He nodded, but there was no anger in it. Only acceptance.
I descended the mountain on foot, stopping long enough outside Summer’s door to smell the air and spy on her through an open window. Angel and Ellie had moved on to dessert and were currently covering strawberries with two cans of whipped cream. Every few seconds each girl would tip the can upward, point the nozzle into her mouth, and shoot it full of whipped cream, all while trying not to laugh. Occasionally they managed.
Movement through the sliding-glass door caught my eye. Summer had just exited the shower and was wrapping a towel around her. She was humming. Her face aglow. Brushing her hair. Twirling every few seconds. The scent of her perfume wafted toward me. The cuts and deep gashes on her back from the oyster shoal had healed, leaving only thin scars. Gunner stood quietly at my feet. I inhaled and held it, imprinting the picture of her in my mind’s eye.
Finally, I turned, cussed Bones beneath my breath, and headed for the truck while the sound of Angel and Ellie’s singing accompanied my descent. The air had turned colder yet, and my breath had begun blowing smoke. Twenty minutes later, I rounded a corner and pulled open the cab door. When I did, I found Clay. Hands folded. Waiting on me. “You didn’t think I was going to let you leave here without me, did you, Mr. Murphy?”
I shook my head and cranked the engine. “Apparently not.”
“Where’re we headed?”
“Vegas.”
“Too bad I don’t gamble.”
I shifted into drive and pointed the nose of the truck downhill. “Neither do I.”
I pressed on the brakes and pointed through the windshield. “Clay, I don’t know what waits out there. If you want out, you’d better speak up. This is no place for an . . .”
He raised both eyelids. “What? Old man?”
“Yes.”
Clay buckled his seat belt and said nothing.
I let my foot off the brake. “Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you.”
“You did that.” Then he turned, looked out the window, and picked at his teeth with a toothpick, speaking both to me and to the memory that had brought him to my front seat. “And don’t tell me I didn’t warn you.”
Gunner stood with his hind legs in the back seat and his front propped on the console. He alternated between licking Clay’s face and mine.
Finally, Clay spoke. “Mr. Murphy?”
“Yes, sir, Mr. Pettybone.”
“After we find this girl, I was wondering if you could do me a favor.”
Clay wouldn’t ask if he didn’t need me. “Is it important to you?”
He considered this, and I saw a tear form in the corner of his eye. “It’s about the only thing that is.”
The road turned from gravel to asphalt just as darkness settled over the valley. We had a couple hours’ drive. “You might should get some sleep.”
He crossed one leg over the other, leaned his head back, and closed his eyes. “Before I do, you’d better let me tell you a story.”
Discussion Questions
Who do you think the water keeper is? What are the ways water heals in the book?
The idea of leaving the ninety-nine to go after the one and that the needs of the one outweigh the needs of many is repeated throughout the story. What do you think about the choices Murphy makes to pursue the one? Have you ever had to make that choice? Have you ever had someone come after you?
When did you realize who David Bishop was? What were the clues?
Murphy says, “Love is an amazing thing. It takes the brokenness, the scars, the pain, the darkness, everything, and makes it new.” How do you see this happen in the story? Is it also true for Murphy?
Before reading this book, how much did you know about sex trafficking? Were you surprised that it happens in the US, or did you think it was a problem more prevalent in other parts of the world?
Colorado told Murphy, “We don’t love because people love us back. We love because we can. Because we were made to. Because it’s all we have.” How do each of the main characters struggle to give and accept love?
Do you agree with Marie’s decision to fake her death? What about Colorado’s decision to keep the truth from Murphy?
How do you feel about the ending? What do you think will happen to Murphy? He wrote his name on the wall in the chapel, but do you think he is truly free?
Colorado challenged Murphy to write down the names of all the people he loved. Who would be on your list? Whose list would you be on?
What do you think about the names Murphy has tattooed on his back? Do you think it’s healthy for him to carry them on his body?
About the Author
Photo by Kerry Lammi, www.soulwornimages.com
Charles Martin is the New York Times bestselling author of fourteen novels. He and his wife, Christy, live in Jacksonville, Florida. Learn more at charlesmartinbooks.com.
Facebook: Author.Charles.Martin
Twitter: @storiedcareer
Praise for Charles Martin
“Charles Martin fans rejoice, because he’s done it again. Martin’s newest, The Water Keeper, is a multilayered story woven together with grace and redemption, and packed tight with tension and achingly real characters. This one will keep you turning pages to see what else—and who else—Murph will encounter as he travels down the coastline of Florida.”
—Lauren Denton, USA TODAY bestselling author of The Hideaway
“In The Water Keeper Charles Martin crafts a compelling story with skill and sensitivity. Open the pages of this book and you’ll enter the world of characters caught up in a real-life drama that grips the heart. As with all of Charles’s books, you never finish it—you continue to live there in your own imagination. Current fans won’t be disappointed; new readers will understand why Charles Martin is on the short list of contemporary authors I recommend above all others.”
—Robert Whitlow, bestselling author
“Martin explores themes of grace, mercy, and forgiveness in this sweeping love story . . . In this relatable tale of recovery from physical and emotional trauma, Martin beautifully captures the essence of Christian principles of sacrifice and forgiveness.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review, for Send Down the Rain
“Martin’s latest is another beautifully written winner . . . Amazingly heartfelt statements about love, loss, and the true meaning of friendship will resonate deeply with readers.”
—RT Book Reviews, 4 stars, for Send Down the Rain
“Another stellar novel from Martin. His fabulous gift for characterization is evident on each page. Layers of the story are peeled back to show the spiritual truth underneath the gripping plot. Cooper is an intricate character with an amazing story to tell, and the supporting cast is just as important to provide additional depth and understanding. This novel should be on everyone’s must‐purchase list.”
—RT Book Reviews, 41/2 stars, TOP PICK! for Long Way Gone
“Martin crafts a playful, enticing tale of a modern prodigal son.”
—Publishers Weekly for Long Way Gone
“Cooper and Daley’s story will make you believe that even broken instruments have songs to offer when they’re in the right hands. Charles Martin never fails to ask and answer the questions that linger deep within all of us. In this beautifully told story of a prodigal coming home, readers will find the broken and mended pieces of their own hearts.”
—Lisa Wingate, national bestselling author of Before We Were Yours on Long Way Gone
“Martin weaves all the pieces of this story together with a beautiful musical thread, and as the final pieces fall into place, we close this story feeling as if we have witnessed something surreal, a multisensory narrative for anyone who enjoys a redemptive story.”
—Julie Cantrell, New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of Perennials on Long Way Gone
“A beautiful story of redemption and love once lost but found again, Long Way Gone proves two things: music washes us from the inside out
and Charles Martin’s words do the same.”
—Billy Coffey, author of Steal Away Home
“Martin’s story charges headlong into the sentimental territory and bestseller terrain of The Notebook, which doubtless will mean major studio screen treatment.”
—Kirkus, starred review for Unwritten
“Charles Martin understands the power of story, and he uses it to alter the souls and lives of both his characters and his readers.”
—Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author
“Martin is the new king of the romantic novel . . . A Life Intercepted is a book that will swallow you up and keep you spellbound.”
—Jackie K. Cooper, book critic, The Huffington Post
“Martin’s strength is in his memorable characters . . .”
—Publishers Weekly for Chasing Fireflies
“Charles Martin is changing the face of inspirational fiction one book at a time. Wrapped in Rain is a sentimental tale that is not to be missed.”
—Michael Morris, author of Live Like You Were Dying and A Place Called Wiregrass
“Martin spins an engaging story about healing and the triumph of love . . . Filled with delightful local color.”
—Publishers Weekly for Wrapped in Rain
Also by Charles Martin
Send Down the Rain
Long Way Gone
Water from My Heart
A Life Intercepted
Unwritten
Thunder and Rain
The Mountain Between Us
Where the River Ends
Chasing Fireflies
Maggie
When Crickets Cry
Wrapped in Rain
The Dead Don’t Dance
Copyright
The Water Keeper
© 2020 Charles Martin
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.
Published in association with The Christopher Ferebee Agency, www.christopherferebee.com
Thomas Nelson titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [email protected].
All Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version. © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.
ISBN 978-0-7852-3091-5 (HC)
ISBN 978-0-7852-3093-9 (audio download)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2019042760
Printed in the United States of America
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