Ring of Truth by Nancy Pickard Page A

first wife, Donna, had died of uterine cancer less than a year earlier; Artie, too, was just emerging from her divorce from Taylor Hornung. In fact, the church was full of suddenly singles. A “grief group” that Dr. Bob led twice a week was, sadly, packed with widows, widowers and divorced persons of all ages. Of all the places in which to look for happiness, surely a “grief group” was one of the least promising. And yet there seemed to be something magical about the “ Recovering From Loss” group—its official name—that Bob Wing started after Donna died. It seemed as if couples paired up left and right, as if he was as much matchmaker as minister.
    He, himself, had recently married a woman in the group. But his new wife was off on real estate calls the day that Artemis Hornung walked in, and so Susanna Wing wasn't there to greet their potential new member.
    Only the church secretary and the minister met Artie that day.
    She confessed to them that she felt a spiritual void in her life; he was a minister, trained to fill that emptiness with words of the spirit. Soon, the three of them were laughing and chatting away like old friends, as if Artie had found her natural church home, just as easily as that. When they found out that she was newly divorced, the church secretary kindly said, “You ought to attend Dr. Bob's group for people who've lost their spouses through death or divorce.”
    “I will,” Artie told them, “and you ought to come to my next party.”
    And so it was set in motion by a good intention.
    It all seemed so mutually congenial, such a fortuitous meeting of hearts and minds. Bob Wing found it easy to say yes for his wife and himself, and Pat Danner accepted withpleasure on behalf of herself and her husband. It appeared that Artemis Hornung had found her church home and Sands Gospel—though they didn't know it yet—had found its benefactor, for Artie was not only newly divorced but richly so, with money to burn and a burning ambition to spend it.
    The charming woman with the face of an angel said goodbye after a tour of the church. The secretary noticed that her handsome minister seemed to be staring at the front door after it closed behind their visitor.
    “Nice woman,” she said approvingly.
    He turned, and she saw how he blushed. “Oh. Yes, she is.”
    Men, thought the secretary with fond amusement. Even ministers. Not a one of them could resist a pretty woman, especially one who admired their life's work. Well, who could resist that? And Mrs. Hornung had even managed to find something nice to say about the view of the parking lot! It was harmless, though. If ever there was a man you could trust to be true to his wife it was Bob Wing. He preached faithfulness, he lived it, and he even had the grace to blush just for looking at a pretty woman.
    “Did you see the size of the diamond she had on?” Pat asked him.
    He shook his head, no.
    “Size of your head,” the secretary marveled.
    Dr. Wing grinned at her. “The size of my head before I preach, or afterwards?”
    “Oh, before,” his secretary teased him right back. “The way your head swells with all that praise, no diamond could be that big.”
    “That's what I thought you meant,” he said with a deadpan expression.
    “Maybe she'll repair our stucco,” the secretary said, thoughtfully.

    “Pat!” he remonstrated with her. “Let's don't spend the poor woman's money before she's even a member!”
    “If she's got money, then she's not a poor woman,” was her retort to that.
    Knowing when he was beat, the reverend retreated to his office.
    The church secretary never gave another thought to the way he'd stared after their visitor, except for one guilty, fleeting moment when the thought did cross her mind to wish this woman had arrived before Bob Wing had married Susanna. The secretary had seen the way Mrs. Hornung blushed when he spoke to her, and how she had noticed his wedding ring. Those two would have made a charismatic