Bluegrass Courtship by Allie Pleiter Page A

hmm?” She tried to keep the edge of annoyance out of her voice.
    Evidently not very well, for Drew’s expression softened and he admitted, “Well, he did say he remembered hearing something about the subject ‘from Bebe’s daughter.’ And the prospect of a new roof for the whole church sort of sweetened the deal, I think.”
    â€œThat, and the state funds.”
    â€œHey, God uses whatever means at His disposal. And we always find what we need. As a matter of fact, most times we find more than what we need.”
    â€œMeaning?”
    â€œMeaning that people are generally good.” He led her around a corner. “They’re usually eager to help, just waiting for someone to ask them. And then they catch the excitement and pass it on to someone else, like the garden gate. That’s the real amazing part of Missionnovation for me. Not the television part, the connecting part.” He spread his hands in illustration. “The ripples that go out from one connection to another. The way people join together.”
    They had to stop their progress for a second to let a television camera go by. She chose that moment to say what she’d been biting back for days. “Look, I know you believe that, and I understand what you’re saying, but don’t you think the television exposure has more to do with it than anything else?” He scowled, and she wondered if she’d been too direct. “Not that it’s bad, I suppose, because the work gets done when it might not get done otherwise, but—” she tried to think of a gentle way to put it, but this kind of diplomacy was never her strength “—don’t you wonder if you’re just kidding yourself about people’s motives here?” There, she’d said it.
    He stared for a second, and she couldn’t tell if he wastaken aback or just being very careful about his reply. “Just for the record, I like that about you.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œYou say what you mean.”
    Janet looked down. “Well, not everyone sees it as the virtue you do.”
    He pivoted to stand in front of her. “I’ve got loads of people telling me what they think I want to hear. I’m aware of what people think of me, of what they think I can do for them. Truth is a valuable thing in my world, Janet. I don’t always get as much of it as I’d like. So please don’t ever be afraid to tell me what you really think. I mean it.”
    She nodded, unable to come up with another reply.
    â€œBesides,” he said, putting his hands in his pockets and walking on again, “since when is holding up the good in people bad? With all the stuff on television these days, what’s so bad about showing off what’s good and friendly and still right in the world?”
    â€œThere’s a difference between honest generosity and…I don’t know what you’d call it…product placement?”
    â€œYes, there is.” He looked at her over one shoulder. “And while I admit to a bit of an expertise in the area, most people can see the difference. That’s part of what I do. That’s part of my job—to keep Missionnovation on the right path, to watch for that kind of thing and keep it at bay.”
    â€œSo you admit it happens.”
    â€œIt does happen. I’ve rejected offers of help. Things we have no business taking because those people aren’t really here to help, but only for exposure. That’s one of the reasons I like going out into the community and asking. That’s where you find the honest folks. The people just looking to help other people? They’re so easy to find, Janet.”
    Janet wasn’t sure she agreed with that remark. She thought about all the people Tony had fooled. She almost told Drew the story, suddenly not wanting him to think her a cynical old spinster, but couldn’t reveal something so personal—especially