around the reservation.”
Still she said nothing.
Tom took a small step closer to her. “Don’t worry. You should pray too. You once told me that God brought us here for a reason. If that’s true, I don’t think it was for us to die in a massacre.”
“Have you changed your mind about God? You sound almost as if you believe He exists.”
“I have to admit your father is very persuasive. I think I convinced myself there was no God because so many people were suffering. I couldn’t understand how there could be a good God who would stand by and allow such evil in the world. If God can do anything—then why not offer unconditional protection to those who choose to serve Him?”
“I’ve never heard you even allow for the possibility that God exists, much less consider His actions.”
He smiled. “Like I said, your father is very persuasive and learned. I can’t say that I’m ready to accept all that you believe, but I’m spending a lot of time reading Scriptures and trying to be open-minded.”
“I’m amazed by that and, well, happy. I don’t want you to go to hell. It bothers me a lot to think that someone I care for would be lost.”
Her words touched him. “Well, maybe from time to time you can start talking to me again about all that stuff you used to tell me when you were just a child. I remember quite vividly that you always quoted one verse in particular.”
She nodded. “Romans ten. ‘That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.’ I remember it well. I remember your response too.”
“I’m afraid to imagine what it was.” Tom tried his best to remember.
“‘If it was that simple, Connie, everyone would do it . . . everyone who was willing to believe the fairy tale that God really exists.’” She shook her head. “You used to frustrate me so much. I prayed for you all the time—that God would open your eyes before it was too late.”