High Plains Hearts Read Free Page A

on.”
    She hung up the phone and swept Cora up and whirled her around until the cat meowed a clear complaint. “He’s coming to my church! He’s coming to my church!”
    She hugged Cora to her chest and buried her face in the soft fur as her thoughts led into prayer. “Dear God, I sense something is moving here by Your power. Guide me in the way I should go.”
    She felt the soft glow of prayer heard and answered, and her heart relaxed.
    Cora’s impatient wriggle reminded her of the earthly demands of a cat that needed to be fed.
    The rest of the morning and the early afternoon sped by. Tess had just slipped into her favorite sweatshirt, a bright yellow one festooned with angels in rainbow colors playing musical instruments, when she heard a car pull up in front of the house. She flew to the front door and motioned him around to the side, where the outside entrance to the house was.
    He hadn’t even reached the door yet, and her heart was already singing. Did he have any idea how happy he was making her this day?
    He came into the entryway off the kitchen and stamped the snow from his feet.
    “I’m ready,” he announced, kneeling and rubbing Cora’s waiting ears. “We can take my car. I left it idling so it’d be warm.”
    A smile curved her lips. “Better turn it off because we’re walking.”
    “Walking? Are you serious? It’s freezing outside, and there’s this white stuff called snow all over the sidewalks. Say, this isn’t one of those ‘work up an appetite’ ploys, is it?”
    “No, Silly. Trust me.”
    She pulled on her boots and coat and, after saying good-bye to Cora and promising her turkey leftovers, led him back to the sidewalk. He reached inside the late-model sedan, which Tess knew carried a very expensive price tag, and turned off the ignition.
    “Okay, let’s go!” Tess said. “Just pretend we’re arctic explorers. It’ll be fun.”
    “Way cool. Too way cool,” he grumbled. “And the pun is definitely intended. We’ve just met, and already you’re trying to kill me for my insurance money. Well, it won’t work. It just won’t work. Mom’s my beneficiary, so there.” He glared at her with mock suspicion. “She didn’t put you up to this, did she?”
    “You nut,” Tess answered, poking him with her elbow.
    They crossed the street and trudged through half a block of snow-covered sidewalks before Tess tugged on his arm. “Let’s go in here.”
    Jake peered at the white stone church in front of him. “Nativity Church,” he read from a sign by the steps. “Why, this is charming!”
    “Ah, you’re just saying that because you’re cold, and if this is our destination, it means you don’t have to walk anymore.”
    “That might color my opinion,” he confessed playfully, “but I am truly serious. This is an absolutely delightful church!”
    A tall man with thinning hair and an open smile met them inside the door. “Hi, Tess! The others aren’t here yet, but if you want to go on down and—oh, in the glare of the sunlight I didn’t see your friend.” He stuck out his hand toward Jake. “I’m Reverend Barnes.”
    “Jake Cameron,” Jake said, taking Reverend Barnes’s hand and shaking it enthusiastically. “I hope you don’t mind my coming. Tess said—”
    “Everyone’s welcome. Glad we could treat you to a hot meal and some fellowship. Not necessary to explain why,” he continued as Jake tried to stop the well-meaning pastor’s words. “We all have times when we need a little something. Maybe food, maybe companionship. Certainly in these hard—”
    Tess interrupted gently. “Reverend Barnes, Jake’s here to help with the dinner.”
    Reverend Barnes wasn’t at all nonplussed. He tilted his head back and laughed with a joy that seemed to boom to heaven itself. “Welcome, welcome,” he said, grasping Jake’s hand again. “Glad to have you with us, son.”
    Another couple arrived, and the minister’s attention turned to them. Tess guided Jake down the