Page 45 of The Truth

What they had done.

Judah had takenthe Truth.Father Rei had told him he was the keeper of the Hope Life Truth.

Judah… said it was what he had been called todo.

No matter what their father said now.

34

Cam’s partnershowed up at the Ranch for dinner, along with Kyra’s father Bert and her stepmother. It put Emerson on edge immediately. Gunn was torn between acting as a buffer for his friend, and spending time with Ayla and his family. But after one look at his friend’s face—Emerson’s needs won out.

He washurtingso much.

And Gunn didn’t know how to fix it.

The crowd at the ranch was a large one—they had people in every available space imaginable. But his family had built this house to shelter as many friends and family as it could. They all somehow fit.

They were all sitting down to eat when the door opened.

Guthrie was there. He’d gotten called back to the hospital for an emergency birth—there were a lot of babies being born in Value lately, Gunn thought. But Guthrie wasn’t alone.

Guthrie strolled into the middle of the dining room—where most of their guests and family were sitting, including Gunn’s parents, and all of Ronnie’s siblings and their families—and called for attention. It really wasn’t needed. “I want to introduce you all to Mr. Georgiano Maxwell Hiller the fourth, and MiraAubrey Hiller, the one and only. Everyone, the newest Hiller babies.”

“Lake Monsters. It’s a given,” Cam had to add.

George and Ronnie and the babies had arrived.

In the commotion even though he thought everyone had alreadymetthe babies at one time or another, Gunn saw movement out of the corner of his eye.

Emerson was heading for the patio door.

Gunn just followed.

Then he was outside and just watching his closest friend on the planet. Just waiting.

“You are really lucky,” Emerson finally said. “I didn’t havethat.”

“I know.” Emerson had told him a few things. About how his father had been. Autocratic, demanding, borderlinecruel,to his sons. He’d liked it when they’d won or triumphed over competitors, liked it when they’d fought. Said it had mademenout of them in a world gone soft. He’d be more likely to slap his sons than to hug them.

To Gunn, it had sounded abusive. But Emerson had never come out and said that. He didn’t know if his friend ever would.

“I thank God for my family and my friends, my community, every single day.”

“Iwantthat. I want to find a woman to love the way your brothers love those women in there. I want a house full of kids of my own. I want to come home to something different than the TV every night, and occasional burger with my brother.”

“I understand that.”

“I don’t know how much longer I can lead my church, Gunn. I don’t know that I’m still the right man for the job.”

“Have you prayed about it?” His blood chilled at the look in Emerson’s eyes. At the confusion, the pain.

“Until my knees are raw.”

“And? What is your heart telling you?”

“Just to keep getting out of bed every day. To just keep going. Helping people where I can. But… I’m angry. So angry sometimes I can’t see straight.”

“With God? With Rei and his followers? Or with yourself?”

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