Chapter Six

Morning came all too quickly. Kate woke up when Paul’s alarm went off at four o’clock. She got up to make him coffee for the road.

When he came out of the bedroom, he gathered her in his arms. “I didn’t expect the royal treatment so early in the morning.”

“And why not? You’re my prince charming.” She handed him his coffee mug and reached up to kiss his cheek.

“Ah, Katie, you spoil me.”

“Tell me again when you’ll be back,” Kate asked as they took their mugs to the large oak dining table.

“The retreat ends Thursday around noon, but I’ll stay over Thursday night with Nehemiah.” He frowned. “I can’t remember if I told you that or not.”

“You didn’t.”

“Sorry. I meant to.”

“It’s okay, really.” Kate smiled. “In fact, I think it’s wonderful. You two don’t get together often enough.”

Nehemiah Jacobs was one of Paul’s favorite people. The seventy-nine-year-old had been Paul’s mentor and pastor for years when Paul was growing up. Nehemiah had also been the pastor at Faith Briar Church before he retired and moved to an assisted-living facility in Chattanooga.

Paul nodded. “I should be home around dinnertime on Friday.”

Kate placed a hand on his arm and smiled. “I’ll bet Nehemiah is thrilled.”

“I’m probably more excited than he is. He’ll be at the retreat, but since it’s a silent retreat, we won’t have much time to talk until Thursday.”

Kate chuckled. “I guess not.”

He checked his watch, downed the rest of his coffee, and got to his feet. “I’ve got to run.”

Kate walked him to the door. “I’ll miss you.”

He paused to give her a hug. “I’ll miss you too. I’ll have my cell phone in case you need me.”

“Be safe,” she called, closing the door behind him.

Kate went back to bed, hoping to get in another hour of snoozing, but it was not to be. The caffeine, combined with her excitement of working on the stained-glass window, chased away any and all remnants of sleep.

Kate stretched her arms high and yawned. “Thank you, Lord, for this day and for this precious time. May I use it well, and may it please you.”

She padded out to the kitchen to pour more coffee. She adored Paul and loved being with him, but to have nearly three days to herself...What a gift! Especially when that gift included a stained-glass project.

Though Kate could hardly wait to get to her studio, she lingered over her second cup of coffee and took time for her devotions. Many times she’d read the verse in James 1:2 where it said “Count it all joy...when you meet with various trials.” But they never failed to bless her.

Not that she was always able to find joy in her troubles—at least not right away. Still, she knew in her heart that even though terrible, heartbreaking things happened, God promised to turn mourning into joy.

After praying for everyone on her list, Kate set her Bible and devotional book aside and headed back to the bedroom to make the bed and get dressed.

Jeans and a peach T-shirt made up her work uniform for the morning. She slipped on an old pair of tennis shoes to protect her feet from any stray pieces of glass.

Once settled into her studio, Kate began unpacking the antique window from St. Lucy’s. She took care in laying the damaged pieces on her cloth-covered table. She was struck by the beauty of the work of art that had been placed in her care.

“So amazing,” she whispered. Kate let her gaze roam over the glorious reds in Peter’s flowing robe, the blues and grays in the stormy sea, and the intricacy of the carved gold cross. Much of the glass was still usable, but at least a third to one-half would need to be replaced. “I only hope I can do it justice,” she said to herself.

Someone who knew the art of stained glass well had crafted this window. Curious about who the master artist had been, Kate reaffirmed her intention to find out more about the church and the artwork.

Once she had laid out all the pieces, Kate began the tedious task of removing the broken glass fragments still attached and then cleaning the window frame. Good thing she liked puzzles, because sorting out which pieces went where would be quite a task.

She’d been working for about two hours when she thought she saw a flash of purple at the studio window. What in the world was that? Startled, Kate set down the glass shard she’d been examining.

At first she thought it might have been a bird, but the color didn’t match any bird she’d ever seen. When she heard what sounded like a moan, Kate went to the window to investigate.

“Ahhch.” The sound out of Kate’s mouth was like that of a disgruntled crow. There at the window on her hands and knees looking up at her, was the Red Hat Lady.