gone, and she regretted not riding home with Peggy because she’d just noticed that Miles’s buggy wasn’t even there.
Suddenly a shiver ran through her body. What if Gavin was still around, and here she was, alone with no one to hear her scream? She became frightened by her own thoughts, and started to pace back and forth. She wrung her hands. How would she get home? Could she walk the five and a half miles? She thought that, however far it was, it was safer than waiting around here, in case Gavin showed up.
Just as she started the trek home, Miles barreled toward her in his buggy. He reined in, and jumped down.
“Sorry. I didn’t realize I was supposed to drive you home until I ran into Peggy at the church,” he said. “I’ll help you up.”
He put his hands on her waist, like he always did when he helped her into the buggy.
“You were back home?” she asked.
“I was at the church,” Miles said. “I took Gavin to Martin’s house early this morning—got Martin out of bed. He told me to meet him at the church, so we waited for him there. Once Martin got there, I left McKenzie with him. If Martin thinks he can work with him and help him, fine, otherwise he’ll report his problem to the school council. So, as I was walking from the church, Peggy was just getting out of your buggy. She told me she’d switched so I could drive you home.” He jumped up into the driver’s seat. “So now you’re up on what’s been going on.”
“I was scared, Miles,” she said with a shiver. “I was left all alone here, and wasn’t sure if Gavin might still be lurking around somewhere.”
“I’m truly sorry. I remembered that you’d driven here yourself, so I figured I’d come back for Peggy. I didn’t realize you’d be left here alone.” He reached over and patted her hand. “I’ll have you home safely in no time.”
“Peggy also apologized for everything,” Miles said. “I forgave her, of course. After all, she did save you in the long run, and I think she’s learned a lesson.”
Violet simply smiled. She wondered where all of this left her and Miles. He didn’t seem interested in her, except to feel badly for her experience. Had he truly gotten over her, or was he protecting himself against future hurt from her, like Peggy had hinted? It would be hard for him, she imagined, to ever trust her again with his heart. How foolish she’d been.
“What will you do if he’s still teaching in the fall?” Miles asked.
“I’m resigning,” she said.
“Oh, really? What will you do, then?”
“I’m going to run Rose’s business for her.”
“Excellent idea,” he said. He took his eyes off the road for a second and gave her a smile. “It will be nice to see you around town again.”
Something Miles said last night kept bothering her. He’d said, "Peggy thought I was watching you because I was still in love with you." Did that mean he wasn’t in love with her anymore?
She didn’t deserve him anyway.
Chapter 11
Reverend Martin leaned back in his chair and studied the man before him. He was maybe thirty or close to it, good looking, but his eyes—his eyes told John Martin he was a troubled man. The bruises on his face made the reverend curious about his difficulty.
“Welcome, Gavin. Miles Croft has hope that I can help you with a problem. Could you tell me about it?”
“Miles is exaggerating. I…I…,” Gavin shook his head and then sat with his head in his hands. “If you’re to help me, I guess I have to be honest. It goes no further than this room, right?”
“Nothing goes beyond these walls, Gavin. People come here and tell me all sorts of things. This is the right place to do that. The Bible does tell us to confess our sins. James 5: 16 says, ‘Confess your sins to one another that you may be healed .’ Now, this is important: it doesn’t say confess to be forgiven , it says to be
Suddenly a shiver ran through her body. What if Gavin was still around, and here she was, alone with no one to hear her scream? She became frightened by her own thoughts, and started to pace back and forth. She wrung her hands. How would she get home? Could she walk the five and a half miles? She thought that, however far it was, it was safer than waiting around here, in case Gavin showed up.
Just as she started the trek home, Miles barreled toward her in his buggy. He reined in, and jumped down.
“Sorry. I didn’t realize I was supposed to drive you home until I ran into Peggy at the church,” he said. “I’ll help you up.”
He put his hands on her waist, like he always did when he helped her into the buggy.
“You were back home?” she asked.
“I was at the church,” Miles said. “I took Gavin to Martin’s house early this morning—got Martin out of bed. He told me to meet him at the church, so we waited for him there. Once Martin got there, I left McKenzie with him. If Martin thinks he can work with him and help him, fine, otherwise he’ll report his problem to the school council. So, as I was walking from the church, Peggy was just getting out of your buggy. She told me she’d switched so I could drive you home.” He jumped up into the driver’s seat. “So now you’re up on what’s been going on.”
“I was scared, Miles,” she said with a shiver. “I was left all alone here, and wasn’t sure if Gavin might still be lurking around somewhere.”
“I’m truly sorry. I remembered that you’d driven here yourself, so I figured I’d come back for Peggy. I didn’t realize you’d be left here alone.” He reached over and patted her hand. “I’ll have you home safely in no time.”
“Peggy also apologized for everything,” Miles said. “I forgave her, of course. After all, she did save you in the long run, and I think she’s learned a lesson.”
Violet simply smiled. She wondered where all of this left her and Miles. He didn’t seem interested in her, except to feel badly for her experience. Had he truly gotten over her, or was he protecting himself against future hurt from her, like Peggy had hinted? It would be hard for him, she imagined, to ever trust her again with his heart. How foolish she’d been.
“What will you do if he’s still teaching in the fall?” Miles asked.
“I’m resigning,” she said.
“Oh, really? What will you do, then?”
“I’m going to run Rose’s business for her.”
“Excellent idea,” he said. He took his eyes off the road for a second and gave her a smile. “It will be nice to see you around town again.”
Something Miles said last night kept bothering her. He’d said, "Peggy thought I was watching you because I was still in love with you." Did that mean he wasn’t in love with her anymore?
She didn’t deserve him anyway.
Chapter 11
Reverend Martin leaned back in his chair and studied the man before him. He was maybe thirty or close to it, good looking, but his eyes—his eyes told John Martin he was a troubled man. The bruises on his face made the reverend curious about his difficulty.
“Welcome, Gavin. Miles Croft has hope that I can help you with a problem. Could you tell me about it?”
“Miles is exaggerating. I…I…,” Gavin shook his head and then sat with his head in his hands. “If you’re to help me, I guess I have to be honest. It goes no further than this room, right?”
“Nothing goes beyond these walls, Gavin. People come here and tell me all sorts of things. This is the right place to do that. The Bible does tell us to confess our sins. James 5: 16 says, ‘Confess your sins to one another that you may be healed .’ Now, this is important: it doesn’t say confess to be forgiven , it says to be
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