City Girl (12 page)

Russell was chuckling at this description when Holly and Alisa joined them. Reagan was not with them.

“Did you lose Reagan?” Russell asked as soon as Holly sat down.

“In a way, yes. I think she was a little overwhelmed by all of this. It seemed to come on her rather suddenly. I could tell she wanted to think and take it all in. When we finished in the house, she said she was headed home. I don't think she ate much, but I didn't want to say anything.”

“It's hard, isn't it?” Cash interjected. “We don't want to come across as crazed, but we believe we have the best news in the world to share.”

The Bennetts were in full agreement with that sentiment.

Jonah chose that moment to return with his cake. His baby sister saw it and all but crawled from her mother's arms to get at the plate. Cash volunteered to go for the dessert and rescue all of them. They stayed to visit until Alisa's cake was gone and she was drooping in her father's arms.

If someone had reported the event in the local paper that week, it would have said, “A good time was had by all.”

“What do you mean you need Sundays off?” Sally asked in surprise. “What for?”

“Not the whole morning, just long enough to go to church.”

Sally looked clearly skeptical. “And who takes the cakes from the oven when you're gone?”

“That's what I've been trying to tell you. I'll come early enough to have the baking done. When I come back, I'll clean up and help with tables.”

“Reagan, you don't strike me as the type who needs religion. What's gotten into you?”

“I don't know,” the younger woman said honestly, her dinner plate forgotten in front of her. She had been too nervous to eat much at the church gathering and had found herself hungry that evening. She'd gone to Sally's without a backward glance and found her in the kitchen fixing her own meal. The way she'd welcomed Reagan had done the younger woman's heart a world of good.

“I just found myself at that church this morning. I'm not even sure how. And once I got inside, I was just so drawn to what the pastor was saying.”

“Pastor Ellis?”

“Yes. Do you know him?”

“No, but his wife is a real person—I know that.”

“Noelle. I met her too. Even their children are nice. Just like Russell and Holly's family.”

“They go to that church too, don't they?”

Reagan nodded.

“And you want to find out why they live the way they do.”

Reagan stared at her.

“You've wanted to as well, haven't you, Sally?”

The hotel owner shrugged. “Maybe.”

“Why haven't you looked into this?” Reagan demanded. “You've lived here for years!”

“Reagan,” she said with a shake of her head. “I don't have time for church. This place takes every minute of every day. Can't you see that?”

Reagan's eyes narrowed. “Of course I can see that, Sally, but you're not going to be here forever! You can say something to shut me up for the moment, but when you're on your own, are you happy with who you are, fine hotel or not?”

Sally's eyes narrowed right back, but she didn't say anything right away.

“You can take off on Sundays to go to church unless it doesn't work.”

“Why wouldn't it?”

Sally shook her head in amazement. “You have more guts than anyone I know, Reagan. I hand you a favor, and you're ready to argue.”

Reagan didn't reply. In her haste to have her own way, she often forgot that Sally was her boss.

“Thank you for giving me time to go to church.”

“If you get all religious, are you going to start carrying your Bible and drive us all crazy?”

In a heartbeat, Reagan thought of the difference between the two Christians she'd known in New York and Russell Bennett. It was not hard to answer Sally.

“I won't say anything unless you ask me.”

“Fair enough. Had enough to eat?”

“No,” she said, tucking back into her plate. “Let me
finish, and I'll clean up for you.”

Sally, who'd had a long, arduous day, was not going to argue with that idea.

“Was she here this morning?” Russell asked Cash before their meeting started at the church just two weeks later.

“Yes. Just like last week. I think she must slip in just before we start and back out again on the last song. Have you had a chance to ask her about it?”

“Not really. Holly and I are both afraid of pressuring her. We're both praying that she'll know where to come if she has questions.”

Both men would have been delighted to know that Reagan was on her way to Holly's door right then. She was not aware that Russell was not at home, but she had some questions and could only hope that someone in the big house had the answers.

Seven

“H
OLLY
,
ARE YOU BUSY
?”

“Not at all, Reagan. Come right in.”

Reagan entered the familiar home, but unlike the first time, she didn't enjoy her surroundings. She was too distracted for that.

“Have a seat,” Holly invited. She had a word with one of her children in the kitchen and then joined her guest.

“What can I do for you?”

“I have a few questions.”

“All right.”

“I went to church this morning—last week too.”

Holly nodded. She hadn't been certain of this, but she was glad nevertheless.

“If I believe as your church does, do I have to get married?” Holly had all she could do not to look surprised. This was the last thing she expected.

“May I ask you a question?” Holly said after a moment's recovery.

“Yes.”

“What do you mean, ‘believe as my church does'?”

“Become a Christian—be saved—like Pastor Ellis talked about.”

“Like the Bible explains?” Holly questioned again, hoping they were talking about the same thing.

“Yes. Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ and living for Him.”

Holly nodded, now feeling satisfied that she and Reagan were on the same track.

“No one in our church is going to force you to get married, no matter what you believe.”

Reagan looked so relieved that Holly smiled.

“Why did you ask, Reagan? Can you tell me?”

“It's not something I want, Holly. Marriage, that is. I don't want a husband. I don't want a man to rule over me and control my life.”

“What about a man to love and cherish you?”

Reagan smiled a little. “I don't think I'm the love and cherish type.”

Holly could not have disagreed more, but she didn't argue with her.

“Is that all that's on your mind, Reagan? Are you understanding what you're hearing in church?”

“Yes,” she said with excitement, leaning forward a little. “I've never heard any of this, and I think it's wonderful. What Christ did was wonderful. I don't think I could have done it.”

“I know I couldn't have,” Holly agreed. “Only God could do that for us.”

“How do we really know that Jesus is God?”

“The Bible.”

“But what if the Bible's not right?”

“That's a good question, Reagan—one that many people have asked. I think the first thing we have to establish is whether or not we take the Bible as God's Word or something less than that. The answer to that question determines our response to the answers for all the other questions we ask.”

Holly had believed this for so long that she'd started to take it for granted, but Reagan looked amazed.

“That's it, isn't it? It's all about how I view the Bible!”

To Holly's surprise, Reagan got up and began to head to the door. The hostess watched as she had her hand on the knob and then caught herself.

“Oh, Holly, I'm sorry. I just have so much to think about. I didn't mean to be so rude.”

“It's all right. Can I help with anything else?”

Reagan looked at her. “Do you have an extra Bible I could read?”

“Yes, I do. Let me just get it.”

It sounded as though someone dropped a plate in the kitchen just then, but Holly didn't go there. She disappeared into another room and returned to give Reagan a dusty Bible.

“This was my father's. You read it for as long as you like.”

“Thank you, Holly. I'll take good care of it.”

“I'm not worried about that. May I tell you something, Reagan?”

“Sure.”

“I'm praying for you.”

Reagan didn't know what to say. She wasn't overly surprised, but she still didn't know how to answer.

“I've been meaning to ask you, Reagan,” Holly continued, “do you have Sundays off?”

“Not the whole day, but Sally has given me enough time to go to church.”

“That was kind of her.”

“It was, wasn't it?”

Reagan left then. She had not known exactly how to thank Holly or say goodbye, but it seemed to Reagan that she understood.

“What is it that makes her tick?” Russell asked that night.

“I don't know. She hasn't really said anything about herself, and she certainly shows no sign of hating men, but she's not going to trust one to be in charge of her.”

“I can honestly say that I've never known anyone like her.”

“I wish you could have seen her face when I made that statement.”

“About the Bible?”

“Yes. She was flabbergasted. And then after she left I realized there was so much more I could have said.”

“Maybe it was best that you didn't.”

“Maybe.”

A very sleepy Alisa sighed softly from her quilt on the floor just then, and Holly remembered that she wanted her in bed early. Russell volunteered to do the honors, and Holly sat down in the living room to read a book to Jonah and Elly.

“Did Miss Sullivan come today to talk about God?” Elly asked before the book was opened.

“In a way she did. She's been coming to church and had a few questions.”

“Does she love God like we do?”

“I'm not sure what she believes, Jonah. I think she's searching for answers to things in her heart.”

“Do I have questions in my heart?”

“I think you must.”

“What are they?”

Holly smiled. “Well, the first would be if you have questions in your heart.”

The little boy smiled then, and Holly bent to kiss his adorable face.

“We didn't pray for her at dinner tonight,” Elly said, her little brow furrowed in thought.

“Didn't we?” Holly honestly couldn't remember.

“I don't think so.”

“Well, we can pray right now. All right? Jonah, would you like to pray?”

The little boy nodded and began.

Returning to the living room while Jonah prayed, Russell listened quietly.

“And please God, help Reagan to be saved. Help her to want Jesus in her heart. Help her not to be afraid anymore. Amen.”