Brides And Blessings. Molly Bull Noble

windows facing the street. It was already dark outside. She looked down for her watch and realized she wasn’t wearing it.

      “What time is it, anyway?” she asked.

      “Six-thirty.”

      “I must have really slept.”

      “Apparently. Didn’t you hear all that racket when the thunderstorm passed through?”

      “Not a thing.”

      “So far, we’ve had almost half an inch of rain.”

      “Really?”

      She knew he hadn’t called to give her a weather report. Though she liked talking to him, she wished he would get to the point.

      “Do you mind if I stop by and give you that music I promised?” he asked. “I ran it off on the machine here at the church a few minutes ago.”

      She wanted him to drop by, but…

      “I’ll just stay a minute,” he added. “I’m headed for a movie, and you’re on my way.”

      Did he have a date for the evening? It bothered her to realize that he might. The fact that she cared one way or the other worried her still more.

      “What do you say? May I come by or not?”

      “Sure,” she heard herself say, “come on over.”

      “Can I get you anything from the store first? You know, something for your cold? Tissues, maybe? Throat lozenges?”

      “Right now, I can’t think of a thing.”

      “Then I’ll see you in ten minutes.”

      Josh was coming on pretty fast and strong for a country preacher. But maybe he was just trying to be kind. Wasn’t it part of his job? Why, half the congregation had stopped by to check on her that day.

      Suzann cautioned herself not to attach any special meaning to Josh’s concern. He was probably just a caring person.

       Caring.

      A picture of Greer Fraser’s handsome face rose up before her. Suzann flinched. Greer had proved just how uncaring he really was the day he broke off their relationship and moved into Elaine Eaton’s apartment in Los Angeles.

      Holly would probably say she should never have gotten so involved with a man like Greer. But how could Holly possibly understand the kind of life Suzann had lived before she came to Oak Valley?

      Suzann should never have allowed Greer back in her life, but he’d showed a renewed interest in her once he moved to California. Suzann fell for it. And why not? Greer was considered by some to be the best-looking man in Hollywood.

      Until Greer, Suzann had always refused to date actors, convinced that they were too in love with themselves to truly love someone else. However, Greer seemed to have changed since New York City. Suzann had thought he was warmer—more honest.

      The fact that he’d duped her the second time proved two things: his acting talent was greater than his critics indicated, and Suzann Condry could be deceived.

      Loving and caring were just words to Suzann. The citizens of Oak Valley might believe in such things, and once, she did, too. But she was no longer convinced those romantic notions had any basis in reality.

      A tickle in her throat became a deep cough. A knock at her door said that Josh waited on the porch outside. She took a sip of water to muffle her cough. It didn’t work.

      “You all right in there?” he asked. “That cough of yours sounds bad.”

      “Give me a minute. I’ll be fine.”

      She fumbled in her purse for the cough drops he’d given her, then remembered that she’d left them in his truck. Her eyes watered and burned. Suzann wiped her eyes, took a big swallow of water, and coughed some more.

      “Let me in this minute,” he said. “Or I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll—”

      “Okay, okay.”

      She stumbled to the door and nearly fell. Grabbing hold of the back of the high-backed rocker, she paused to steady herself.

      She knew that she had been dizzy earlier, but hadn’t counted on being weak as well. Suzann flipped the latch and stepped back from the door.

      Josh’s encouraging smile faded. “You need to see a doctor.”

      “It’s just a cold. Besides, doctors’ offices aren’t open on Saturday night. Won’t you come in?”

      “The emergency room at the hospital over in Kerrville is open.” He came inside, removed his raincoat, and looked around.

      “Just drop your raincoat there, by the door.”

      Wrapping his wet coat in a tight tan bundle, he did as she said. His dark brown hair looked damp and curlier than she remembered. He handed her the sheet music wrapped in clear plastic. “Here.” Then he shook out the surplus moisture from his hair. Droplets of rainwater trickled down both cheeks.

      “I’ll get you a towel.”

      “No, no, no. You sit. I’ll get it.”

      “But you don’t even know where the bathroom is.”

      “I’ll find it.”

      “Through the bedroom. First door to the right.”

      Suzann felt self-conscious and blushy, but managed to hide it. She’d entertained men alone in her house many times. So why was she embarrassed now? Was she suddenly becoming another Pollyanna like her sister?

      In six months she would leave God, the church, and the state of Texas forever. Her goal was to learn from these people, not join them. She was in Oak Valley to rest and sample a normal life. And for no other reason.

      She’d done background studies for various movie roles in the past. Why was this any different? She would simply have to become more objective.

      Josh trekked back to the living room, rubbing his head with a blue towel. Suzann had settled onto the couch again. He sat down beside her.

      “I hope you don’t catch my cold,” she said.

      “Not a chance. I just had one.” He wrinkled his nose boyishly. “And that’s my quota for the year.” He grinned. “Besides, I’ve been praying.”

      “I hope it helps.” Why did I say that? she wondered. “I mean—” she shrugged “—of course it helps.”

      “Nobody would know that better than a prayer warrior like you.”

      Prayer warrior? What’s that?

      Nothing came to mind. If Holly mentioned that subject at all, it had been deleted from her brain before Suzann arrived in Oak Valley. She would need to phone Holly and asked her for a definition of these new terms.

      “You know,” he said, “we’re expecting more rain tomorrow. I don’t think you should even consider trying to go to church in the morning unless you feel a lot better.”

      He slanted his head to one side, pressing his palm against her forehead. A thrill shot through her.

      “You have fever. Have you eaten anything?”

      “Not yet, but I will.”

      “I haven’t eaten anything since lunch,” he said. “How about if we pull out that soup from the oven, open the crackers, and have us a feast? Otherwise, I’ll be stuck eating a bucket of popcorn at the movie.”

      “Soup and crackers sounds good to me.”

      Since it was her home, Suzann expected to serve the meal. But Josh insisted on doing all the work. As he set about laying the table and fixing the food, he urged her to take something for her fever and even went to the medicine cabinet in the bathroom in