Beyond These Hills by Sandra Robbins Page A

thought you seemed kinda down and out after Andrew left.”
    â€œI don’t know what you mean, Granny. I didn’t care one way or another when he left.” Laurel’s fingers curled into her fists, and she clasped them in her lap.
    â€œWell, you coulda fooled me. My eyesight may not be as good as it used to be, but you looked right disappointed when you come back from seeing the puppies and found out he’d already left. I figured you was upset ’cause you didn’t get to tell him goodbye.”
    Laurel sniffed and shook her head. “Why would I be upset? Andrew Brady means nothing to me.”
    â€œWell, that may be so, but I could tell he was right taken with you. He must’ve asked me a hundred questions ’bout you during dinner.”
    â€œA hundred? Now, Granny, I think you’re exaggerating.”
    Granny laughed. “Well, maybe a bit, but he did talk about you a lot. And he shore looked at you plenty of times.” She reached over and grasped Laurel’s hand. “There’s nothing wrong with that, darlin’. You’re a pretty young woman, and he’s a good-looking man. It’s natural that you’d want to be friends.”
    Laurel shook her head. “He said he wants to be friends with me, but I can’t do that, Granny. He’s here to take our land and our homes. If he has his way, I’m scared of what will happen to us. I have to think of him as my enemy.”
    Granny sighed and squeezed her hand. “He’s not our enemy, darlin’.”
    â€œBut Granny, he works for the government and they want to take our homes from us.”
    Granny rocked a few more times and stared toward the mountains in the distance. “I been a-readin’ my Bible all my life and trying to be more like Jesus. And I gotta confess, I done had a time trying to figure out what He’d want me to do about this mess we find ourselves in. Sometimes I get so mad at the government I can’t stand it. Then I think about how so many died to give us the freedom we have in this land, and I feel guilty. I’ve had a hard time figuring out which is the right way to feel, but I think I know now.”
    â€œWhat is it, Granny?”
    â€œI read in the Bible where Peter was a-talkin’ about honoring your government leaders, even the bad ones, even when you disagreed with them. He said that no matter what is done to us, believers were to be honorable.”
    Laurel leaned back in her chair and narrowed her eyes as she twisted the end of her braid between her fingers. “I think Poppa and Grandpa have been honorable, a lot more than I would have been in their places.”
    â€œThey have been,” Granny said. “That’s because they know it’s the right thing to do. The Bible says even when we have disputes with the government we are to treat those in charge with respect. We can dislike what they’re doing without hatin’ ’em.”
    Laurel gripped the arms of her chair, her body rigid, and faced Granny. “But what if we suffer because they’re wrong?”
    â€œSuffer? Child, we don’t know what suff ’rin’ is compared to the early Christians who were killed for their beliefs. Fact is, we’ve had it mighty good for a lot of years in this here valley. Now we haveus a disagreement with the government, and we don’t know what’s a-gonna happen.” A sigh rippled from her mouth. “And I’m a-feared I may not like the outcome. But I cain’t let that influence me. All I can do is what God would have me do—be more like Christ and show Him in my actions. That’s what all of us need to do.”
    Laurel thought about what Granny had said for a few minutes before she responded. “That’s what Poppa and Grandpa have done, isn’t it? I’ve wondered how they could be so kind to the government people that keep showing up here. They’ve always been