Page 57 of A Cowboy's Convenient Marriage

"I suppose as a pastor, I make sure I get to bed early on Saturday night, but since I won’t be preaching on Sunday, we can close the place down if we want to. That is, if you'd like to go with me?" he asked, like he was asking her out on a date.

"Really?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Really. I want to dance with you, and I thought that might be the best way. Well, I just want to hold you. I don't care if we’re dancing or not. So, just so you know, I have ulterior motives."

"You really don't need to take me out to a dance just to be able to hold me. You know that, right?" She figured that the airplane probably wasn't the best place to start doing amorous displays, but they did have completely private rooms upstairs in his aunt's house, and they'd be there later tonight.

"I know. But, I wanted to do this right. I figure I owe you a few dates, a little bit of courting, maybe some make out sessions."

She laughed. "Really? Aren’t we too old for that term?"

"I don't know. I suppose you're right. I can't think of what else to call it, no matter what age the person is."

"Hmm." She felt oddly warm, and strangely happy. Not strangely, wildly, happy.

He pulled her hand back up and kissed her knuckles again. "I know we had an odd beginning, but I just wanted to make sure that you knew that I loved you. Maybe I’m not very good at saying it. But I hope to get better. I admire you, and I feel blessed every day that God used something terrible in my life to bring me the most wonderful blessing I could ever imagine. Just so you know, I'm not talking about the money. I’m talking about you."

"I love you too.” She gave him a soft smile. “I want to show biblical love, but it's a feeling as well. I love watching you. I admire you. I see how you interact with people, and how you make them think, and the way you want to make sure that you live your life according to God's standards. It's a beautiful thing to me, and I love and respect that and you. Thank you for allowing me to walk beside you. It's a privilege." She meant that with all of her heart. Abby had missed out on the best thing of her life. And that had given Ada the opportunity to step in. She didn't want to squander her chance.

Chapter 23

Strings of lights sparkled, illuminating the interior of the barn with their dim, romantic glow. People smiled, and welcomed newcomers, as the ragtag band in the corner warmed up their instruments. There was a fellow with a banjo, a couple of people with guitars, and a violin. An elderly gentleman was picking a cello or maybe a bass fiddle, Cash couldn't quite tell through the press of people.

If all of these people were in church on Sunday morning, the building wouldn't be able to handle the crowd, he thought to himself, the way a pastor often did.

Of course, he knew that there were reasons for some people to not be in church. The Clybourn's were a good example of that. Sometimes a person needed to take care of their animals, and couldn't make it. And sometimes emergencies happened. Then, of course, there were those who had to work, because they didn't get the weekends off.

But for the most part, people just didn't want to make the effort.

How would he explain to the Lord that he just didn't feel like going to church on Sunday morning? Then he didn't feel like getting together with other believers and worshiping God in a communal setting? That he was happier outside in his fishing boat or walking through the woods?

It was true, often Cash felt closer to the Lord when he was outside. But that wasn't necessarily the point of church. To give a person a feeling. It was to keep a person on the straight and narrow. To remind them that there were guardrails in place for their lives, that God expected a certain type of behavior from Christians.

That wasn't a popular teaching in this age of God loves everyone, and it's all about grace, yet... If a person claimed to be a Christian, and yet didn't act like it - and the world didn't have a problem figuring out what Christians were supposed to act like, then... They needed to be reminded. And that was part of the reason for Sunday church.

Worshiping God, yes, but also being reminded of what was expected behavior from Christians. After all, God saidbe ye holy as I am holy. And Jesus told Christians to follow after him, and to do what He did. How was a person supposed to know what Jesus did unless they read the Bible? And how were they supposed to know what holiness meant unless they read the Bible? And how were they supposed to be nudged back on the narrow way, unless they had a pastor to guide them like a shepherd?

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