“Well what, Dad?” She sat up, trembling, blinking away tears.
“Oliver thought he finally found the true owner of the letter, and he wants to right a wrong done by his ancestor.”
“He shouldn’t have stolen the letter,” Oliver said.
“Oliver, I appreciate what you’ve done, but—”
“Chloe,” Dad said. “Let go. It’s okay to love again. We can fly to Boston and—”
“And do what?” She flicked the dew from the corner of her eyes. “Beg him to love me because his ancestor loved mine?”
“Well, no, but we can show him the letter and—”
“Dad, I’ve told him I love him. I even wrote him that letter. He’s never responded. Oliver, it was nice to meet you, and I’m glad to know more of my family history, but this changes nothing. Hamilton and Esther never made it, and frankly, neither will Jesse and I.”
JESSE
For three days, an earthquake rumbled through his entire being. His insides shook while working out, eating breakfast, and during his morning reading.
The Brants taught him their formula for forgiveness by pointing him to a cross. A cruel, ugly, brutal cross.
“If you want to move on, Jesse, look to the Cross.”
“I can’t.”
“It’s where forgiveness begins.”
Then Mrs. Brant began a song and broke the fallow ground of Jesse’s existence.
They prayed over him. Forgave him. And at last accepted his ten-thousand-dollar donation to the Loxley Brant Scholarship fund.
The following Monday, Dan popped his head in the door of Jesse’s DiamondBros office. “You okay?”
“Yeah, why?” Could he see the shaking? Hear his roaring pulse? Jesse was on the verge of making a doctor appointment. Something was wrong. Or perhaps, yes, perhaps for the first time in his life something was truly right.
Dan sat in the chair beside Jesse’s desk. “You seem different.”
He made a face. “How?” But he was different. He was free. A redeemed man without guilt or shame.
Last night he had his first contact from someone in LA other than Jeremiah. Smitty texted.
Next time you’re in town I’ll take you to church.
“You just do.” Dan leaned forward. “We have a new client this afternoon, remember? They’re on their way up. Pam is setting up lunch in the conference room. But before we go in and give them a song and dance about your genius, I have to ask, are you happy here?”
Jesse gave his big brother the little-brother stink eye. “Yes, and stop asking or I won’t come to your stupid meeting.”
“Now that’s the little brother I know and love.” Dan headed for the door. “You coming?”
“Right behind you.” Jesse collected his data and research, his phone pinging just as he headed out. A text from Jeremiah.
Sent you a link to a rough cut of the ending scene. What do you think?
Jesse glanced at his watch, then rounded his desk and sat in front of his computer. He didn’t have enough time to watch the whole thing, but he could fast-forward, get a feel for what Jer had done.
And see Chloe.
He clicked on the link andSouth Carolina, 1781splashed across his screen.
