Time For A Miracle by Jill Stengl

Author:Jill Stengl
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2013-10-29T00:00:00+00:00

Eight

“Know ye not that. . .ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19–20

“Obadiah, I hear I’ve got competition as your best girl.” Hattie interrupted his reading of a psalm to comment. “Talk is, you’ve got a handsome widow hanging on your arm these days, a Violet Something-or-other. Tell me about her.”

Obie tried to hide his surprise. Had people been linking his name with Violet’s? How would she react to this? His emotions churned into a discomforting mixture of pride, fear, and inadequacy.

“What do you want to know?” he rumbled, keeping his eyes on the text.

“Are you plannin’ to wed the woman? I hear she’s a recent widow, but some marry while in mourning, you know, especially when there are children to consider. She has three, right?”

He nodded. “Two girls and a boy. Beulah is sixteen, Eunice is twelve, and Samuel is not quite nine. Good children, they are.”

“So you have a mind to become a father, have you?”

His face twitched.

“Why so pensive? You’d make a fine husband for any woman. I’ve often told Cyrus it’s a cryin’ shame that no woman snapped you up long ago, but then I guess you haven’t been lookin’ for a wife until now. You think she’s pretty?”

Staring down at the open Bible, Obie nodded.

“Someone told me that she ain’t above average, but perhaps it was sour grapes talkin’. I sure would like to see her for myself. Think you could bring her out for a visit? You’ve got to have my blessing, you know.”

“Miss Hattie, I don’t know that Violet wants me for a husband. I think maybe she just needs help, and I’m. . .available and willing. I’m homely as a skinned possum and nothing to attract a woman like Violet, unless she’s desperate.”

“But you’d take her any way you can get her?” Hattie guessed wryly.

Shamefaced, he admitted, “I got it that bad.”

“Just because she’s pretty? She’ll be old and ugly someday, like me. You’d better have more reason than lust of the flesh for marryin’ at your age.”

One side of his moustache lifted. “I’ll bring her to meet you; then you’ll know. She’s wonderful, Hattie. Sweet, kind, a good mother, hard worker, and she loves the Lord with all her heart. She loved her husband enough to follow him out here. . . .” He fell silent lest he reveal more than necessary about the real Jeremiah.

“I want to meet this woman afore I hand out any more advice. If she don’t see what a prize you are, she ain’t worth your time, honey. Any woman that’d marry a man just to keep her kids fed—”

“She’s worth everything, Hattie. You’ll see.”

❧

Violet was doing laundry when Samuel’s excited call reached her ears. “Someone’s coming, Mama!”

Immediately Violet dropped Samuel’s Sunday shirt back into the tub, dried her hands on her apron, ran to the door, ran back and removed her apron, ran back to the door, checking her hair and tucking in stray strands, and tried to compose herself by taking a long, quivery breath.

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