Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers Read Free Book Online Page A

Rab. I’ll fix the kid up real pretty.
    You go get yourself a drink and come back later. She’ll be all ready for you.”
    He went, and Stella rummaged through her wardrobe until she found some-38
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    thing soft and pink. “I’ll be right back,” she said and took a bucket to get water. When she came back, she warmed some in a pot. “Now, you wash good. No man wants a dirty girl.” Sarah did what she was told, fear growing in her belly.
    Stella washed her hair with the rest of the water. “You’ve the prettiest hair I ever did see. It’s just like sunshine. And you’ve got pretty blue eyes, too.”
    The woman altered the pink shirtwaist and braided Sarah’s hair with blue ribbons. Sarah remembered Mama doing the same thing when they lived at the country cottage. Or had she dreamed that time? Stella put pink paint on Sarah’s cold cheeks and lips and rubbed it in gently. “You’re so pale.
    Don’t be scared, sweetie. Who’d hurt a pretty little angel like you?”
    Rab came back the next day, drunk and no coins jingling in his pocket.
    His eyes were wide, blank, and full of confused pain. “Hello, kid. I guess this is it, huh?”
    She hugged him tightly. “Don’t send me away, Rab. Keep me with you.
    You be my father.”
    “Yeah? And what am I going to do with a kid, huh?” He pried her loose and looked down at her with a sad smile. “I got enough problems.”
    “You won’t have to do anything. I can take care of myself. I can take care of you.”
    “How you gonna do that? You ain’t old enough to do nothing worth money. You going to steal like me? No. You move in with Money-Pockets and have the good life. Now, come on.”
    They walked a long time. It was getting dark. Sarah was afraid of the shadows and clung tightly to Rab’s hand. They passed saloons filled with loud music and shouting and singing. They went down streets lined with houses, big fancy houses, the likes of which she had never seen before. The lit windows looked like great glowing eyes following her every movement.
    She didn’t belong, and they knew it and wanted her gone. Shivering, Sarah hung close to Rab’s side as he asked men directions, showing them the slip of wrinkled paper.
    Sarah’s legs ached and her stomach growled. Rab stopped and looked up at the big house flanked by others that were similar. “Ain’t this a grand place!” He stared in awe.
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    No flowers. Stone. Cold. Dark. Sarah was too exhausted to care and sat down on the bottom step, miserable, wishing she were back in the shack by the docks with the smell of the sea drifting in on the tide.
    “Come on, kid. Couple more steps and you’re home,” Rab said, pulling her up. She stared fearfully at the huge brass lion head that was on the door.
    Rab took the ring that was held in its bared fangs and banged it against the door. “Fancy,” he said.
    A man in a dark suit opened the door and gave Rab a derisive lookover.
    Rab handed him the paper before he could close the door in his face. The man studied it, then opened the door wide enough for them to enter. “This way,” he said coolly.
    Inside it was warm and smelled sweet. A wide room opened before Sarah, and in it lay a glorious flowered carpet on a shining wood floor.
    Above were sparkling jewel lights. She had never seen anything so fine.
    Heaven must be something like this, she thought wonderingly.
    A red-haired woman with dark eyes and a full, red mouth came to greet them. She was wearing a beautiful black dress with jet beads winking over her shoulders and full breasts. She looked down at Sarah and frowned slightly. Her eyes flashed at Rab and then met Sarah’s again more gently. She bent and extended her hand. “My name is Sally. What’s yours, honey?”
    Sarah just looked at her and drew back behind Rab.
    “She’s shy,” Rab said apologetically.