Grace and the Preacher by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Author:Kim Vogel Sawyer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Crown Publishing Group
Published: 2017-03-20T16:00:00+00:00

Grace

The image of  Rufus’s signature on the box-registration form, which appeared as informal as his speech sounded, flashed like lightning bolts in the back of Grace’s mind periodically throughout the week. But she didn’t mention her concerns. They would likely sound as petty as Mrs. Beeler’s comments about the unconventional worship service or as judgmental as Deacon Judd’s insinuation that Rufus wasn’t truly a graduate of the Clineburgh Seminary.

Uncle Philemon had dismissed Grace’s worry about the deacon’s letter. He assured her Rufus’s name had been submitted to him with a glowing recommendation from the dean of the Bible college, and as soon as Deacon Judd received confirmation of that truth, he would be forced to set aside his ridiculous mutterings.

As for the signature on the box-registration form, there were any number of reasons why it didn’t match the carefully crafted ones on the letters she kept tucked in the glove drawer of  her dresser. She told herself  he’d signed with a dull-pointed pencil rather than a nib dipped in ink. There had been others waiting for her attention, so he’d written too hurriedly to be neat. Possibly the embarrassment of  being caught holding her hand had made his writing wobbly instead of strong and sure.

Despite her logical reasoning, the image continued to tease her. But as often as questions about his inconsistencies eased in, the feeling that had flooded her when he placed his hand over hers in the post office carried the concerns away like a river cresting its bank and sweeping loose twigs and grasses downstream. The conflicting emotions made her more keenly aware of his every word and action, and to her relief as the week progressed, things he said and did began to more closely match her expectations.

He ambled by the post office on Tuesday morning while she was applying a wet rag to the dusty windows and stopped to offer her half of a candy stick, saying, “It’s my favorite.” When he spoke, the scent of cloves tickled her nose, and delightful chills scampered from her scalp to the soles of  her feet. Later that day when she delivered a package to the schoolmarm, she witnessed him joining a game of  kickball on the playground. His laughter and relaxed bearing with the children reminded her of a line from one of  his more recent letters—“I hope to be a father someday”—and sent joyous flutters through her chest.

On Wednesday after work she went to Mrs. Kirby’s, where Uncle Philemon had spent the afternoon working on the woman’s large garden plot. She found Rufus on the front porch engaged in a checkers game with Mr. Abel while Mr. Swain and Mr. Ballard watched. From the stack of checkers at Mr. Abel’s elbow, Rufus was being trounced, and she swallowed a grin as she recalled him admitting in one of  his letters that he failed dismally at games requiring strategy.

Thursday morning he stopped by the post office to say hello on his way back from Mrs. Perry’s millinery shop, where Mrs.

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