The Shepherd's Betrothal by Lynn A. Coleman Page A

working hard for her friend.
    Did I misjudge again, Lord?
    * * *
    Hope dressed for the Dia de Muertos, the Latin holiday known as the Day of the Dead. Folks who were not from a Hispanic background were surprised and a bit bewildered by the event. She smiled at the thought. In true tradition, it focused on remembering friends and family who had passed away. Where it went a little too far for Hope’s taste was in bringing food to the graves or building private altars to their ancestors. However, she loved the festive atmosphere, the parades, the music and the celebration.
    And today, Hope needed some cheer. Hamilton Scott approaching her in church was a bit more than she’d expected. It had been nearly four months since he’d fired her for no reason. Well, there was a reason. But he didn’t want to hear the truth about the careless documentation of his employees. Mr. Scott wanted her to come back to work for him, no apology, no admission of any wrong-doing on his part. And she was to simply accept his offer as if nothing had happened?
    Hope would not submit herself to that kind of treatment again. Because she was a woman, he saw her as expendable, and she knew, given the right circumstances, he would fire her again with no cause. What bothered her most was his approaching her in church, hinting that if she would simply apologize…
    But worse than her encounter with Hamilton Scott was seeing Ian and knowing he thought her unworthy or unwilling to love him as he was. The ever-present knot in her stomach twisted again. Especially in light of the kiss they had shared.
    Hope sighed. She looked in the full-length mirror at her dress. It was bright and colorful, giving the impression of happiness. She would not let anyone know her heart and her feelings of unworthiness. At one time, she would have thought it impossible that she would be so insecure, but there was no denying it now. She’d been judged by Hamilton Scott to be unworthy. And she’d been judged by Ian to be unworthy of his life and life choices. She couldn’t work for her father in the investment company because people wouldn’t accept a woman in that business. Besides, he already had a secretary who’d been working for them.
    â€œWhat am I good for, Lord?”
    She sat down in the reclining chair in her room and opened her Bible to the familiar verses from the thirty-first Proverb. “‘She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.’ I don’t work with wool or flax but I do quilt and like working with fabric and designing dresses.” Even Grace had asked her if she wanted to be a dressmaker. She nibbled her lower lip. “Should I, Lord? Should I strike out on my own?”
    She read further. “She considereth a field, and buyeth it.” She had been earning some money and her father had started to pay her for her time going over some of the business proposals.
    Hope got up and walked over to her desk. She started a list of the various steps one would need to take to start a dressmaker’s business. She would drive through St. Augustine and count how many dressmakers lived and worked in the city. Knowing the competition was one of the first requirements for assessing whether or not a business would be sound.
    For the first time in months, she felt better, like she had a plan. She continued mapping out the necessary steps and what she would need to investigate until her mother called her. “Are you coming?” Sally Lang asked from behind the closed door.
    â€œSorry, Mum. I’ll be right down.” Hope left her paperwork on her desk. She had a new direction for her life, a new purpose. She might not have a husband or any prospects at the moment, but she was encouraged.
    She realized she’d forgotten who she was. God didn’t make mistakes, and being a woman didn’t make her any less adept in the business world. She could, and with God’s grace she