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trying to teach my kids that even though their earthly father is not around much anymore, they have a heavenly Father who loves them and will never leave them.” He remained silent. “You might want to give God a try and let Him help you with all that you’re dealing with. Another thing you might want to do is not be so angry at Mom and Dad.”
    “Wait a minute.”
    “No, you wait a minute. Just hear me out about this. I know Mom and Dad didn’t like Julie because she didn’t come from a good family, and it was wrong of them to think like that. But you have to remember that money’s been in our family for decades, and Mom and Dad have been raised to think this way. It’s wrong, but in their own twisted way, they felt this was one way to show their love for us: making sure we chose an appropriate mate from a prestigious family.”
    He was speechless, unsure of how to respond to his sister’s comment. Before he could say anything, she changed the subject. “You’ll never guess who I saw at the grocery store yesterday.”
    “Who?”
    “Brian. He said a lot of the kids at the rec center still ask about you, and I told him that you’d moved to Baltimore.” She sighed. “You’ve been so sad and bitter since Julie died. You used to be so happy spending your free time at the rec center helping Brian mentor those teenagers. I remember how you used to look forward to having some kids of your own.”
    He swallowed, tears rushing to his eyes as he recalled the happier times in his life.
    “Look, I have to go now. I need to start making breakfast for the kids. I just wanted you to think about what I’ve told you and to try and talk to Mom and Dad again.”
    He wiped his eyes and grunted before he ended the call, not wanting to discuss the matter further. He got out of bed and took some acetaminophen. His stomach still roiled when he made his way to the kitchen. He measured dark grinds into the filter, and the fragrant scent of coffee soon filled the air. Taking a mug from the cupboard, he filled it with his morning brew, sat at a chair in the kitchen, and thought about Trish’s advice. He just wasn’t ready to forgive his parents for what they’d done—he just couldn’t.
    A few hours later he dressed and called Emily. He was surprised when she answered on the first ring. “Hi, I thought you would be out milking the cows.”
    “I’m finished with that already. I do it at five a.m.”
    He chuckled. “Actually, I was awake at six thirty this morning.”
    “Really?”
    He sensed she was going to say something else, but when she remained silent, he continued. “Look, I know it’s Saturday, but I wanted to know if it was okay if I came to your farm for a few hours today. I need to go to the auction—”
    “You’re going to the auction over in Westminster?”
    “Yes, I was going to head over there because my boss said it was a good idea to see what the livestock are selling for. I agreed to go, so after I do that, I thought I could spend a few hours on your father’s files.”
    “Could I ask a huge favor of you?”
    “What’s up?”
    “Could you pick me up for the auction? My truck is still in the shop, and I didn’t want to spend money on a rental. I borrowed a truck from another farmer for a few days to run some errands, but the garage said my vehicle is still not fixed.”
    Her apprehensive tone made him wonder if she rarely asked others for favors. “I don’t mind picking you up. Are you planning on adding to your herd?”
    “No, I’m going for another reason. I’ll explain when you get here.”
    He said good-bye and hung up the phone.
    A few minutes later he exited his apartment building and stopped as a woman walked by. The ivory suit and high heels reminded him of one of Julie’s favorite outfits. The female had a surety to her step as she sauntered by, and Frank felt frozen in time when he watched her.
    The woman’s dark eyes widened as he stared. “I’m sorry, I thought you were somebody