Page 97 of Long Road Home

Alice swiped her cheek with the back of her hand. “My husband will find out I went behind his back. That I deceived him.”

And an innocent woman would go to prison because too many secrets had been kept. Because someone was trying to frame Forrest, and the people who knew the truth stayed silent.

She didn’t fault Alice for wanting to keep the peace in her marriage. But the cost on this one would be high.

Kenna had to figure out how to get Alice and Reuben to give a statement that Forrest was with them. They might be the only ones who could give the lawyer what was needed to get the charges dropped. Would it prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Forrest hadn’t been able to even leave poison for Bruce to succumb to later in the morning? Or would there still be work to do?

“Reuben and I feel terrible. We know we can help.” Alice bit her lip again.

“You can,” Kenna said. “There are times when we are powerless in a situation.” Like with the gun battle that sounded like it was going on outside, and the fact neither of them could go and help. “And times when we hold the ability to change someone’s fate.”

Like Kenna had with Marion Wells’ latest victim. She hadn’t been here years ago to save Rebekah the same way, but one life hadn’t been lost.

“Lord, help us.” Alice whispered the words.

“Give us wisdom, O Lord our God.” Kenna closed her eyes for a second. “Protect those outside. Help us to be a force for truth in the world. To stand for justice.”

“To love mercy. To walk humbly, not full of pride.”

“Amen.” Kenna gave her a gentle squeeze on her shoulder. She didn’t know how Mr. Merrington would react to finding out that his son was continuing to write. Getting tutelage from an author. The situation might cause a rift in this close family who stood together against the world.

But the truth would quite literally set Forrest free.

Alice said, “Gauze and tape, please.”

Kenna set down the flashlight and gathered the items from the bag, tearing gauze pads out of their packets and readying the tape. As soon as she could, she peered out between the curtains. “How many children do you have, Alice?”

“Eight. Rebekah was my oldest, then three boys. Then two girls, and then another boy and a girl—the youngest is three.”

“I saw two, they’re beautiful.”

“They are precious in the sight of God. No matter their appearance.”

Kenna turned to the mother. “It was just an expression.” She certainly hadn’t meant that ugly children somehow had less value. Who even could be the judge of what physical beauty was? Everyone on earth was different. Kenna had physical imperfections, not just scars. No one was free of something they didn’t want to change.

“In this day and age, it’s important to be reminded that outward beauty doesn’t count for much. Inner beauty is far more valuable. Kindness, empathy. Hope. Grace.” Perhaps Alice needed an entirely different kind of distraction from the peril going on outside. She needed to talk about her children, something Kenna didn’t know much about.

“I think the shooting stopped,” Kenna said.

“Justice.”

Kenna frowned. “What about it?”

Didn’t everyone want to be judged fairly, or for things in life to be balanced? That was a big reason for her why she believed in God. After all, justice wasn’t often found in life. She had to believe that if it was so strong in her to want it, then it had to be foundsomewhere.And she had—by hoping in God and the justice she would find with Him the same way everyone would. Face-to-face.Oh, the grace that brought me to the fold. Wondrous grace that brought me to the fold.

“Your heart is evident.” Alice paused. “I’m grateful to God that life didn’t take that from you.” Her voice hushed, she added, “I hope you never know the pain of losing a child.”

Kenna stared at her.

Alice’s eyes sparked with tears.

“Maybe we are more alike than either of us realized,” Kenna said, her voice thick. “But I never got the chance to feel my child grow. To nurture that life. Or raise that person.”

“And yet you still have hope?”

Kenna wasn’t going to tell her that it had been seriouslytouch and go for a while. That her shattered heart nearly hadn’t made it.

“Your life has moved on.”

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