Read Online October Joy (Moments In Paradise 1) by Melanie Wilber - Free Book Online

being so nice to me?”  She smiled.  “Who are you, and what are you doing in my hotel room?”
    He smiled back.  “I’m here for you, Sarah.  That’s why God brought me here.”
    “Are you an angel?”
    He laughed.  “Not that I know of.”
    “Do you do this often?”
    “No, I promise.”
    “Why did you come back for dinner tonight?”
    He leaned forward in the chair and rested his elbows on his knees.  “To talk to you.”
    “You knew I was going to have an emotional breakdown?”
    “No, I came to ask you something.”
    “What?”
    “If you would like to spend the day with me tomorrow.”
    “Why?”
    “To talk, like I offered last night.”
    “Like we are now, you mean?”
    “Yes.  I guess you saved me a day of grief-counseling.  Now I can go to all those workshops I really came here for.”
    “Something tells me you should be teaching workshops not attending them.”
    “Yeah, probably,” he said.  “If I didn’t have that darn church to look after back in California, I could tour the country, telling all the pastors how to do it right.”
    “Do you like being a pastor, Andrew?”
    “Yes.”
    “Have you always liked it?”
    “Mostly yes.  But I haven’t always enjoyed it like I should.”
    “Levi enjoyed it.”
    “Did he?”
    “Yes.  He loved everything about it.”
    “Did you enjoy it with him?”
    She didn’t answer that.  She felt ashamed by her thoughts.
    “Do you enjoy God, Sarah?”
    She didn’t answer that either and pondered Andrew’s words.  Was enjoying ministry different than enjoying God, or was he just restating the question?
     
    ***
     
    Grace knew her dad was probably in a meeting right now, and she hated to interrupt him, but it couldn’t be helped.  Trying his phone, she didn’t know if he would answer, but she desperately hoped he would.  Why did this have to happen when he was so far away?
    “Hello?” he said, picking up after the second ring.
    “Hi, Dad.  It’s Grace.”
    “What’s up?”
    “I just got a call from Pastor James.  One of the youth group kids was in a boating accident this afternoon.”
    “Who?”
    “Hunter Smith.  He’s only been coming since this summer.  James wasn’t sure if you would know him.”
    “Is he all right?”
    “No, he was killed.  James is with the family.  He didn’t want to bother you if you were busy, but he thought you should know.”
    “All right.  Thanks, honey.  Do you know if he’s at the hospital or at their home?”
    “I’m not sure.  The hospital, I think.  It just happened this afternoon.”
    “Can you do something for me, Gracie?”
    “What?”
    “Can you call James and find out where he is and go meet him there?”
    Grace didn’t know why her dad would ask her to do such a thing.  She didn’t work with the youth group or know James super-well.  “Why?”
    “No one knows this because he doesn’t want people to know, but James lost his twin brother in a boating accident when he was twelve.  I know he’ll be strong for the family and do his job, but afterwards he’s going to need someone.”
    “Why me?  Why not Pastor Alan?”
    “Because you know what it’s like to lose someone close to you, sweetheart.  Can you do it, please?  I would if I was there, but I’m not.”
    “Okay,” she replied.  “Should I take Tabby with me?  She knows Hunter and his sister, Sierra.”
    “Yes, take her.”
    “Will you pray for us?”
    “Yes.”
    She listened to his calming words and tried to believe what he was saying about God’s grace being sufficient and all things working together for good.  He prayed for the family and for her and Tabby, and for James.
    “Hold James tight right now, Jesus.  He needs you.  Let him know You’re there for him, and help Gracie to be whatever he needs her to be.  Amen.”
    “Amen,” Grace whispered.
    “I love you, honey.  You can do this, I know you can.”
    “I hope so,” she said.  “I better go.”
    She called James and