Read Online Sabrina (Big Sky Dreams 2) by Lori Wick - Free Book Online
Authors: Lori Wick
Tags: Fiction, General, Romance, Western, Love Stories, Western Stories, Christian fiction, Religious, Christian, INSPIRATIONAL ROMANCE, Prostitutes
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even as she asked herself if this younger woman had heard a word of the sermon. Rylan had preached from the book of Colossians, and there was no mistaking the amount of time he must have studied.
"He does look more like a livery worker than a pastor," Jeanette admitted, finally moving to the front door, "but I hope you won't judge him on his looks. I hope you'll give him a chance."
It was just what Sabrina needed to hear. She had realized that she'd been judging him by his appearance and knew there was no excuse for that.
"I will certainly give him a chance," she said with quiet conviction. "And thank you for explaining."
Jeanette didn't comment, but she did look into Sabrina's face before she opened the door and felt sure once again that this young woman was special.
"Which place?" Rylan asked of sheriff Nate Kaderly when that man came for him on Sunday evening. The two men had gone to an apartment building on Willow Street because a man was dying. The sheriff had been called on an unrelated matter when someone else mentioned the man's plight. As was the sheriff's habit, he went for Rylan.
"Back here." Nate led the way. The apartment was at the rear, up a set of outside stairs that had seen better days. Nate did not knock but opened the door slowly and led the way inside. He had not dallied, but they were too late. The man was gone, his body already going cold.
"Who was he?" Rylan asked.
"Someone called him Ivan, but I didn't know him. Do you want to be alone-I mean, to pray for him?"
"I'll tell you something, Nate," Rylan said kindly. "I try to pattern my life from the Bible, and there is nothing in God's Word about
60praying for the dead. By the time a person leaves this earth, he's made his choices."
Token Creek's sheriff looked interested, but he didn't ask questions or comment. He mentioned going for Abe Wyner, the town's undertaker, but that was the end of it. Rylan did not linger in the man's small apartment, but he did pray. Not for the dead man-he'd meant what he'd said-but for Nate Kaderly, who, as caring as he was of others, never saw his own need.
"Hannah," Sabrina asked the little girl on Monday morning, "where do I put these pants? The shelf is getting full."
"Oh, there's a place in the storeroom for those. I'll show you."
Sabrina followed Jessie's daughter and when she got to the shelf in the back took some time to arrange things neatly. This was the way Jessie found her.
"You're as good as Jeb. He likes things neat."
"Don't you?" Sabrina asked.
"I love things neat, but when the store is busy, I don't feel I have time." Jessie's hand came up. "And so the storeroom looks like this."
"It's not so bad," Sabrina said, and she was right. Thirty minutes of work would put it to rights.
"Mama." Clancy was suddenly there, a hatbox in her hand. "Yes, Clancy."
"I need this."
"A hatbox? You don't have a hat."
"But I will when my head is biggest."
Sabrina's hand came to her mouth. Jessie did not look at her, but Sabrina could see that she was fighting laughter as well.
"Why does Clancy have a hatbox?" Hannah arrived and wished to know.
"Clancy," Jessie addressed her youngest daughter, ignoring Hannah for the moment. "You may have that, but nothing else."
61 "What if I need something?" the child argued. "I don't want to hear about it-not for a week." Clancy looked stubborn but turned to Hannah. "How many is that?"
"How many days?" Hannah clarified.
The women left Hannah counting on one hand and Clancy still frowning. If they stayed, they were both going to laugh.
"So this is where you work."
Sabrina heard the male voice behind her and turned to find the man from the alley.
"Can I help you?" Sabrina asked.
"I hope so. I'm Bret Toben, by the way."
"Sabrina Matthews," she told him, her voice not overly friendly. "What can I get you?"
Several replies sprang to Bret's lips, but he squelched them all. "Tobacco, please."
Sabrina had not done this herself and started to go to find Jessie, but
"He does look more like a livery worker than a pastor," Jeanette admitted, finally moving to the front door, "but I hope you won't judge him on his looks. I hope you'll give him a chance."
It was just what Sabrina needed to hear. She had realized that she'd been judging him by his appearance and knew there was no excuse for that.
"I will certainly give him a chance," she said with quiet conviction. "And thank you for explaining."
Jeanette didn't comment, but she did look into Sabrina's face before she opened the door and felt sure once again that this young woman was special.
"Which place?" Rylan asked of sheriff Nate Kaderly when that man came for him on Sunday evening. The two men had gone to an apartment building on Willow Street because a man was dying. The sheriff had been called on an unrelated matter when someone else mentioned the man's plight. As was the sheriff's habit, he went for Rylan.
"Back here." Nate led the way. The apartment was at the rear, up a set of outside stairs that had seen better days. Nate did not knock but opened the door slowly and led the way inside. He had not dallied, but they were too late. The man was gone, his body already going cold.
"Who was he?" Rylan asked.
"Someone called him Ivan, but I didn't know him. Do you want to be alone-I mean, to pray for him?"
"I'll tell you something, Nate," Rylan said kindly. "I try to pattern my life from the Bible, and there is nothing in God's Word about
60praying for the dead. By the time a person leaves this earth, he's made his choices."
Token Creek's sheriff looked interested, but he didn't ask questions or comment. He mentioned going for Abe Wyner, the town's undertaker, but that was the end of it. Rylan did not linger in the man's small apartment, but he did pray. Not for the dead man-he'd meant what he'd said-but for Nate Kaderly, who, as caring as he was of others, never saw his own need.
"Hannah," Sabrina asked the little girl on Monday morning, "where do I put these pants? The shelf is getting full."
"Oh, there's a place in the storeroom for those. I'll show you."
Sabrina followed Jessie's daughter and when she got to the shelf in the back took some time to arrange things neatly. This was the way Jessie found her.
"You're as good as Jeb. He likes things neat."
"Don't you?" Sabrina asked.
"I love things neat, but when the store is busy, I don't feel I have time." Jessie's hand came up. "And so the storeroom looks like this."
"It's not so bad," Sabrina said, and she was right. Thirty minutes of work would put it to rights.
"Mama." Clancy was suddenly there, a hatbox in her hand. "Yes, Clancy."
"I need this."
"A hatbox? You don't have a hat."
"But I will when my head is biggest."
Sabrina's hand came to her mouth. Jessie did not look at her, but Sabrina could see that she was fighting laughter as well.
"Why does Clancy have a hatbox?" Hannah arrived and wished to know.
"Clancy," Jessie addressed her youngest daughter, ignoring Hannah for the moment. "You may have that, but nothing else."
61 "What if I need something?" the child argued. "I don't want to hear about it-not for a week." Clancy looked stubborn but turned to Hannah. "How many is that?"
"How many days?" Hannah clarified.
The women left Hannah counting on one hand and Clancy still frowning. If they stayed, they were both going to laugh.
"So this is where you work."
Sabrina heard the male voice behind her and turned to find the man from the alley.
"Can I help you?" Sabrina asked.
"I hope so. I'm Bret Toben, by the way."
"Sabrina Matthews," she told him, her voice not overly friendly. "What can I get you?"
Several replies sprang to Bret's lips, but he squelched them all. "Tobacco, please."
Sabrina had not done this herself and started to go to find Jessie, but
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