... Tom wished he had Sven’s faith in the Almighty. His acquaintance with the Man Upstairs was nowhere near as strong. It was one more thing that drew him to his Swedish friend. There was just something about a man who had that kind of confidence in what he couldn’t see.

He glanced up and watched Jo struggle to light the fire. Her long brown braid kept slipping over her shoulder and she repeatedly threw it back into place without even realizing she was doing it. She was just too pretty for her own good, Tom grumbled inwardly. Why wasn’t she a plain girl or a stocky girl or missing her teeth? Even Ned Harkiss would leave a toothless hag alone, wouldn’t he?