Page 119 of Lee

Lee might have thought he didn’t have a gift for her, but the gift of his love was worth more than anything else he could have given her.

As their kiss ended with one last gentle brush of their lips, Rori kept her face close to his. In the quiet of the warm night, she whispered her love for him, and when he whispered it back, Rori tucked her head into the curve of his neck.

And if a few tears fell, she refused to be embarrassed about them. She might still be shedding tears, but there was no hurt in these. And she knew Lee would understand that.

He’d already proven that she could trust him with her tears—good and bad—so she did.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

The next morning, Rori got up and checked her phone to see if Essie had responded to her text the previous evening.

After experiencing the deep love and care of the Halverson family and friends the previous evening, Rori knew in her heart that it was because they were reflecting their Heavenly Father. Just like Layla and Amelia had reflected the love and care of their parents.

And she desperately wanted to know the God who inspired such love and devotion. She wanted her life to reflect Him, the way Lee and his siblings’ lives were.

Essie: Yep. Come on out any time in the morning. We going into CDA in the afternoon, but my morning is free.

I’ll be there around ten. This time I won’t cancel!

After she replied, Rori took a quick shower, then dressed in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Lee had invited her to hang out at their place that afternoon. Apparently, they were doing some work in the yard. That had sounded like a great idea, mainly because it meant she could hang out more with Lee.

But first, she needed to have that conversation with Essie.

As she drove down the driveway that led onto her mom’s husband’s property, Rori hoped they didn’t spot her. Not because she didn’t want them to see her, necessarily. But if her mom realized she was there to visit Essie, it might not go over well.

Essie and Al’s home was by the stables and wasn’t anywhere near as big as the main house. But it was cozy, and Rori thought it suited the pair perfectly.

Essie greeted her with a warm smile, then took her into the kitchen, where it was clear from the aromas in the air that she was baking.

“Your boss is with Al,” Essie said.

Rori frowned. “Is there a problem with an animal?”

“Mr. Cannon’s favorite horse is in labor, so he wants the vet to be here.”

It reminded her of how she and Lee had met Carisa.

And it seemed that the woman was determined to become Rori’s friend. Where Rori might have once been more cautious, she was now definitely more open to a friendship with Carisa.

“Would you like some coffee?” Essie asked. “To go with your cinnamon bun?”

Rori grinned as she took a seat on a stool at the pass-through counter. It gave her the perfect view of the cinnamon roll Essie had put on a plate.

“I think coffee is a must with that.”

After Essie had given Rori a large mug of coffee and the plate, she returned to the dough she had been working with.

“What are you making?”

“This is sourdough bread. I’m taking a loaf, along with cinnamon buns, to my daughter.”

“Oh, I’m sure she’ll like that.”

“Yep. She’s a bread-lover.” Essie dropped the dough into a large ceramic bowl, smooth side up. “So, what’s up?”

Knowing she didn’t have a lot of time with Essie, Rori got right to the point. “I need you to tell me how to become a Christian.”

Essie had been scoring the top of the bread, but at Rori’s words, she paused and looked at her, eyebrows raised. “Really?”

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