CHAPTER ONE
“Now this is flying.”
Carrie Collins snapped her seat belt into place and settled back into the broad, comfortable expanse of her first class seat. The four hour wait and the promise of flying home to Austin in style had almost been worth being bumped from her noon flight.
Wouldn’t Millie be surprised when she heard? Tomorrow at work Carrie knew she would be giving her best friend all the details of her rare ride at the front of the plane. But then Millie lived for the details.
After all, she was a fact checker.
The book she’d begun in the airport beckoned, and she retrieved it from her carry-on.. As she sipped her orange juice and prepared to be transported back to 1878 Texas, Carrie smiled. How often did a small-time reporter for the Austin Times end up in this sort of luxury?
Never, actually, but then she’d all but given up her dreams of the jet-set lifestyle of a real hard news reporter. God obviously had other plans for her.
The fact that she’d been able to fly to California at all was a testament to the fact that God had some sort of plan for her life that involved writing. She’d never expected to get a scholarship to the prestigious Christian writer’s retreat in the mountains north of San Jose. That in itself was a blessing, but when her boss told her she could consider the trip an assignment as long as she came back with an article for the religion section of the Times , she felt doubly blessed.
A girl with only one week of vacation didn’t take that sort of concession lightly.
Carrie folded the book shut and stared out the window at the flurry of activity going on out on the tarmac. Above the fray, the brilliant orange sun touched the topmost peaks of the distant mountains, reminding her of the serene place she’d spent the past five days.
While at the retreat, she’d had time to think and pray about what God wanted from her, and she’d had time to gain a healthy respect for His sovereign control over her life. She came away refreshed, energized, and more importantly, knowing that she needed to do something big for God.
Something that would make a difference for Him.
Something like a becoming a serious writer whose feature stories were respected in both Christian and secular circles.
While Mr. Scott was kind enough to concede to the out-of-state assignment, Carrie knew he didn’t believe she had the ability to break into feature writing. “That’s okay,” she whispered as she returned her attention to her novel, “I’ve got a plan.”
The constant stream of passengers filing through the first class cabin had become a mere trickle by the time Carrie finished the chapter. “Please stow your bag, ma’am.”
Carrie looked up to see a fresh-faced flight attendant. “Yes, of course.” She stuffed the book into the seat pocket then tried to force the ever-so-trendy bag she’d brought aboard under the seat ahead of her. Two attempts later, the silver-haired businessman in the row ahead of her rose to give her a most ungentlemanly look.
“I’m terribly sorry for all the bumping,” she said.
Rather than respond, he pointed to the storage bin over her head then sank into his seat with a shake of his head. “All right. The overhead compartment it is.” Unfortunately, the bag was stuck.
She tugged and pulled, all the while apologizing to the gentleman sitting above the battle. Finally, she felt the bag come loose, just in time to send her reeling backwards into her seat. The offending carry-on in hand, she stood.
Now to somehow lift the beast into the overhead compartment.
“May I help you, Miss?”
A pair of arms covered in starched denim reached around her to easily place the bag in the last remaining spot in the overhead compartment. Carrie ducked beneath the arms to fall into her seat and get a better look at the man standing in the aisle.
He wore denim and khaki and, other than the interesting multicolored tie and the set of matching
“Now this is flying.”
Carrie Collins snapped her seat belt into place and settled back into the broad, comfortable expanse of her first class seat. The four hour wait and the promise of flying home to Austin in style had almost been worth being bumped from her noon flight.
Wouldn’t Millie be surprised when she heard? Tomorrow at work Carrie knew she would be giving her best friend all the details of her rare ride at the front of the plane. But then Millie lived for the details.
After all, she was a fact checker.
The book she’d begun in the airport beckoned, and she retrieved it from her carry-on.. As she sipped her orange juice and prepared to be transported back to 1878 Texas, Carrie smiled. How often did a small-time reporter for the Austin Times end up in this sort of luxury?
Never, actually, but then she’d all but given up her dreams of the jet-set lifestyle of a real hard news reporter. God obviously had other plans for her.
The fact that she’d been able to fly to California at all was a testament to the fact that God had some sort of plan for her life that involved writing. She’d never expected to get a scholarship to the prestigious Christian writer’s retreat in the mountains north of San Jose. That in itself was a blessing, but when her boss told her she could consider the trip an assignment as long as she came back with an article for the religion section of the Times , she felt doubly blessed.
A girl with only one week of vacation didn’t take that sort of concession lightly.
Carrie folded the book shut and stared out the window at the flurry of activity going on out on the tarmac. Above the fray, the brilliant orange sun touched the topmost peaks of the distant mountains, reminding her of the serene place she’d spent the past five days.
While at the retreat, she’d had time to think and pray about what God wanted from her, and she’d had time to gain a healthy respect for His sovereign control over her life. She came away refreshed, energized, and more importantly, knowing that she needed to do something big for God.
Something that would make a difference for Him.
Something like a becoming a serious writer whose feature stories were respected in both Christian and secular circles.
While Mr. Scott was kind enough to concede to the out-of-state assignment, Carrie knew he didn’t believe she had the ability to break into feature writing. “That’s okay,” she whispered as she returned her attention to her novel, “I’ve got a plan.”
The constant stream of passengers filing through the first class cabin had become a mere trickle by the time Carrie finished the chapter. “Please stow your bag, ma’am.”
Carrie looked up to see a fresh-faced flight attendant. “Yes, of course.” She stuffed the book into the seat pocket then tried to force the ever-so-trendy bag she’d brought aboard under the seat ahead of her. Two attempts later, the silver-haired businessman in the row ahead of her rose to give her a most ungentlemanly look.
“I’m terribly sorry for all the bumping,” she said.
Rather than respond, he pointed to the storage bin over her head then sank into his seat with a shake of his head. “All right. The overhead compartment it is.” Unfortunately, the bag was stuck.
She tugged and pulled, all the while apologizing to the gentleman sitting above the battle. Finally, she felt the bag come loose, just in time to send her reeling backwards into her seat. The offending carry-on in hand, she stood.
Now to somehow lift the beast into the overhead compartment.
“May I help you, Miss?”
A pair of arms covered in starched denim reached around her to easily place the bag in the last remaining spot in the overhead compartment. Carrie ducked beneath the arms to fall into her seat and get a better look at the man standing in the aisle.
He wore denim and khaki and, other than the interesting multicolored tie and the set of matching
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