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a new system. It should be here next week.”
    “Oh.” She didn’t say it, but she didn’t have to. The profits from the auction were being used to replace the computer, which meant they weren’t being used to help fund the business wardrobes for the ministry.
    “There’s a little left over to help a few of the mums.” She was trying to be encouraging. “And there’s always the next fund-raiser. Thankfully, none of the donors’ computers were affected.”
    Thank You, Lord.
    “Is there anything else I can do?” I asked. Haven’t you done enough? I scolded myself.
    “Not just now,” she said. “Do let me know if the shop write-up gets into the newspaper, though, okay? I’d love to have a clipping.”
    “Okay,” I said. “Till then.”
    When I hung up, I had made yet another decision that I had to keep to myself. I was going to cast my deciding vote for whoever would promise to publish the article on Be@titude. It was the least I could do.

Chapter 27

    After hanging up the phone, I went downstairs. As soon as I hit the landing, Louanne came skidding across the wood floor and grabbed my arm. “Can you take me to James Park? They’re having a dog show trial. Mom is off to the book club, and I can’t go alone.”
    Unfortunately, during my research the other day, I’d discovered that “It is more blessed to give than to receive” really is in the Bible. So it was something I needed to pay attention to even if I didn’t always feel like it. “All right,” I said.
    “All right? As in yes?”
    “As in yes,” I said.
    “Yahoo!” She slipped the collar around Growl’s neck. By the way he reacted, you’d have thought she was slipping a noose on him instead. He wriggled and yapped and twisted on the floor, trying to work it off.
    “Better mellow out,” I warned him. “It won’t be a pleasant walk home for either of us if you don’t qualify.” I swore that dog could understand English. He chilled right out, and I was sure he winked at me.
    Great. The dog was winking at me now, but still no guy was.
    “I’m going to touch up my makeup and then we can go,” I said.
    “Why? You don’t know anyone there. Who’s going to see you? I’m going to be late!”
    I ignored her and went to redraw my eyeliner and rebrush my hair. She was too young to realize that it didn’t matter if you knew the people who saw you. People saw you.
    We stepped out into the warm afternoon. A couple of blocks to the west of the village square was James Park, which was square too. I told Louanne I’d sit on a bench and wait for her, keeping my eyes on her, of course, but with my earbuds in, listening to my music. So I was startled when I felt a tap on my shoulder a few minutes later. I nearly jumped out of my skin. “Oh, uh, hi, Tommy.” I took out the earbuds.
    “Hey, Sav,” he said. I kind of liked that he’d shortened my name. It made us seem . . . closer.
    But I didn’t want to shorten his. Tommy seemed so, well, boyish and British. “Hey. What are you doing here?”
    He pointed across the field. “My gran brought her dog for the trial.”
    How could I forget this important detail about the very first time we’d locked eyes? Or maybe the second!
    “You?” he asked.
    “My sister has her dog trying out too.”
    “So . . . are you going to church tomorrow night?” Tommy asked. “We don’t have practice, so I’m going to drop by.”
    The sun began to melt into the horizon, dappling the leaves on the apple trees around us as the branches bounced and swayed. Tiny blossoms began to push their way out of the fisted buds that constrained them—promises of fruit to come. A few of their misty petals landed on us as the wind whispered again. I felt peace in my heart about sharing my thoughts with Tommy, who was, at the end of the day, a brother in Christ even if nothing else. Yet.
    “I’ll be there,” I said. “I’ve got a big decision to make before I go.”
    Tommy nodded.
    “And I messed up one, or