moment of your time?”
She looked up from the shelf with an apologetic look and he quickly slid into place, moving it for her.
“Thank you so much,” she said. “Now, what can I do for you?”
He gestured to the side of the room and she walked alongside him, away from her aunt and cousin.
“First, let me say that Bucky and Katie Sue have decided to get married at once,” Reverend Billingsley explained with a smile. “This Sunday, in fact.”
“Marvelous!” A rush of joy filled her heart as she thought about their pending wedding. One out of four matches. Not great odds, but at least they weren’t all dismal failures.
“Externally, they are as different as night and day,” the reverend continued, clearly oblivious to her thoughts. “He’s so tall and slender, and she’s so...anyway, they are quite the opposite, one from the other. And yet they are happily matched.” The reverend’s smile quickly faded. “I wish I could say the same about my relationship with Sarah Jo. She is rather...”
“Rough around the edges?”
“To say the least.” He grinned. “Not that I’m opposed to rough around the edges. I rather think I might enjoy the challenge, so long as the woman was the one God had chosen for me. It’s just that she’s quite the opposite of what I envision Him sending my way. I need a woman who is steady. Reliable. Not given to...” He shook his head then gave her a sheepish look.
“It’s all right, Reverend. I understand completely. And if you want me to refund your money...”
“No no no.” He put up a hand to stop her from continuing with that train of thought. “I am not saying that. I have never been one to give up. I will give this my best shot. I just wanted you to know what I’m up against so you can add your prayers to mine.”
“I think it’s fairly clear to all of us what you’re up against.” Belinda gave him a wink. “So I will be praying. I promise.”
“Indeed. So shall I.” He took a few steps toward the door then turned back. “Did you hear that she wants to open an opera house? An opera house!”
“Yes.” Belinda nodded. “Are you opposed to the idea?”
“Well...” He paused then shrugged. “I suppose not, in theory. I would imagine folks might come from Wills Point, Royce City, and Terrell. Not sure they’ll venture all the way from Dallas. But it should bring in some revenue, to be sure.” He shook his head. “I somehow imagined that Sarah Jo would put her piano-playing skills to work in the church, not in a theatrical environment.” He shrugged. “Of course, if I marry her, the church will be become a theatrical environment, will it not?” With a sigh, he turned back toward the door.
Belinda tried to return to her work at the register while Greta went to work arranging shelves. However, she found herself distracted, both by Marta’s unhappiness and the reverend’s uncertainty. For the first time, she paused to consider the fact that she had actually caused this dilemma. “It’s my doing.”
“What’s your doing, honey?” Aunt Hilde asked, approaching the register.
“Oh, I, uh...” Belinda sighed. “I think maybe I’ve jumped the gun, to use one of Papa’s expressions.”
“Gotten ahead of the Lord, you mean?”
“Maybe.” She shook her head. “Oh, I don’t know. I prayed before sending out those letters. And I know Peter prayed as he wrote the poems. He told me as much. But I never once thought about what might happen if the people weren’t happy with my choices.”
“You are a girl who arranges things,” Aunt Hilde said with a nod. “That’s sure and certain. But arranging lives is a bit more difficult than placing jars on the shelves in the store.”
“Georg said as much, though not in those exact words.” Belinda paused to think about all this. “I do like to arrange things, but I’m only human. I’m going to make mistakes.”
“Those letters you sent out to the potential brides...” Aunt Hilde’s
She looked up from the shelf with an apologetic look and he quickly slid into place, moving it for her.
“Thank you so much,” she said. “Now, what can I do for you?”
He gestured to the side of the room and she walked alongside him, away from her aunt and cousin.
“First, let me say that Bucky and Katie Sue have decided to get married at once,” Reverend Billingsley explained with a smile. “This Sunday, in fact.”
“Marvelous!” A rush of joy filled her heart as she thought about their pending wedding. One out of four matches. Not great odds, but at least they weren’t all dismal failures.
“Externally, they are as different as night and day,” the reverend continued, clearly oblivious to her thoughts. “He’s so tall and slender, and she’s so...anyway, they are quite the opposite, one from the other. And yet they are happily matched.” The reverend’s smile quickly faded. “I wish I could say the same about my relationship with Sarah Jo. She is rather...”
“Rough around the edges?”
“To say the least.” He grinned. “Not that I’m opposed to rough around the edges. I rather think I might enjoy the challenge, so long as the woman was the one God had chosen for me. It’s just that she’s quite the opposite of what I envision Him sending my way. I need a woman who is steady. Reliable. Not given to...” He shook his head then gave her a sheepish look.
“It’s all right, Reverend. I understand completely. And if you want me to refund your money...”
“No no no.” He put up a hand to stop her from continuing with that train of thought. “I am not saying that. I have never been one to give up. I will give this my best shot. I just wanted you to know what I’m up against so you can add your prayers to mine.”
“I think it’s fairly clear to all of us what you’re up against.” Belinda gave him a wink. “So I will be praying. I promise.”
“Indeed. So shall I.” He took a few steps toward the door then turned back. “Did you hear that she wants to open an opera house? An opera house!”
“Yes.” Belinda nodded. “Are you opposed to the idea?”
“Well...” He paused then shrugged. “I suppose not, in theory. I would imagine folks might come from Wills Point, Royce City, and Terrell. Not sure they’ll venture all the way from Dallas. But it should bring in some revenue, to be sure.” He shook his head. “I somehow imagined that Sarah Jo would put her piano-playing skills to work in the church, not in a theatrical environment.” He shrugged. “Of course, if I marry her, the church will be become a theatrical environment, will it not?” With a sigh, he turned back toward the door.
Belinda tried to return to her work at the register while Greta went to work arranging shelves. However, she found herself distracted, both by Marta’s unhappiness and the reverend’s uncertainty. For the first time, she paused to consider the fact that she had actually caused this dilemma. “It’s my doing.”
“What’s your doing, honey?” Aunt Hilde asked, approaching the register.
“Oh, I, uh...” Belinda sighed. “I think maybe I’ve jumped the gun, to use one of Papa’s expressions.”
“Gotten ahead of the Lord, you mean?”
“Maybe.” She shook her head. “Oh, I don’t know. I prayed before sending out those letters. And I know Peter prayed as he wrote the poems. He told me as much. But I never once thought about what might happen if the people weren’t happy with my choices.”
“You are a girl who arranges things,” Aunt Hilde said with a nod. “That’s sure and certain. But arranging lives is a bit more difficult than placing jars on the shelves in the store.”
“Georg said as much, though not in those exact words.” Belinda paused to think about all this. “I do like to arrange things, but I’m only human. I’m going to make mistakes.”
“Those letters you sent out to the potential brides...” Aunt Hilde’s
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