By His Hand: Truly Yours Digital Edition by Jennifer Johnson Read Free Book Online

coop.” He pointed toward the building.
    “Oh.” Victoria furrowed her brow. “I helped her with that this morning and didn’t even realize what we were doing.”
    Her sincerity struck Chris as funny and he laughed. “It’s all new to you, huh.”
    Victoria shrugged and smiled, exposing straight teeth, whiter than he’d ever seen. “Yep, but I’m enjoying it.” Her light eyes danced as she scanned the land around him. “I think I could get used to all this. I’ve never seen so much green and blue in all my life.”
    Chris followed her gaze and wondered if he took nature’s beauty for granted. Looking back at Victoria and the childlike awe in her expression, he knew he did.
    “Do you think God likes blue and green the best?”
    “I’m not sure.”
    “Have you ever noticed how so much of nature is colored in some shade of the two? I’d never realized it before.”
    “Can’t say that I’ve paid much attention either.” Chris smiled and stepped closer to the porch, feeling drawn to her innocence. For a moment, he wanted to see things from her eyes. He wanted to get to know her more, to find out what she was thinking and what made her think that way. He wanted to ask how her heart felt about the God he served. Could she be as sold out as he wanted to be?
    She blushed again and backed up toward the door. “I’m sorry. Sometimes I say the silliest things. I better go and see if Sondra needs any help.”
    Knocked back into reality, Chris shook his head and looked down at the figures he held. “I also wanted to give you the estimate for fixing my car.”
    Her expression fell, and her eyes clouded. “O–kay.”
    The weight lodged in his gut again, seeming to hold his breath beneath it. Something strong and fierce told him that she would not be able to pay to fix Mary Ann, and he would spend the next two or three years raising the money to do it himself.
    Sondra walked out onto the porch. “Chris, how nice to see you. Come on inside.”
    Chris shook his head. “I just came to bring you some milk and pick up the eggs for the food bank. Give Victoria my figures, as well.” He handed the paper to Victoria. “They’re low. I only put the cost of parts on there since I’ll do the labor myself. Your insurance company shouldn’t have a problem.”
    “O–kay.” Victoria took the paper from him. Her eyes widened as she scanned the page.
    Sondra nudged her shoulder. “You need to tell him.”
    Chris looked from Sondra to Victoria. Victoria’s eyes swelled with emotion for a moment, but she quickly blinked it away. Something in him longed to touch her cheek and tell her everything would be all right. He shook his head. He didn’t even know the woman, except that she was a disaster waiting to happen. And he could sense the wait was about to end … again.

     
    Victoria glanced at her sister-in-law.
    “Just be honest with him. He’s a great guy,” Sondra whispered.
    She turned to Chris. “I’ve gotta check on the kids. I’ll let you two talk.”
    Victoria glanced at Chris. The snarl on his face compared to that of a bulldog. She just couldn’t quite see the “great guy” Sondra kept talking about. Every time Victoria spoke with him, it was under a large amount of tension. Admittedly, tension caused by her, but it made her nervous nonetheless.
    “So what’s going on?” Chris said the words with what could only be described as vehement dread.
    Victoria inhaled and straightened her shoulders. She would not feel inferior to this man. The accident was her fault. Her circumstances were not. She would do what she could, in whatever way she could, to make things right. After all, she had the Creator of the universe to turn to for guidance, and He never failed her. She smiled. “Would you like to have a seat?” She pointed to one of the rocking chairs on the porch. Lifting her cup, she added, “Maybe a cup of coffee?”
    Chris frowned and the snarl deepened.
The Dukes of Hazzard
hunk had transformed