Winter of Wishes by Hubbard Charlotte

Author:Hubbard, Charlotte [Hubbard, Charlotte]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2013-07-04T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Lord, I wish this dinner was already over.

As Rhoda looked at the many folks seated around their extended table for Sunday dinner, her heart beat painfully fast. The women sat on one side—except for Annie Mae, who was on the men’s side between Joey and Josh, so they would behave—while Preacher Tom and Ben sat on the ends. Little Sara and Timmy Knepp sat in high chairs alongside Nazareth and her sister. Jerusalem Hooley had insisted on following the rules for Hiram’s shunning, so the bishop sat at a small table behind Rhoda. What with the five Hooleys, the Knepps, Tom Hostetler, and Rebecca joining them today, seventeen people filled the Lantz kitchen.

Please, Lord, I just want to get through this meal without Ira or Hiram or Jerusalem or Preacher Tom lecturing me about Andy or what we did in his car—or what might come of it after I confess next Sunday.

Rhoda sighed. God deserved a better prayer from her. Yet, as much as it had thrilled her when Andy and his family came to the café yesterday, his visit only added fuel to the fire: even a blind man could have seen the way the Leitners welcomed her into their company and the way she wanted to be with them. The Christmas season would shine so much brighter if only she could be eating dinner with Taylor and Brett teasing her right now, or with Andy making much of the seasonal foods she wanted to cook for them.

But that’s not going to happen. Better get on with your Plain life . . . if only ya could figure out what to do with yourself.

“We’ll bow for a word of thanks now,” Preacher Tom intoned from his end of the long table.

As they bowed their heads for a silent grace, Rhoda swore she felt Ira Hooley gazing across the table at her. And was Hiram glaring at her from behind? He had balked at the small table Mamma had set for him, but the alternative would’ve been for him to leave and fix his own food. Patience had never been Bishop Knepp’s strength, and a week remained before he knelt in front of the congregation to implore their forgiveness.

Would Hiram order her to her knees the minute his confession was accepted, to interrogate her about her involvement with Andy? Or would Bishop Shetler and Bishop Mullet, assisting their church from Morning Star and New Haven, allow her to confess first, before they took up the matter of Hiram’s reinstatement? Rhoda’s stomach twisted. She’d never had to endure a kneeling confession, and this final week of waiting would be the most difficult yet . . .

“Seems Rhoda has a lot to pray on,” Ira teased from across the table. “Or maybe she’s really daydreamin’ about that Leitner fella.”

Heat flared in Rhoda’s face. She glared at Ira as she accepted the bowl of broccoli from Rachel, but before she could reply to his remark, Jerusalem Hooley smacked the tabletop loudly enough to make them all jump.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.