Read Online Her Minnesota Man (A Christian Romance Novel) by Brenda Coulter - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Brenda Coulter
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have done.
If only Hannah were here right now. She'd grab both of them by the scruffs of their necks and haul them to church and get them straightened out. But Hannah wasn't here, so Jeb would just have to do the best he could.
Laney returned her attention to the ice cream, digging deep and muttering something about Jeb hogging the cherries.
Ignoring that unfair accusation, he tapped his spoon against his bottom lip, thinking hard. Finally, a memory stirred.
"Laney?" He struggled to conceal his excitement. "Doesn't your church have some kind of singles' group?"
She looked surprised by the question, and no wonder.
"There's a singles' Bible study on Tuesday nights," she said. "I went a few times before Mom died. Why do you ask?"
"We're hunting for a good Christian man," he reminded her. "Wouldn't that be the place to find one?"
Her expression turned stony. "Right now I wouldn't be comfortable at any church function," she said as she scooped up some more ice cream. "I'm too depressed."
"Maybe if you went to some church functions you'd stop being depressed." Instantly regretting the way exasperation had sharpened his tone, Jeb offered her a lopsided grin. "Tell you what. I'll go with you. How's that for incentive?"
" You ?" She fumbled her spoon. As it clattered on the table, its load of ice cream flew off and plopped onto Jeb's thigh.
"Why not?" With his finger and thumb, he picked up the frozen blob and transferred it to his mouth. "It won't kill me." With studied nonchalance, he licked his fingers and rubbed the ice cream smudge off his jeans before adding, "I'll even go to church with you on Sunday."
Careful not to smile at her soft gasp of surprise, he waited another heartbeat before lifting his gaze to her startled face. He'd hooked her; now all he had to do was reel her in.
"Are you serious?" she asked.
She had every reason to wonder. Unless Hannah's funeral service counted, Jeb had never been inside a church in his life.
"I'm serious." He was also a genius. There was no way Laney could reject this plan, but he endeavored to look resolute rather than exultant. "Church on Sunday, then. What time?"
Her lips curled into a mocking smile. "We'd have to leave here at nine. The service starts at nine-fifteen."
So early? Jeb was no good at mornings. But he was a Christian now, and he figured church attendance was part of the deal.
"Okay. I'll be here for coffee at a quarter to nine."
"Hah." Amusement danced in her eyes. "Remember college? You always ended up dropping your early classes because you could never—"
"I'll be here at a quarter to nine," Jeb repeated. "And don't worry about how you're going to break the ice. When people see me at church, they'll be too stunned to ask why you haven't been around lately."
"You don't have to do this, Jeb." She gave him a wistful smile."But it means a lot to me that you offered."
"We're going to church and to the singles' thing," he said firmly. "We'll get your faith back, and then we'll find you a nice Christian guy to m—" He was interrupted by the chiming of Laney's doorbell.
"I'm not expecting anyone." Her gaze shifted past him to the corner windows, and then her eyes widened in alarm.
Jeb swung around to look.
His rented Explorer was no longer the only vehicle in her driveway. Just behind it, he could see the front end of a black-and-white police cruiser.
And Laney had gone deathly pale.
Chapter Five
H ad something happened to the Graces on their way home from the tearoom? All kinds of frightening scenarios involving crumpled cars and broken bodies flashed through Laney's mind as she raced to the front door. When she flung it open and recognized the big blond police officer smiling at her through the glass storm door, her trepidation receded. This was no emergency call.
She basked in that relief for about two seconds before it dawned on her that the cop must be following up on Tuesday night's burglary attempt. That was a problem because she hadn't yet told
If only Hannah were here right now. She'd grab both of them by the scruffs of their necks and haul them to church and get them straightened out. But Hannah wasn't here, so Jeb would just have to do the best he could.
Laney returned her attention to the ice cream, digging deep and muttering something about Jeb hogging the cherries.
Ignoring that unfair accusation, he tapped his spoon against his bottom lip, thinking hard. Finally, a memory stirred.
"Laney?" He struggled to conceal his excitement. "Doesn't your church have some kind of singles' group?"
She looked surprised by the question, and no wonder.
"There's a singles' Bible study on Tuesday nights," she said. "I went a few times before Mom died. Why do you ask?"
"We're hunting for a good Christian man," he reminded her. "Wouldn't that be the place to find one?"
Her expression turned stony. "Right now I wouldn't be comfortable at any church function," she said as she scooped up some more ice cream. "I'm too depressed."
"Maybe if you went to some church functions you'd stop being depressed." Instantly regretting the way exasperation had sharpened his tone, Jeb offered her a lopsided grin. "Tell you what. I'll go with you. How's that for incentive?"
" You ?" She fumbled her spoon. As it clattered on the table, its load of ice cream flew off and plopped onto Jeb's thigh.
"Why not?" With his finger and thumb, he picked up the frozen blob and transferred it to his mouth. "It won't kill me." With studied nonchalance, he licked his fingers and rubbed the ice cream smudge off his jeans before adding, "I'll even go to church with you on Sunday."
Careful not to smile at her soft gasp of surprise, he waited another heartbeat before lifting his gaze to her startled face. He'd hooked her; now all he had to do was reel her in.
"Are you serious?" she asked.
She had every reason to wonder. Unless Hannah's funeral service counted, Jeb had never been inside a church in his life.
"I'm serious." He was also a genius. There was no way Laney could reject this plan, but he endeavored to look resolute rather than exultant. "Church on Sunday, then. What time?"
Her lips curled into a mocking smile. "We'd have to leave here at nine. The service starts at nine-fifteen."
So early? Jeb was no good at mornings. But he was a Christian now, and he figured church attendance was part of the deal.
"Okay. I'll be here for coffee at a quarter to nine."
"Hah." Amusement danced in her eyes. "Remember college? You always ended up dropping your early classes because you could never—"
"I'll be here at a quarter to nine," Jeb repeated. "And don't worry about how you're going to break the ice. When people see me at church, they'll be too stunned to ask why you haven't been around lately."
"You don't have to do this, Jeb." She gave him a wistful smile."But it means a lot to me that you offered."
"We're going to church and to the singles' thing," he said firmly. "We'll get your faith back, and then we'll find you a nice Christian guy to m—" He was interrupted by the chiming of Laney's doorbell.
"I'm not expecting anyone." Her gaze shifted past him to the corner windows, and then her eyes widened in alarm.
Jeb swung around to look.
His rented Explorer was no longer the only vehicle in her driveway. Just behind it, he could see the front end of a black-and-white police cruiser.
And Laney had gone deathly pale.
Chapter Five
H ad something happened to the Graces on their way home from the tearoom? All kinds of frightening scenarios involving crumpled cars and broken bodies flashed through Laney's mind as she raced to the front door. When she flung it open and recognized the big blond police officer smiling at her through the glass storm door, her trepidation receded. This was no emergency call.
She basked in that relief for about two seconds before it dawned on her that the cop must be following up on Tuesday night's burglary attempt. That was a problem because she hadn't yet told
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