The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love by Beth Pattillo

Author:Beth Pattillo
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Knitters (Persons), Fiction - Religious, Christian, Women - Southern States, Romance, Christian - Romance, Family Life, Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945), General, Christian fiction, Fiction - General, Book clubs (Discussion groups), Female friendship, General & Literary Fiction, Knitting, Fiction, Domestic fiction, Women
ISBN: 9781400073955
Publisher: Waterbrook Pr
Published: 2009-06-02T07:00:00+00:00

The November meeting of the Sweetgum Knit Lit Society fell on the Friday before Thanksgiving. Eugenie half worried, half hoped that several members would phone her in advance to say they couldn’t make it. If that happened, she could cancel the meeting altogether and they’d never have to discuss the Song of Solomon.

Sadly though, no one did any such thing, and so twenty minutes before the appointed hour, she was wiping off the table in the Pairs and Spares Sunday school class.

The tabletop was sticky with spilled coffee and doughnut sugar, which meant that Napoleon, the church custodian, must be on vacation. She vaguely remembered Paul mentioning it to her. She often listened with only half an ear when Paul talked about church business. She was so overwhelmed with all her own new church activities that she just didn’t have the energy.

Eugenie was depositing the wad of paper towels into the brimming trash can near the door when she heard her husband calling her.

“Eugenie? You here?”

She stepped into the hallway, and the smile that spread across her face when she saw him was as inevitable as it was pure. “I’m here.”

He gave her a quick kiss and squeezed her shoulders. “I wasn’t sure I’d have a minute to come up between meetings.”

Although most of Sweetgum was at the homecoming football game, Paul and a handful of the church leadership had scheduled a stewardship meeting. The annual pledge campaign, where they asked people to turn in an estimate of their giving for the next year, was not going as well as he’d hoped. The thought caused her stomach to twist. She had never mentioned her conversations with Hazel to Paul, and he seemed to take her sudden immersion in church life at face value.

“Have you had any great insights into the mysteries of church giving?” she asked with sympathy. When it came to managing the library, at least she had compulsory tax money—instead of voluntary philanthropy—to count on.

“I don’t think that mystery will ever be unraveled,” Paul replied, teasing, but then his expression sobered. “I think it’s far more likely we’ll be faced with some budget cuts for next year.”

From what Eugenie could tell, the yearly budget of Sweet-gum Christian Church had as much fat as an anorexic. “I’m sure people have just forgotten to turn in their pledge cards.” Guilt, undeserved as it was, pinked her cheeks.

“I hope you’re right.” He exhaled. “Anything else you need for this evening?”

“No. We’re fine. Looks like Napoleon’s gone this week.”

“That noticeable?”

“It’s nothing.” She was sorry she’d brought it up. He tended to worry about the endless details of running a church, and she hadn’t meant to contribute to his stress. It was also why she’d never told him about Hazel’s insinuations about the validity of her faith. Thankfully, the gossip hadn’t reached his ears.

“I may need to come in tomorrow and make sure everything’s in shape for Sunday,” he said with a frown.

Esther bit back the protest that sprang to her lips. For

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