Nonnie collected and dried the spent petals and usedthem in her salve and soaps. “How does everyone know all the details about Pastor Key?” Banks picked up the jar so he could have a sniff.
“So he is good-looking,” Gretchen said. “Pris said he was, when she brought his horse by.” She laughed. “Actually she couldn’t stop talking about his looks.”
“I wonder how Dusty found out.” Leah changed the subject so she wouldn’t have to admit what she thought about the preacher’s looks. “From what I could see he hasn’t stirred from his place.”
Gretchen shrugged as she folded the cloth that had protected the goods and placed it in the basket. “Life in a small town. Word gets around.” She stuck her finger in the jar to get a dab of the salve and rubbed it into her own hands. “We also wanted to know if Banks wanted to come spend the day with us.”
“Momma I want to go play with Sam.”
Leah’s first instinct was to keep Banks close at hand, especially since the weather was going to get worse. But then again, she didn’t want to go through another scare with Banks like this morning. What would she have done if the preacher, in his feverish state, had actually hurt Banks? Even in his weakened state, Pastor Key was still strong, much stronger than she was.
“I think that’s an excellent idea,” she said.
“Why don’t you pack some things in case the weather gets really bad,” Gretchen suggested.
“Whoop!” Banks jumped in the air and shouted. Then grimaced as he put his hand over his mouth. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I forgot.”
“I’m sure you didn’t wake him.” Leah ruffled his curls. “Go get your things. And don’t forget your book. Just because there’s no school doesn’t mean you don’t have to read every day.”
“Yes ma’am!” Banks yelled. “Oops sorry.”
The women grinned at Banks. “Are you sure he won’t be any trouble?”
“I already have six children under twelve in the house. What difference will another one make?” Gretchen smoothed back a strand of Leah’s hair. “Rough night?”
“You could say that. I’m scared that I really don’t know what I’m doing.”
“Shame on Ward and Jake for putting you in this position,” Gretchen said.
“There really wasn’t anyplace else for him to go,” Leah admitted. “His fever is pretty bad.”
“What are you doing for it?”
“Trying to keep him cool.”
“Can he eat or drink anything?”
“No. He’s too out of it. Really out.” Leah felt a sudden rush of relief. She didn’t have to worry about Banks, and she had someone to voice her concerns to. “It’s strange. It’s like he’s seeing things in his sleep. Having horrible nightmares.”
Nonnie says when you’re sleeping the demons have an easier time getting to you.”
Leah knew about demons. She fought them all the time. Loneliness, jealousy, anger, fear, and self-doubt. But she was weak. She had always been weak. “What kind of demons would a minister have?”
Gretchen shrugged. “None of us are perfect. I guess he is the only one that knows. I would hope that he’s better equipped to fight them than the rest of us.”
“Are you going to be all right with him?” Jim asked as he came back into the kitchen.
“I don’t know why not,” Leah said.
“He’s a big guy,” Jim said. “Bigger and younger than what I expected.” Jim, along with Bettina, Gus, Jake and Margy, had been on the search committee for the new minister. The search had taken the better part of a year. “I guessit’s a good thing that he’s not a weakling. He seems younger than thirty-seven too.”
“That probably comes from clean living,” Gretchen teased. Jim had celebrated his thirty-fifth birthday early in September. His dark hair had a few strands of gray at the temples and the skin around his eyes showed wrinkles, whether he smiled or not.
Leah shrugged. “We all look younger when we’re sleeping.”
“I’ve got to see
“So he is good-looking,” Gretchen said. “Pris said he was, when she brought his horse by.” She laughed. “Actually she couldn’t stop talking about his looks.”
“I wonder how Dusty found out.” Leah changed the subject so she wouldn’t have to admit what she thought about the preacher’s looks. “From what I could see he hasn’t stirred from his place.”
Gretchen shrugged as she folded the cloth that had protected the goods and placed it in the basket. “Life in a small town. Word gets around.” She stuck her finger in the jar to get a dab of the salve and rubbed it into her own hands. “We also wanted to know if Banks wanted to come spend the day with us.”
“Momma I want to go play with Sam.”
Leah’s first instinct was to keep Banks close at hand, especially since the weather was going to get worse. But then again, she didn’t want to go through another scare with Banks like this morning. What would she have done if the preacher, in his feverish state, had actually hurt Banks? Even in his weakened state, Pastor Key was still strong, much stronger than she was.
“I think that’s an excellent idea,” she said.
“Why don’t you pack some things in case the weather gets really bad,” Gretchen suggested.
“Whoop!” Banks jumped in the air and shouted. Then grimaced as he put his hand over his mouth. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I forgot.”
“I’m sure you didn’t wake him.” Leah ruffled his curls. “Go get your things. And don’t forget your book. Just because there’s no school doesn’t mean you don’t have to read every day.”
“Yes ma’am!” Banks yelled. “Oops sorry.”
The women grinned at Banks. “Are you sure he won’t be any trouble?”
“I already have six children under twelve in the house. What difference will another one make?” Gretchen smoothed back a strand of Leah’s hair. “Rough night?”
“You could say that. I’m scared that I really don’t know what I’m doing.”
“Shame on Ward and Jake for putting you in this position,” Gretchen said.
“There really wasn’t anyplace else for him to go,” Leah admitted. “His fever is pretty bad.”
“What are you doing for it?”
“Trying to keep him cool.”
“Can he eat or drink anything?”
“No. He’s too out of it. Really out.” Leah felt a sudden rush of relief. She didn’t have to worry about Banks, and she had someone to voice her concerns to. “It’s strange. It’s like he’s seeing things in his sleep. Having horrible nightmares.”
Nonnie says when you’re sleeping the demons have an easier time getting to you.”
Leah knew about demons. She fought them all the time. Loneliness, jealousy, anger, fear, and self-doubt. But she was weak. She had always been weak. “What kind of demons would a minister have?”
Gretchen shrugged. “None of us are perfect. I guess he is the only one that knows. I would hope that he’s better equipped to fight them than the rest of us.”
“Are you going to be all right with him?” Jim asked as he came back into the kitchen.
“I don’t know why not,” Leah said.
“He’s a big guy,” Jim said. “Bigger and younger than what I expected.” Jim, along with Bettina, Gus, Jake and Margy, had been on the search committee for the new minister. The search had taken the better part of a year. “I guessit’s a good thing that he’s not a weakling. He seems younger than thirty-seven too.”
“That probably comes from clean living,” Gretchen teased. Jim had celebrated his thirty-fifth birthday early in September. His dark hair had a few strands of gray at the temples and the skin around his eyes showed wrinkles, whether he smiled or not.
Leah shrugged. “We all look younger when we’re sleeping.”
“I’ve got to see
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