Читать книгу Her Lone Star Cowboy - Debra Clopton, Elizabeth Wiseman Mackey, Debra Clopton - Страница 11

Chapter Five

Sunday morning brought a big smile to Gabi’s heart as she rolled over in bed and stared out the window from her room in Gram’s house. Breathing in the scent of lemon wax and rose petals, she stretched slowly, taking advantage of the last few minutes before she sprang out of bed.

When Gram had married Sam she’d chosen to move from the small house she’d lived in for years, which happened to be beside the large family home that Adela had grown up in. She’d turned that spacious treasure into an apartment house. The grand old house sat on Main Street at the entrance of town with its wide porches, majestic turrets and many, many memories from Gabi’s childhood. It was here that her faith had been grounded by both Gram and her mother. She’d no excuse for turning her back on God.

Beside it, though she’d moved to Sam’s home in the country, Adela had kept her small home—just in case family came to visit or wanted to move home. She’d insisted that Gabi live here. Staring out the window, Gabi could see a red bird sitting on the rain gutter. Joy filled her. She loved her life and was so thankful just to be living the opportunity she’d been given. She was home in so many ways than the obvious.

She dressed quickly, yanking on an old pair of jeans and an oversized green T-shirt. She tugged her boots on, then headed out the door. She had animals to tend at the clinic before getting ready for church.

The clinic was quiet as she unlocked the door and entered. From the back, the colt nickered. Knowing she was going to help the hurting animal renewed Gabi’s certainty that she was doing what she was supposed to do with her life.

“Hey, Peanut,” she said, softly. He ambled up and watched her open the gate and enter his stall. Gabi ran her hand over the silken star on his forehead, enjoying the trust in his eyes.

“You’re going to be okay, boy,” she assured him, then gently she began cleaning his wound. She loved that she could help hurting animals heal. She also liked knowing she could help animal owners too…. Jess came instantly to mind.

The handsome cowboy had been in her thoughts all night. Even after she’d left the ranch, she’d spent time digging through her book of toxic plants. But that wasn’t the one thing she was thinking about. It was his reaction to her talking about God.

He’d sidestepped her attempt at getting him to agree that God had the situation under control. She was certain he’d purposefully began talking about plants in order to not talk about God. Why?

Peanut flinched as she rubbed salve on his wound. “Sorry, fella,” she apologized. “Why wouldn’t Jess want to talk about God, huh, Peanut? I mean, ever since asking God into my life, I like to talk about Him.” It was a relationship and she wanted to get closer to Him.

After she finished with the colt, she checked the other patients then hurried back home, showered and dressed. There were several groups of people standing around on the grass in front of the white plank building when Gabi arrived at the Mule Hollow Church of Faith. She loved the steep rooftop and tall white steeple of the church. Though it was a typical country church, it had stood the test of time well. There could be no doubt in anyone’s mind that this house of God was well cared for and had been built on a solid foundation. Just looking at it gave Gabi a sense of peace and excitement at the same time. She had a smile on her face as she hurried from her old truck and headed toward her friends.

Life was good. How could it get any better?

“Ain’t you a pretty sight this morning,” Applegate Thornton boomed, loud enough for everyone within a mile radius to hear. Skinny as a man could be and not break in half, his seemingly perpetual frown lifted in a smile.

Gabi beamed at his good-natured greeting. “Why, thank you, Mr. Applegate.” She’d pulled on a white blouse and a red skirt with white sandals and was feeling fresh and summery. After wearing jeans and boots at work all week, it was fun to be a little girly. “Even a tomboy like me enjoys frilling up at least once a week.”

“You done good,” Stanley Orr added, almost as loud as his buddy App. His cherry cheeks beamed. The two men were in their late seventies, hard of hearing and retired. They could be found most mornings frowning over a game of checkers at Sam’s Diner. Gabi usually saw them when she stopped in for her morning coffee. She enjoyed giving them a hard time and they relished throwing it right back at her and everyone else who stopped in. They were certainly part of Mule Hollow’s charm.

Before she could say more, Esther Mae and Norma Sue hurried over.

“That’s some hat, Esther Mae.” Gabi was unable to take her eyes off the multicolored monstrosity. There were feathers and flowers erupting all over the place. It looked like a flower arrangement that had had a head-on collision with several flocks of birds.

“Thank you. Joseph had a coat of many colors and I have a hat of many colors. Don’t you just love it!”

Norma Sue grunted. “If Joseph’s coat was as gosh-awful as that hat, then it’s no wonder his brothers sold him off to Egypt. Just shows you that God will use anything to accomplish His will.”

Esther Mae harrumphed and hiked her chin in the air. “They were jealous of his coat.” She patted her feathers and gave her friend a teasing grin. “You can’t have it, Norma Sue, get your own.”

“My own! We can only hope it’s one of a kind.”

Gabi laughed, “Y’all never stop.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” App boomed. Giving them a sour look, he shook his head then addressed Gabi again. “I was about ta ask you—before we were inter-rupted.” He gave them another hard look for good measure. “What’d ya find out at Jess’s place yesterday about his cattle?”

“That’s what we came to ask about, too,” Esther Mae said, turning serious. “Did you find a poisonous plant killing all his cattle?”

News sure did travel fast. She hadn’t told her Gram, so how had they all found out about this? “I was just out there looking—and before y’all get all up in a tizzy, it was only four heifers.”

Stanley looked shocked. “Four’s enough, but I heard it was more on the lines of ten.”

“I don’t know where you’re getting your information but it was only four.”

“For now,” App said, sounding dire. “I shor hope you find the plant.”

“We don’t know for certain that it is a plant. Susan suspects it from the blood work she’s seen, and wanted me to get more information on it.”

That had them all bursting into advice on the various toxic plants that they were aware of in the county. Several other people stopped by to join in on the conversation. Gabi listened, taking in every bit of knowledge she could gleam from the folks who knew this area best. It was not to be taken lightly.

They were all talking when suddenly Norma Sue elbowed Esther Mae so hard her hat slid forward. She nodded toward the parking lot and everyone, including Gabi, turned to see what had Norma Sue’s mouth hanging open. It was Jess.

* * *

Half the front lawn of the church turned to look at Jess as he walked across the parking lot. Glancing at his watch, he knew he’d hit the time between Sunday school and church services. Normally when he came, he timed it so he got there right before Adela started playing the piano and everyone was already inside the church. Today he’d rushed it just a little.

His gaze was drawn instantly to Gabi standing among the group. Her blond hair sparkled in the sun like it always did. It was the first time he’d seen it hanging free of the ponytail she usually wore and it really caught the sun this way. She was in a skirt. It was red, and swung around her calves, very feminine. He had half expected her to be in her jeans, and was surprised and pleased to see her like this. And that was the reason he was about to get himself in trouble. Because half the congregation knew what had brought him out this morning. That was the reason, instead of going into the sanctuary when Adela had clearly begun to play the piano, they were still watching him.

He was asking for trouble, stirring up talk by showing up at church for the first time all summer. They all knew why he’d come.