“Food I can probably manage,” Emily said, thinking it through. “Clothes will be harder. I’m supposed to go into town tomorrow, but I don’t have any money of my own.” “Money’s not the problem,” he said quickly, pulling several large bills from his pocket.
“When it starts getting dark, come to the fence just left of the main gate. I’m not going to risk stepping into the open, so just toss the bundle over. And I’ll try to get the clothes by tomorrow afternoon.” “Where do I find you?” Emily asked. “I’ll stay right here in these bushes. You have no idea how much this helps,” he said, smiling with real gratitude.
“I have to go,” Emily said, hearing Agnes’s voice in the distance. “See you.” On the walk back to her room, she could think of nothing but the strange man in the woods. He seemed perfectly sane, even educated. So what had driven him to hide in the forest like a hunted animal? She had questions, but no answers yet.
The next day, while at the market with Agnes and the other sisters, Emily slipped away in the crowd and ducked into a store, where she bought a basic set of men’s clothes. She had barely slept the night before, thinking about Sam. She understood his fear better than most. She herself had only recently been hiding from people who meant her harm.
At the same time, getting involved with a man whose past was a mystery was reckless. After lunch, the novices were sent back out to gather berries. “Stay where I can see you,” Agnes ordered. “Yesterday you disappeared for hours and came back with next to nothing. Follow me. I’ll show you where the good patches are.”
“All right,” Emily said obediently. Hidden beneath her loose robe was a bundle containing clean clothes and fresh bread for Sam. Careful not to draw Agnes’s attention, she gradually drifted toward the raspberry patch where he was waiting.
“Hi,” came a quiet whisper, and Sam seemed to appear out of nowhere. “I thought maybe you’d changed your mind.” “How could I leave you out here like this?” Emily said. “You’ve got no one else. Here—food, and clothes.” She handed him the bundle.
“Thank you,” he said, lighting up. “You’re like an angel.” Then he added, “Let me help you fill your baskets. I found a patch nearby no one’s touched. We can get this done fast.” “Lead the way,” Emily said. Strangely, she felt safe with him.
As they walked, Sam told her how to judge ripe berries by the color of the leaves. Then Emily asked, “Sam, be honest. Who’s after you?” “Promise you won’t walk away after I tell you,” he said seriously. “I promise,” she answered.
“I escaped from a maximum-security prison,” he said flatly. “I know how that sounds. But I was framed and convicted for something I never did. The charge was serious, and I was looking at most of my life behind bars.” “Can that really happen?” Emily asked, stunned. “How does the system get something that wrong? And how did you even get out?”
“You really are innocent in the best way,” Sam said with a sad smile. “Life outside the monastery walls is rougher than you think.” “So what’s your plan?” Emily asked. “Live in the woods forever? They’re going to find you eventually.” “My plan is to prove I was set up. I need to find one man and force the truth out of him—the lie that put me away.”
“How long have you been hiding here?” “Seven days,” he said. “I know every trail now. There’s an old pond nearby where I can wash off, though the water tastes awful. And over there, behind those pines, I built a shelter out of branches. It won’t do in winter, but it keeps the rain off.” He tried to smile. He kept glancing at Emily with open admiration, clearly wondering what a woman like her was doing in a place like that.
Finally, he asked, “Emily, since we’re being honest—how long have you been dressed like this?” “About three months,” she said. “The nuns saved my life. I showed up at the gate in a bathrobe, freezing and out of options.”
“Who did that to you?” Sam asked, his jaw tightening. His hands curled into fists without him seeming to notice. This fragile young woman had already gotten under his skin. Sometimes people who have both known betrayal recognize something in each other right away. In him, a protective instinct came alive.
After a moment’s hesitation, Emily told him the story of her ruined life. Sam listened without interrupting, stunned by how much cruelty one person could endure. “If my hands weren’t tied right now,” he said quietly, “I’d pay a visit to your greedy aunt and that twisted husband of yours. I’d make sure they understood how a woman ought to be treated.
But maybe our time will come. Emily, are you really planning to bury yourself behind those walls?” “I’ve thought it through,” she said calmly. “There may not be much joy there, but no one stabs you in the back. You don’t have to fight to survive every day. I truly believe Mother Mary will eventually let me stay for good.”
“Emily! Where are you?” Agnes’s sharp voice cut through the woods. “I have to go,” Emily said, panicking. “If we’re seen together, there’ll be trouble. Wait for me by the fence tonight. I’ll toss food over.” “Thank you,” Sam said. “Will I see you tomorrow?”
“I can’t promise. If they send me back out here, I’ll come. Please stay nearby. I really want to see you again,” she admitted. “You came into my life like a beam of light,” he said softly. “Because of you, I want to keep fighting.” Emily grabbed her heavy basket and hurried back toward Agnes’s voice.
That night she prayed for Sam’s safety and freedom. His story had touched her deeply, and she wanted more than anything for him to be cleared. By morning, thoughts of seeing him again consumed her. She loved the sound of his voice, the steadiness in his eyes. Before she fully realized it, she had fallen hard for the man hiding in the woods.
“We’re not going back for berries today?” she asked Agnes hopefully. “No. The pantry’s full,” the older woman said. “Today we’re deep-cleaning every building.” Emily nearly cried with disappointment. She had no idea missing someone she barely knew could hurt so much.
