Jenna's Cowboy Hero by Brenda Minton Page A

stopped by with casseroles when her mom died, or had pulled up in the drive and honked on Sunday mornings, wanting her to attend church and then driving away with Clint when she would no longer go, not in torn jeans and holey sneakers, tangled rats in her hair.
    She had listened to her father talk about self-righteous people wanting to look down their noses at the Cameron family and turn them into a charity case. She had groomed resentment like a well-tended garden and fought hard against everyone, including God. She had fought against the cookies, hugs and stories of Jesus.
    All the while, these people really were waiting to love her. And now they were here to help Adam, and to help kids they didn’t even know.
    â€œYou okay?” Adam asked. The velvet and thunder tones in his voice sent a chill down her spine.
    â€œI’m fine, why?”
    â€œYou stopped walking. You seem a little down today.”
    She looked up, meeting a deep look on his face that didn’t tease. That look said he understood because maybehe’d felt this way himself. Of course he had; it was the look she’d noticed in his eyes when a game ended and reporters circled him, wanting to know how it felt to be him.
    She had always thought that maybe it didn’t feel as good as the world imagined. He was still waiting for an answer to his question.
    â€œI’m fine, a little sore today.” She rarely admitted that, because the words, once spoken, made it real.
    Flashbacks happened, sometimes even in the bright sunlight of a summer day in Oklahoma. Sometimes she could smell the smoke, the blood, the dark mustiness of that closet where she’d been hidden.
    Sometimes in the dark of night she wanted to scream for daylight.
    Sometimes she wanted her life back, the hope and promise of marriage and love, a family. And then she fought it all back and she remembered faith and meeting God in that dark room, knowing He wouldn’t let her down, believing He would get her home. Home to her family, to her boys.
    He had. And she hadn’t been let down. She could get through anything.
    â€œYou’re fine.” Adam’s tone said he didn’t believe her. “Pastor Todd, good to see you again.”
    He was good at pushing past pain, too. She knew a kindred spirit when she met one. He was smiling again, letting go of their conversation.
    â€œGood to see you, too. I’ve got delivery dates for the food. The kitchen help is going to get the pans and dishes organized and we’ll make out a work schedule.” Pastor Todd fell in next to Adam and they, along with the group of church members, moved toward the kitchen.
    Vera joined them, in jeans and a T-shirt today, not hercustomary smock apron. “I’ve got a schedule for the kitchen. I won’t be able to be here to help, but I’ve got a sister, Louisa, who has helped me a lot in the restaurant. She’s going to be in charge of cooking. Charm Jones is going to be in charge of servers and dishes. They’ll make sure you have plenty of people on hand.”
    â€œOkay.” Adam’s tight smile didn’t faze Vera. She had a list and she was ticking things off.
    â€œAnd Gordon Flynn is bringing beef over from the packing plant. He’s giving you a good deal on half a beef.”
    â€œHalf a beef?” Adam’s smile disappeared.
    â€œOh, honey, that’s not all,” Vera continued, as if she didn’t notice his surprise. Or was it outrage? “We’re also having chicken one night, and then there’ll be sausage and eggs for breakfast.”
    A heavy sigh from Adam. Jenna felt a little bad for him. He was probably envisioning his savings account dwindling, or maybe felt as if the community had hijacked him and his camp.
    â€œAdam, a lot of the cost is being covered by the church.”
    That got his attention. He glanced from her to Pastor Todd.
    â€œWe want to help.” Pastor Todd nodded in the direction