Long Way Gone (29 page)

“He's not alone,” I said.

“My doctor won't let me eat them.”

I didn't agree, but I didn't tell her that. At least not directly.

“Seems sort of criminal to keep a kid from eating a cheeseburger.”

She smiled. “That's what I told him.”

While I finished my drink, she watched me with neither impatience nor worry. Somehow I knew, despite the mountain of money at my feet, that even if I never gave her a penny, she'd pour that lemonade until I either turned yellow or floated off. Problem was, I had longer than she did. Annie's hope might lie in that bottle, and I had a feeling that her faith in God could move Mount Everest and stop the sun, but absent a new heart, she'd be dead before she hit puberty.

The story continues in
When Crickets Cry
by Charles Martin.

PHOTO BY KERRY LAMMI,
WWW.SOULWORNIMAGES.COM

C
harles Martin is the
New York Times
bestselling author of twelve novels. He and his wife, Christy, live in Jacksonville, Florida. Learn more about him at
charlesmartinbooks.com
.

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