The Cowboy Next Door & Jenna's Cowboy Hero. Brenda Minton

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СКАЧАТЬ why he was there. He asked God, but didn’t hear a clear answer. It felt a lot like getting involved in Lacey’s life, and that was the last thing he wanted to do. He didn’t want involved, he didn’t want tangled up. He didn’t want to understand her life in St. Louis and what she’d done there.

      Pastor Dan walked out of the front of the church, taking the steps two at a time, because that was just Dan. He was always in a hurry to get somewhere. And he was always smiling. Dan had a lot of joy. Joy was as contagious as someone’s bad mood, but a lot easier to take. Jay got out of his truck and waited.

      “Got business, or are you just here to pass the time?” Dan stopped, still smiling, but with a curious glint in his eyes.

      “Passing time.” Jay reached into the truck and pulled out two plastic bags with Styrofoam containers. “I doubt she’s eaten anything.”

      And that was the entangled part that he hadn’t wanted. He’d noticed her car at the church for the last few hours, and he’d started to think that maybe she hadn’t eaten. She wasn’t his problem, but his mom had made her their problem. On her way out of town, Wilma had even called and asked him to make sure Lacey was okay.

      “I don’t think she’s eaten since Sunday,” Dan admitted. “She’s done a lot of praying, though. I would guess that most of it’s for other people, not herself. Sometimes life is that way, we can’t see the trees for the forest.”

      Jay pushed the truck door closed. “I’m not sure I’m catching what you mean.”

      “It’s simple, Jay. We look at life, at things that go wrong, and we just see things that went wrong, that didn’t go our way. And sometimes they went wrong for the right reason, because God has a better plan.”

      Jay smiled. “I got dumped for a reason that I don’t yet understand.”

      “Bingo.” Pastor Dan gave him a hearty slap on the back. “You’ll find Lacey in the youth room. She’s mopping, so don’t step on the floor. It really irks her if you step on her wet floor.”

      “Does she work here every week?”

      “She volunteers. Our cleaning lady moved and Lacey considers this one of her ministries.”

      “Has anyone bothered to tell her that God doesn’t require works?” He sighed, because he hadn’t meant to say the words.

      Pastor Dan only laughed. “It isn’t about works. It’s about love and the works grow from that love, and from her faith. You know that, Jay. When you’ve gone through what Lacey has gone through, you’re a little more appreciative of a new life.”

      “Maybe so.”

      “Get that meal in there before it gets cold.” Dan nodded to the bags. “Oh, any news on Corry?”

      “None.”

      Pastor Dan shook his head. “I hate that for her.”

      Jay nodded and headed on up the sidewalk, carrying the meals that were still warm, and telling himself that he was doing what his mom would want him to do. He was taking care of Lacey.

      He found Lacey standing in the hall outside the youth room, her hair in a dark auburn ponytail. Her skin glowed, glistening with perspiration.

      She turned and smiled at him, the smile hesitant. “Have they found her?”

      He shook his head, not surprised by the question. Of course her thoughts were focused on Rachel and Corry. He lifted the bags of food.

      “You should eat.”

      “I’m not hungry.”

      “I am, and I don’t like to eat alone.” He handed her one of the bags. “We could sit outside.”

      “Shouldn’t you be at home?”

      “My mom is staying in Springfield for a few days. Dad has a pretty serious workload this week and can’t make it home, so she’s with him.”

      “You have chores to do at home.”

      “I’ll do them when I get there.” He nodded toward the door, amazed that it took so much convincing to get one woman to sit and eat with him. That was a pretty harsh blow to his ego and he’d never thought of himself as prideful.

      “People will talk.” She continued her objections, but she followed him out the side door to the playground and the pavilion.

      “Talk about what?”

      “You know, they’ll talk about us. I promise you, that isn’t what you want.”

      He sat down on the top of the picnic table and she sat next to him. “It might not be what you want.”

      She opened the plastic bag and pulled out the container. She lifted the lid and smiled at the club sandwich and fries. “I promise you, Jay, being seen with you could only be good for me. And thank you for this. You either made a good guess, or Jolynn made the sandwich.”

      “Jolynn.” He opened his container. “I asked her what you liked.”

      She groaned and he glanced sideways. She looked heavenward and shook her head. “Jolynn, she’s the main contributor to the rumor mill, bless her heart.”

      “We’ll deal with it.” He didn’t want to deal with it. Lacey squirted mayo on her plate and dipped a corner of her sandwich into it before she took a bite. He pulled the onions off his burger.

      “Thank you for the sandwich.” She spoke after a few minutes. Jay nodded. The quiet between them had been nice. He didn’t really want to admit it, not even to himself, but she was easy to be around.

      “You’re welcome. Tell me something, Lacey, why and how do you do it all?”

      “Do it all?”

      “Work doubles, go to school.” He shrugged. “You’re going to school, right?”

      “I never graduated from high school.” She turned a little pink and took another bite of sandwich.

      “Okay, work, school, church, the nursing home, cleaning and nursery. Why?”

      “Because I…” She looked away, the summer breeze picking up dark hair that had come loose from her ponytail. She brushed it back with nails that were painted dark pink but were chipping at the ends.

      She smiled at him. “Because it makes me feel good to be a part of this community.”

      He didn’t buy it.

      “I’ve always tried too hard, too,” he admitted. “It isn’t easy, being a Blackhorse and knowing people expect a lot from you.”

      She choked on her last bite of sandwich. As she gasped for air, he handed her a clean napkin. She wiped her eyes and took a deep breath.

      “I’m not trying to do anything.”

      “Okay.” But she was.

      He СКАЧАТЬ