Page 42 of Hometown Girl

“So, Monday?”

Drew nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”

Beth stood, anxious to put some distance between her and a man far too attractive for his own good. But as she drove back to her mother’s house, all she could think about was how many hours would pass before she’d get to see him again.

Chapter Thirteen

Sunday morning came hard and fast. Before Beth even opened her eyes, she could feel that the aches in her feet and back had traveled to all of her extremities. She did her best work behind a desk at a computer, not in a field hauling branches bigger than her.

She rolled over and let out a slight groan.

“Stinks to be out of shape, doesn’t it?”

Beth opened her eyes to find her sister standing in her room with two steaming mugs of coffee that smelled like heaven.

“What are you doing up so early? And in my room? And dressed up?”

“It’s Sunday. Church.”

Beth rolled over. It had been their tradition for as long as she could remember, but somehow she’d thought she might get a free pass today—she wasn’t sure she could move.

“Rise and shine, sleepyhead.”

Obviously her sister had other plans.

Ever since Beth had moved back in with their mom, Molly had insisted on coming over early every Sunday morning. Even when their mother was nearly immobile, they found a way to cart her to church.

“I think I’m staying home today,” she said.

“My eye. Mom’s up and ready. We leave in half an hour.” She set the coffee on Beth’s nightstand. “Jesus is waiting for you.”

“How do you know He’s not waiting for me on the back porch?” She threw a pillow at her sister but missed.

The fact that Molly had this much energy and Beth felt like she’d been hit by a Mack truck was one of life’s greatest injustices. She sat up and took a sip of coffee, determined not to rush around. Molly appeared again in the doorway, thathurry uplook on her face.

“I’m coming,” Beth groaned.

As she made herself presentable—a task that proved to be more challenging than usual—she imagined herself sitting in the church pew. She’d consulted God in every decision she’d ever made. Michael. College. Working for her father. She’d accepted that Michael had had his own free will, and though he’d broken her heart, she didn’t blame God for that.

Her latest failure? She was having a bit more trouble being gracious with that one. She’d prayed every single day before going against her father’s instructions. She’d taken a risk, but she had been certain it would save the company money.

She’d asked God to stop her if it was a bad decision.

But He hadn’t.

And look what had happened. She’d never messed up like that before. And worse, she’d covered it up, and it had cost Beth her job.

Her dad had taken the blame for her error in judgment, but obviously there was still some trace of it or Darren never would’ve found out. He said he’d keep it to himself, but if it ever came out, nobody in business would ever take her seriously again.

Her dad had died before she’d had a chance to make him proud again.

He’d died because of the stress she’d caused.

She had to believe God could’ve given her a heads-up. Something—anything—to keep her from making the wrong decision. She’d let everyone down. Why hadn’t He stopped her?

It had been a long time since she’d really heard God’s voice, yet for some reason that day, as she finished putting her mascara on, she felt like maybe she needed to break the ritual. Church was a tradition, but maybe she’d been going through the motions.

Maybe she needed to do something different today. She’d never really believed you could only find God at church, after all. How many times had she heard His still, small voice on her walks with Mom? Or in the shower or the car on the way to work?

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