Her Small-Town Hero by Arlene James

Author:Arlene James
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4268-2576-7
Publisher: Harlequin

Cara and Ace attended church with the Jeffords the next day. This time they rode in Holt’s truck and sat up front in the usual Jefford pew. She’d argued that it might be wiser, considering the assumptions about the two of them, for her to make the trek on foot, despite the biting cold, and sit apart from the Jeffords, but Holt had decreed the plan pointless. Hap had dismissed the whole thing.

“People will talk,” he’d said. “Let ’em. God knows the truth. Better than we do, even.”

That did nothing to ease Cara’s conscience. The more she got to know the Jeffords, the worse she felt about lying to them, especially to Holt. Her feelings for him had taken an alarming turn the night before, reinforcing her determination to keep as much distance between them as possible.

Holt had left his hat in the vehicle when they went in to church, a wise decision because, even though Cara had managed to maneuver Hap into a seat between her and Holt, Ace continually lunged back and forth between them. He treated Hap as a human bridge, often pausing during transition to dispense hugs and pats.

To Cara’s relief, none of the Jefford men became impatient or seemed the least disturbed by the constantly moving little body. Ryan, sitting on the end next to Holt, even seemed to feel a little left out and at times tried to entice Ace onto his lap, but though Ace smiled at Ryan and flirted with him, he did it sitting with his back flat against Holt’s chest. At least, Cara consoled herself, Ace was happy and quiet, and that allowed her to pay some attention to Grover’s message.

It turned out that he was preaching a series from the book of Romans. She didn’t understand much of what he read aloud, but she did get the premise that the created have no right to complain to the Creator about how they are made. Another idea, however, not only confused but troubled her, that those pursuing righteousness via the law “stumbled” by not pursuing righteousness through faith.

What did that mean, she wondered, to pursue righteousness through faith? And what was this law about which the writer spoke?

She needed to speak to someone about this, someone who might not become too suspicious if she hedged or changed the subject. As before, Hap would be her first choice, but after the last time they’d spoken of such things, she feared giving away too much with him.

During the final part of the service, when the congregation stood and softly sang while Grover gently exhorted those with needs to come forward for counseling and prayer, Cara felt an almost overwhelming compulsion to rush down the aisle and throw herself onto her knees, but she stayed put out of fear. Later, when she stood shaking hands with Grover, the notion of speaking to him in private hit her. When she quietly asked if that might be possible, he promptly suggested a time the next afternoon, then added that he’d take care of it with Hap.

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