Read Courting Holly for Free Online

that He is a God of comfort and compassion and He will give Holly and us the peace we are looking for during this tragedy.”
    Bryce clasped his hands together and bent his head. “I know, but I am still dealing with my anger toward Whit, even though it wasn’t all his fault.”
    “I understand. But remember, my son, Whit is suffering, as well. I cannot imagine being responsible for someone’s death and having to live with that kind of knowledge.”
    Bryce pulled his gaze from his hands to his mother’s face. He knew how she mourned Allison Graham, her closest friend and confidante. And yet in her eyes he saw compassion for Whit. Somehow, she could forgive him.
    How? God’s grace. The answer flew into his mind the moment he thought the question. Followed by the image of him extending his hand to Whit Butterfield in kindness and compassion.
    “What’s the matter, dear?”
    “Nothing. Just something I remembered I should do.”
    “Oh, all right then. I am going to get dressed for the day. I will ride with you to the Grahams.”
    “I shall have the carriage ready.” Bryce stood and followed his mother out of the room, watching as she ascended the stairs.
    A knock at the front door pushed him back into a man of action. Opening the door, his hand tightened on the knob. Not in a million years would he expect to see this person standing at his door.
    “Hello, Bryce.”
    * * *
    Holly woke to the gentle knocking on her door. “Holly?”
    “Tiff, what time is it?”
    “Ten. Papa thought I should check on you.”
    Holly bolted up from the bed and straightened her nightclothes. “Tell Father I’ll be down in a moment.”
    “All right.” Tiffany turned and paused. “Holly, who is Emmett Landers?”
    She debated whether to confide in Tiffany. The truth would need to come out sometime. Should she be the one to tell? Yes, yes, she should. It was her life, her parentage, and too many secrets had been kept. “My father.”
    “Pardon?”
    Tiffany listened with despair as Holly recited what she understood so far. “What are you going to do? Are you going to move away and live with your father?”
    “I don’t know. I have many questions and both our fathers are the only ones who can give me the answers. Please don’t tell the boys yet. They may not understand all of this.”
    Tiffany came and sat on Holly’s bed. “I don’t know what to think. You never knew?”
    “I recalled a childhood memory late last night, or rather, early this morning. I remember being four years old and at the water’s edge and Momma calling me back to the house using all three of my names. Holly Elizabeth Landers.”
    “If we were in trouble Momma always did that.” Tiffany smiled. “So she called you Landers, not Graham, in this memory?”
    “Yes, so I guess way down deep I knew the truth. Most of my memories start from about five years old.”
    “So do mine. You’ve always been my big sister.”
    “And I will always be your big sister, there is no changing that. We might have different fathers, but we have the same mother.”
    “Yes, but you got Momma’s looks and I got Father’s complexion.”
    “Be glad for that, you don’t burn like I do in the Savannah sun.”
    “True, but I always loved your and Momma’s green eyes. Mine are just brown, plain old brown.”
    Holly sat on the bed next to her sister. “You are a beautiful young woman, Tiff, remember that.”
    “Oh, I know I’m pretty. The boys at school tell me all the time.” Tiffany grinned, half joking.
    “And do I need to report this to Father?”
    “Don’t you dare. I like the attention. Momma told me to be careful.”
    “And I’ll second that. Wait until you are older before you consider courting.”
    “Well, I’m not going to wait until I’m twenty-one, that’s just too old. I guess I see now why Momma and Papa didn’t want you to get involved with anyone before you were twenty-one, but why did they decide to wait so long to tell you? Wouldn’t it have