LITMIR.BIZ

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carpet. “The blue doesn’t show dirt as easily. It was a choice between that and red. If you’ll just turn to the right, you’ll find the offices. The left leads out to the sanctuary and the school, which I’ll be glad to show you later.”

      Jake reached out and took Maggie’s elbow in his hand to guide her down the hall. He’d thought to do it as a gentlemanly gesture but found he liked the feel of her soft skin in his hand. He immediately released it This woman was a walking problem. He had no doubt she would flee if she knew his thoughts ran toward the curious and I find you fascinating.

      He didn’t understand it. He hadn’t known her long enough to be attracted to her. Besides, she was pregnant. There was a broken heart in there somewhere. And though he felt she was the right one for the job, saw a softness in her, that didn’t tell him one iota about her relationship with God.

      No, indeed, he had no right to be wondering if Maggie was married, divorced, single or carrying twins or quadruplets for that matter.

      Besides, he’d learned long ago that women didn’t fall for men who owned nothing. Jake had a salary, and a roof over his head, but there wasn’t much left over. He had been saving what he could. Soon he would be able to buy a new car since the other one had over 100,000 miles. Janie had made it clear that if he wouldn’t go to a bigger church where he could make better money, she didn’t want him.

      He remembered that breakup just before he’d moved to this church. Jake had never completely recovered. Janie couldn’t understand why he didn’t want a better job. When he’d tried to explain that this church was where God wanted him, that his heart was in building a place for the inner-city youth, she’d broken off their engagement.

      Jake had decided then and there to concentrate fully on his ministry. God called him to do a job, and he would do that job. If love came one day, fine. But he wasn’t going to search for it.

      “Here we are,” he said to Maggie.

      Glancing around the office, he tried to imagine what she saw. “It’s rather messy right now. I’ve been trying to do the filing, and Jennifer Dalton has been coming in to help.”

      “Jennifer?” Maggie asked, still studying the office. Jake nodded. He moved over to the desk, gathered four file folders and straightened them. “She’s the head of our day-care center now. A wonderful woman. You’ll love her.”

      He put the folders in the box on her desk and then smiled. “This will be your desk. The copier is here.” He pointed to the corner. “And we have the latest in word processing on the computer. My office is through the door behind me. Since I do a lot of counseling, I need privacy, so you’ll have to screen my calls and run interference. Most everyone here is really understanding. There are a few, though…” He trailed off and shrugged. “You know how that goes. Life isn’t perfect.”

      Maggie nodded. She looked around again and then toward the door.

      Jake took her out and showed her the day care and the rest of the church.

      “Jennifer!”

      Maggie noted how Jake’s face suddenly lit up with a bright smile for the young girl coming their way. She was petite, the girl-next-door type, with long blond hair falling out of a French braid that was pinned up on the back of her head. She wore a purple and gold LSU shirt and baggy jeans. As she approached, Maggie realized there was paint all over her clothes and on her hands.

      “This must be Maggie,” the young woman said, coming forward, beaming.

      On closer inspection, Maggie realized Jennifer was older than she looked. Small smile lines around her eyes gave that away. Maggie smiled and nodded. “And you’re the famed Jennifer I’ve heard so much about.”

      She actually blushed. “Jake has been telling tales again? Don’t you listen to a one of them.” Turning on Jake, the young woman gave him a reproving look. “You didn’t tell her about the snake, did you? Or the rappelling accident?”

      Jake lifted his hands in surrender. “I haven’t told her anything except what an excellent job you do here.”

      Maggie liked the way the light jacket stretched on Jake’s shoulders, outlining them, showing their width. She’d never seen a pastor who wore jeans with a jacket. But it suited him.

      “Oh,” Jennifer said.

      Maggie glanced at Jennifer and saw she was pink again. Then what she had said registered. “Rappelling accident?”

      Jennifer turned even brighter red. “Don’t ask. Maybe one day we’ll have time to sit down, and I can tell you all about it. Unfortunately, I was just about to go wash up. Gage is coming by and picking me up for lunch, and I got carried away with the kids and didn’t realize it was so late.”

      Jake shook his head. “I’m just showing Maggie around. Go on.”

      “Nice meeting you,” Jennifer said.

      Maggie murmured her agreement. “Rappelling accident?” she asked when Jennifer was gone.

      Jake chuckled and led her back toward the front entrance of the church. “It’s a long story. But it ends well. Jennifer got a pet snake out of it, and a husband.”

      “You’re kidding.”

      Jake shook his head. “Gage is quite a man. Come on, let’s go out this door and get your stuff unpacked from the car. Then I’ll let you rest.”

      Jake pushed open the door for her and Maggie went out She had thought Jake unusual in how friendly and outgoing he was. She had never met a pastor quite like him.

      He’d been enthusiastic, fun loving, excited, when he had picked her up and then rattled on and on about the kids and the puppet show. While showing her the house, he had actually been nervous about whether she was going to like it. But the house was a deal she couldn’t pass up. Who cared about the yellow-and-orange furniture or the yellow-and-orange coat rack in the corner?

      Maggie had heard the pride as he had talked about helping plant the bushes, and the joy behind his words as he’d talked about the people at the church.

      There had been no formality or reserve in his voice or his stance. His fluid movements as he’d taken her around proved to her how at ease he was with this.

      “Meeeooowwr.”

      Maggie didn’t even see the pitiful sight until she was almost upon it. “Oh, my heavens!”

      Maggie stared in horror at the bloody mess that was a peach-colored cat. At least she thought it was peach. It was hard to tell with all the blood. “Jake!”

      Jake moved up by Maggie and put a hand on her shoulder. “Let me handle it, Maggie.”

      Jake started forward, and the cat hissed. He paused. “Maybe we’d better call animal control. The poor thing looks to be in bad shape.”

      The cat lay there on its side, breathing hard, fur ripped away in tufts. She thought it had been in a cat fight since part of an ear was missing, except that she’d never seen a cat break another cat’s tail. And that had to be one of the problems with this cat, since its tail lay at such an odd angle. One leg was twisted, too. Tears came to Maggie’s eyes. “We can’t just leave it here.”

      “I know, I know. Let me go call city hall and see if they can send someone out. I’ll be right back.”

      Jake hurried in to call for help. Maggie continued to stare at the cat. Silent tears fell as she watched it labor for breath. She could see the terror and pain in its eyes and felt it reach out to her and wrap itself around her heart. It hadn’t been too many months ago she’d felt pain and terror.

      Please don’t let it die, God Please, please, please, she prayed, and inched forward.

      The cat hissed again, and she whimpered. “Please don’t let it bite me. Please, please, please.”

      It hissed once more and then made an awful, plaintive sound. “Father, help it.

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