Page 93 of Forever After All

Jess was washing a bowl of blueberries when Paul and Linc put their tools away. She pointed to a bag next to her. “Can you give the horses and mules some carrots?”

Linc picked up the bag and headed for the horses that grazed on the far side of the camp. Thunder tried to knock him over to get an extra carrot, and Liberty hesitated before accepting hers. She was a well-trained horse, but she’d gotten so close to Jess that she was wary of anyone else.

When he returned to the fire pit, Jess handed him a bowl of oatmeal along with a plate of blueberries and beef jerky.

“Thanks,” Linc said as he took the food. He didn’t have anything against Vera’s cooking, but he hadn’t been this hungry in a while, and the smell of Jess’s oatmeal had his nose tingling.

She jerked her head to the chairs she’d set up. “Take a load off.”

They ate in silence until Paul’s phone rang. He put the empty bowl aside to pull his phone out of his pocket.

Linc gripped the bowl in his hands like it was a lifeline. Knowing Ava and the baby might be in trouble had stirred up an uneasiness in him. He’d be losing his mind if he was in Jameson’s shoes, or Paul’s, or Mr. Chambers’s.

He listened as Paul gave grunts and asked simple questions. Linc purposely avoided looking Jess’s way. She had to be upset, and he didn’t know what to do to help her or anyone else in this situation.

Paul hung up the call and rubbed a hand over his face. He’d aged ten years in the last six hours. “She’s still at the hospital. They admitted her to keep an eye on her condition. They’ve given her steroids that are supposed to help the baby’s lungs develop in case…”

Jess stood and walked to Paul, who kept his head down. She knelt at his feet and bowed her head. Linc couldn’t hear her words, but her whispered prayer sent chills up his arms and neck.

Life was hanging in the balance, and there wasn’t anything he or anyone else could do about it.

Jess’s prayer got louder. Her bold words were so sure.

Of course, she would stand firm when things were crumbling around her. She had the faith he needed.

Mr. Chambers’s words came back to him. He had to learn from Jess. She knew what she was doing.

And so did the Lord. Jess didn’t pray for everything to work out perfectly. She prayed His will would be done and they’d all have the strength to endure it.

It was the most selfless thing he’d ever heard in his life. When he wanted to scream and demand things go the way he wanted, Jess anchored her feet in her faith and doubled down.

When she finished the prayer, she stood and patted Paul’s shoulder. The older man wiped his eyes.

Paul cleared his throat and stood. “I’ll start on the tents.”

Linc and Jess gave him a few minutes alone while they finished eating. Jess cleaned up dinner while Linc picked up with Paul as they set up the second tent.

Jess returned from the creek when Paul and Linc finished up.

“Thanks for putting up my tent,” she said. “I’ll make breakfast in the morning.”

“I won’t say no to that,” Paul said. His words were low and drawn out. They’d all had a long day, but Paul had to be feeling the worst of it.

“Night,” Jess said as she slung her pack over her shoulder and ducked into her tent.

Linc doused the fire and locked up the food before grabbing his pack. He didn’t mind sharing a tent with Paul. He’d expected complete silence, but he might get more than he bargained for tonight.

Once Paul had changed into his night clothes, Linc took his turn getting ready for bed.

They made up their bedding and got settled before Paul grabbed the lantern. “You mind if I leave this on low for a little bit?” He held up a Bible in his other hand.

Linc kicked off his blanket. “Go ahead. I’ll get mine too.” He reached into his pack and grabbed the heavy Bible. It was an old one Mr. Chambers had given him when he first arrived, and he hadn’t spent much time with it since.

Linc sat up and opened it, flipping through some pages looking for a place to start. The passages he paused on all seemed too complicated, so he kept flipping.

The verse Jess had written on the board last week jumped into his mind. What was it? 1 Peter? He flipped to that book and scanned until he found the verse. Then he started at the beginning of chapter four.

Jess knew what she was doing. This was exactly what he’d been looking for. He’d never heard sin explained in terms of the flesh and the world that way.

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