Heaven Sent Husband. Gilbert Morris

      Maggie suddenly lifted her head and narrowed her eyes. “Well, there he goes. Look at him. Is he a cutie or what?”

      Ket lifted her glance and the other two followed suit. They watched as Jared Pierce walked by dressed in hospital greens.

      “What was he like when you were in school with him, Ket?” Debbie asked.

      “Well, he used to play baseball. I used to watch him play when we were in high school. He was an all-American at the University of Texas. I saw him play once on that team, too. When Texas won the national championship. He was a wonderful athlete.”

      The young women watched as the tall intern moved on down the hall. “He’s been dating Miss Texas,” Ket remarked.

      “You mean Lisa Glenn!” Debbie exclaimed. “She’s beautiful!”

      “Yes, everybody says she’ll be Miss America this year,” Maggie replied. She grinned suddenly and her eyes crinkled with amusement. “I think I’ll take him away from her.”

      “You won’t do that,” Debbie replied. “He’d be crazy to turn her down.” She snapped her fingers as if thinking of something new. “Did you know she’s coming to the hospital this afternoon?” She tucked her hair under her snow-white cap, adding, “It’s part of her duties as Miss Texas, I think. They do charitable things like that.”

      There was no time for more talk, for their duties called. Ket worked hard until two o’clock that afternoon when she took a break by visiting Denny Ray. He brightened up immediately when she entered the room, and said, “Have you got time to play a game of checkers?”

      “Sure, but you better watch out. I feel mean this afternoon. Not giving anything away!”

      However, Ket did give something away, for she managed to lose four games in a row and took great pleasure in watching Denny Ray’s delight as he won.

      “I guess I’m losing my touch,” she said. “I’ll have to figure out some better strategy.”

      Denny Ray grinned, his freckles standing out against his pale face. He looked thin and at times there was pain in his eyes as well as fear. “That’s all right, Ket,” he said. “I don’t mind winning.” He put the checkers carefully on the board for another game, then asked, “Where did you get a name like Ketura?”

      “It comes from the Bible. Ketura was the second wife of Abraham.”

      “I bet the kids made fun of you when you were little.”

      “They still do.” Ketura smiled. “However, there’s one advantage. When somebody says, ‘Hey, Ketura!’ there’s no question which Ketura they mean. Why, I think—”

      She broke off abruptly for the doors had swung open. She rose quickly from the bed and moved over against the wall, for it seemed the room had suddenly become very crowded.

      “Well, what is your name, little fellow?” a sugary voice inquired.

      Ket had seen the Miss Texas contest on television and had been shocked at how Lisa had changed. She had been pretty enough in high school, but now she was fully mature—blond with green eyes and shaped as a Miss Texas ought to be, tall but with a curvy figure. She walked over to the bed and spoke in a honeyed voice, “My, aren’t you a nice young man! I hope you’re getting well from whatever’s wrong with you.”

      Ket’s eyes shot to Denny Ray’s face. The young boy showed very little, but there was a flash of disdain in his eyes that Ket did not miss. “I’m fine,” he said. “How are you?”

      “Why, I’m just fine. Aren’t you a perfect, little gentleman?”

      Ket looked over to see a photographer, a short, round man with bushy black hair who at once began taking shots from every angle. The room seemed to explode with the flashes of light and Ket noticed that Lisa Glenn managed to turn her best side and a brilliant smile at the camera for every shot. Ket saw Jared Pierce standing in the doorway. He had not noticed her, she realized. Then the beauty queen began talking in a loud, rather artificially high voice—the type that some used with sick people when they know nothing else to do.

      Suddenly Ket’s eyes met his and he nodded briefly. She returned the nod and then she heard Lisa say, “Is there anything at all I can do for you, sweetie?”

      Suddenly Denny Ray flashed a glimpse at Ket. A peculiar expression crossed his face and she knew he was up to something. “Sure,” he said quickly. “Sit down and play a game of checkers with me.”

      Dismay swept across Lisa’s flawless features. “Why, I’d—I’d love to, honey, but I have to go see some other patients. You know how it is?”

      “Yeah, I know how it is,” Denny Ray said evenly.

      Ket turned her glance away from Lisa’s bright smile to see a frown on the face of Dr. Jared Pierce. He must know how phony she is, Ket thought. But she had no time to think more, for the party prepared to head out for the next photographic appointment.

      “Hello, Lisa,” Ket said quietly.

      “Why—Ket, it’s you!” Lisa at once came over and hugged Ket, keeping her best side to the photographer. “Why, you haven’t changed a bit! But what in the world are you doing here?”

      “I’m on the nursing staff.”

      “Isn’t that wonderful!” Lisa turned to wag a finger at Jared. “You didn’t tell me Ket was working here.”

      “Guess I forgot.”

      “Well, shame on you for that, Jared Pierce! Why Ketura and I were pals in school, weren’t we, Ket?” Ket was glad that Lisa did not wait for an answer from her, for the two of them had never been friends in any sense of the word. “Well, now, we’ll have to get together, won’t we? I’ll call you.”

      “That would be nice,” Ket said quietly, noting that Lisa didn’t ask for her phone number. She watched as the small group was led out of the room by Lisa, then moved back over to stand beside Denny Ray. Ket smiled. “Well, you met a beauty queen. What did you think?”

      “Boy, I feel sorry for the guy who gets stuck with her!”

      Surprise swept across Ket’s face. “Why do you say that?”

      “Because she’s a phony, that’s why! She smiles with her teeth but not her eyes, and she talks too loud. And she called me honey and sweetie when she doesn’t even know me.”

      “I think she meant well, Denny Ray.”

      “Sure, I guess so—but she’s a phony for all of that.”

      Ket was amazed at the insight of the young man. She knew that his sickness had made him study people more carefully than most boys his age. “Well, I’ve got to go to work. Tell you what. Why don’t I bring you a video tomorrow, and you and I will watch it.”

      “Good, I’m tired of these dumb cartoon shows. See if you can find an adventure story or something exciting.”

      Ket laughed. “I think I can handle that. I like a story with plenty of action, too.”

      She left the room then, and as she passed down the hall she heard the rather metallic laughter of Miss Texas drifting from an open doorway. She glanced in the room and saw the scene was being repeated. Only this time the patient was an elderly woman who was staring with shock at the beautiful, young girl who was telling her she was going to be fine.

      “She’s not going to be fine,” Ket muttered between gritted teeth, “and it’s not going to do any good for you to sweep in here telling people things like that.” She was surprised at the strength of her emotion but then put it out of her mind as much as possible and went about her duties.

      For the next four days Ket continued to feel an inner assurance that she was going to be married. She could not get the words or feelings out of her head. She dreamed about it, but still she found it almost