CHAPTER 6
Gabriel met Jesse at the living room door. “Here she is now,” he said, guiding her toward two teenagers sitting on the small sofa. Standing, the boy’s button-down shirt fell over loose-fitting jeans. Blue eyes sparkled from smooth, pink skin that had the natural appearance of being freshly scrubbed. Holding out a hand, Jesse smiled before a look of disbelief splashed across her face when Gabriel introduced the boy as pastor Jonas Wagner. Pastor? Had she heard right? “Nice to meet you, Pastor?” Too late, she realized her voice lifted, turning the statement into a question.
His indulgent smile told Jesse he was used to the reaction. “Nice to meet you too,” he replied.
When Gabriel introduced the slight girl with dark blonde, shoulder length hair as Olivia, the Pastor’s wife, Jesse hid her surprise behind a smile. She couldn’t believe two people so young were married. Surely, they’re older than they look.
Olivia’s voice was sweet, almost childlike. “It’s good to meet you, Jesse.”
Taking Olivia’s offered hand, Jesse paused as she looked into soft brown eyes. She had never sensed such gentleness and humility in a person before. “Olivia, what a beautiful name,” Jesse said.”
Olivia’s eyes lowered shyly. “Thank you. I was named after my grandmother.”
After introductions, Jesse followed Gabriel to one of the two wingback chairs on the opposite side of the fireplace from where her grandmother and Emma sat. So engrossed in her own thoughts, Jesse walked right by Rachel without noticing her standard eye roll. Meeting the Pastor and Olivia left Jesse with several questions. How could a teenager become the Pastor of a church? A pastor was the leader, an elder, the person other church members looked to for guidance. Did her grandmother and Gabriel take the young man seriously? Surely, the Pastor and his wife were older than they appeared. They had to be. Careful not to stare, she took another look at the couple. The Pastor had a glow about him. Was the bright quality of his face owed to his ruddy complexion or something else?
With everyone settled, Jesse noticed that all eyes turned to the young Pastor, waiting for him to speak. He looked around the room before saying, “I don’t want to alarm anyone, but we need to be careful when we go out into the community. There are reports of some kind of cult, devil worshipers, in the area. Other than terrorizing innocent people like Mr. Drake, we don’t know what their intentions are.”
Victoria Swinney’s fingers splayed out like a fan against her breastbone. “Was Mr. Drake attacked by devil worshipers?”
“We have reason to think so,” the Pastor said. “The room where he was assaulted was a grisly sight—satanic symbols drawn on the walls, blasphemies against God. I heard there won’t be an investigation because the police department is understaffed. Several officers in the area are staying home with their own families.” Shaking his head, he said, “Churches burned down, Christians attacked.” He turned to Gabriel. “Is the shelter ready?”
“Yes,” Gabriel answered. “The last of the equipment and supplies just came in. Nick will oversee getting everything organized and stocked.”
“Good,” the Pastor said. “I guess we all agree that it’s time to open, then. We need to get the word out, let people know there’s a safe place in the area.” His expression turned solemn before saying, “There may be some risk, but witnessing for Christ has never been more important than it is today.”
Jesse noticed everyone, except Rachel, who was looking at her phone, nodded in agreement.
“You’re right, Jonas,” Gabriel said. “We need to get the word out. I know someone who works for the local news station. I may talk to him about doing a piece on the shelter if you want to do an interview."
The Pastor nodded. “Yes, that’s a good idea.” Sighing, he sat back in his chair. “Difficult times are coming and battle lines between good and evil are being drawn. It’s time for Christians to take a stand.”
Looking uncomfortable, Mr. Swinney changed the subject. “Are we still meeting here tomorrow?”
Seeing Gabriel nod, the Pastor said, “Yes, that’s the plan.” He looked around the room to ask, “Is there anything else we need to talk about tonight?”
“One thing,” Gabriel said. “You mentioned the shortage of police in the area. I’m talking to someone, a friend that I trust, about heading up a security team for the shelter.”
The Pastor ran a hand across the back of his neck. “I hate to think that we’ll need one but I’ll leave that up to you.” Turning to her grandmother, he said, “Anything else we need to talk about, Florence?”
“Yes, I do have one announcement. Just to let everyone know, Emma has agreed to take charge of the kitchen. I know she’ll do a fine job.”
“Oh, absolutely,” the Pastor said. “Thank you, Emma. We didn’t want to ask because it’s such a big responsibility, but we were hoping you would volunteer for that.”
Beaming at the Pastor’s compliment, Emma assured everyone that she’d do her level best to get the kitchen up and running.
“Florence,” the Pastor said, getting her attention, “I was wondering if you and Gabriel might have time to look over the list of jobs for the shelter we’ve been working on.”
Hearing her grandmother’s agreement, the Pastor turned to Jesse. “I don’t mean to put you on the spot, Jesse, but I’m wondering where you stand in all of this.”
Confused, Jesse said, “Where I stand? I’m not sure I understand. I—I guess…” Her voice trailed off as she met the Pastor’s intense gaze. Gabriel’s words, each person chooses their relationship with Jesus, came to mind. Lifting her chin, she said, “I’ve made a decision, a commitment. I stand for Jesus.”
The Pastor’s face relaxed into a smile. He shared a glance with his wife before looking back at Jesse. “We are very pleased to have you join us, Jesse.”
“Thank you,” she said, feeling a bit uneasy at being the center of attention.
After plans were made for the next day and there were no more questions or comments, the Pastor led them in prayer. As he began to pray, Jesse noticed the rhythm and tone of his voice change, flowing out with stirring power and intensity. She was beginning to wonder if she had underestimated this young man.
After everyone left, Jesse tidied up the kitchen while her grandmother and Gabriel worked on plans for the shelter. At the kitchen sink, she stared out the window thinking about all the changes that would take place. The shelter would open and people would be moving into the house. She and her grandmother had been disappointed to hear Emma say she wanted to stay at the shelter to be near the kitchen. Her grandmother had planned on converting the glory room into a bedroom but that wouldn’t be necessary now.
Jesse mentally pictured the three bedrooms available. One room for the Pastor and Olivia, one for Charles and Victoria Swinney and—her eyes closed with a soft groan—Rachel would have the remaining room. The thought of Rachel in the same house left her feeling a little nauseous. How would Gabriel respond with the woman living in the same house? Her fingers tightened around the cup she was rinsing. He didn’t encourage her flirting, but he didn’t seem to discourage it either.
Drying her hands, Jesse turned to watch Gabriel and her grandmother working at the kitchen table. Her grandmother tapped a pencil lightly against her chin. Jesse smiled, remembering years past when she had seen her grandmother do the same thing while grading papers. Leaning over the kitchen island, she propped her chin on her hands, content to watch Gabriel work. When he stopped writing and smiled at her, she smiled back before realizing what she was doing. Quickly straightening, she averted her eyes and smoothed her dress. Looking back around to see his amused expression, she said, “I—I was just thinking about dinner. Any suggestions?”
Gabriel sat back and laced his hands behind his head. “Anything you’d like to fix is fine with me. What do you think, Florence?”
Her grandmother didn’t look up from her writing pad. “Think about what, dear?”
“About dinner. What we should have.”
“Oh, anything is fine with me.”
Getting up from the table, Gabriel picked up his glass and headed for the refrigerator. Jesse busied herself wiping the already clean counter as he passed. After pouring himself a glass of tea, he moved to stand beside her. She kept her eyes on the dish towel she was meticulously folding. Leaning his back against the counter, he said, “You were a million miles away a few moments ago.”
“Maybe we should have pot roast,” she said, ignoring his comment.
“What were you daydreaming about? I’d love to hear it, if you want to talk,”
“You know,” she said, changing the subject, “I was surprised when you introduced pastor Wagner. He seems so young.”
“I’ll take that as a no, you don’t want to talk,” he said, smiling. “The offer stands if you change your mind.” Taking a drink, he considered her comment about the Pastor before saying, “I think Jonas realizes people are surprised to hear he’s a preacher at such a young age. Once you get to know him, he seems older.”
“I guess,” she said, sounding doubtful. “He and Olivia do seem different though, in a good way. How old are they?”
“Older than they look. They’re both twenty.”
“Really? I would have guessed sixteen.”
He smiled. “I’m sure the Pastor would find that amusing.”
Her eyes rounded at his implied threat. “You’re not going to tell him I said that, are you?”
He looked as if considering the possibility before saying, “No. I won’t tell him.”
She heard him chuckle as he turned to go back to the table. “Pot roast. I’m rather fond of pot roast.”
Over dinner, Jesse found herself wondering how many people would come to the shelter. She turned to her grandmother. “Won’t most people who come to the shelter drive? What about parking? I saw a road leading to the shelter but there’s really no place to park a lot of vehicles.”
Her grandmother shot an uneasy look at Gabriel before he spoke up. “There’s a place for parking fairly close by.”
Jesse mentally pictured the area surrounding the shelter. “I don’t remember one.”
“You can’t see it from the shelter,” Gabriel said, starting to pay particular attention to the potato he was cutting.
Jesse looked from her grandmother to Gabriel. Watching them, she noticed that neither looked up from their plates. Seeing her grandmother pick up her glass and set it back down without taking a drink, Jesse’s head tilted with a look of suspicion. Feeling Jesse’s eyes on her, her grandmother blurted, “We built a worship center.”
“Worship center,” Jesse repeated. She silently digested the information before asking, “Why didn’t you tell me before now?”
“It’s my fault, Jesse,” Gabriel said. “I suggested we give you time, let you get used to the idea of the shelter before breaking any more news.”
“I see,” Jesse said.
Her grandmother’s voice was apologetic. “I hope you’re not angry. We didn’t want to upset you.”
“No, Grammy, really, I understand. I’m sure Gabriel told you how I overreacted when I saw the shelter.” Closing her eyes, her hand came up to rub her forehead. “I don’t know. I just felt so…”
“Overwhelmed,” Gabriel, said. “I think anyone might have felt the same way.”
Remembering how she yelled at Gabriel before running off to wallow on the ground made Jesse want to slink under the table. “I was pretty awful,” she admitted.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Gabriel said. “I’d say you’re holding up very well under the circumstances.”
Her grandmother’s attempt at small talk did little to lift Jesse’s spirits. Self- reproach had ruined her appetite. She pushed her food around her plate before looking up to see Gabriel cutting a piece of pot roast with exaggerated gusto. Taking a bite, he waved his fork in the air to say, “Jesse, I must say, you do have a flair for cooking. All that thought and consideration you put into dinner was definitely time well spent.”
Her grandmother’s look of surprise softened into a smile when she realized Gabriel was joking. Placing her napkin on the table, she said, “I enjoyed your pot roast, too, but probably no more than Gabriel is enjoying the game he’s entertaining himself with right now.” Her voice turned playfully scolding as she looked across the table at Gabriel. “Behave, Gabriel. Stop torturing Jesse.”
Chuckling softly, Gabriel excused himself to carry his dishes to the sink.
Following, Jesse elbowed him in the side. “You heard Grammy, behave.”
An impish spark flashed in his eyes. “Yes, I heard. Florence said to stop torturing you and behave. Torture? I don’t think my behavior could accurately be described as torture. And behave—what does that even mean? Such vague instructions leave me with no real sense of obligation to comply.”
Jesse crossed her arms, watching him. “Mm-hm. You played that trick when we were kids, used word games to rationalize and squirm your way out of trouble. Well, I have news for you, Mr. James. It doesn’t work with Grammy. I tried your trick when we were kids. Never worked.”
“Ah…but did you apply the technique with the same skill?” he asked, smiling. “Word parsing is an art that takes practice and finesse.” Glancing at his watch, he said, “I would love to discuss the issue further, but unfortunately, I have to make a call.” One eyebrow lifted in mock seriousness. “But I look forward to our debate on the definition and parameters of acceptable behavior later. Maybe we can go for a walk this evening, revisit the matter.”
In her room that evening, Jesse found it difficult to concentrate on the book she was reading. Her mind kept drifting to images of Rachel with her hand on Gabriel’s arm, seductive smiles, whispering in his ear. Would he resist Rachel’s charms? Would he want to? She walked to the window to look up at the clearing sky. With an hour or so before sunset, she decided to take Gabriel up on his earlier offer to go for a walk.
Jesse could see Gabriel’s door ajar as she approached. He sat at a computer desk with his back to her listening to, what sounded like, a business report over the Internet. Engrossed in the report, he didn’t hear her light knock. “The company has new products waiting in the wings that should drive up growth in earnings. Their primary problem is capital,” the voice coming from the computer said.
Before Jesse could call his name, Gabriel asked, “Do they still have excess inventory?”
Curious, she moved closer. Was he talking to the computer?
“Inventories are still backed up. The numbers are in your packet,” the voice said.
Gabriel flipped through a stack of papers. “Fax me a report on customer base and trading history. I have everything else I need right here.”
Jesse leaned over Gabriel’s shoulder to see the man smile before saying, “I didn’t know you had company, boss.”
Gabriel glanced over his shoulder at Jesse. “Just send the report, Kenny. I’ll call you when I’ve had a chance to look everything over.” With the press of a button, Kenny’s face was gone.
Jesse stepped back as Gabriel turned around in the swivel chair to face her. Speechless, she stared at him until he finally broke the silence. “Decide you want to go for a walk?”
She ignored his question. “Boss? Why did he call you boss?”
He looked as if she were asking a trick question. “As his employer, he sometimes refers to me as boss.”
She shook her head, confused. “But you—you’re a youth minister.”
“That’s correct. I am a youth minister, but I’m also a businessman involved in private equity, management and consulting.”
But I thought—you led me to believe…”
He waited for her to finish the sentence. When she didn’t, he said, “I led you to believe the truth. I’m a youth minister. I’m sorry if you assumed that’s all I do.”
“If I assumed?” she said, eyes rounded in surprise. “So, the problem is me, my assumption?”
He watched her a few seconds before responding. “To be quite honest, Jesse, I don’t understand why there’s a problem at all.”
“You don’t understand?” Her look was incredulous. “No, I don’t guess you do understand.” Annoyed, she threw up her hands. “You know what. You’re right. What you do or don’t do is none of my business. Clearly, the problem is me. I’m naive enough to think people are actually who they represent themselves to be. How stupid of me,” she said, turning to leave.
He called her name, stopping her at the door. “Jesse, did you need something?”
“No,” she said, keeping her back turned. “I don’t need anything. I’m sorry I interrupted your work.”
In her room, Jesse sat at the desk with her cheek propped on a fist. Gabriel might not understand, but there was definitely a problem. The problem was her thinking he cared enough to share facts about his life with her.
Nearing the kitchen the next morning, Jesse could hear her grandmother and Emma talking before she stepped through the door. Victoria was setting a plate of biscuits on a table already laden with food.
“There’s our sleepy head,” her grandmother said.
“Morning,” Jesse responded. Pouring coffee, she apologized for not getting up earlier to help with breakfast.”
“Oh, no need to worry about that. I have two of the best cooks in the county helping,” she said before glancing up at the clock. “Everyone should be coming in for breakfast soon.”
Gabriel was the first through the door with Rachel close on his heels. Within seconds, Charles Swinney walked in with a man Jesse didn’t know. Her grandmother called to the man. “Nick, come over here and meet my granddaughter.”
Taking Jesse’s hand, Nick said, “Pleasure meeting you, Jesse.” His light southern drawl was as charming as his smile. Lightly tousled brown hair and a shirt cuffed at the forearms suggested an easy-going style. Nick seemed to be a man comfortable in his own skin. Returning Nick’s smile, Jesse noted the playful glint in his golden-flecked brown eyes. Something about him reminded her of a word her grandfather might have used. Rascal.
Over breakfast, Jesse collected mental notes as talk bounced around the table. She soon learned that Rachel, Nick, and Gabriel had gone to the same high school. Rachel reminisced about her time as captain of the cheerleading team before opening the archive of high school memories with a, do you remember the time, question to Nick. Gathering snippets, Jesse quickly pieced together an impression. Homecoming queen, cheerleader—Rachel’s popularity had been assured while Nick’s natural charisma had set girlish hearts aflutter up and down the locker-lined halls. Watching Nick’s head fall back with laughter, Jesse imagined he relished the Casanova role he apparently played.
Turning to Nick, Rachel’s eyes lit up. “Did you hear about my trip last summer?” Without giving him a chance to answer, she said, “I was in Europe rocking the catwalk. Milan was an absolute blast.” Sighing, her expression turned wistful. “Armani, Versace, Prada, Gucci—what girl could possibly resist?” Coming out of her reverie, she quirked an eyebrow at Jesse. “Well, some might resist. Some women make me want to say, it’s called a mirror. Buy one.”
Gritting her teeth, Jesse stabbed a piece of scrambled egg on her plate. Of course, model. That explained a lot, including Rachel’s ability to walk perfectly in four-inch heels.
“Style, beauty, it’s all in the eye of the beholder,” Nick said.
Rachel erupted with laughter. “Really, Nicky, you’re just too funny. I missed you.” She watched him a second before saying, “By the way, where’ve you been? Tiff said you moved to California.” Her nose crinkled with a hint of distaste. “California? Why would anyone go to California? New York is much more fashionable.”
Nick looked a little uneasy. “I didn’t go for fun. I was working.”
“Doing what?” Emma asked.
“Oh, this and that. I kept busy,” he said with a shrug, obviously not interested in talking about his occupation.
Jesse wondered if he had lived near her. “What part of California were you in?”
“Southern part,” he said, taking a bite of food. Suddenly, his face brightened. Leaning back in his chair, he said, “Jesse, did Gabriel ever tell you how we met?”
“No, he never did,” she said, leaning forward, eager to hear about Gabriel’s past. She wouldn’t tell him that Gabriel had never mentioned him at all.
Nick smiled. “It’s kind of funny, really. We were sophomores in high school. You know how kids clique up in high school, right? You have jocks, preps, nerds. Well, by the tenth grade most kids have found a place in some group or other.” He shook his head with feigned sadness. “But not me. I was all alone, friendless—no group to call my own. I guess me and Gabriel were in the same boat. Just two lonely kids looking to fit in.”
Rachel rolled her eyes. “Boy, please—lonely kids looking to fit in,” she mocked his obvious fib. “You know yourself that Gabriel avoided cliques like the plague and you were too busy chasing girls.”
Nick shrugged with a guilty smile. “Okay, maybe that’s how it was then.” Sliding his eyes to the side to look at Rachel, he said, “Somehow, and I know how, a rumor got started that I had gone out with the captain of the football team’s girlfriend. To make a long story short, four ticked off football players had me cornered in the boys’ locker room. When Gabriel walked in, I thought, great, another football player come to join the party, but he wasn’t. I remember Gabriel saying something like, four against one doesn’t seem fair.”
“Gabriel came to help and they let you go,” Jesse guessed.
Nick shook his head, laughing. “Oh, no, they didn’t let me go, but when the dust settled, they knew they’d bit off two strips of hickory they didn’t want to chew twice.” Smiling, he tipped his head at Gabriel. “He’s educated and proper now, but back in the day, he’d flat out fight when his back was against a wall.”
Gabriel cleared his throat to get Nick’s attention. “Memory lane seems to be getting a little murky. Maybe we should change the subject.”
“Oh, we were just kids,” Nick, said. “No lasting harm was done.” Smiling, he looked around the table to say, “Me and Gabriel became friends that day. We formed our own group,” he said with a wink, “the black eyes.”
As everyone laughed, Jesse smiled across the table at Nick. She was glad Gabriel had a good friend in high school, one with a sense of humor.
Nick leaned forward to cross his arms on the table. Holding Jesse’s gaze, he said, “Green eyes and honey skin, I bet some fine poems have been written about a whole lot less.”
Blushing, Jesse averted her eyes before glancing around to see Gabriel shoot Nick a sideways glance. Tossing his napkin on the table, Gabriel asked Mr. Swinney when they could expect the Pastor.
“He’ll be here after Olivia’s appointment with Dr. Haynes,” Mr. Swinney answered.
Gabriel’s question diverted attention away from Nick’s comment and Jesse was relieved to hear conversation resume. Hearing a soft snort, Jesse glanced to her side to see her grandmother quickly bring her napkin up to cover a smile. She leaned in to whisper, “What, Grammy?”
“It’s nothing,” she whispered, dismissing the question before asking Jesse if she would help prepare bedrooms for their guests.
“Sure, Grammy,” she said, rising from the table. Looking around, she said, “Just leave everything as it is and I’ll clean up later.”
Emma’s head shot up in protest. “You go help Florence. I’ll straighten up the kitchen.”
“Rachel and I will help, Emma,” Victoria volunteered.
Rachel scowled across the table at her mother. “I don’t have time. I’m going with Gabriel to see the shelter.”
“You can see the shelter some other time, dear,” Victoria said in a voice one might use to coax a five-year-old. “Charles said the men will be busy unloading supplies this morning.”
Rachel’s tan didn’t hide the angry flush in her cheeks. “I’m sure they hired workers, mother. They don’t need Gabriel,” she said testily.
“Actually, they do,” Gabriel said, getting up from the table. “We’ll need all the hands we can get this morning, but I’ll be glad to show you around later in the day if you want.”
Getting ready to follow Gabriel to the door, Nick paused at Rachel’s chair. “Oh,” he said, shaking his head with feigned sadness. “Life’s disappointments. Think you’ll survive, Rach?”
With arms crossed, her eyes rolled up to meet his. “Shut up, Nick!”
Eyes sparkling with mischief, he chuckled on his way out the door. “Some things never change.”
Upstairs, Jesse pulled bedding from the closet before following her grandmother to the room at the end of the hall. Standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips, her grandmother said, “The Pastor and Olivia should have the largest room.”
Jesse squeezed past her grandmother with an armful of bedding to inhale deeply. The room smelled fresh. She dropped off the linen and went to check the adjoining bathroom before making the queen-size bed.
Before starting work in the second room, Jesse turned to her grandmother. “Grammy, I heard Mr. Swinney say the Pastor and Olivia are coming here after Olivia’s doctor appointment. Is Olivia sick?”
Her grandmother’s shoulders drooped a fraction. “It started with a cough, then a sore throat and trouble swallowing. Doctor Haynes says Olivia has thyroid cancer.”
Shocked by the news, Jesse stared at her grandmother. “She’s just a kid, Grammy. Surely she’s not that sick.”
“Now, don’t jump to conclusions,” her grandmother chided gently. “We’re trusting God to heal her. We know that Dr. Haynes is a good doctor, but Olivia knows the Great Physician.”
Jesse sat down on the end of the bed. “I want to believe she’ll be alright, but this doesn’t make sense. Why did she have to get sick in the first place? She must be terrified.”
Without responding, her grandmother shooed her off the bed to pull wrinkles from the cover. As they worked through the last room in silence, Jesse noted her grandmother’s pensive expression. Just as well, she thought. She didn’t feel like talking either.
After the last bed was made, her grandmother sat down in one of the two accent chairs. “Sit down, Jesse,” she said, gesturing toward the other chair.
With a sigh, Jesse took a seat. “What is it, Grammy?”
“I’ve been thinking about what you said, that it doesn’t make sense for Olivia to be sick. You’re right, it doesn’t make sense to you, or to me, but through it all, I hold on to one thing. God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to his purpose.” After a few seconds of silence, she nodded before saying, “Yes, I believe that Olivia will be healed for God’s glory.”
Jesse’s brows furrowed in thought as she stared across the room. Gabriel said that God always answers prayers, but sometimes the answer is no. What if the answer was no? She had to wonder why some are healed but not others. Does God have some secret criteria for healing? Trying to sort it all out was giving her a headache. She wouldn’t pretend to understand God. Her grandmother and Gabriel might console themselves by saying God is mysterious and beyond human comprehension but that wasn’t enough for her. She was plagued with questions and doubt.
“Jesse,” her grandmother said, getting her attention, “you said you want to believe God will heal Olivia.”
“I do, Grammy, but—”
“No buts,” she said. “If you want to believe it, then make a choice and believe.”
Jesse’s halfhearted response of, “I’ll try,” was unconvincing.
Later that morning, Jesse walked into a somber kitchen. The Pastor and Olivia sat with Victoria and her grandmother at the table while Emma fixed two plates. The Pastor looked tired, as if he hadn’t slept. Jesse placed a cup of coffee in front of her grandmother before retreating to the kitchen island. Taking a seat, she met Olivia’s eyes watching her from across the room. The corners of younger woman’s mouth tilted up a fraction, as if to say, don’t worry, I’m fine. In response, Jesse forced a strained smile even though she felt like crying.
Fatigue could be heard in the Pastor’s voice when he said, “Florence, I was hoping you, Gabriel and Jesse would join me in prayer for Olivia this evening.”
“Oh, of course,” her grandmother agreed quickly.
Wanting to hide her hesitation, Jesse concentrated on her coffee. She couldn’t understand why the Pastor would ask her to pray with them. Didn’t he know she was a new convert? She wasn’t even sure she knew how to pray correctly. Glancing up at Olivia, tears pricked at the backs of Jesse’s eyes. If Olivia wanted her to pray with them, she would. She might not know how to pray, but she knew how to beg. She would plead with God to heal the young woman.
After placing plates in front of Olivia and the Pastor, Emma stood a few feet behind Olivia’s chair wringing her hands and looking as if she might start crying at any second. Catching her grandmother’s eye, Jesse discreetly directed her attention to Emma. Taking the hint, her grandmother’s face brightened to say, “Emma, I don’t think you and Victoria have seen my new flower bed.”