A minister with a heart of gold…

and a pregnant bride with no groom!

Jilted at the altar, Natalie Davis has no one she can turn to—until Jacob Stone steps in. The single minister’s drawn to the beautiful mommy-to-be and wants to help…even if it goes against his congregation’s wishes and could cost him his job. But when she refuses to accept charity, can he convince her she’s more than a ministry project?

LAUREL BLOUNT lives on a small farm in Middle Georgia with her husband, David, their four children, a milk cow, dairy goats, assorted chickens, an enormous dog, three spoiled cats and one extremely bossy goose with boundary issues. She divides her time between farm chores, homeschooling and writing, and she’s happiest with a cup of steaming tea at her elbow and a good book in her hand.

Also By Laurel Blount

Love Inspired

A Family for the Farmer

A Baby for the Minister

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

A Baby for the Minister

Laurel Blount

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-08594-6

A BABY FOR THE MINISTER

© 2018 Laurel Blount

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

® and ™ are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries.

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Her little son was absolutely perfect…

“He’s zonked. Our Ethan’s a great little sleeper.”

Our Ethan. A fresh wave of confused longing rose up in Natalie, painful feelings she had no idea what to do with.

“You’ve been sleeping pretty well yourself.” Jacob smiled at her. “I’m glad. You earned it.”

“You must be pretty exhausted, too.”

Dark circles shadowed his eyes, but when their glances met, he offered her another easy smile.

“Don’t worry about me. Not the first night I’ve spent at the hospital. Besides, I had the easy job.” His tired smile widened. “You were the superhero.”

“Not me.” Natalie shook her head. “I was scared to death.”

“That’s what makes it amazing. You pushed through the fear and pain with everything you had. It was one of the bravest things I’ve ever seen. Nope,” he said as Natalie started to speak. “No arguing. I was there. I saw it. Give yourself some credit, Natalie. You’re way stronger than you seem to think.”

Dear Reader,

Hello! I’m so glad you found your way to Pine Valley, Georgia. If you read my first book, A Family for the Farmer, then we’re old friends! If not, I’m so pleased you let me share A Baby for the Minister with you. Come sit down at the kitchen table, let me pour you a cup of tea and we’ll get ourselves acquainted!

I’m a Georgia girl, so I feel right at home in this small town! It was wonderful to revisit some of the characters from my first story, and I enjoyed helping bachelor Jacob Stone find his very own happy ending. And I don’t think the good pastor has anything to complain about, do you? After all, he didn’t just end up with a beautiful bride, but he got an adorable baby son to boot!

Getting to know Natalie was a delight, too. She’s a brand new Christian, still sorting through the mistakes of her past—and she’s had some unfortunate church-related experiences that make her leery of Jacob’s kindness. But with the help of the Good Lord (along with a bossy church secretary and a rambunctious billy goat), she and Jacob overcome all the obstacles to their happily-ever-after.

This story was such fun to write that I hope these old Georgia back roads lead me to Pine Valley for another visit or two. In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you! Drop me a line at laurelblountwrites@gmail.com or come look me up on Facebook. I’m always ready for a chat!

Laurel

For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over

and gone; The flowers appear on the earth;

the time of the singing of birds is come, and the

voice of the turtle is heard in our land.

—Song of Solomon 2:11–12

For my beloved parents-in-law, Lamont and Annette Blount, whose kindness, integrity and strength bless all who know them, and whose real-life love story is more inspiring than any I could ever write.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Dear Reader

Bible Verse

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Epilogue

Extract

About the Publisher

Chapter One

Pastor Jacob Stone strode down the carpeted halls of the unfamiliar church, hoping he was headed in the right direction. He’d told the nervous bridegroom he’d be back in five minutes, and he was way past that deadline now. “My notes for the budget meeting are in the blue folder, Arlene. Keep looking.”

“Good gracious, Jacob, this desk is like a landfill.” He could hear rustling through his cell phone as his elderly secretary rummaged through stacks of paper. “No wonder you can’t keep track of anything. Okay, I’ve found the folder. What am I supposed to do with it?”

“Make copies and take them to the conference room.” Jacob checked his watch. “Then just sit in for me until I get there. I shouldn’t be more than twenty minutes late. Twenty-five, tops.”

“Five minutes late would be too much.” Arlene made a tsking sound. “You’re already on thin ice with Digby Markham because you skipped out on his businessmen’s luncheon last week. I really don’t see why you agreed to do this wedding. It’s not even at our church.”

“I told you—it was a last-minute thing. Pastor Michaelson came down with the flu.” Jacob halted in front of the third door on the left. He was almost sure this was where he’d left the groom.

“Yes, but I don’t see why Good Shepherd’s emergency is our problem, especially when you already had Digby’s meeting on the calendar. You need to start saying no.”

“We’re talking about somebody’s wedding, Arlene. I couldn’t say no.”

Well, he could have. He just hadn’t wanted to.

From the moment Digby had taken over as the chairman of Pine Valley Community Church’s board, the banker had been clogging Jacob’s schedule with endless meetings, all of which circled back to the same old topic: whether or not their little church should construct a fancy new fellowship hall.

Jacob already knew his answer to that question, and he was tired of arguing the same points over and over. A last-minute wedding made a welcome change.

Arlene sighed. “You really need to watch your step right now, Jacob. The whole church is up in arms, and people are choosing sides. Digby might be a frustrating old fusspot, but plenty of folks are backing him up on this.”

“We don’t need a new fellowship hall. There are way too many genuine needs in our community for us to waste money on a new building when the space we already have is perfectly—”

“Adequate.” Arlene finished the sentence with him. “So you’ve said. But it may surprise you to know that there are a good many people in our church who don’t agree with your ideas of what’s adequate.”

No, that didn’t surprise him. But it worried him. His church was pretty much the only family he had. He didn’t like being on the outs with them. Still, it was his job to make the right decisions, not the popular ones.

“I don’t think it sends the right message for us to fundraise right now. Since the textile plant shut down, half our town is out of work. We can talk about a new fellowship hall later, when our neighbors aren’t worried about losing their homes.”

“I’m already on your side, so you can save your breath. But I’ll tell you this—a lot of people with some serious social clout want this fellowship hall to go forward. If you don’t let them have it, you stand a good chance of losing your pulpit.”

His cranky secretary actually sounded worried. “Aw. Would you miss me, Arlene?”

She snorted. “Don’t you flatter yourself. I’m just too old to train up another new preacher. Now, enough of this jibber-jabber. You’d best get that couple married and get back here where you belong.”

Jacob sighed as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. Arlene was right. He needed to get back to Pine Valley Community as soon as he could.

First, though, he had a wedding to perform and a spooked groom to deal with.

He needed to focus. Jacob closed his eyes and murmured a prayer.

Then he sucked in a deep breath, fixed a smile on his face and pushed open the door to the choir room.

“All right! Let’s get this show on the...”

He froze, the rest of his cheery speech forgotten as he took in the scene in front of him.

Long gray curtains rippled as a chilly April breeze blew through the open window, filling the room with the smell of pine trees and wet asphalt. A crushed white boutonniere lay discarded on the carpet. The groom... What was his name again?

Adam Larkey.

Adam was nowhere to be seen.

Jacob’s heart gave one slow, painful thump, then revved into high gear. He crossed the room in two strides and batted the fluttering curtains aside to scan the damp parking lot. Sure enough, a bumper-sticker-encrusted Jeep that he’d noticed earlier had vanished, replaced by a rectangle of dry pavement.

Oh brother. This was bad.

Really, really bad.

The ceremony was due to start in exactly eight minutes, and Elvis had left the building.

He’d never had anybody actually bolt from a wedding before. This was uncharted territory.

Oh, he’d dealt with panicky grooms plenty of times. What minister hadn’t? That was why, when the first words out of Adam Larkey’s mouth had been “I don’t think I can do this, bro,” Jacob hadn’t taken it all that seriously.

Apparently, he should have.

He hadn’t believed for a minute that Larkey was serious about skipping out. Grooms never were, not really.

And there was no way Jacob could’ve suspected that this guy would be the world’s one exception because Jacob had never met either member of this wedding party before.

In fact, he still hadn’t laid eyes on the bride. He’d skidded into the church only a scant half hour before the wedding was scheduled to start. Since then he’d been so busy coping with Adam and Arlene that he hadn’t had time to speak with the bride.

Well, he was definitely going to have to go talk to her now. He checked his watch again and winced. Zero hour.

There was no way around it. He had to go tell some poor woman that her fiancé had just climbed out of a window rather than marry her.

This was not going to be fun.

Jacob threaded his way back through the narrow halls toward the bride’s dressing room, racking his brain for the best way to break the news. Unfortunately, Good Shepherd Church wasn’t much bigger than his own, and he was standing outside the door before he came up with anything useful.

He spread his hand flat against the wood of the door and bowed his head. Please, Lord. Help me to find the best words to explain this mess. Help this woman, whoever she is, to handle what I’m about to tell her with the kind of grace and peace only You can give. Carry her through this disappointment, Father, and heal her heart. Amen.

As if on cue, the door opened a crack, and Jacob found himself looking down into a woman’s wide brown eyes.

“Is it time?”

Her voice wobbled as she tucked loosened strands of maple-sugar hair back into a softly coiled bun. She wore no veil, and Jacob had seen enough brides to know that the simple hairdo and light makeup were her own work. Not surprising, since this was supposed to be a no-frills wedding.

He forced a smile and extended his hand through the cracked door. “I’m Pastor Jacob Stone from Pine Valley Community Church. I’m pinch-hitting for Pastor Michaelson today.”

“Oh! It’s nice to meet you.” The woman accepted his hand, her fingers icy in his. “I’m Natalie Davis. Are you ready for me now?”

“Not exactly. There’s been a small...uh...glitch.” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he cringed. A small glitch?

“Another one?” Natalie laughed nervously. “First my car wouldn’t start, then the minister gets sick and now this. I’m starting to wonder if this wedding is even going to happen today.”

“May I come in? We need to talk.”

The bride’s creamy skin went a shade paler. “All right. Come on in and have a seat.” Pulling the door open wide, she turned sideways, making room for him to enter.

Jacob didn’t budge. For the second time that afternoon, he found himself frozen on a threshold with no clue what to do next.

He’d thought this wedding couldn’t get any more complicated. He’d been wrong.

In the back of his bewildered mind at least a hundred alarm bells were going off at once. He had no idea what to say. In fact, at that moment, he knew only three things for certain.

First, there was no way he was making it to that meeting. Arlene would just have to cope with Digby and the board on her own.

And second, he should definitely have taken Adam Larkey’s prewedding freak-out a whole lot more seriously.

Because the third thing he knew for sure was—that wasn’t a bridal gown Natalie Davis was wearing.

It was a maternity dress.

“You’re pregnant?” He didn’t know why he made it sound like a question. With a baby bump of that size, there was absolutely no doubt about it.

* * *

Natalie’s cheeks were stinging so hard that she knew they must be as red as apples, but she forced a little laugh. “Eight months and counting. Please. Come on in”

She made her way back to the worn armchair, her Bible lying open on its seat. A few more minutes and one short ceremony and she could get out of this church and stop blushing every time somebody mentioned her pregnancy. She wasn’t sure which of those two things she was looking forward to more.

It was hard being a new Christian when your past mistakes were so obvious.

She picked up the book and lowered herself gingerly back into the chair. She was glad she’d brought her Bible with her. Changing into her nicest maternity dress hadn’t taken very long, and as the hour of her wedding approached, she’d grown more and more nervous.

She’d seen the quick, sidelong glances as she’d hurried down the hallway to this room. It certainly wasn’t the first time church ladies had looked down their noses at her, but today, with her nerves already jumping, it was all a little too much. So she’d turned to the Psalms, hoping to find some peace.

The Bible was still pretty unfamiliar territory, but whispering the calming verses aloud had helped her settle down. Unfortunately, the serious look on this handsome minister’s face was stirring all her butterflies right back up again.

He lingered in the doorway for a second. When he finally did come over to claim the empty chair, his leg brushed hers and she caught a whiff of spicy, masculine soap. She scooted a little farther away, wishing their seats weren’t quite so close together.

This man sure didn’t look like any preacher she’d ever seen before. He was way too good-looking, for one thing. As if being born with golden hair and sea-blue eyes wasn’t enough, he also sported a strong square chin and broad, quarterback shoulders.

He was watching her silently, drumming his fingers on his knees.

“You look like you’ve had the wind knocked out of you, Pastor. I’m guessing nobody told you about my...condition?”

The minister cleared his throat. “No, I’m afraid not.”

Not this again. Old Pastor Michaelson had only agreed to marry them after a long and embarrassing lecture. She wasn’t sure she could take another one of those, not right now. “Do you have a problem performing the ceremony? Because I’m pregnant, I mean?”

This was exactly why she’d lobbied for a courthouse wedding. She’d been getting this kind of reaction from people ever since the day she’d had to change into maternity clothes. If she hadn’t needed her new faith so desperately, she might have given up on religion altogether.

As it was, she’d just given up on churches.

But this man immediately shook his head.

“No! Not at all.” The denial came out with such force that Natalie actually believed him. “Sorry, it’s just...there’s no easy way to say this.” The minister took a deep breath and looked at her directly. She braced herself.

“What?”

“Adam has had some...uh...second thoughts.”

“Second thoughts?” Natalie blinked. That was the reason for all this?

She’d had a few second thoughts of her own. But in the end she always came back to the same hard truth.

Marrying Adam was the right thing to do.

“But isn’t that pretty normal?” she asked. Especially for a man who’d basically been strong-armed by his grandmother into getting married in the first place.

She kept that last bit to herself. There was no need for everybody to know that the father of her baby had needed an awful lot of convincing to marry her. This situation was already humiliating enough.

“It’s totally normal, but I’m afraid this is more serious than an ordinary case of cold feet.” He paused. “I’m so sorry.”

Natalie’s heart fell. He was so sorry. That could only mean one thing.

The wedding was off.

She could feel him watching her, obviously braced for some kind of explosion. Well, he was wasting his time. She was way too exhausted for anything like that.

Instead, she just blinked at the burgundy carpet, her still-new Bible pressed against the bulge of her pregnant tummy, her brain struggling to catch up.

Could this really be happening? After all the praying, all the planning... Adam was dumping her here at the last possible minute? Seriously?

What on earth was she going to do now?

“Natalie? Could I go out to the sanctuary and get somebody for you? Your mom? A sister, maybe?”

She brought her gaze back to his face. “No,” she managed. “There’s nobody. I don’t actually...have much family.”

The worry in his eyes morphed into a compassion so warm that she had to fight a crazy urge to bury her face in his shoulder and sob.

“I understand,” he said. “Well, in that case, Natalie, I—”

He was interrupted by a knock on the door. A blonde woman who’d introduced herself to Natalie earlier as the church pianist poked her head in the room, her eyes wide. “There you are, Pastor Stone! I’m so sorry to interrupt, but there’s a lady out here who really wants a word with you.”

“Step aside, please.” Natalie winced as she recognized the voice booming from the hallway. She really didn’t feel up to coping with Adam’s grandmother right now.

Cora Larkey pushed herself into the small room, the stiff veil on her lime-green hat trembling. Her entire outfit was the same shade, and she had the white rose corsage Natalie had given her earlier pinned to her substantial bosom.

“This wedding was supposed to start a half hour ago. What’s going on?” Cora’s blue eyes flittered between Natalie and the minister. “Where’s my grandson? And who on earth are you?”

The last question was directed at Jacob Stone, who cast a quick, concerned glance at Natalie before rising from his seat. He introduced himself to the elderly lady and ushered her into the chair he’d just vacated.

Natalie wished he hadn’t. As Cora sank down, a dense cloud of her expensive perfume replaced the light scent of his soap, making Natalie feel faintly queasy.

The minister unfolded a metal chair that had been leaning against one wall and sat down across from them. Natalie listened tensely as he repeated his news to Cora, adding some details that made Natalie cringe. Now she was the one bracing for an explosion. She knew from personal experience that Adam’s grandmother didn’t take bad news well.

“He did what?” Sure enough, Cora started spluttering in the middle of the explanation. “That aggravating boy! Of course,” she added quickly, darting an alarmed look at the minister’s face, “he’s young. He’ll come around and do the right thing eventually, I’m sure. But this is quite...difficult.” Her small eyes flickered back over to Natalie. “Could I have a moment alone with the bride, Pastor? The two of us need to talk privately.”

“Of course.” The minister stood. Judging by that relieved look on his face, Adam wasn’t the only man who wanted to run away from her today. “I’ll be just outside if you need me.”

As soon as he’d closed the door, the older woman shifted in her chair and pointed a finger at Natalie. “I should have known the two of you would pull something like this. Well, it won’t work. I made myself very clear. You’re not getting any help from me until you’re decently married.”

“I had nothing to do with this!”

“You expect me to believe that? You never wanted to have this wedding in a church. You made that very plain.”

“I just thought a civil ceremony would be less stressful for everybody, and more appropriate, given the...circumstances. That’s all.”

“The Larkeys do not marry in courthouses. And the circumstances you find yourself in are your own fault.”

“Not only mine.”

Cora made an impatient noise. “Of course not. And that’s why we’re here. So that Adam can do the responsible thing for once in his life. I should never have left him alone. I should have been watching him like a hawk.”

“But I never wanted to force Adam into this. If he really doesn’t want to get married...” Natalie trailed off. She had no idea what to say next.

She’d truly believed that this wedding was God’s answer to her prayers. When Cora had talked Adam into proposing, Natalie had set her own doubts aside, gathered up her fragile faith and put all her eggs in one shaky basket.

And now that basket had climbed out the church window and left her to deal with his grandmother.

Sometimes, Natalie reflected, life was just not fair.

“Don’t be silly,” Cora was saying. “Of course Adam doesn’t want to get married, but what choice does he have now? You certainly can’t take proper care of that baby on your own. You have no education, no job, no family worth talking about.”

“I had a job up until last week. I only quit it because I was moving here.”

“Waitressing at that tacky little diner? That hardly counts. And no great-grandchild of mine is going to be brought up in an Atlanta housing project, I’ll tell you that.”

Natalie pressed her lips together tightly and said nothing. There was nothing to say. On that one point, she and Cora were in total agreement.

“Adam has to go through with this marriage, for that innocent baby’s sake,” Cora continued. “Although goodness knows, I don’t see what else I can do. That boy has hoodwinked me for the last time. I’ve already told him, unless he does the proper thing, he’ll not see another cent from me. And believe you me, I meant it.”

“I know you did.” Adam had known it, too, which was why he’d suddenly resurfaced after months of dodging her phone calls and texts. It was humiliating to know that it took the prospect of losing his grandmother’s money to get Adam to propose. But when you were buying your maternity clothes at thrift stores and could barely afford even the small co-pays for the local public health clinic, pride was a little out of your price range.

Even so, Natalie hadn’t much liked the idea of a shotgun wedding, but she’d wavered when Cora had discussed setting up a college fund for the baby. Then Cora had mentioned giving them her late husband’s hobby farm to live on.

The promise of the farm had finally done it. Natalie had looked around her shabby apartment, awash with flashing lights from the police car parked outside her building for the third time that week. She’d imagined her son roaming the housing project with the other children of the overworked mothers, most of them single like her.

She’d known exactly where that path could lead. Just last week she’d tried to comfort a neighbor whose fourteen-year-old son had been arrested for selling drugs. The neighbor wasn’t a bad mother. She just wasn’t a match for the bad influences that lurked on every trash-littered corner of this neighborhood.

If Natalie stayed, one day her child could be the one in trouble. She couldn’t let that happen, and she couldn’t get out of there on her own.

Not soon enough, anyway.

Cora was right, Natalie had decided. The best thing to do was marry Adam and make it work somehow. Their baby was all that mattered.

“Oh well,” Cora was saying irritably. “I expect I’ll hear from Adam when he gets to the bottom of his bank account, and that shouldn’t take long. That boy’s never earned an honest dollar in his life, in spite of that pricey college degree I paid for.” Cora’s eyes skimmed Natalie’s rounded figure. “Thankfully, the baby’s not due for another three weeks, so a few more days shouldn’t matter. You’ll just have to stay put while we wait Adam out.” The older woman pushed up from her seat and started for the door. Alarmed, Natalie struggled to her feet, as well.

Cora wanted her to wait here? In Pine Valley? How was she supposed to do that?

Cora already had her hand on the doorknob.

“I don’t have any place to stay.” Natalie’s cheeks burned as she blurted out her admission. She’d given up her apartment, and she couldn’t check back in to the ratty motel where she’d spent the last two nights. It might be the cheapest place in town, but it was still out of her price range.

Cora halted, frowning. “Well, you certainly can’t come home with me. My retirement complex has very strict rules.” She hesitated, then shrugged. “Fine. Here.” She rummaged in the green purse swinging at her elbow and brought out an old-fashioned key. “I suppose you can go on out to Lark Hill. Adam’s been staying there for the past week, supposedly making some repairs. You know how men are when they’re living alone. I expect by now the house needs a good cleaning. You might as well spend your time doing that until he turns back up.”

Lark Hill.

Even the name was beautiful. Natalie had been daydreaming about that farm for weeks. She felt a rush of sweet relief.

Thank You, God.

Maybe, just maybe, He hadn’t completely abandoned her, after all.

“But mind you, this is a temporary arrangement. I won’t sign over the deed until the two of you are married. And if I were you,” Cora continued, “I’d stay out at Lark Hill and keep to myself as much as possible until all this is settled. People are a lot more old-fashioned in these small towns than they are in Atlanta. There’s no sense stirring up any more gossip. Folks will have plenty to say about your...situation as it is. Oh, they’ll be nice, at least to your face. Some of the churches may even offer to help you, but—”

“Don’t worry. I won’t need any help,” Natalie interrupted. Especially not from a church, she finished silently. Cora’s warning wasn’t necessary. Atlanta wasn’t as different from Pine Valley as Adam’s grandmother seemed to think. “I’m used to taking care of myself.”

“Good. Now—” Cora drew in a deep breath “—I’m going to go home. This whole thing has been most unpleasant. When Adam calls about the money, I’ll let you know.” With that, the older woman bustled out of the room, leaving the door ajar.

Money. Natalie’s eyes widened as an awful realization hit her like a slap. She’d only brought her purse and a little overnight bag into the church. Nothing else. She’d left all the rest of her belongings in the back of Adam’s Jeep. That meant Adam had driven off with everything she owned, including the small amount of money she’d hidden in her suitcase after cashing her last paycheck. It wasn’t much, but apart from a couple of twenties tucked in her billfold, it was every penny she had in the world.

What was she going to do?

If Adam found that money, he’d spend it. Even if he didn’t find it, Adam was awfully good at mooching. In spite of Cora’s predictions, there was really no telling when he might show up. The baby wasn’t due for nearly another month, but on her last clinic visit, she’d been told that he might come early. Any day now, the doctor had said.

Natalie suddenly found it hard to breathe, and the cramped dressing room began to spin.

“Miss Davis? Natalie! You need to sit down.” A deep voice spoke urgently in front of her. She was dimly aware of a pressure on her arms, pushing her back into the chair. “Breathe. In and out. Good, slow breaths.”

She followed his instructions. In and out. The swirling mist in her mind cleared, and she was able to focus her eyes on Pastor Jacob Stone’s face.

He’d gone pale. “I’m calling 911.”

“No! No, I’m all right,” she managed. She didn’t have the money to pay for an emergency room visit, or anything else.

He looked unconvinced. “In your condition, it might be a good idea to get checked out. You have to think about your baby.”

Natalie’s hand strayed to her rounded stomach. Ever since the ultrasound technician had told her she was having a boy, she’d been thinking about nothing but her baby. Right then and there, she’d made her child a silent promise.

You’re not going to be like me. You’re going to have a good life.

Remembering that moment now, she felt a fresh rush of resolve. She meant to keep that promise. Her son was going to grow up healthy and strong in a safe place, and he was going to finish high school and maybe even go to college.

“Natalie?”

Jacob Stone was still waiting for her answer. She took a steadying breath. “I’m fine, really. I’m just tired. It’s been a hard day.”

“I’d say that’s an understatement.” The sympathetic lines around his eyes deepened, and he gave her arm a gentle squeeze. “This is all going to work out, Natalie. I know it doesn’t seem like it right now, but it will.” He sounded so sure; she almost believed him. “In the meantime, is there anything I can do for you? Anything at all?”

Natalie tightened her fingers, pressing the hard metal key into her palm. Cora’s blunt warning echoed in her memory. They may offer to help you.

But what choice did she have?

She cleared her throat. “As a matter of fact, there is...”

Chapter Two

“Could you give me a ride?” Natalie asked. “My car wouldn’t start this morning. Adam had to drive to the motel to pick me up.” Her poor old car had rattled all the way here from Atlanta, and she’d prayed every mile that it wouldn’t strand her on the side of the road.

It hadn’t, but it had sure been as dead as a rock this morning.

“Absolutely.” The pastor spoke firmly. “I’ll take you anyplace you want to go.”

“Thank you.” She offered him the brightest smile she could manage. It must not have been very convincing because that sympathy crinkled around his eyes again.

He gathered up her overnight case and tucked her Bible under his arm. “My truck is just outside.”

Pastor Stone asked her to wait in the hallway while he had a quick word with the group of people lingering in the sanctuary. Natalie kept her gaze on the floor, but she could feel their curious looks. She was glad when the minister came back and led the way out the big front doors of the church into the drizzly afternoon. To her surprise, he veered toward a battered blue pickup and opened the passenger side door.

This old beater didn’t look much better than her car. It sure wasn’t the kind of vehicle she’d expect a minister to drive, but it obediently rumbled to life when he twisted the key.

He shrugged off his suit jacket and held it out to her. “That dress looks thin. You’ve got to be cold, and it’ll take the truck a few minutes to warm up. This weather is weird for April, isn’t it? Usually we’re all running our air conditioners by now, but this year winter just keeps hanging on.”

She hesitated, but he was right. She was freezing. She took his jacket, tucking it over herself like a blanket. The warm satiny lining felt comforting against her chill-bumped arms, and it smelled like the soap she’d noticed earlier.

He raised his eyebrows. “So, where can I take you?”

“405 Chinaberry Road.” She’d been reciting that address over and over to herself ever since Cora had first told her about the farm. “Do you know where that is?”

“Sure.” The minister leaned back in the seat of the rumbling truck, looking confused. “That’s the old Lark Hill farm. Why do you want to go out there?”

“Adam’s grandmother is letting me stay there until...for the time being.” He was frowning, and she felt a warning tickle along her arms that had nothing to do with the cold. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just...has Mrs. Larkey seen the place lately?”

“I’m not sure, but she said Adam’s been staying there for the past week. Why?”

“Nobody’s lived at Lark Hill in the five years I’ve been in Pine Valley. Last time I drove by, it was looking pretty run-down. In your condition...” He hesitated.

Was that all? That was nothing. She’d stayed in plenty of places that made run-down look good. “Don’t worry about me. I’m not a very fancy person, Pastor Stone.”

He hesitated a second, then shrugged. “I guess we can at least go take a look.” He shifted the truck into gear and headed out of the parking lot. “And you can call me Jacob. Everybody does.” He offered her a sideways glance and a smile. “I’m not a very fancy person, either.”

Natalie nodded and adjusted the seat belt across her baby bump. Riding in a car was so uncomfortable these days. Then again, everything was.

The preacher shot her an apologetic look. “It’s going to be about a ten-minute drive. Lark Hill’s kind of out in the middle of nowhere.”

The middle of nowhere. In spite of everything, Natalie’s lips curved into a smile. She’d lived in overcrowded housing projects all her life.

The middle of nowhere sounded wonderful.

Adam just had to show up and go through with their wedding. Cora had made herself very clear. No marriage, no farm.

No future.

Natalie turned her face toward the window and squeezed her eyes shut. Please, Lord. You know I can’t provide a good life for this baby all by myself. Please, let Adam come back.

A few minutes later, Jacob slowed and put on his turn signal, although as far as Natalie could see, there wasn’t another car for miles.

“Here we are,” he said. A tilted sign announced Lark Hill Farm in weather-beaten blue paint. The faded silhouette of a bird perched on the bar of the H, its beak lifted in a silent song.

Natalie winced as the pickup bumped over the ruts of the overgrown driveway, but she forgot her physical misery when she caught her first glimpse of the farmhouse. Her heart sped up as she gazed at the view through the smudged windshield.

This place was just perfect.

* * *

This place was just awful.

Jacob slowed the truck to a gentle stop, but he didn’t bother to turn off the engine. There was no way they’d be staying here for very long. He’d been polite when he’d described the old farm as run-down.

It was a dump.

The tiny one-story farmhouse was covered in peeling white paint. A couple of scraggly chickens were scratching in the dead leaves littering its sagging porch. Beyond the house was a gray rough-lumber barn that had half collapsed. A makeshift fence had been attached to the part that was still standing, and an animal with a multicolored coat and large curved horns peered curiously through the rusty wires.

Natalie pointed. “What’s that?”

Jacob’s heart sank to his toes, along with his general opinion of humanity. “That’s Rufus. What’s he doing here?”

“What’s a Rufus?”

“The most troublesome billy goat in four counties.” Jacob shook his head. “No telling who stuck Adam with him. That animal’s been passed around more than the common cold. Nobody keeps him for long.”

Natalie leaned forward in her seat, peering through the window. “The poor thing. He doesn’t look mean.”

“He’s not. He’s just...irritating. And there’s not a fence made that can hold him.”

He heard a click and turned to see that Natalie had shrugged off his coat and was unsnapping her seat belt.

“Whoa.” Without thinking, he leaned over and caught her hand as she reached for the door lever. It felt small and chilly in his. “What are you doing?”

She stared at him. “I’m going to look around.”

Jacob hesitated, but she seemed pretty determined. “All right. But wait there. I’ll come around and walk with you. There’s junk all over this yard, and you don’t want to fall.”

She already had her door open, but she stopped, looking surprised. “Oh! Okay. Thank you.”

He came around and helped her out of the truck. “Take my arm.” Without waiting for her answer, he took her right hand in his and placed his other arm around her waist. In spite of her pregnancy, she felt as fragile as a bird. They walked slowly toward the house, the hem of her light dress fluttering in the fitful breeze.

When they reached the porch, he halted. “These steps look pretty rickety.” He tested the bottom one. It groaned but didn’t break.

“They seem fine.” She started to move forward, but he stopped her gently.

“Let me go first.” He definitely didn’t need a pregnant lady crashing through some rotten board. He edged in front of her, bouncing on the remaining steps before allowing Natalie to put her weight on them. The old boards protested, but they held together.

As he led her through the leaves toward the front door, he heard a quiet sniffle. He glanced back to catch Natalie swiping a tear off her cheek.

He’d been expecting this ever since he’d told her about Adam.

“Are you okay?” He regretted his choice of words the minute they were out of his mouth. Stupid question. Of course she wasn’t okay.

She shook her head and managed a wobbly smile. “Don’t pay any attention to me. I’m fine. Really. It’s just...”

As he watched her struggle for words, his heart swelled with sympathy. First the wedding disappointment and now this disaster of a house. He waited, praying for the ability to help her cope with whatever feelings she managed to get out. “It’s okay, Natalie. Go ahead and say whatever you need to say. Yell if you want to. After the day you’ve had, I wouldn’t blame you a bit.”

“No, it’s not that.” She sputtered a teary little laugh and dabbed at her eyes again. “It’s just...you’re being so nice to me, holding my arm and walking me up on the porch and all. Don’t mind me. I cry about all sorts of stupid stuff these days. Hormones, I guess.” She gave him a trembling smile. “Wait just a minute. I put the house key in my purse.”

Jacob didn’t smile back. He stood silently on the sagging porch, watching the wind tease strands of Natalie’s hair loose as she searched for the key.

He was usually pretty quick with words, but right now, he couldn’t think of a single thing to say. After all Natalie had been through today, that was what finally made her cry? The fact that he wouldn’t let a pregnant woman walk on a half-rotten porch without checking it first?

What kind of life had this woman led?

I don’t have much family. When Natalie had made that quiet admission back at the church, he’d felt a surge of compassion so strong that it had surprised him. He’d always been a sucker for people in trouble, but he hadn’t wanted to help somebody this badly in a long, long time.

He didn’t have much family either, and he knew firsthand how tough that could be. But, of course, loneliness wasn’t the only thing he and Natalie Davis had in common.

Not by a long shot.

The instant he’d caught sight of Natalie’s pregnant profile, he’d known. None of this was accidental. It couldn’t be. Of all the ministers in the surrounding area, as far as he knew, he was the only one who knew firsthand what it was like to struggle with an out-of-wedlock pregnancy.

This situation had God’s fingerprints all over it.

The mistakes Jacob had made before he’d become a Christian still broke his heart, and there wasn’t a thing he could do about them. But he could certainly do something about this.

“I’m going to help you.” He didn’t realize he’d spoken aloud until she answered him.

“Well, okay. Thanks.” She handed him a long metal key. “It looks really old. I hope it works.”

She thought he meant help with the antique lock. He accepted the key automatically and turned to the door, glad to have something to do until he could think straight again.

The lock was tarnished and flecked with decades of old paint, but the key turned easily enough. He pushed the door open, and a puff of musty air brushed their faces.

The door opened into a small rectangular living room. Dust flurried in the weak sunlight coming through the generous windows, and furry gray cobwebs dangled from the bead board ceiling.

The room looked like it had been furnished by somebody’s maiden aunt. There was a beige camelback sofa and two drab olive armchairs, all sporting fussy lace circlets on their arms and backs. A couple of spindly legged tables laden with dusty knickknacks were angled in the corners.

“Oh my,” Natalie breathed beside him, poking her head in to get a better view. He glanced down and was surprised by the rapt expression on her face. He’d expected a wrinkled nose, but she didn’t seem put off at all.

He frowned and took a second look at the room. Maybe it did have a certain appeal to it.

If you didn’t have a dust allergy.

Natalie edged past him into the house and touched one of the lace doilies with a gentle finger. “It’s like stepping back in time, isn’t it?” She opened a nearby door and disappeared into the adjoining room.

“Watch your step, now.” Jacob warned as he followed her. He hoped the rest of this place was sturdier than that porch.

The house was tiny, so their tour didn’t take long. They passed through two small bedrooms furnished with iron beds and discovered a bathroom complete with a stained claw-foot tub. When Natalie paused to twist a faucet on the pedestal sink, a stream of clear water ran into the grubby basin. She glanced up at him, smiling.

“This water doesn’t smell all chemically like the water back in Atlanta.”

“This far out of town, it would have to be well water. No chlorine.” He hadn’t seen Natalie Davis really smile until now. He’d thought she was a nice-looking woman before, but with that happy expression on her face, she was downright beautiful.

The smile lingered on her lips as she pushed open the last door. It led them into the kitchen.

Natalie halted on the threshold. “Oh!”

Jacob took in the sight in front of them, and his lips tightened. No wonder she didn’t want to go any farther. The other rooms hadn’t been very clean, but this one took dirty to a whole new level.

Once upon a time, somebody had painted the kitchen walls a light yellow, but the cheery paint was filmed over with a thick layer of dust. Dingy white curtains embroidered with trios of red cherries hung limply at the windows. A small red-and-white enameled table, its surface covered with food wrappers, sat in the middle of a scabby linoleum floor. A generous double-basined sink was positioned underneath the window, flanked by old-fashioned metal cabinets. A boxy gas stove with two ovens hunkered in one corner, and an elderly refrigerator chugged next to it.

Every available surface was littered with trash. If Adam Larkey had gone through with his wedding, this was what he’d have brought his pregnant bride home to? After what had happened back at the church, Jacob hadn’t thought his opinion of the guy could drop much lower.

He’d been wrong.

“I think we’ve seen enough,” he said quietly. “I’ll drive you back to town.”

Natalie didn’t answer. She was standing with her eyes closed, her whole body tensed. One hand was clutching the door frame, clenching down so hard that her knuckles were white.

“Natalie?” He wasn’t sure what was happening, but from the look on her face, it couldn’t be good.

“Contraction,” she whispered.

Chapter Three

Finally the cramp ebbed away. Natalie relaxed and opened her eyes. Jacob was watching her, his face tight with concern.

“I’m okay,” she said quickly. “That was just a Braxton Hicks. I’ve been having them for a while now. The doctor says they’re perfectly normal.” She managed a shaky smile. Normal, yes. Fun, not so much.

“Whew.” Relief washed over his face. “I thought it was the real thing there for a minute.”

“Not time for that yet.” She spoke lightly, but she remembered another thing the obstetrician had said on her last visit to the clinic. First babies don’t pay much attention to their due dates.

She sure hoped her baby would be the exception because she wasn’t even close to being ready. All her plans were falling apart. She had no husband, no money. She didn’t even have a crib, and all the secondhand baby clothes she’d bought had driven away with Adam in the back of his Jeep.

Natalie straightened her shoulders. There was no point wasting time feeling sorry for herself. She had more important things to do right now. She needed to sit down and start figuring out how she could manage on her own until Adam showed back up.

If he showed up.

“Thanks for driving me out here, Jacob. I don’t want to take up any more of your time, so I’ll let you get on back to town.” She tilted up her chin and tried a smile. “And anyway, it looks like I have a little cleaning to do.”

“No.” Jacob was shaking his head before she’d even finished speaking. “I’m not leaving you out here alone. Not in your condition.” He scanned the messy room, his face tight with disgust. “And you definitely shouldn’t be cleaning up a disaster like this.”

In spite of the day she’d had, Natalie nearly laughed out loud. There was nothing wrong here that some soapy water and a few big trash bags couldn’t fix. Jacob might have had a lot more schooling than she’d had, but right now he didn’t have a clue what he was talking about.

She’d cleaned up messes way worse than this. “I’m not afraid of a little dirt.”

“This is more than a little dirt. Look, let me give you a ride back to town. We’ll find you another place to stay. If money’s an issue, I can give my church a call—”

Cora’s warning replayed itself in Natalie’s memory, and she cut him off firmly. “I appreciate that, but I’m staying here. Adam’s grandma is sure he’ll be back by tomorrow or the next day.”

Jacob looked around the room again and started rolling up the sleeves of his dress shirt. “Then I’ll help you clean this up.”

Natalie felt a stir of panic. “No need for that. I’ve worked as a waitress ever since I...got out of school. Believe me, I can clean up a kitchen without any help.” She’d almost said dropped out, but she’d caught herself just in time. She didn’t want to admit to this man that she’d quit school when she was sixteen. It was a choice she’d always regretted, but at the time it had seemed like the only way to get out of her mother’s apartment—and away from her mom’s endless parade of hard-partying boyfriends.

A little over a year ago, she’d gathered up her courage and enrolled in free GED classes at a nearby community center. To her relief, she’d managed the classwork pretty well, and she’d passed the test with flying colors. She’d daydreamed about taking some college night courses, maybe even becoming a teacher one day. She loved the idea of teaching children.

Of course, when two blue lines had shown up on her pregnancy test, all those plans had come to a screeching halt. Dreams like that were for women who didn’t have babies to take care of.

Jacob was looking at her with a concerned crease between his eyebrows. “I can’t leave you here to deal with this all by yourself.”

“That’s sweet, but I’d really rather you did. I want to be alone for a while. I have a lot to think about, and cleaning is like therapy for me.” Maybe that was stretching the truth a little, but she was starting to feel desperate.

Pastor Jacob Stone was a very hard man to shoo away.

Jacob was silent for a moment, studying her. She kept her eyes on his and waited him out.

It worked. Although he clearly wasn’t happy, after a minute he blew out a slow breath and shrugged. “Well. If you’re sure that’s what you really want...”

“It is.”

To her horror, he pulled out a worn leather wallet. “Here. At least let me—” he started.

“I don’t need your money.” She flushed at the startled expression on his face. Maybe she had been a little too forceful, but she didn’t want this minister’s charity. She’d already been humiliated enough for one day. “Thank you, though,” she added belatedly. He’d gone out of his way to be kind. She could at least be polite.

“I was going to give you a card with my cell number on it.” He pulled one out and held it in her direction. Pine Valley Community Church was written in blocky blue letters across the top of it. “I want you to promise to call me if you need anything. Okay? Anything at all.”

“Thank you.” She wouldn’t call, of course. She didn’t need this man or his church involved in her problems. She’d find a way to deal with them herself, like she always had.

Granted, she’d never had problems quite this big before. But she’d manage.

Somehow.

“I’ll bring in your overnight bag before I leave. And I’ll be back to check on you tomorrow after services.”

Natalie shook her head. She was having enough trouble getting him to leave this time. She didn’t need to go through all this again tomorrow. “You don’t have to do that. I’ll be fine.”

His mouth hardened into a stubborn line. “You’re stranded out here without a car. I don’t even like leaving you overnight. Are you sure I can’t talk you into going back to town?”

“Yes.” She spoke firmly, but softened her refusal with a smile. “Completely sure.”

“Then I’ll see you around lunchtime. No,” he interjected as she opened her mouth to argue again. “It’s not up for debate. I’m coming back. I’m a minister, remember, and helping people through difficult situations is what I do. I’m here for the duration, Natalie. Until we get your situation more...stable, you can consider me your right-hand guy. Okay?”

It wasn’t the least bit okay, but how could she explain that? He was smiling at her, a friendly smile that came complete with a set of boyish dimples. But underneath all that charm, she saw a firmness that made her heart sink right down to the toes she hadn’t seen for the last month and a half.

Natalie had dealt with enough bullheaded people in her life to recognize stubbornness when she saw it. Jacob Stone wasn’t going to budge, so she might as well give in now as later.

“Suit yourself. But it really isn’t necessary.”

She didn’t sound particularly gracious, but he didn’t seem to mind. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” Casting one last uneasy look around the cluttered room, he headed for the door.

When the rumbles of his truck finally faded into the distance, Natalie sank onto a sticky chair and rubbed her chilled arms.

Alone for the first time since she’d heard the news about Adam, she realized how comforting Jacob’s company had been. Even if he was a minister, he was also a friendly, concerned human being. Without him, the house felt colder and dirtier, and the reality of how alone she truly was began to seep in.

She would not cry, pregnancy hormones or not. She was a Christian now, wasn’t she? All those encouraging devotionals she’d been reading told her to pray and trust God when things went wrong. Granted, right now that seemed nearly impossible, but what choice did she have? She shut her eyes and clasped her hands together.

Lord, this sure isn’t the way I thought today would turn out. I read in the Bible that Your strength is made perfect in weakness. I hope You meant that because I’m just about as weak as anybody can get right now. Please...help me.

She opened her eyes, but the scene in front of her hadn’t changed. Her gaze wandered over the room, lingering on the litter of food wrappers and the pile of dirty dishes in the sink. She glanced down at her left hand, still bare, resting on a pregnant tummy that seemed to get bigger by the minute.

None of that was too encouraging.

Her cell phone suddenly erupted in a burst of reggae music, and she gasped, digging wildly in her purse. That was Adam’s ringtone. Her hands were shaking so hard that it took her three tries to answer the call.

“Adam?”

There was a silence on the other end of the line, then a sheepish sigh. “Sorry, Nat. I kind of freaked out.”

He sounded like a guilty kid, and she’d never liked the nickname Nat. Still, getting angry with Adam never helped. Natalie rubbed her temples wearily. “Where are you?”

“I’m crashing at Gary’s place for a few days.”

Natalie frowned. “You drove all the way to Tennessee?”

“I didn’t know where else to go. I just snapped.”

Natalie’s head was beginning to pound, and she was feeling a little shaky. She’d been too nervous to eat breakfast or lunch today. “You snapped.”

“Well, yeah. The last couple of days out on the farm, I kept remembering how Grampa Ed loved that old place. He always talked about retiring there and growing blueberries, but Nana Cora wouldn’t let him. She wanted to stay in Fairmont. That’s all I could think about today at the church, you know? How Grampa Ed never got to do anything he wanted, and how I’m going to be just like him.”

She couldn’t muster up too much sympathy for Adam, or his grampa Ed either, for that matter. But of course, Adam had a right to make his own choices, no matter what his grandmother thought.

“Adam, look. If you really don’t want to get married...”

“Come on, Nat. Let’s be honest. Neither one of us really wants to get married, but we’re stuck because of this baby thing.”

She started to argue but stopped. It was the truth.

She didn’t really want to marry Adam. She just wanted a better life for her baby than she could provide on her own. And Adam wanted to hang on to his grandmother’s good graces, and more importantly, her checking account.

What a mess they’d made.

“So what are we going to do?”

“Get married, I guess. What choice do we have?”

“So you’re coming back?”

“Yeah. But—”

“But what?”

She heard Adam take a breath, then the words tumbled out. “Here’s the thing, Nat. Gary and some buds of his are leaving tomorrow to hike a leg of the Appalachian Trail, and I want to go with them.”

What? Whatever she’d expected Adam to say, it hadn’t been that. “You want to hike the Appalachian Trail? Now?”

“Just part of it. It’ll only take about two weeks, and I think it’ll help clear my head, you know? I’ve already talked to Nana Cora, and she’s good with it because we’ll still have enough time to get married before the baby comes.”

“That’s cutting it kind of close, Adam.” The doctor’s warning sounded in her mind.

Any day now.

“It’s only for a couple of weeks, Nat. And then I’ll have to be boring and responsible for the rest of my life.”

Natalie felt a twinge of guilt. There sure wasn’t much left now of the carefree confidence that had attracted her to Adam in the first place.

She remembered the first time he’d walked into the diner. She’d been working the second leg of an exhausting double shift, and Adam had blown in like a refreshing breeze. He was just coming back from a white-water rafting trip, and he’d had a tattered backpack slung over one shoulder and a gigantic grin on his face. To Natalie’s tired eyes, he’d looked like freedom, romance and adventure all rolled up into one slightly rumpled guy. When he’d asked for her number, she’d broken her long-standing policy and written it down on a napkin.

Back then, she hadn’t had her faith to steady her, and she’d fallen for Adam too hard and too fast, blindly assuming that his feelings were keeping pace with hers. The situation they were in now was every bit as much her fault as his.

“All right,” she heard herself agreeing. “Two weeks.”

“Awesome.” A hint of the joy she remembered was in the word. “Nana Cora said you were going to wait on the farm. I left some food in the kitchen. Oh! I...uh...meant to clean that up, by the way. And there’s a goat out back. Some guy gave him to me for free, along with four bags of chow. He even threw in a few chickens... Look, Gary’s calling me. We’re planning to hit the trail first thing in the morning, so I’ve got to go. See you in two weeks, Nat.”

“Adam—” Natalie began, but he’d already hung up.

She sat there, holding the silent phone in her hand. So that was that. She was officially on her own for the next two weeks.

The baby shifted position, reminding her that she wasn’t really on her own anymore. She had somebody else to take care of now.

Which reminded her, she needed to eat something.

She went to inspect the contents of the refrigerator and the kitchen cupboards. The food Adam had mentioned seemed to be mostly potato chips and cheese puffs, but she finally managed to locate a fairly fresh loaf of bread and a half-empty jar of peanut butter.

The idea of eating in the dirty kitchen wasn’t very appealing, so she decided to take her sandwich outside. She could eat it while she checked out the rest of the farm.

She hadn’t realized how musty the house smelled until she stepped out the door into the fresh air. A brisk wind was blowing the last of the gray clouds away, and the sky arching over the farmyard was a sweet eggshell blue.

As she picked her way carefully through the overgrown grass, she startled five striped chickens, who squawked and flapped away. When she reached the barn, the shaggy goat with the patchy brown-and-black fur trotted up to his fence and bleated at her.

She stuck out a hesitant finger to stroke his satiny nose. He tipped up a bearded chin and nibbled lightly on her thumb before bleating again. Natalie peered into his pen. His water trough was half-full, but a battered tin pan sat empty by the fence.

“Are you hungry?” The goat made his sad noise again, so she offered him the last bite of her sandwich. He gobbled it up and looked at her expectantly.

He was hungry. Adam had mentioned some feed. Maybe it was in the barn. She pulled open the rough door and looked in. The building had a dirt floor and smelled damp. Natalie shuddered.

There was a second half-opened door to her right, and she thought she could see some yellow bags stacked inside a small room. She took a step in that direction.

Something scrabbled in the depths of the closet-like space, and she froze.

Please, Lord, don’t let that be a rat. I can’t handle a rat right now, not after the day I’ve had. I just can’t.

The goat cried out again, and she bit her lip. The poor thing was starving. Rat or not, she was going to have to get to that feed. Gathering her courage, she crossed the dirt floor and pulled the door to the room fully open.

Something flew up toward her face in a flurry of feathers and dust. She cried out and jumped backward, stumbling over a couple of rusty paint cans. She caught herself against a wooden post just before she fell, and she heard her dress rip as the fabric snagged on a protruding nail.

The escaping hen clucked loudly as it scurried out into the sunshine. Natalie stayed where she was, breathing hard and waiting for her hammering heart to slow down.

She was all right. It was just a chicken. She hadn’t fallen. The baby was fine.

“Bleaaah!”

The loud noise sounded right beside her, and she yelped in alarm. Rufus was standing in the cobweb-filled barn, looking at her with his weird golden eyes. How had he gotten out of his pen so fast?

“Bleaaah,” he bleated at her again.

“Shoo, Rufus. Go away!” The goat just tilted his head and watched her.

If she had some feed, she might be able to lure him back into his pen, but she really didn’t want to go into that spooky room. No telling what else was hiding in there. The chicken sure had been in a hurry to get out.

The feelings she’d been fighting off for hours swelled over her like a tidal wave. She was tired, her back hurt and she’d just ripped a hole in the only nice maternity dress she owned.

She was cornered in a spidery barn with a goat and scary chickens, and somehow she had to figure out how to take care of herself and these animals for the next two weeks on the forty dollars she had in her purse. And if the baby came early, she’d have to take care of him, too.

All by herself.

There was no way she could do this.

Natalie felt the sobs start from somewhere deep down, and this time she didn’t have enough strength to stop them. She leaned against the splintery post and cried her heart out while Rufus nibbled on the hem of her ruined dress.

* * *

The midday sun streamed through the stained glass windows of the Pine Valley Community Church sanctuary as the pianist began the last verse of the morning’s closing hymn. Jacob sang along with his congregation, profoundly relieved to see the worship hour come to a close.

He was anxious to get out to Lark Hill and check on Natalie Davis.

He’d spent a restless night imagining every kind of disaster that could possibly happen to a pregnant woman out at the old Larkey farm. It had turned out to be an impressive list. He never should have left Natalie out there alone, no matter what she said.

After pronouncing the benediction, he posted himself in his usual spot at the church entryway, prepared to offer handshakes and hugs as his church family filed past him. Today the line moved a lot more quickly than it usually did. Nobody seemed to want to linger and chat, and normally friendly people were having a hard time meeting his eyes. In fact, he noticed that several members slipped out the side door without speaking to him at all.

Something was definitely up with his little flock. But what?

He hadn’t had a chance to check in with Arlene before the service, so he’d have to wait to find out. Arlene would know what was going on. She always did.

The arrival of four-year-old Katie Barker was a welcome distraction. Completely unaffected by the tension around her, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek as soon as he crouched down within her range.

“This is for you, Pastor,” she announced, handing him a dampish mound of green clay with various lumps sticking out if it. “I made it in Sunday school. It’s the turtle from Noah’s ark.”

“I can see that,” Jacob fibbed with a smile. “Wow. And you made it for me?”

“No, I made it for my daddy, but one of its legs fell off and Tommy Anderson stepped on it and smushed it before I could stick it back on. I’m going to make Daddy a better turtle, and you can have this one. Because you’re nobody’s daddy, and a three-legged turtle is better than no turtle at all.”

The few church members still within earshot chuckled, and Katie’s mother flushed bright pink. Jacob offered the flustered woman a reassuring smile before turning his attention back to the little girl.

“That’s true, Katie-bug. I don’t have anybody to make me turtles, so I’m extra glad to have this one. I’ll put it in my office so I can see it every day.” He’d add it to the collection of Vacation Bible School crafts and Sunday school projects that Arlene was always pestering him to throw away.

His secretary was wasting her breath because he planned to hang on to every lopsided Popsicle stick and faded scrap of construction paper on that shelf. Katie Barker had summed up why with the artless truthfulness of a preschooler. Three-legged turtles were better than no turtles at all.

Arlene, as usual, had stationed herself at the tail end of the line. She didn’t bother to comment on his sermon. She never did. “When you preach a bad one, I’ll let you know,” she’d told him once.

He believed her.

“That piano needs tuning,” his secretary informed him, riffling through her black purse for her car keys. “I’ll set it up tomorrow morning.” She scanned Jacob’s face with narrowed eyes. “You don’t look so well. I sure hope you haven’t caught that flu Good Shepherd’s passing around.” She snorted. “Isn’t that just like those folks? You go do them a favor, and what do they give you in return? Germs!”

Jacob rolled his eyes. Pine Valley Community and Good Shepherd had a long-standing, mostly amicable rivalry that had started on the softball field and which Arlene tended to take a little too seriously. And she wasn’t the only one in his congregation who felt that way. Maybe it was time for him to give his We’re All on the Same Team sermon.

Again.

“I’m fine, Arlene. Just tired. Listen, how much money do we have in our benevolence fund right now?”

“I don’t know exactly.” The concern in Arlene’s expression shifted to suspicion. “I’d have to check. Jacob, this doesn’t have anything to do with what happened at that wedding yesterday, does it? Because that poor bride is Good Shepherd’s problem, not ours.”

“I don’t think she’s a member there, and anyway, I was the minister present when everything went to pieces. I feel responsible for her.”

“Well, you shouldn’t.” His secretary glanced warily in the direction of the door. She waited until the last members of the congregation were safely out of earshot before speaking again. “And I’ll tell you this—after missing that meeting yesterday, the very last thing you need to do is start doling out our benevolence money to somebody who isn’t even a member of our church.”

“Was Digby that upset?”

“He wasn’t upset at all, which was far worse, I can assure you. He spent the entire meeting hounding the church board about that fellowship hall. He’s won over three more of the members. You know what that means.”

Jacob’s heart sank. He knew, all right. If it came to the floor now, the fellowship hall approval was only one vote shy of going through.

“And that’s not the half of it. Digby brought up that nephew of his at least four times. He’s graduated from seminary now, and what’s worse, he’s gotten married! Digby was passing the wedding photos all around the conference table.”

Jacob started to chuckle, but he caught a glimpse of Arlene’s expression and cleared his throat instead. He’d never seen her this upset before, not even on that Wednesday evening last summer when a bat had blundered into the sanctuary and started dive-bombing the senior ladies’ prayer meeting.

“What’s wrong with the nephew’s wife?”

“Nothing! That’s the problem. She’s everything a minister’s wife should be. The girl’s a pianist, and her parents are missionaries. I’m telling you, it could hardly be any worse.” His secretary glared at him suspiciously. “This isn’t the least bit funny, Jacob. It was plain as day that Digby’s angling to put his nephew in your place, and if you don’t stop worrying about other churches’ jilted brides and focus on your own problems, you may very well find yourself looking for another job!”

Chapter Four

Thanks to Arlene, it was nearly one thirty when Jacob finally drove up Lark Hill’s rutted driveway. No battered Jeep was in sight, so the runaway groom must not have returned. Natalie was nowhere to be seen, either. She was probably inside resting with her feet up, or doing whatever else pregnant women were supposed to do, he told himself. That was most likely why the place looked so empty.

Still, he quickened his step as he mounted the shaky porch. He knocked firmly. “Natalie? It’s Jacob Stone.”

He had to knock twice before he heard her coming down the hall. When she finally opened the door, his heart lifted with sweet relief.

Natalie Davis was just fine.

She looked good, actually. Her brown hair was swept away from her face in a simple ponytail, and she was dressed in a blue-and-white-striped maternity top with matching pants. She’d folded the sleeves back over her elbows, and she clutched a damp rag in one hand. Even though the April afternoon was unseasonably chilly, there was a faint sheen of perspiration on her face, and she smelled like freshly sliced lemons.

She didn’t, however, look very happy to see him. “Hi.” The polite smile she offered him didn’t quite reach her eyes.

He gave her his warmest one in return and hoped for the best. “Hi! I’m glad to see you survived the night.” He made the comment lightly, but he meant every word of it. He wasn’t about to leave Natalie out here alone again, not without setting some sensible safeguards in place.

Which was going to be difficult if he couldn’t even make it past the door. “Do you have time for a quick visit?”

She bit her lip. “I’m...kind of busy right now. I’m cleaning.”

Nice try, but during his time as a minister, Jacob had charmed his way past more doors than he could count. “Really? I’d love to see how the place is shaping up. I won’t get in your way.” He smiled again. “Scout’s honor.”

Natalie hesitated another few seconds. Then she sighed and opened the door. “All right.” She poked her head out onto the porch and scanned the yard. “You’d better come in quick, though. That Rufus goat was out of his pen this morning, and he seems to want to come in the house. He was at the back door just a minute ago, but he can be really fast when he wants to be.”

So could Jacob. He was inside before Natalie could change her mind.

Things at Lark Hill had definitely improved. The living room had been dusted, and an aqua-and-silver vacuum cleaner, the kind with a long hose attached to a round wheeled tub, sat in the middle of the floor. It looked ancient, but it must have worked because everything was a lot cleaner. She’d taken down the dingy curtains, and sunlight sparkled through the bare windows, casting golden rectangles on the floorboards.

“You really have been cleaning.” It came out like an accusation. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

She glanced up at him, her eyes startled wide. They were clear and bright today, and just the color of the spicy amber tea his grandmother had always brewed at Christmastime.

“I don’t like dirt,” she answered simply, “and anyway, I’m just using plain old dish soap and water. That’s not going to hurt anything.”

As Natalie led the way into the kitchen, Jacob halted in the doorway, stunned.

The litter of trash had vanished. The worn countertops and appliances shone, and the chipped enamel sink was empty of dishes. A raggedy broom leaned against one corner, the peeling linoleum floor was neatly swept and a bowl of sudsy water sat on the table. The lemony scent was strong in here. She must have been in the middle of scrubbing when he knocked.

This kitchen had been a complete disaster yesterday, but now it felt homier than his own bachelor apartment. Jacob shook his head slowly.

Women were amazing creatures.

But still... “I really don’t think you should be working this hard.”

She laughed, but there wasn’t much humor in the sound. “Don’t worry about me. I’m used to hard work.” She pulled out one of the chairs and lowered herself into it slowly.

He dragged out a second chair and joined her at the table. “I’m guessing Adam didn’t come back.”

“No, but he called.” Avoiding his eyes, Natalie dipped the rag into the bowl, wrung it out and busied herself scrubbing at a spot on the table. “He’s coming back in two weeks. I’m going to stay here in the meantime and get things ready.”

So the wedding was still on. Supposedly. But in Jacob’s opinion, the rest of that plan was definitely a nonstarter. “You can’t stay way out here on your own for that long in your condition. You don’t even have a working car.”

For a second or two, her rag stilled. Then she tightened her lips and began scrubbing even harder. “I’ll be fine.”

Jacob considered the stubborn set of Natalie’s jaw with a sinking feeling. From the look of things, unless he was prepared to manhandle an extremely pregnant woman out of this house and into his truck, there wasn’t much he could do.

But he had to do something.

He pulled out his cell phone and scrolled through his contacts until he found the one he was looking for. Two rings later, his call was answered.

“Hey, Mike. Listen, I need a favor. There’s a car parked over by the Sunset Motel on Highway 36. Do you think you could tow it back to your garage and get it running?”

“What are you doing?” Natalie had straightened up in her chair, the dripping rag forgotten in her hand. She shook her head at him furiously, her ponytail swinging.

He held up one hand in a calming gesture. “Yeah, I know, Mike. You’re always backed up, but this is an emergency. Like I said, I’m calling in that favor you owe me. Sure, tomorrow’s fine. Yes, whatever it takes. Just fix it. I’ll drop the keys off first thing in the morning.” He ended the call and smiled at Natalie, who was staring at him with her mouth open. “Give me your keys, and I’ll run them by Mike’s garage tomorrow. He’s a member of my church and the best mechanic in town. If anybody can get your car running, Mike can.”

“I...” Natalie blinked at him. “I appreciate the thought, but you should have checked with me first. I’m on a...limited budget right now. I’d love to get an estimate, but I can’t give the go-ahead for the repairs until I’m sure I can afford them.”

“There’s no way you can stay out here without a car. It’s not safe. Don’t worry about the cost. My church can help.” They could. But would they? Given everything that was going on right now, he wasn’t sure.

Well, it didn’t matter. If the board wouldn’t allow the benevolence fund to cover the repairs, Jacob would pay for them himself. Somehow.

“No!” The force of her refusal seemed to surprise her as much as it did him. She blushed and continued in a calmer voice. “It’s really kind of you to offer, Jacob, but that wouldn’t be right. I’m not even a member of your church.”

“That’s not a problem.” It wasn’t. Well, not to Jacob. “In any case, there’s no point worrying about it until Mike gets back to us about the repairs. We don’t even know what’s wrong with your car yet. It might be an easy fix.”

“I suppose.” Although Natalie’s expression made it clear that she doubted it.

“So. Now that we’ve got that settled, what else can I help you with today?”

* * *

Natalie hesitated. She wasn’t sure what to do, and right now she didn’t like any of her options very much.

She hated the thought of getting any more mixed up with Jacob Stone or that church he kept mentioning. But just before he’d arrived, she’d asked the Lord to help her manage until Adam came back. She couldn’t afford to turn her nose up at His answer, just because it wasn’t what she’d hoped for. And, she was stuck out here in the middle of nowhere without a vehicle and with nothing to eat but Adam’s leftover junk food. If it wasn’t for the baby, she’d make do, but...

Once again, there was no real choice to make.

“Do you have time to drive me to the supermarket? I can be ready to go really fast. I just need to do a quick check and see what I need.” Probably everything, but given her lack of funds, she’d make sure.

“Sure,” Jacob agreed instantly. “Take your time. While you make your list, I’ll go put Rufus back in his pen for you and make a couple of phone calls.”

Fifteen minutes later, they were rumbling toward town in Jacob’s old truck. As he drove past fields dotted with grazing cows or rows of seedlings, Jacob kept up a friendly conversation about their various owners. Natalie nodded, but she wasn’t really listening.

She went over and over her grocery list in her head, trying to decide which items were absolute necessities and which she could find a way to do without. She had to stretch her tiny amount of cash as far as she could.

In spite of her worries, she perked up when they reached the city limits sign, craning her neck as she peered through the smudged windshield. She’d fallen in love with the town of Pine Valley the minute she’d seen it.

This place had such a peaceful, unrushed air about it. And it was so pretty, too. A rosy brick courthouse sat proudly in the middle of a grassy square, ringed by old-fashioned stores advertising various kinds of businesses: a barbershop, a hardware store and a bookstore. Most of them had Sorry, We’re Closed signs in their windows. People in Pine Valley apparently took their Sunday rest seriously.

She expected Jacob to drive past the square, figuring there was probably a chain supermarket on the outskirts of town. Instead, he parked in front of a small storefront with bright green-and-white-striped awnings over its windows. Bailey’s was written in flowing white script across the sparkling glass of the door. Through the wide windows, Natalie saw baskets of produce, invitingly angled to show off the vegetables and fruits to potential customers.

This was no supermarket. This was some sort of fancy food boutique that looked as if it might have a surcharge for just walking in the door. No way could she afford to shop in a place like this.

“Here we are.” Jacob pulled his keys from the ignition. “You’ll love this store. Bailey’s always has the best stuff in town.”

Maybe, but she didn’t need the best stuff in town. She needed the cheapest stuff in town. Before she could figure out the least humiliating way to explain that, Jacob had rounded the truck and was opening the passenger side door.

“I only need a few things,” she said quickly, “so this won’t take long.”

“I’m in no hurry. Here now, watch that curb.” He cupped her elbow, steadying her as she stepped up onto the sidewalk.

The touch was light and brief, but she felt it all the way to her toes. Adam would never have thought about doing anything like that. He’d always bounded ahead of her like an overexcited puppy.

Not Jacob. Jacob made her feel...treasured. Nobody had ever made her feel like that before. That was why she’d embarrassed herself by crying on the porch yesterday, when he’d insisted on checking the boards and steadying her arm. She’d forgotten for a moment that Jacob was a minister, that he was just doing his job.

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.