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He started to shake his head, then stopped At his hesitation, her heart soared with hope

"I won't let you down," she added softly

He turned to look at her, and there was a bleak hope-

ONCE Ihl EVERY LIFE

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lessness in his eyes that tore at her heart "What do you want from me?"

She pressed up on her toes and laid her hand against his cheek "You don't have to be so alone God?" "Ha"

Shethe thudding beat beneath her palm "You invoke His name all the time, Jack Rafferty I know you believe Or you did once"

He glanced down at the small white hand plastered so protectively atop the faded blue chaaze and looked into her eyes He tried to find a light, bantering response that proved how little he cared about her God, but his throat was dry and swollen with eo, he had believed in God And in himself

"You don't have to carry everything inside you, Jack," she said softly "God will help you / will help you"

God had better help hiht dully Because he wanted to trust her Christ, hoanted to; it was like an ache in his soul And still he couldn't speak He could only stare down into her war brown eyes and nod dumbly

She flashed hiut For a second his knees eak

"Coo," she said

"Okay," Jack answered in a voice that was a husky shadow of itself

At her buoyant grin, he felt hiin to relax A slow, hesitant smile pulled at his mouth