Her hair still damp from the shower, Summer sank into bed and settled in beneath the comforter. She grabbed a fistful of the blanket and inhaled a deep breath. “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil.”
Worry of the night ebbed away the more she prayed those Scriptures.
Pray for April.
It whispered into her soul, and sensing it was the Holy Spirit, she obeyed. “Lord, please shield April and Kiel. Keep them safe as You’re keeping me safe here. Please provide for her as You are providing for me.” She sighed. “Thank You for helping her and Kiel find You, love, peace, wholeness, and joy. If there’s any delay on their trip, please get them home safely. Thank You, Lord Jesus.” Feeling peace in her heart, she covered herself, her sisters, and their families with the blood of Jesus and soon fell asleep.
Hours later, Summer jerked from sleep at a crashing sound outside. Unsure what it was, she leaned away from the small window, swung her feet down to the cold tiled floor, and stood.
She rubbed sleep from her eyes and shuffled to the restroom. As she flipped the light switch on, clearly, she’d forgotten to set the security alarm for the door when she’d removed the trash for pickup.
Sighing, she used the restroom and then washed her hands. Padding barefoot to the bedroom to grab her shoes, she realized she’d left her purse upstairs.
“Amazing.” Withholding a second sigh and feeling as uncoordinated as she had ever been, she rotated out of the bedroom then froze at a second crashing sound. Except this time, it came from her office upstairs—its direction as unmistakable as the rapid beating of her heart.
Unsure of what to do next, she moved toward the stairs. She’d barely reached the base when the door leading into the basement squeaked open. Rays from a flashlight flickered against the wall, and clamping her own hand over her mouth to stifle a scream, she darted back to the bedroom.
With blood pounding in her ears, she shut the door as quietly as possible. Her heart thumped against her chest as she leaned against the door and shut her eyes just as tightly.
She had an invader in her bridal shop. An uninvited guest in the middle of the night. She hadn’t checked the clock and wasn’t even sure what time it was. She didn’t know how long she had already slept, but it had to be a couple of hours since the only sounds outside came from the upscale nightclub down the street.
Flattening both palms against the door and willing her heart to calm, Summer whispered the Scripture she’d prayed before sleeping. “The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil for You are with me.”
She glanced around for a weapon to defend herself. She found a 3 Iron, broken and leftover from when she organized a wedding at a golf club. And she ran over and grabbed it. Clutching it with both hands, she wondered if anywhere in this small room could offer a place to hide.
The closet? Was way too small.
Under the bed? Was too low.
She frantically searched around then stilled when steps pounded closer to the door. She darted her gaze behind just as she was losing hope and saw the place behind the closed door. She hurried and hid behind the door, then squatted low, clutching the club with trembling hands and praying she wouldn’t have to use it.
Then the door swung open.
***