Second Chance Match by Arlene James

Author:Arlene James
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2011-10-25T22:00:00+00:00

Folding her hands, Jessa stared down at them. When the pastor had asked for those with prayer requests to speak up, she had very nearly done so, but how could she ask others to pray that God would give her the strength not to fall in love with the man sitting next to her? How could she ask that God grant her the Monroe place so that she need not worry about making a fool of herself over him? Again.

She should never have gone into the greenhouse that night. She should never have stayed once she’d realized that he was there. She should never have let herself feel safe and comfortable with him, enough to drop off to sleep on his shoulder! She hadn’t known what to say to him after that, hadn’t known how to act. She still didn’t. Nevertheless, she’d climbed on that bike and she’d let herself feel that she belonged there with him, if only for a little while.

What was wrong with her? A romantic complication was the last thing she needed, especially with him. He seemed to know her too well, and that horrified her.

Wayne had known her better than she’d known herself. He’d known exactly how to manipulate her, how to keep her bound to him. He’d even used her faith, her conviction that God had ordained marriage and meant it to last a lifetime. She knew Wayne had ignored his own wedding vows because he’d rubbed her nose in his infidelities, claiming that he’d strayed because of her. Already pregnant, she’d clung to her belief that God would change him.

Eventually she’d come to understand that God would not change those who did not wish to change. By then she had a child with the man, and Wayne had threatened violence to their son and even her mother to keep her at his side. Ironically, that very violence, and the small legacy left to her by her late mom, had finally allowed Jessa to escape.

She couldn’t imagine that Garrett would actually harm her, which was probably why he drew her so strongly. But how could she know? Marrying Wayne had proved how poor her judgment was in such matters. It was safer simply not to allow any man into her life. Yet Garrett Willows tempted her.

He tempted her to trust him, perhaps even to love him, and she dared not. Even if he did happen to be interested in her romantically, she dared not let herself trust that it could work out for them.

Please, Lord, she pleaded, don’t let me make the same mistake twice. I know that cannot be Your will.

She roused herself to pray for the requests of others, those with illness and financial need, those in nursing homes and at the end of their lives. Those needs far exceeded her own, yet she continually wandered back to her concerns.

Help me be wise, she prayed at one point. Protect me, Lord, from myself!

By the time the meeting came to a close, Jessa felt exhausted.

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